Page 10 of The Boss

Both of them are silent now, lost in thought. I understand their shock. But I don’t understand the determination on Ellie’s face when she finally looks up.

“No, Luna. You’re not going to marry that man. We’ll figure this out.” She starts tapping on her screen. “I’m going to ask Papa about Tio’s schedule right now. I’ll talk to them. Today.”

“Worth a shot, I guess,” I consider what pull her uncle may have. “Actually, that’s not a terrible idea. Your uncle won’t love the idea of the two families joining together. We’ll be bigger than you.”

“Bigger thanthem.”Mia grouses.

“Your last name is still Delgado whether you like it or not. Now hush and let me get to work,” Ellie says to her sister as she taps a few more times. “Also, the Vix idea isn’t terrible, Lu. No one knows much about Skulls. Have her help you like she helped me.”

I nod, resigned. “Already sent her a text. Just…not sure I even want to know what she finds. What if the details are even worse?”

“Can it get worse? Didn’t he cut a man’s head straight down the center with a saw and then leave one half of it on a doorstep as a warning?”

Ellie’s jaw drops before she asks, “Mia, how do you know all this?”

“How do you not? Our stupid brothers and Zeno are always gossiping back and forth about the worst of the worst in this sick hell hole we call our lives.”

“Well,” I say, my tone changing. I’m ready to be done with this bleak conversation. “I’ll ask her to dig up what she can, then consider how much of the dirt I want to actually read.”

“Good plan, Queen. He probably has a big file on you.”

“Hm,” I wonder about Mia’s suggestion. My public persona doesn’t offer much interest. Plus, he told Papa I’m “not his type.” If he dug into the truth, though, what my father has apparently known all along…I shudder, instantly feeling too exposed, too vulnerable. He won’t like what he found. “You’re right. He probably has spies on me already. I need to level the playing field, prepare for battle.”

“Battle?” Ellie raises an eyebrow.

“Marriage. If that man is coming for me, I’m going to be ready.”

“Yes! Like, with poison you mean, right? And your knives?”

Mia’s excitement lightens us, and we all three laugh, letting out our nerves.

“Right, Mia. I better go sharpen them. I’ll let you all know if I hear back from Vix.”

Before we end the call, they tell me they love me and are here for me, with more over-the-top determination from Ellie. She’s our traditionalist so herfight the manenergy seems fishy. But if there’s ever been a time I need her pulling for me with her powerful family and her sketchy snake of a husband, I suppose it’s now.

I go to put my phone down and start a hot shower for myself but it buzzes. The pixels on the screen make my hand shake.

Vix: Done. I’ve withdrawn from your account and sent over the deliverables. Check your email.

CHAPTER 7

Ellie

“Skulls, Mark! Arguably the worst mobster out of all four mobs! If we were waiting for a sign we need to pull her out, this is it!”

“Eleanna,mia vita,calm down.”

“Really? Calm down? You think telling me tocalm downis the right move right now?” Mark winces and I go on, “You promised me!”

“I promised you we would do what we could for her,whenwe could. This is huge, this marriage. The Irish and the Italians merging, it’s going to change everything. We’re all reeling from this. Now is not the time to tell Luna the truth, not only could she use us as leverage with her father—”

“She wouldn’t!” I say

“She might. She wants to be don, she could hand us over on a platter in exchange for her throne. Plus, in a month she’ll be sharing a bed with the head of the Irish mafia. Another place she’d want some bargaining power. Telling her now would be suicide for us all.” He softens his tone. “Think about it, sweetheart.Think about your friend. Luna’s personality, her history. We can’t just rip off the bandaid with her.”

He’s right.

I hate it, but it’s true.