Total pages in book: 80
Estimated words: 77579 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 388(@200wpm)___ 310(@250wpm)___ 259(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 77579 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 388(@200wpm)___ 310(@250wpm)___ 259(@300wpm)
“No, Ma,” Silvano said, walking over to let her hug him. He was slightly more comfortable with physical contact than I was, but it was clear he wasn’t enjoying it, either.
“Cosimo was just telling me about this lovely woman Halle who is staying with him,” Ma said, making me have to suppress a grumble.
Silvano’s smirk said I was going to be ribbed about this relentlessly in the future.
“Remind me,” I said as we all moved to sit at the table. “When’s the last time you had a woman in your life, Sil?” I said, getting a dark look from him.
But, just as I hoped, Ma jumped on it.
“You know, he’s not wrong, honey. I don’t think you have ever brought a woman to my table.”
“He hasn’t either,” Silvano said, gesturing toward me.
“Well, no, but there’s hope now, it seems,” she said.
I chose not to correct her.
Why, I had no idea.
But the conversation moved quickly from my love life, and the lack of one for Silvano, focusing instead on this shit with Lore and Renzo Lombardi.
“She’s still on that?” I asked, shaking my head. “I thought Gav and the other brothers put an end to that.”
To that, Mom’s brows pinched.
“I think we need to remember that Lore is a grown woman capable of making her own decisions. And I don’t like the idea of the men in this family brow-beating any of the women out of a decision she wants to make.”
“We’re not brow-beating anyone, Ma,” Silvano assured her. “She can do whatever she wants. Even if that means marrying a fucking low-life like Renzo Lombardi.”
Honestly, all said and done, it was probably the most civil meal I’d shared with my brother in my life. And Ma seemed to be over the moon about it as she got out the pie she’d baked for dessert, despite this being lunch.
My phone buzzed in my jacket, and I reached for it only because I gave Miko strict instructions that I was not to be bothered for two hours while I was with my ma.
“This better be good,” I said, keeping my voice low, so Ma didn’t hear.
Silvano looked over, brows pinched, likely knowing that I wouldn’t want to be contacted during lunch. Especially since it was the first one since my house arrest.
“Halle is missing,” Miko said, cutting right to the chase.
“What?”
I didn’t realize I’d all but yelled until my ma rushed back into the room, eyes wide, likely thinking she was going to need to break up a fight with the two of us.
“What the fuck do you mean she disappeared?”
I was yelling now.
Ma’s hand went to her heart, her eyes round, and Silvano was taking steps forward, ready for action.
“I don’t have the details yet,” Miko said, staying calm even in the face of my anger. “I just got the call. I’m ten minutes from your Ma’s house. I can swing by to get you and meet them.”
“No, Sil will drive me,” I said, looking over to see him nod in agreement. “Where are we meeting?” I asked, getting the address of a fucking pharmacy from him, then hanging up.
“No, no. Go, please,” Ma said, waving us toward the door. “Someone please keep me updated, though,” she demanded.
“Will do. Food was good, Ma,” Silvano was present enough of mind to say.
I didn’t.
I just rushed out the door without a word.
My mind was spinning.
Halle was gone?
Disappeared?
Missing?
What the fuck did that mean?
How the fuck had she even convinced the guards to take her out, when I’d been pretty clear about her staying the fuck in the penthouse.
“You can—“ I started when he lucked into a parking spot half a block away from the pharmacy.
“I’m coming,” he said, climbing out even as I did.
I normally would have argued.
I couldn’t right then.
Because if something happened to Halle, I would call in the entire motherfucking Family to find her.
“What the fuck?” I exploded at Tony as soon as I saw him, shoving my hands into his chest for emphasis. “How the fuck did this happen?”
“She… she needed, ah…”
“Tampons,” Miko supplied, rolling his eyes. “You can’t fucking say tampons? How fucking old are you?”
“She grabbed a box, then she handed it to Joe. And took one out, said she had to… you know… go to the bathroom…”
“And you, what? Didn’t keep an eye on the door?” I asked, teeth aching from my jaw clenching so tight.
“The women’s bathroom is down its own hall,” Joe said. “We couldn’t lurk outside of it without other women freaking the fuck out. But she didn’t come back out of the hall.”
“What the fuck do you mean she didn’t come back out?” I ground out.
“Turns out, the hallway opens up at the other end,” Joe said, exhaling hard, knowing he’d fucked up.
“Were there people in the store?” Miko asked.
“Yeah. The place was hopping,” Tony said.