Page 34 of Single Malt Drama
What the hell is wrong with these women? Are they in cahoots to make us crazy?
“I don’t need time. I know what I want.” Enzo nodded to Nico. “You don’t want to be married to me, do you?”
“No.” She glanced at me and sighed. “But I’m willing to go through with it to prevent anyone I care about from getting hurt.”
I couldn’t sit still another second. I paced the floor, but kept an eye on Nico. Something else was going on behind those beautiful brown eyes of hers, and I intended to find out what.
“She’s right. Think about what this could mean for your family and the people in Comiso.” Shanna’s voice rose.
Enzo glared. “I said no.”
Gabe said, “Why don’t the two of you work this out and call me back?”
“No.” Staring at Shanna, Enzo said, “I. Don’t. Want. It.”
Gabe sighed. “Great, now that’s settled. How do we bring the Abruzzos and Mayor Carter down?”
The conversation continued around me, but I heard every third word or so. Enzo had turned down the position and the marriage, but I wasn’t sure where that left me and Nico. Nothing had changed on my side, but she seemed downright disappointed.
No, you idiot. She isn’t disappointed. She never wanted to marry the blockhead. She’s scared.
The weird thing was she’d seemed okay by the pool. Hell, she’d seemed more than okay. The woman had shocked the shit out of me with her dirty tongue. I cracked a grin. Her and her mixed up idioms.
I walked behind Nico and rested my hand on her shoulder.
She sighed and laced her fingers with mine.
The tiny gesture gave me hope, but more than that, it gave me the courage to do what I should have done a long time ago.
I leaned close and whispered, “I don’t want you to marry Enzo.”
She turned and stared.
“Let’s see where this thing between us goes.”
Her mouth moved wordlessly before she glanced back to Enzo and Shanna.
The couple might have been at war, but they both watched us with the same curious expression.
A rustling noise filled the phone line, followed by Gabe’s muffled voice. “I’m going to need to wrap this up soon. The doctor is here to examine Pops.”
“How is he?” I asked.
“The same as before. He has good days and bad days.”
Enzo asked, “Is Pops well enough to answer a few questions?”
Gabe said, “If not now, he will be tomorrow. Why?”
“You’re aware he’s made many sizeable contributions to Carter’s election campaign?” Enzo nodded to me.
“And even larger donations to Carter’s off-shore accounts.” I grinned. “Without the mayor, the Abruzzos will have a hell of a time taking over New Orleans, no matter who’s backing them in Sicily.”
Gabe laughed the first real laugh I’d heard from him since the wedding reception. “And the mayor can’t take us down without drowning with us.”
“We’ll need proof,” Enzo said.
I rubbed my hands together. “Give me a few hours in the Marchionni Corp server, and I’ll have your proof, but what do we do about the Abruzzos? If they’re serious about pushing us out, they’ll look for another way in when Carter falls.”
Gabe cleared his throat. “I wasn’t going to tell you two until I had more definitive information, but the informant who came forward about Joe’s murder claims the Abruzzo family ordered the hit.”
My knees threatened to go out from beneath me. My eldest brother and his wife had been murdered in a staged car crash a couple of years before. Not a day went by that I didn’t think about him or wish I could pick up the phone and ask for advice.
The police had ruled their deaths an accident, but my father had always believed it was a hit. It seemed he was right.
The question is how do we prove it?