Page 63 of Mafia Star

Sinead asks the two commanders.

“Special Agent Sydney Waller.”

The FBI agent responds first. The middle-aged, overweight, bulbous-nosed ATF guy hesitates. I can just barely see Sinead cock an eyebrow.

“ATF Agent Mason Spegal.”

The judge’s voice comes through the phone.

“Get them downtown. Stop making this a circus.”

Sinead grins. This is what she wants. She knows they won’t let us go, but she wants us off the street. She also wants us where Papa and Gabe must already be waiting. It wouldn’t surprise me if Uncle Salvatore and Luca are there too. It’s a risk for either of them to go anywhere near federal law enforcement, but no one will touch them until they have a bulletproof case.

They won’t waste an arrest and make Uncle Salvatore look like the persecuted martyr once he makes sure the right press is waiting for him to walk out of the building. He probably already has the members of the press corps we want waiting for us. They’ll spin this shit like tassels on a stripper.

Spegal gestures, and a guy tugs on my right arm. He pushes me toward an SUV. I look back and see Luigi, Tony, and Pauly are all being taken to separate vehicles. They’re probably terrified that having all three of them together would let them commandeer the car. Dumb fucks. Without a grate between us and the drivers, any of us could do that on our own. Hands cuffed behind our backs or not. I watched them with my men, and I know the cops dropped the ball. They might have gotten our guns, but their pat downs were shit. None of us lost our knives. They’re flat enough that you wouldn’t think they’re anything but a money clip.

Sinead walks over to me and looks me over. She won’t ask me anything since she knows there’s nothing I should say. Even before she joined our family, she would have advised her clients to remain silent. I glance toward where the town car Beth got into used to be. Sinead’s lip twitches. Beth will be safe. It’s as close to a reassuring smile as she’ll offer me in public.

I can only imagine how Beth must feel right now. She nearly walked away from me this morning. Or at least, she had a moment’s temptation. What the fuck is today going to do to our relationship?

Chapter Fourteen

Beth

I’ve never had a reason to be in Federal Plaza before. I spied Carmine and Matteo as I walked in. They’re inconspicuous; I only noticed because I was trying to take everything in, in case it would matter to Massimo later. He said he’d send them, and he did. I didn’t expect Sinead to show up at the scene. She whispered to me she was in the same law school class as my sister and Laura Kutsenko. It made me wonder why Chelle didn’t come instead. But she hasn’t been a defense attorney in years. She works in the nonprofit sector.

“Ma’am, step this way.”

I let a new agent take my arm as I pass through security. They’ve uncuffed me, but I’m still surrounded as though I might— could —make a break for it. I rode to the New York FBI field office alone. I saw Sinead talking to two men who looked in charge. One had an FBI jacket on, and the other had an ATF one.

What a lot of fuss for one man. Huh. My boyfriend must be important.

I can’t help the snarkiness now that I’m not terrified Marco will “accidentally” die in custody. I look for any name or identifying piece of information on every agent who gets near me. I might not remember them all, but I will remember most. I suspect Marco is going to demand that information, and I have no qualms handing it over. Not for my sake. I’d rather he not do anything to them because of me. But I don’t give a shit what happens to them after shooting at Marco, after having someone jump him, after subjecting him to the reporters and cameras. That makes me consider how easily I shot that agent in the arm.

That was about the stupidest, most short-sighted thing I’ve ever done. But I’d never felt that kind of blind rage in my life. I didn’t know I possessed it. If I feel that way about a threat to Marco, what the fuck am I going to do if we get married, have kids, and they end up Mafiosos? I get now what Pauly meant about being afraid of Marco’s mother. In the space of, what, ten— fifteen —minutes I discovered I have that capacity for unparalleled protectiveness.

That’s why I’ve followed Massimo’s instructions. I haven’t said a word except to say I was physically all right to Sinead. She reinforced Massimo’s message to remain silent. I’ve already faced a barrage of questions. Male, female, FBI, ATF, NYPD. I haven’t told them a single thing about me. They took my purse which I dropped when Marco and I were knocked to the ground. I don’t even remember carrying it. I must have clutched it to my chest while we ran. They know who I am now.

They know where I live, so I’m certain they’re turning over the place right now. They’ll find nothing. Marco hasn’t spent any time there. They won’t find a single fingerprint of his. Not just because he touched nothing the one time he walked me to my door but because I dust regularly. I don’t enjoy seeing fingerprints on anything. Occupational hazard, I suppose. Or maybe it’s a compulsive behavior that serves me well for work.

My mind’s wandering as I’m shuffled into an elevator then down a hallway. I’m still being observant, but I’m distracting myself from thinking about Marco being handcuffed somewhere. One woman escorting me opens a door to a room I can tell has two-way mirrored windows. It surprises me to see Massimo, Luca, and Sinead all inside. Luca’s not an attorney, so I’m not sure about him. I didn’t expect to see Massimo and Sinead together.

“Gabriele’s waiting for Marco.”

I meet Massimo’s gaze as he lifts a tremendous weight off my chest. He turns away from me and looks up to a corner. I’d already noticed the camera up there.

“Turn it off, Sawyer. The audio recording too. Ms. Scotto and I are going to speak to our client. Mr. Mancinelli will wait outside.”

So, Luca’s the muscle. It’s odd hearing Massimo call his son Mr. Mancinelli, but I suppose this is a rather formal occasion. It’s not every day the FBI hauls me in to question me about my Mafia boyfriend.

Luca walks past me, meeting my gaze for only a moment. I can only imagine what people will think with him standing outside the door. I doubt too many people will approach him and suggest he goes somewhere else. I don’t know what the Mancinellis put in their food to make the men grow so large. By the way Marco’s body engulfed me today and what I notice as Luca walks by, these men are far taller and broader than any I’ve seen in a single family. Intimidating as fuck to most people. Reassuring as fuck to me right now.

Massimo turns back to me and nods.

“Sinead told me you’ve said nothing. Thank you.”

I glance back up at the camera and then to the two-way window. I’m not convinced we aren’t being recorded.

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