Page 42 of Sinful Secrets

“She was just here. She couldn’t have gone far.”

Rhett panics and grabs his phone. “Shit. I forgot that she left her phone at the hotel.”

“Relax, man. We’ll find her. Let’s split up. I’ll search in here, and you can search in the refreshment room.”

We’ll search the entire funeral home if we have to.

I wander around the large room, looking everywhere, but not finding her. I meet back up with Rhett, who looks like he’s ready to set the place on fire.

“Have you checked the women’s bathroom?”

Rhett shakes his head and makes his way across the lobby to the restrooms. His fist pounds on the door for several moments before he cracks the door open a little.

“Francesca? Are you in here?” Rhett calls out.

No one answers.

“Let’s go back and see if she’s in the room.” He gives me a look that says we’ve already looked there. “Maybe she spotted an old acquaintance or her mother.”

“Fuck that.” He says as he pushes past me and heads back into the funeral home’s chapel.

We find her speaking to Giuseppe Rossi. There’s a bodyguard standing next to them. His eyes immediately move to Rhett and me.

Rhett whispers as we walk toward them. “Why is she talking to him?”

“Maybe to give her condolences?” I suggest, which earns me a glare in response.

“Well, I don’t like being here. I don’t think it’s wise to stick around. Mafia families shouldn’t be meeting like this when we are in the middle of a war.”

I don’t speak. I just let him vent out his frustration.

When he finishes his rant, I say, “Rhett, it’s all about respect. From one mafia family to another. Especially when their heir dies.”

Dies by the rival family’s soon to be son-in-law.

But I don’t voice that. It wouldn’t serve any purpose right now.

Francesca gives Giuseppe a hug and walks over to us. “Alright, who’s ready to drink?”

Rhett and I raise our hands slightly.

I add, “Preferably far away from here, where we don’t have to worry about them.”

Francesca gives me a frown. “You will have to talk to them tomorrow.”

“No, I don’t. I can sit in the far back and leave as soon as the funeral is over because I don’t plan to go to the graveside service. That should be family only.”

Rhett intervenes. “Besides, we need to get back and make sure the gang isn’t causing any problems. They’ve been quiet for too long. Something has to be brewing, and I have a feeling whatever they are planning is going to be destructive.”

Yeah, and more than likely, we will be in the middle of it.

Chapter Nine

SAVANNAH

My mood matches the bright,sunny, and beautiful day. I almost feel invincible, like nothing can bring me down, but I know that’s the furthest from the truth.

The last time I felt this good, I found out my scholarship had been taken away, and I had to come up with fifty-eight thousand dollars to pay for tuition.

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