Page 50 of Sinful Secrets

“But I do. I put my neck on the line every day for the family. I run into danger without hesitating. I don’t want to keep doing this if we don’t have adequate personnel that can pull their weight.”

He sighs. “I know you want Gage in on things, but I can’t go against Joey and Arturo.”

“I understand that, and I know there’s a hierarchy to the mafia that we have to follow, but Gage is tough, built, and can handle his own. Plus, he already knows we are keeping him from things. It’s only a matter of time before he snoops like Francesca did.”

“I’ll see what I can do after things settle down.”

“That’s all I can ask for.”

The priest stands behind the podium and begins the funeral service with a prayer.

My eyes dart around the room, checking for any imminent threat. Standing against the opposite wall of us are a dozen Rossi men who are concealing guns.

Rhett, Francesca, and I are outnumbered…by a lot. We wouldn’t be able to get out of the church alive.

Thankfully, their attention is on the priest and not on me.

Not seeing anything threatening, I listen to the priest talk about Jax Rossi’s life, how he was beloved by many, and a friend to all.

The priest talks about how Jax was a man of God and even though he sinned, God still loved him like a child.

He talks about Christ’s suffering, his death, and his resurrection and how even the worst of sinners are still loved and accepted into Heaven because they are a child of God.

“Let us not judge him for every sin he made, as we are all sinners. Instead, let us pray that others can open their hearts to accept Christ and relish in the promise of supreme happiness in Heaven.”

I’ve never considered myself a very religious man, and definitely not Catholic, so I know I don’t have a right to judge Jax, but after all the shit he did, he shouldn’t be considered a good man.

For fuck’s sake, he tried to kidnap and kill Francesca.

The priest’s voice drifts away as I let my mind wander to religion, God, and death.

Growing up, religion wasn’t really spoken about in my house. Hell, I didn’t even know so many religions existed until high school.

I was taught right from wrong, and good from evil, but it was never in a religious way. Heaven and Hell were just two terms to describe my parent’s day.

Nothing more.

Nothing less.

I wonder if Savannah is religious? She’s never said anything about it before, but I never asked, either.

Would she want to get married in a church? Or on a beach? In a foreign country?

Would she raise her children to believe in God? Would she take them to church every Sunday?

I can see her being pregnant with my child. God, I bet she’ll look sexy as hell.

Commotion brings me out of my thoughts. People stand and head toward the front doors of the church.

Is the funeral already over?

It’s probably a good thing my thoughts were interrupted when they were. I don’t need to be sporting a boner at a funeral.

Rhett stands and moves away from the front doors toward the side wall. “I’m not letting Francesca get out of eyesight. If you want, you can wait for us outside.”

I join him by the side wall. “Nah, I’m good. I’ll wait here with you.”

“So, is Gage the only reason you’ve been distant?”

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