Page 31 of The Enforcer

And my brother, the child that he is, whistles under his breath and says something rude that Zoe thankfully cannot understand.

But it’s easy to ignore him as I sink my fingers into her soft waist, and she inhales on a sharp moan.

Before we leave, Nicola and I open the windows to let some cool air into the house. I stash my duffel bag in the bedroom on the other side of the kitchen.

Outside, Nicola is laughing at his phone.

“What’s funny?” I ask.

He smiles up at me. “Ugo sent me a message telling me that he heard you were in town.”

I groan. “How? We came directly here from the ferry.”

He claps me on my shoulder. “You’ve been gone too long, fratello. You’ve forgotten how small Positano really is. Mamma probably knows that you’re here already.”

I shake my head. “She can’t.”

Nicola laughs. “She can.”

I glance back at the house, but Nicola pulls me away. “She’ll be fine. I think mamma will like her.”

I roll my eyes in annoyance. “You’re just saying that.”

He laughs louder. “I am! Come. You can take whatever food you want from my house before I leave.”

“Where are you going?”

“I have a charter to Sorrento tonight. I’ll stay there and be back tomorrow. I hope I don’t miss when Zoe meets mamma.”

We jog down the steps. “I forgot how annoying you can be.”

“And this is one of the many reasons why you need to come home more often,” he laughs, but this peal of laughter sounds slightly hollower than all the others.

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