Page 226 of Syndicate of Sin Bundle

I rolled my eyes. Like he actually cared about being in danger. We had almost died because the Sicilian Mafia had put a hit on him. And he was scared about a couple of cops.

“And what about Tommy?” His biceps flexed.

“Do you just assume things? I’m not sleeping with the cop.”

“Whatever you say, reginetta.” He pushed himself off of the counter and walked around the apartment, then looked at me like he was waiting for something. “Are you going to get me a shirt that’s not covered in blood, or do you want to continue to check me out?”

“You wish,” I said as I walked down the hallway to retrieve a shirt from Tommy’s closet. It was one I had gotten him for our six-month anniversary—when I still thought he loved me. It was a stupid shirt that he had stuffed in the back of his closet and never wore, not even for lounging around. So, he wouldn’t notice if it was taken.

“It has a cartoon on it,” Alessandro said.

“Well, it’s that, or you walk home naked.”

He put on the shirt. “Not even going to ask me to stay the night, reginetta?” The sleeves were fitted tightly around his biceps, but he looked damn better than Tommy ever would in it.

I pointed a finger at him. “I don’t need you getting any ideas.”

“Well”—he smirked—“it’s a bit too late for that one, don’t you think?”

I rolled my eyes and grasped the door handle. “Where and when am I meeting you for business?”

He leaned a shoulder against the doorframe. “At your father’s restaurant. Tomorrow. Ten.”

“A.M.? P.M.?”

He cracked a smile. “P.M. And keep Tommy at home.”

13

chiara

After washing down the table, stools, and floor—making sure no more of Alessandro’s blood was left in the kitchen—I threw all of the bloody paper towels in the garbage, along with his shirt.

Then, I did the only other logical thing there was to do when you were trying to hide your car, which had hundreds of bullet holes in it and a shattered back windshield, from your cheating boyfriend so he wouldn’t get angry and ask questions. I removed the plates and drove it to the farthest junkyard I could find.

Not only did I want to avoid Tommy finding out what had happened, but I also wanted to avoid the Sicilian Mafia. I didn’t know what kind of people they had in the States already. They were Alessandro’s problem, and he would have to deal with them himself.

So, without leaving a smidgen of evidence behind to link the car to me, I called a cab to bring me all the way back home.

Before I went upstairs, I checked the garage. Tommy’s car was parked next to my empty spot. I rolled my eyes, trying to come up with a good excuse as to where I had been because he was going to ask or assume.

When I walked into the apartment, Tommy was leaning against the counter with his arms crossed over his chest and his jaw clenched.

“You’re home late.” He stalked toward me.

Great. Here we go.

“How was your night?”

I closed the door behind me. “Good.”

“I bet it was.” His voice was gruff and terribly chilling. “Where were you?”

“Alice needed me to help her get out of a situation with this guy at a bar.”

He chuckled, but there was no lightness in his voice. “Alice.” He said her name like he didn’t believe me. “Do you mean Alessandro?”

“No.” I pressed my lips together and hiked my purse up my shoulder.

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