Page 57 of Dozer

“My family is horrible to Gabi. Since she got with Vance, they’re better. I think it’s because he’s intimidating as hell when he wants to be. They watch what they say because they don’t know how he’ll react.”

“They should have known him as a Heller. They wouldn’t say shit.”

“My sister Claudia is having her secondbambinoand Elio, her husband, is in the family business. Needless to say, my father loves Elio and is the reason I need a boyfriend. My father wants to see me married, preferably to someone who adds to his business or strengthens our family’s influence.”

“What about your mom?”

“Complicated. My parents love each other, but I don’t think they really like each other. I’m the youngest. I think they had me to fix their marriage. Since the day I was born, they’ve focused on me instead of each other. They still treat me like a child.”

“No motorcycles.”

I nodded. “No drinking, no weed, no fun. Just school.”

“People, even family, suck. My advice, fuck ’em.”

I laughed. “I’m bitching around the silver spoon in my mouth. I live on an allowance, and yep, I play the game because I fear poverty. Actually, I’m not afraid of not having money. I just don’t want to be their project anymore.”

“I got an allowance of ten bucks a month when I was little. That stopped at middle school, but by then, I was lifting small shit and selling weed to friends.”

Ten dollars? I spent that at Vintage brew every morning before school. Growing up, I had a credit card. I wasn’t aware if it had a spending limit. If it did, I never reached it.

I turned into the gated community and pulled up to the house. Cars filled the drive leading to a six-car garage. More cars lined the street.

“You live here? What kind of business? You’re Italian so like mafia shit.”

“Nothing like that, at least I don’t think so. My dad is in business. But I wouldn’t be surprised if he had a few friendly connections. I stay out of it, and you know where I live.”

Shrubs surrounded the two-story, white and gray mansion. Flowers lined the walkway leading up to a wide porch with two Grecian columns framing the massive doorway.

I walked with Dozer along the path to the breezeway. Vance’s motorcycle was parked near the garage.

“My family speaks Italian, mostly. Over the years it’s become a hybrid. Italian-glish. Especially my Aunt Rosa. Her sentences start in Italian and end in English. Sometimes starting in English and ending in Italian. It depends on how much wine she’s had.”

“Aren’t baby shower parties usually just for females?”

“Not for the Ricci’s. This is how Italians celebrate. Food and family.”

“More fucking F-words in my life,” he grumbled.

“Don’t worry. We’ll say hello and then find a quiet corner.”

“Pip.” He rested a hand on my arm. “I’m supposed to pretend to be your boyfriend.”

I looked up into his face. It was too late for me to be just friends.Mi sono innamorata di te.I fell in love with you.“We can just be friends.” I lied.

He released a breath, and I took another wound to the heart.

I opened the door to a pink explosion. Dozer stilled next to me. Without thinking, I slipped my hand into his. He squeezed me back and followed me into family hell.

Dozer

Plan or not, within two minutes, I was her boyfriend to everyone who stopped us and said some version of, “You must be Pippa’s boyfriend.”

“Pippa, I need you,” a woman approached.

“Mom, this is Dozer. Dozer, this is my mom, Angela.”

“Kevin Monroe,” I said.

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