Page 32 of Mabilia

“Would you give up your career to protect the woman you love?” I ask him. I haven’t admitted to myself or anyone else how strong my feelings are for Mabilia. It’s insane and way too soon to be in love with her. But I wouldn’t be doing this if I wasn’t.

“I would never have let myself get caught,” he says with a cocky smile.

“You think you can get me out of here?”

“Not tonight. I’ll push for a bail hearing first thing in the morning. You have a clean record. You’re at the top of your classwith perfect reports from your professors. I don’t see any reason a judge won’t post bail.”

“Okay.”

Matteo pulls out his phone and curses. “She won’t stop calling if I don’t answer,” he says. “Mabilia, sweetheart, now is not a good time…”

My back straightens at the mention of her name. I can’t hear her voice, though. At least I know she’s okay and that’s all that matters.

Matteo presses a button on his phone and places it on the table. “Okay, you’re on speaker,” he says.

“Tommy?” Mabilia’s voice cracks a little, breaking my heart.

“I’m here,” I tell her. “You okay?”

“Am I okay?Am I okay?Are you fucking kidding me right now? What the hell did you do? Why? Do you have any idea how serious this is, Tommy? You need to tell them the truth.”

“Mabilia, babe, I told them the truth. I’m fine. I’m going to be fine. I’ve got the city’s best attorney on my case, thanks to you.” I try to keep things light.

“You’re in there because of me,” she says.

“Mabilia, this isn’t your fault. I’m fine,” I repeat. “Can you get a message to Denny for me, though? Tell him I’m going to be held up for a day or so.”

“A day or so? Zio Matteo, when is he going to get bail?” Mabilia asks.

“I’m working on it,” Matteo says. “I gotta go, Mabilia. Stay home. Do not leave the house. Do you hear me?”

“Stay home? Sure, I’ll just sit at home while my boyfriend is being charged for murders he didn’t even commit!” Mabilia yells.

“Babe, stop. You can’t say that,” I remind her.

“I can say whatever the hell I want to say,” she shouts. Then her voice softens again. “Get him out of there, Zio Matteo,please.”

“I will.” Matteo cuts the call before turning back to me. “Guess we better work on a game plan to get you out of here—otherwise my head is going to be on her chopping block.”

Chapter Twenty-One

Ican’t believe he’s doing this. Why would he freaking do this? And to make it worse, he expects me to just sit here and do nothing.Well, screw that.I’m never going to be the type of girlfriend who sits around and does nothing when her boyfriend is in trouble.

It’s my fault he’s even in this predicament. I need to go to the bar. I need to speak to Denny like I said I would. But I’m alsodreading it. How do I tell someone it’s my fault his best friend is sitting in a jail cell?

There’s something else I have to do too. The cops are going to dig through every aspect of Tommy’s life. Which means they’re going to find out how he makes his money because he hasn’t hidden it well enough.

Shit.I could ask Papa for help. But right now, he’s pissed and currently closed in his office with his vory, planning an attack against the Ukrainians. I don’t know why they’re coming after me. Then again, I’m my father’s daughter. If they get to me, it hurtshim.

Seeing as I’m running out of options, I pull out my phone and call my cousin. If anyone can help me sort out Tommy’s books so it doesn’t look as though he’s laundering money through the bar, it’s Dante. He’s seriously the smartest person I know.

“Hey,” he answers.

“I need help,” I tell him.

“What happened? Where are you?” Dante’s tone changes from annoyed that I called him to ready to jump into action.

“I’m at home, but I need to get to Tommy’s bar and I need you to help me fix his books.”

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