Page 108 of Married with Mayhem

“About ten years ago my grandfather got into some financial trouble. He could have asked any of the wise guys who hung around Gino’s for a loan but he knew the interest would have been outrageous. So he reached out to his son-in-law and usedthe pizzeria as collateral. He didn’t want my dad to know. My dad still grits his teeth whenever Cass’s name comes up. Anyway, my grandfather had been steadily paying off the loan until he got sick. Then he took me aside and begged for my help. He was panicked about telling my dad, who would have been crushed. So I agreed to assume the loan payments for as long as it takes.”

“As long as it takes,” Luca repeats. “How long might that be?”

“I’ve made a big dent, but it’ll still be a while.”

“And your dad still doesn’t know?”

“He has no idea. Neither does Nico.”

Luca lets out a low whistle. Then he nods. “Look, I get it. You do what you’ve got to do for family.”

Yeah, he does get it. After all, Luca once took his own brother’s place at their uncle’s side so that Cale could be free.

But there’s more to come. He hasn’t heard the worst yet.

“There’s something else,” I say. “It’s about Sabrina.”

His shoulders tense up but there’s a ripple of confusion across his brow. “Does she owe the crazy Tempesta boys money too?”

“No. But do you remember when I told you that Vittorio was accepting marriage bids on her behalf? Guess which psycho mafia family was at the top of that list of suitors?”

Luca leans back in the chair and looks a little sick. “Fuck,” he mutters.

“I have no clue if they’ve heard about the wedding or not. They’re expecting me to show up at the ranch tomorrow. I’ll play dumb and figure out what the fuck they want. But there’s no way I can bring her into the middle of that nightmare with me.”

“No.” He shakes his head immediately. “You definitely can’t bring her with you. But she’s expecting to leave with you tomorrow morning, Monte. What are you going to tell her?”

I raise my eyes in time to see Sabrina turn the corner with Anni and the stroller. “Hell if I know.”

22

SABRINA

“You’re hiding something.” I drop a kiss between his shoulder blades before circling my arms around his waist from behind.

He swivels his head to peer down at me but he can barely manage a fleeting smile. “Hey, baby.”

Monte has been distracted since we returned from dropping my mother off at the airport. It seems unlikely that he’d be fretting over another cross country drive. As of this morning, he was glad to know we’d be on our way back to New York within twenty-four hours.

While he hasn’t uttered a single complaint or rushed me at all, we’ve been gone for three weeks. I’m sure he wants to get back to his life.

Actually, I guess I should start thinking of it asour lifenow. Monte has been completely sincere about the fact that he wants us to be together.

I want that too. I’m so in love with him I can hardly breathe. And before we reach New York, I’m going to tell him this.

“What’s wrong?” I ask and tighten my arms around him.

He sighs and finally turns around. He tips my chin up and I’m reminded of the anxious way he looked down into my face the night of the Lenny Lombardo fiasco.

But why? What could be worrying him now?

“We should go talk,” he says.

Luca is sitting in the living room armchair and holding Jane. Anni folds a pile of baby clothes on the couch. My sister glances at us with some curiosity but it’s Luca’s face that worries me. The look he shoots at Monte is grim, like he knows what’s about to happen and he’s dreading it.

Monte takes my hand and leads me to the backyard. It’s a perfect summer evening. There’s no wind, the sky is clear and the deepening shades of twilight turn the world hushed and peaceful.

I’m nervous by the time Monte heaves a sigh and says, “I need to leave tomorrow.”

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