Page 10 of Reign of Hope

“A restaurant? Wow, that’s a lot of work,” I reply.

“Yes, it is, but I love it,” Gina states with a wide smile. “The kitchen is my happy place. Do you cook, bella?”

“I can make simple foods. I make some awesome soups and chilis, but I never really had a chance to learn. Mom got sick, and I’ve been working since we were…ejected from the family,” I say.

“Your mama’s gone?” Gina asks, coming closer to me and taking my hand.

“Yes, she died a few years back. That’s when Victorio started acting out more. I guess that’s my fault. I should have made more time for him, but I was working and went to get my hairdresser certificate. I was hoping to put some money away so we could move to a better neighborhood, away from the gang that was getting their hooks in my brother.” I turn to Elena, then her mother. “I failed.”

“You cannot take that on. You were dealt a difficult hand. You were doing the best you could,” Elena says. “You’re a hairdresser, then. I should have guessed. Your hair is gorgeous. I love that style on you.”

I blush because no matter how many of my clients tell me they love what I’ve done with their hair, I always feel like I have so much yet to learn. I also know that my hair is my calling card, and if it doesn’t look nice, then clients won’t have confidence in me.

“Thank you. I had my best friend, another hairdresser, help me with the back,” I tell her. “Melissa is amazing, and she’s the one who gave me the confidence to do this for myself. I’m really going to miss her. I need to give her a call. She’s going to be worried.”

“You can call, but you can’t tell her where you are,” Zano says from the doorway. “If the Skulls knew where you worked, they might go there asking questions, and the best thing you can do for her is not get her involved.”

“Oh no, Melissa and her family might be in danger!” After all Melissa has done for me, the last thing I want landing on her doorstep is more problems.

“If she doesn’t know where you are, she has nothing to tell them,” Zano says.

“You’ve met Spike. Does it seem like he cares? He might not believe her. Melissa has two kids who need her, and her husband is overseas in the military. There’s no one there to protect her,” I tell him. “Melissa’s done nothing to warrant being sucked into this mess.”

Zano calls for Dante, who comes into the kitchen.

“What’s up?” he asks, looking around the room.

“How do you think Raffaele would react if we asked one more favor?” Zano lifts his brow.

“That depends on the favor.”

Zano gets right to the point. “The owner of the shop where Allegra worked might have trouble brewing. The Skulls know they were close.”

Dante lifts his gaze to the ceiling, probably wondering what new hell I’m bringing upon them. “I’ll make a call. What’s her name?”

“Melissa Robinson,” I say in a quiet voice. “She has two little girls.”

“I’ll take care of it,” Dante announces, then leaves the room.

Zano comes closer to stand in front of me. “That part of your life is gone. I’ll get word to your friend that you’re safe, but no contact. If you care about her like you say you do, then no calls.”

I swallow deeply and nod. I feel like another huge chunk of me is being lopped off. Melissa was my best friend. She gave me hope when I was despondent. But I won’t put her or her family in danger. “No calls,” I repeat.

“Elena, help me set the table,” Gina says softly, edging her daughter out of the room and leaving Zano and me alone.

I can feel the tear running down my cheek. I quickly wipe it away and turn my back to Zano, not wanting to show weakness. In our world, the weak become prey.

“Turn around, cuoricina.” He waits for me to face him before going on. “I get that this is a lot. If I can find a safe way for you to speak with Melissa directly, I will. This isn’t a punishment; it’s to keep you both safe.”

“I am being punished,” I murmur, my lower lip trembling. Zano gives me a curious look, urging me to continue. “If I had been more attentive to Victorio, maybe I could have prevented all this. I should have been around more. I should have been stricter.” I throw my hands up in frustration. “I’m his older sister, I should have seen this coming. He’s just a kid. It was my job to keep him out of trouble.”

“That’s bullshit!” he exclaims. “Victorio was on the fast track to financial greed. He got caught up with a bad crowd that was telling him everything he wanted to hear. Gangs do that shit all the time. They don’t care that most members don’t live past their twenties. Your brother was going to be another statistic. They had him hooked tight. But even Victorio started seeing the light when Drake began to sniff around his sister. He just finished telling me he was trying to find a way out. Unfortunately, he didn’t catch on fast enough.” He lets out a breath and pulls me in closer. My hands instinctively rest on his chest. “We can’t go back. We’ve got to look ahead. Tomorrow, we’re going to Reno’s, and we’ll take it from there.”

I pull in a steady breath. “I’m usually much more composed than this,” I assure him.

“Let’s eat, get some sleep, and sort the rest out tomorrow. Deal?” he asks with a grin.

I can’t help but grin too. “Deal.”

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