Page 11 of Meet Me in Montreal

“Aw, but you look great with that bald spot. Ladies love that shit. Shows real maturity,” Santino said with a grin.

“Fuck you,” Garret replied.

“I know you wish you could, but sorry, you’re not my type,” Santino responded.

“Hey,” Angelo said as he strolled in, rubbing his own shaved head and winking, “I have it on good authority from my wife that ladies’dolove this shit.”

“Bro,” Mitch said, coming over and leaning against the counter while Santino was frying the meatballs. “I found a new thing ladies love.”

“Hmm. What?” He wasn’t asking because he cared about Mitch’s sex life, especially considering he himself didn’t have one. He knew Mitch wouldn’t leave him alone unless he got his bragging off his chest.

“Well,” Mitch said, checking to make sure no one else could hear them, especially not the women. That could create an uncomfortable environment, and that could mean trouble. Santino only wished that was enough to keep Mitch from blabbing. “This girl I’ve been seeing… she’s got this thing for temperatures. In bed.”

His buddy proceeded to tell him exactly what they’d done. By the time the meatballs were finished, Santino was intrigued but just as easily dismissed it. He had no idea when or if he’d ever fuck anyone again period.

After he was done prepping the food, he rejoined the others at the table where they traded insults for the next half hour as they ate. They complained about his food but nevertheless theyinhaled it like a pack of fucking wolves. While two of the rookies were washing up, Santino stretched.

“Alright. I’m gonna go study.”

“No, you’re not. You’re gonna play with us. We’re ready to take the money you made off us last week,” Mitch said. He pulled out a deck of playing cards.

It was so fucking tempting. Santino loved betting. Not just betting butwinning. He’d wipe the floor with these guys if he played.

Santino groaned. “Nah, put that away. You know I’ve gotta study.”

“Good for you, Donahue. No cards,” Captain Ryan interjected gruffly, pushing up from the table to get a cup of coffee. “I want to hear that your dumb ass passed that exam on your first try. Prove to me miracles can happen every once in a while.”

With a wry shake of his head, Santino got up from the table too. “Thanks for believing in me, Cap.”

At his sarcasm, Cap warned, “Don’t be a smartass.”

“Which is it? Am I a dumbass or a smartass? You’ve gotta make up your mind, Cap.”

“Just go study, alright?”

Smirking, Santino snatched a couple of grapes and popped them in his mouth as he left to get the manual. He took it to the bay where the rigs were, his favorite place at the station. Cap was right. It probably would be a miracle if he passed the lieutenant’s exam. He’d never been one for the books, but then he’d never had to be.

His dad had stressed working a real job, but the truth was, Santino had never really had to worry about money due to his grandfather Marco’s winery and the money deposited in his account every month. He kept quiet about that around the station, that and the fact that they were descended from actual nobility. Some of the guys resented it, or at least didn’tunderstand why he and Angelo were there, risking their lives coming from a family like the D’Alessios when they didn’t need a paycheck.

He might not have needed the money but cliches aside, he really did take serving his community seriously. Some guys did it for the adrenaline rush, for the admiring looks people gave them when they sped by on the way to a rescue. For him, it was doing his part to make life better for people. That’s it.

Staying at his current level indefinitely would have been fine, but he knew he could do more. He’d worked his ass off to get this far in the department, especially considering the setback when no one could rely on him. Making lieutenant was the next challenge. Failing the exam was not an option, even though studying this book was boring as fuck.

Before he could get very far in his reading, his phone rang. It was Dominic.

“Yo.”

“What’s up? How’s work?” Dom asked.

“Quiet. What’s up?” Santino said, absently flipping through the chapter.

“I got that company name and address you wanted. Lunasa, Inc. 185 Franklin Street. Not far from Ghostbuster Headquarters.”

Santino paused to enter the address in a memo on his own phone and also to wonder if Dom believed the Ghostbusters were actually working out of that building. “Alright, cool. Thanks.”

He put the phone away. It wasn’t time yet to pull the trigger and talk to Malone. First, he was going to try to convince Vanessa that her new guy wasn’t who she thought he was. But instead of calling her, which wouldn’t help since she’d fucking blocked him, he called his lawyer, Oscar Sanchez.

“Whassup, whassup, Bronxbro?” Oscar said cheerfully, the “bro” on a high note.

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