Page 103 of Cruelest Contract
She looks around, frowns, and taps Monte on the arm. He detaches from Sabrina long enough to listen. At the same time, both Fort and Nico have exited the pizzeria and they are watching. Guilia’s arms are gesturing wildly and she points at Fort. He shrugs and glances around uneasily.
Clearly, something is happening and I need to deal with it. My brother is the first to see me coming and mutters something that causes Guilia to turn around.
Uncle Sal has joined the small crowd on the sidewalk. He gives his girlfriend a peck on the cheek and Guilia smiles at him before looking at me.
“My brother will see you now.” She points to the car idling by the curb. “Get in.”
21
JULIAN
Nico didn’t need to go with us but it was a real stand up move. He gets a hell of a lot of credit for that.
I get why he jumped in the car with me and Fort. He’s the son of Guilia’s boyfriend and the brother of Sabrina’s husband. From what I hear, Messina has a real soft spot for his sister. Nico assumes he’ll be more agreeable when confronted with the family connection.
Truth be told, I can handle Messina on my own but my cousin’s allegiance is noted. I won’t forget this.
There was kind of a twitchy moment when one of Sonny’s boys came around the corner just as we were being herded into Messina’s car. He had a street cart hot dog in one hand and a giant pretzel in the other. He took one look at Messina’s men, dropped all his food on the concrete and reached for his gun. With one harsh signal from me, he wilted and retreated.
Now I’m squashed in the backseat between my brother and my cousin while Messina’s driver careens through the streets of Manhattan. His buddy in the passenger seat swivels around and eyeballs us.
Nico seems cool and unbothered. He casually scrolls through social media and even yawns like this chore is just ordinary and boring. Maybe it is for him. Monte stepped back from his gun-for-hire role after he married Sabrina but Nico is still right in the middle of the action. Soon enough he’ll be one of the top enforcers in the city.
Fort, however, looks like he’d rather be anywhere else. I poke his side with my elbow as a message to relax.
I’m not worried. Yes, I know Messina’s reputation for leaving bits and pieces of his enemies all over Palermo. So what? This is no worse than our reputation.
But when my eyes catch on my wedding ring, there’s a new and unnerving twinge in my gut. I have a wife to think about now. Cecilia is waiting at home for me and I’ve made promises to her. I plan to stick around long enough to keep those promises.
However, it has just occurred to me that I should have made ironclad arrangements in case the worst ever happens. For a terrible second I think of Cecilia falling back into the clutches of her grandfather.
That cannot ever fucking happen. She won’t be safe with the Grimaldis.
Whipping out my phone, I fire off a text to Tye.
You need to promise to take care of my wife no matter what.
He answers back in a heartbeat.
WTF?????
I picture him jumping to his feet and wildly cursing. I roll my eyes.
No reason to panic. Just promise, you asshole.
His next answer takes longer.
I promise. Anyone who comes for Cecilia needs to kill us all first.
Satisfied that my brother’s word is stronger than any legal document, I shove my phone back in my pocket.
The city scenes blend together outside the window and a small eternity passes before we finally come to a stop in front of the iconic old hotel. Three more of Messina’s men are waiting by the curb to herd us inside. I don’t bother talking to them. For all I know, they only speak Italian anyway.
We’re delivered to an upper floor suite. I might appreciate the view of Central Park if I wasn’t annoyed as hell and trying to hide it.
Nico and Fort take up an entire white leather sofa while I sink into a blue suede armchair. Two of Messina’s bodyguards stand at the door with identical Sicilian scowls.
Fort, feeling caged, drums his fingers on his denim-covered knee. Nico sprawls comfortably and looks completely at home.
