Page 36 of Mafiosa
‘Just stick with me.’ She touched her head to mine. ‘I’ll cheer you up this weekend. Do you want to see a movie tomorrow night? I can ditch Cris. I’m definitely the alpha in the relationship, so he’ll deal with it.’
‘How charming.’ Outside, the air was crisp and cold. I pulled my coat tighter around me, and tried to ignore the shiver crawling up my spine. ‘But I can’t tomorrow night. I have plans.’
‘What plans?’
‘Um.’ If I waited even half a beat longer, I’d be rumbled, so I said the first and only thing that sprang into my mind. ‘We’re having a movie night.’
‘A movie night.’ Millie stopped walking. ‘Who exactly is having a movie night?’
‘All of the Falcones.’ I was really trying to sound nonchalant but the idea wasridiculous.
‘Right…’ she said, conveying her disbelief in a sidewaysfrown. ‘And what movie is it?’
Think of a movie. Think of any movie. Pull this lie back from the brink of ludicrousness.‘Goodfellas,’ I said. ‘We’re watchingGoodfellas.’
Oh, take a bow.
I tried not to flinch.
Millie arched an eyebrow. ‘You mean to say a family of hot-tempered Mafia people are all cosying up with each other on a Saturday night to sit down and watch a movie about a family of hot-tempered Mafia people…? Is that really what you’re telling me?’
Well, there was nothing else for it now.
I turned my whole face towards her, maintained full eye contact and said, ‘Yes, Millie. That is exactly what I’m telling you.’
Hold the stare. Don’t look away. Sell it. Sell it… Three, two, one…
‘Huh.’ Millie scrunched her nose at me. ‘Well. That is just… honestly? That is just weird.’
I conjured the whisper of a smile. ‘Tell me about it.’
‘Sunday, then?’
‘Sure. Sunday.’
I tried not to imagine how I would feel on Sunday. I tried not to think very much at all, in case my stomach wound up eating itself from nerves.
Millie skipped down the steps and flounced into the afternoon, leaving me staring at her long dark ponytail as it bobbed back and forth.
I made my way towards the black SUV, threw my bag in the trunk and slid into the back seat, startling at the backs of twoFalcone heads instead of one.
‘Hey?’ I said, more question than greeting. ‘Why are there two of you here?’
Nic and Dom turned around at the same time, their lips curving in matching smiles. ‘Hey,’ they chorused, the sound raising the hairs on my arms.
‘There’s been a slight change of itinerary,’ Nic said.
Dom started the engine. ‘I hope you didn’t make plans for tonight,’ he threw over his shoulder. ‘Because we’re going on a little killing spree.’
I reeled backwards, my head hitting the seat with a soft thump. ‘It’s tonight? I thought it was tomorrow?’
Nic shook his head, the glee still firmly plastered across his face. ‘Paulie’s been scouting the location. Libero is coming in tonight instead.’
‘So we’re goingnow?’
‘Are you ready?’ He flashed his teeth at me again, the smile turning wolfish.
No. No! No!
