Page 9 of The Holy Ghost
“You may,” heallowed. “However, since we don’t have time for bullshit, your bagwill already be packed and ready to go.” He eyed me in a way thatissued a dare my way, but my mindwas primarily on Massimo and hoping I wasn’t too late to saygoodbye.
“Bag?”
Luca jerkedhis head towards the openness of the restaurant. “Today’sWednesday. It’s been arranged that you will be off the next fewdays for a family emergency. It’s all beenarranged, and you will be back to work onMonday.”
Myschedule wasn’t a set schedule, butLeda, the restaurant manager, usually scheduled me on the weekends.I was a good waitress, and she knew I enjoyed working the weekends.“Luca, I need to work. That’s too many days off. Maybe I can go seehim today and go back…” I trailed off as Luca leaned closer andnarrowed his eyes at me.
“If you needmoney, I’ll provide that for you, Francesca, but let’s get onething clear.” I’d swallow if my mouth hadn’t gonecomplete dry. “If that man wants yousitting by his bedside every hour of the rest of his days, thenthat’s what you will fucking do. Am I clear?”
His words hitmy chest like a sledgehammer. Shame was a hurtful wave throughoutmy body. Even if I couldn’tafford it, Massimo was dying and here I was complaining aboutsomething as trifling as money. I let out a deep breath, hoping torelease my shame along with it. “Of course.”
Luca didn’tgrace me with any more conversation. He simply stood up, gave me akiss on the top of my head,and walked out, taking three other random patrons withhim.
I stayed inthe booth until Robbie came to get me, and the entire time Icouldn’t think of anything but Massimo. But as the clock tickeddown to the end of my shift, another name crossed my mind.
Phoenix.
Chapter 5
Phoenix~
Backto Luca, Ciro, and I being rarelyseen together at the same time, we staggered our visits to seeMassimo. Even though Luca’s security was topnotch, we still didn’tlike to chance it. We knew what the city called us, and it would bethe ultimate show of power to take out The Holy Trinity all atonce.
Luca wascalled The Father for obvious reasons. He was destined to takeoverthe Benetti Family oneday and there was no doubt he planned on running it with an ironfist. Even now, Giovanni was more of a figurehead than the actualhead of the family. Luca ran the show, and we all knew he’d be incharge of the entire empire before he even hits thirty-five. He wasonly thirty now.
Ciro wascalled The Son because he might as well be the Son of God where theBenetti Family was concerned.Luca had trusted Ciro early on; since we were kids, really. But sixyears of getting dirty and filthy in ways that would made hardenedmurderers weep, Ciro earned his place next to Luca. Ciro was alsoreferred to as The Son because, out of the three of us, he was themost likely to play with his food and throw a tantrum, but thosemoniker characteristics were only shared by me and Luca. No oneelse knew Ciro drove us crazy sometimes with hishotheadedness.
And I wascalled The Holy Ghost becauseI was invisible.
I felt it deep in mysoul, too.
There was alsoa fourth member, she just didn’t know it.The streets of Morgan City referred to Frankie asChurch. Growing up, we never downplayed how much Frankie Mancinimeant to the three of us, and so almost everyone knew there wasnothing we wouldn’t do for her. Her leaving Morgan City hadn’tchanged that and everyone just got to calling her Church. She wasour sacred place, and she was the only female the three of usworshiped.
It’sthereason why we agreed toall be present when Luca brought her back to see Massimo. Cirowasn’t going to miss out on the chance to see his sister againafter all these years, and I was here to drag her the fuck homewith me after her visit with Massimo. I knew she wouldn’t gopeacefully, but I didn’t care. I actually wanted her to fight me. Ihad six years of pent-up anger in me, and I loved the idea oftaking it all out on her. I’d drag her by her motherfucking hair ifI had to and I knew Ciro nor Luca would stop me. Frankie might beCiro’s sister, and she might be Luca’s best friend, but I was herother half and both men knew it. They’d never interfere unless shewas in real, actual danger.
I had justfinished checking the ensuiteattached to my bedroom to make sure Frankie had everything she’dneed while she was here when my phone rang. “What’s up?”
“Luca saidhe’d have her there around seven,” Ciro answered. “I figured we’dgive her and Massimo a couple of hours to themselves before weshowed up there.”
Even with the heads-upfrom Luca yesterday, it was still hard to wrap my mind around thefact that Frankie was coming back. I’ve waiting six years for herand these last twenty-four hours have been hell. Ciro wanting towait two more hours to see her sounded reasonable, but they weretwo more additional painful hours for me.
“Luca’s goingto have the hour drive from Cedar Creek to Morgan City to playcatch up with Frankie, how many hours do you need before I gether?” Ciro and Frankie’s parents died in acar wreck when they were young and that made FrankieCiro’s only blood family left. It crushed him when she left. Imight have felt alone, but Ciro had felt abandoned. He survived thesame way I did; by Luca keeping tabs on her.
Ciro chuckledinto the phone. “I just wantto see her, Nix,” he said. “You can take her home and fight it out.If you’re both still alive tomorrow, I’ll stop by then.”
“Really?” I askedsurprised.
“Phoenix,seriously,” he laughed. “I can’t even begin to imagine the shitthat’s going to go down whenyou two finally come together. I figure she’s going to need metomorrow to help her pick up the pieces more than she’ll need metonight.” He was right. “I’ll stop by tomorrow, so you can leave tocool down, and she can pour her heart out to me. Or help her hideyour body.”
I snorted.“You’re delusional if youthink she’s not still pissed off at you, too,” I pointed out. “Theonly reason she didn’t claw Luca’s eyes out is because he wasn’tthe one who lied to her and betrayed her. He kept our secrets, butthen, she never asked him what was going on.”
“True,” he agreed.“However, I’m hoping she’ll be too tired from fighting with you allnight to argue with me tomorrow.”
I laughed.“You really are acocksucker.”
“Hey! Don’tknock those pretty things whospend countless hours on their knees to please me.”
“You’re also agoddamn manwhore,” I added.
