Page 118 of Gin & Trouble

She drew a deep breath. “What about my sisters? Are they part of the negotiation?”

He ran his hand over the back of his neck. “Giancarlo has asked for Valentina’s hand in marriage as part of his retribution.”

Frankie shot to her feet, sucked in a pained breath, and sat back down. “What? How does that help? What about Tommaso? Is he going to get away with this?”

“It breaks the engagement to Salvo and buys us time.” Marco glanced at me as if begging for an assist. “As for Tommaso, he’s the only living male heir—”

“That’s bullshit and you know it.” I didn’t want to fight with him. Not after he’d rescued us. Not on Christmas Eve. But I would because Frankie would never be safe as long as Tommaso was breathing. “We need to tell Enzo the truth.”

“No. We don’t.” Marco raised his chin. “This past week has been hell. Pops can’t take another emotional blow. And Enzo’s still recovering from taking a bullet to the chest. He shouldn’t have traveled to Sicily so soon after surgery. I’m not putting this family through any more trauma.”

Frankie folded in on herself. “I understand.”

“Well, I don’t.” Once again, I found myself swallowing my emotions and focusing on the facts. “This isn’t just about Frankie and her sisters. Enzo will never be safe as long as Tommaso is in power.”

Marco rubbed his forehead. “And if we implode our family and he still refuses to make a claim for the Abruzzo seat on theFratellanza?”

“That’s his choice. He has a right to know the truth and to make his own decisions.” I rested my elbows on my knees and waited for him to look me in the eye. “I’ll keep it between me and Enzo, but Iamgoing to tell him.”

Marco narrowed his eyes at me, but addressed Frankie. “Forgive me, but Sophia has confessed to trying to kill my entire family, including innocent women and children. And let’s not forget Mia and Arianna may very well have helped your brother try to kill you.”

Her eyes widened.

“Marco…that’s enough. ” I’d had about all I could take.

He kept on talking as if he hadn’t heard me. “Give me two days to work out a deal with Giancarlo and take it to theFratellanza. Tomorrow is Christmas. Please don’t ruin what could be my family’s last holiday with my father.”

Screw keeping my emotions in check. Screw gratitude for the rescue.

“Don’t you dare put that kind of guilt on her.” I stood and stormed to the bar. “Frankie and I will discuss it and do what we think is best.”

Marco shouted a string of curses in Italian, ending with, “…selfish prick.”

She cleared her throat. “Frankie is sitting right here and is more than capable of speaking for herself.”

I gave my brother a see-what-you-did glare.

She turned to Marco. “You have two days to find a way to either put an end to Tommaso or get all four of my sisters to safety. Otherwise, I’ll not only tell Enzo the truth myself, I’ll march into theFratellanzaand make some demands of my own. Unless things have changed in my absence, Tommaso has the right to sell us like cattle, but he isn’t allowed to kill us.”

“You’re absolutely right.” He threw his head back in laughter. “And now I get what my brother sees in you.”

I’d never been prouder of Frankie, or more ready to throttle my brother. “Watch it.”

He held up his hands. “Relax, Dante. She gave me an idea. What if the two of you don’t play dead? What if we go to Palermo and tell everyone Tommaso tried to kill you two, and a very strong motive for his attempts on Enzo’s life? Testimony before theFratellanzais strictly confidential.”

“Like how Pietro Lazio’s meltdown was kept secret?” I didn’t like the sound of this anymore than I had his previous ideas.

“Fine, then we have a discreet conversation with Enzo before the meeting, but there is no reason to involve our parents.”

Frankie glanced at me and nodded.

“I’m listening.” I poured three glasses of wine and returned to the sofa.

Rubbing his hands together, he turned to her. “You have the DNA results?”

Her expression fell. “They were in the jeans I was wearing when the boat exploded.”

“Damn it.” He dragged his hand down his face. “You can get another copy, right?”

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