Page 56 of Gin & Trouble

And there it is.

I planted my elbows on my knees and hung my head. “I know.”

She went stone still. “You…know?”

“I suspected something was up, but Marco confirmed it.”

“Marco knows?” She gripped the back of the chair as if to keep her balance.

I couldn’t look at her, not when part of me wanted to hate her and the other wanted to hold her. “He’ll be here soon. I suggest you start explaining.”

She sank into a chair. “I’m not proud of what I’ve done, but my sisters and I are desperate.”

One of hersistershad killed my brother and tried to take out my entire family at Gabe’s engagement party. I’d get around to telling her Tommaso had Sophia eventually, but I couldn’t bring myself to care about her freak-show of a family.

“My brother, Tommaso—”

“Is marrying you off one at a time to build his base of power. I know. What I don’t know is what you hoped to gain by spying on my family.”

Julia—Francesca—nodded without looking me in the eye. “At first, no one believed the Marchionnis were out of the Cosa Nostra—”

“And you thought you could blackmail us into, what? Protecting you and your sisters?” I couldn’t wrap my brain around it. She’d been working for us for a year. Could it really have been about her sisters all of that time?

“Marco has power, and Nico is a Lazio—she could have spoken to her brother.” She stiffened her spine as if preparing for a fight.

“Two votes out of five wouldn’t have made a difference on theFratellanza.”

I tried to imagine what I would have done if our roles were reversed. Would I have had the balls to infiltrate the Abruzzos’ businesses in hopes of blackmailing them to save my brothers? Maybe, maybe not.

“We thought Marco would make it happen…with the right motivation.” Her voice cracked.

“Like proving the rest of us were still in the business? And when you didn’t find anything? Then what?”

She shook her head. “We—”

“Who’swe?”

“Sophia and I.”

Bile rose in my throat. I knew it. I freaking knew she would say Sophia.

Something inside me snapped, and I was on my feet with my hands wrapped around her upper arms before I’d realized I’d stood. “You will not as much as say her name around me. Do I make myself clear?”

17

Frankie

“You’re hurting me.”I fought the urge to use my martial arts training to break free of Dante’s grip. I don’t know how I’d expected him to react, but I never thought he’d resort to violence.

Dante stared down at his hands as if surprised to find them crushing my arms. He blinked twice, released me, and turned away. “I apologize. As angry as I am, I’d never hurt you.”

Rubbing my biceps, I nodded.

“Sophia is responsible for my brother and his wife’s death.” He stared as if daring me to contradict him.

I hoped there would come a time that I could set the record straight, but he’d had enoughtruthfor one day. I’d tell him he had the wrong Abruzzo once he’d calmed down.

“Where are yourothersisters?” He spoke without turning as if he couldn’t stand the sight of me.

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