Page 93 of Gin & Trouble

I caught myself white-knuckling the door handle. It’s been a long time since I’d been chauffeured around Italy. Although I was technically an Italian driver, I didn’t trust them. “Do you have the address for the house on Alicudi?”

“No. Your brother has arranged for someone to meet you at the dock.” He glanced out the window, sighed, and cursed under his breath. “We have company.”

Frankie glanced up and gasped. “Oh no.”

I looked past him to two willowy brunettes standing near the dock. One huddled in her jacket while the other glared at the car. “Who are they?”

He gave me an odd look. “Mia and Arianna Abruzzo. You have not met them?”

“No.” Studying the sisters, I would have never pegged them as blood relations to Frankie. Then again, not every group of siblings looked as much alike as me and my brothers.

“Ari is sweet as cream, but watch out for Mia.” He winked.

“He’s right.” Frankie seemed to shrink in on herself.

“How did they know to be here?” I glanced between them, but I highly doubted Giancarlo had blabbed.

“I called Iris and asked her to reach out to Mia…just to tell her I was okay. I swear. I specifically told her not to tell Mia where I was going.” The words came out of her mouth between quick breaths.

Of course, she’d managed to call someone. Why let a little thing like her psychotic brother wanting to kill Enzo and sell her off to the highest bidder stop her from blabbing her whereabouts?

“There’s nothing to be done about it now. I will buy you some time to put the wig on.” He opened the car door and stepped out. Arms wide, Giancarlo spoke to the women in Italian. “Cousins, what a surprise. It has been too long.”

Mia scowled, clearly unimpressed by his welcome. “We aren’t here to see you. Where is Francesca?”

He nodded toward the yacht. “Perhaps we should wait where it is warm and not soexposed?”

“Who is in the car?” Mia squinted in my direction.

“This is bad.” She shrank lower in her seat. “I never should have trusted Iris.”

I squeezed her hand before I could think the better of it. “Wait until he corrals them on the boat before you get out of the car. We can’t risk a scene on the dock.”

“Okay.”

“I’m getting out, but I’ll wait for you to go aboard.” I stepped out of the car.

Ari and Mia exchanged glances.

“You both know myfratellino,yes?” Giancarlo shot me a hard look and nodded toward the boat.

“I don’t believe we do.” Mia watched me like a cat watches a catnip stuffed mouse, and I had no doubt she was thinking about doing a hell-of-a-lot of purring and rubbing.

“Ladies. I’d prefer we have our introductions somewhere private.” I motioned toward the sleek white yacht moored at the end of the dock.

Be it my American accent, or the fact she’d gotten a better look at my face, but they shared yet another knowing glance.

“Ah, so the rumors of our little sister and you are true?” Mia’s tone was almost as chilly as the breeze.

“Rumors often start with a kernel of truth.” Giancarlo laughed, but it came out strained. He needed us out of sight, and I, for one, agreed.

“Shall we?” This time I spoke to Arianna.

She glanced at her sister.

Mia nodded a fraction of an inch, and they headed for the boat.

They’d only made it a few steps when Frankie jumped out of the car and ran toward us.

---