Page 41 of Ruthless Consequences

My face went into defense mode and tightened. “If I would have dropped even a loaf of this—” I held one up. “You would be breaking the news to Michele.”

She scrunched up her nose. “So he could break it over my head? No thanks.”

I took a good look at her. My sister was shorter than me with dangerous curves. She wore a sparkling black dress that accentuated them with a pair of tennis shoes. And her makeup looked like it was left over from the night before.

“What do you want, Ava?”

“Is that how you treat your sister? Your sister who you haven’t seen in a bunch?”

I didn’t have a clue as to why she used that stupid-ass term—seen in a bunch—but she always did.

“That’s how you treat me,” I said. “We live in the same city. In the same damn house! And I never see you. I have to call yourofficeto get in touch with you most of the time.”

“I’m a busy lady.”

“What do you want, Ava?”

“You said that already.”

“I guess it bears repeating then.”

I loved my sister, but she was as flighty as our mom was. I didn’t like the patterns I saw in her. But trying to talk to her about it? It was like trying to teach Mooch not to stick his nose up people’s asses.

“And what are you doing with his dog?”

We both looked down. Mooch was a pit bull/horse mix, I was sure of it. Lilo had appointed him the gym’s mascot. He was a silver-bluish hue, and he was all muscle. He was entirely gorgeous, but the only one he really listened to was Lilo when it came to goosing. It wasn’t normal how far he could get up there. But other than that one vice, he was a good dog. His tongue lolled to the side, and it looked like he was grinning at me.

“His?” Ava smirked and shook her head. “He has a name, sis. Lilo. Brio. Shadow Man.”

“Don’t,” I said.

She heard the warning in that one word. Shadow Man was what they called him on the streets. Fuckers couldn’t even give him an original nickname. They stole mine.Figures. They steal everything else, why not a name?

She nodded and tapped Mooch’s head. “Relax. I didn’t come here to fight.”

My eyes narrowed and not against the glare. “You’re in trouble.”

She tilted her head. “Kinda sorta. Remember!” She tried to take a step back but Mooch wouldn’t move. “You’ll have to answer to Michele if you hit me with what he considers holy bread!”

I pointed a loaf at her. “Spill it!”

“Right here on the street?”

“Lucila!”

I turned around at the shout of my name.

“What?” I snapped not meaning to.

“Mrs. Camerota wants to know if you have her bread!”

“Coming!” I turned back to Ava. “Stay here.”

“Where do you think I’m going to go with a massive two-hundred-pound dog attached to my wrist?”

“There’s no telling,” I muttered to myself as I rushed to bring the bread inside. I hurriedly packed it in the sleeve, apologized for the wait, and gave her something extra to take home. Then I told Sebastiano that I was going on a break. He usually stayed close to the ovens with Michele, but lately Michele had him baking cookies and things like that.

I could tell he didn’t like it. Secretly, I did.

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