Page 52 of Together Again with the Don

I tipped my head back and laughed. “I think we can manage that.”

“Speak for yourself,” Carlo mumbled loudly enough that only I could hear. I discreetly slapped a palm into the back of his head as Hunter continued.

“And don’t cancel our weekly dinners because you’d rather spend all your time with Carlo,” he added.

“I won’t.”

“Because you’ve been canceling a lot recently, and I know there’s things you’re hiding from me. If you don’t want to tell me, I can handle that. But don’t leave me worrying.”

That was the next thing I planned to tell him. I bit my lip. “There are actually a lot of things I’ve been wanting to tell you recently, but I never found a good time. Things about my past and the reason I am the way I am. I want you to understand.”

Telling Carlo had opened a floodgate of emotions, and I realized he wasn’t the only person in my life who could support me. “How you got the scar?” Hunter asked.

I grimaced. He’d asked about that plenty of times, but I didn’t want to talk about that with anyone but Carlo for a while. “Maybe eventually, but not yet. I’m not ready to open that can of worms with anyone else yet.”

“You told Carlo?” he asked.

I wanted to deny it. I didn’t want Hunter to get into a pissing battle with him about me, but Carlo responded first. “She did.”

To my surprise, Hunter only nodded and gave a small, sad smile. “If it was something that needed to be taken care of, can I trust you to take care of it for me?” Hunter asked.

“I already have.”

That was all that needed to be said. He didn’t push any further, and I had a feeling that offering pieces of my story to Hunter would be good for me. It would be good for all of us. We wrapped up our conversation, and Hunter seemed to relax more with each word spoken. I promised to tell him a few things over dinner this weekend, and he offered one of his large bear hugs in return. It felt right, and when he shook Carlo’s hand, I knew I’d made the right call by coming to him.

“Sierra,” he stopped me as I strode through the door. Carlo and I both turned around. “I lied.”

My brows furrowed. “About what?”

“I know that Carlo and his brothers are in the mob.” He met Carlo’s eyes over my shoulder. “And Carlo, I expect you’ll use those connections to keep her safe.”

Carlo only nodded.

39

CARLO

The Commission meeting didn’t give any of us the closure we’d hoped to have, but it settled a handful of things. Frankie’s vengeful energy seeped off of him as he stared down at the official document sent to them alongside a cookie-cutter apology letter from Virgil Lucchese himself. “It’s a bullshit decision,” he spat, shoving the papers away from himself as if he couldn’t bear to see them again.

Tommy, having not yet read the documents a courier had brought, picked them up and pushed aside the apology letter. “Due to the circumstances of the conflict, we don’t see life-threatening action as a fair approach to ending this conflict. No bosses have been harmed in this conflict, and we aim to keep it that way. Because of this, we have decided to strip the aggressor, Mr. Virgil Lucchese, of his title of the Lucchese family boss. Thecapowill see to it that this transition happens smoothly and to an approved member of the Lucchese family.”

Tommy paused, turning up his nose as he continued reading. “If it is reported that Frankie Bonanno is targeted again, the Lucchese family will be stripped of their name and titles, and he will select the new boss of theborgata. The Bonanno family will receive no formal punishment assuming all future acts of revenge are halted…” He shook his head and tossed the formal declaration on the desk, shaking his head. “Is this really all they’re going to do?”

I nodded, clenching my jaw. “Their job is to keep the peace. If they had executed Virgil, he’d become a martyr, and the Lucchese family would rally and create an all-out war.”

“A war is already coming,” Frankie remarked. “When people like the Luccheses are putting the rest of us at risk with their business practices, it’s only a matter of time until the other shoe drops. Trading people will be their downfall, and I won’t be a part of that shit.”

“None of us will,” I agreed.

“Some of the families will fall, and I imagine the Commission will have one hell of a time dealing with it.”

“Not our fucking problem,” Frankie said. “We’re off the hook for now. Lucchese won’t risk his family’s name or the power that comes from it by coming against us with the full force of hisborgata.”

“Virgil will have a personal vendetta,” Tommy reminded us.

“Without the power, means or ability to back up a legitimate attack. We’re in the clear for now, and as long as we don’t get new enemies who Virgil can use as a pawn, we’re safe.”

I scoffed. “There’s no way to avoid getting new enemies in this business. We should stage an accident or some shit for Virgil before he finds a way to come back at us.”

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