Page 7 of The Woman on the Jury

“I’ll be there. Just can’t say when yet,” I assured her.

“Good. Good. I’ll make all your favorites. Your brother would love to see you too,” she said. I couldn’t catch the snort before it escaped me.

Hearing it, she sighed.

“You two,” she said, shaking her head sadly.

“Want me to catch you another cab?” I asked, nodding toward the street.

“What? Oh, no. I actually have a lunch date with Primo and Isabella and Emilio and Avery.”

“Who’s Avery?” I asked, brows pinching.

“Emilio’s girl.”

“Emilio’s girl,” I repeated. Emilio? I didn’t see him settling down.

“Yeah, you know, Frank Lombardi’s step-daughter.”

Lombardi?

The fuck had I missed?

Emilio was shacked up with the daughter of an enemy Family? How the fuck had that happened?

“Right. Yeah,” I said, nodding, not wanting to get into it right then.

I had to go get my ass chewed out by Lorenzo.

I could deal with Family gossip some other time.

“Have a good lunch, Ma. I will check in with you later,” I said.

She reached upward, pressing her cold hand to my cheek.

“Go eat your crow,” she said, giving me a pat, then turning to walk away.

The sound that escaped me as I watched her go was more of a growl than a sigh, but I finally started moving. Not toward a cab directed at Lorenzo’s place. But just down the street. Enjoying the ability to walk like everyone else for the first time in months.

I grabbed a coffee. With a few shots. Because I knew I was going to need it. Then set off in the direction of Lorenzo’s house.

“The fuck happened now?” I asked as I rounded the wrought iron gate on the side of Lorenzo’s front stoop, and finding Anthony standing there, a bandage on his throat.

This fucking kid.

Always getting hurt somehow.

It seemed like he had been a fucking genocidal dictator in a past life to come back with the kind of luck he had in this one.

“The fucking barber cut the shit out of me,” he said in a ‘Can you believe this shit?’ tone as he waved at his neck. “Was watching the game when he was shaving my neck, and they were in overtime…”

“Christ,” I said, shaking my head. “The big man in?” I asked.

“Been waiting for you to show up,” Ant confirmed.

“Great,” I said as I started up the steps.

Ant grabbed the knob, turning it, and started to open the door when he landed another blow.

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