Page 60 of The Woman on the Jury

“Fuck,” I grumbled, rubbing my face with my hands.

“I know the look of a man having woman trouble,” a female voice said, making me turn to find Lorenzo’s wife, Giana, standing there, a toddler on her hip.

“What? No,” I said, shaking my head.

“Sure, sure,” she said, not even trying to hide her smile. “Oh, you know what?” she said, coming toward me. “Here,” she said, pulling the kid off of her hip, and holding him out to me.

“Oh, fuck, no. That’s not a good idea,” I said, getting out of my chair, but taking a step back.

“Oh, all you tough guys say that,” she said, holding the kid out. “You’ll be fine.”

“He looks sticky,” I said.

“He is,” she confirmed, absolutely fucking beaming at my discomfort as she finally just shoved the kid at me, forcing me to grab him so he didn’t fall. “Look at that. A natural. Okay. I’m going to go take a shower,” she told me, running off before I could object.

“Ah, so… yeah, I don’t know what to do with you,” I told the kid, holding him outward from my body. “Your mom put too much faith in me,” I added. “Do you still have, like, that soft spot and shit?” I asked as he looked at me with big eyes that I swear to fuck seemed to be judging me.

It wasn’t long before he started getting fussy, making this twisted up face that I figured meant he was about to cry.

“Do you want food or something?” I asked. “Or are you still on the tit?”

“If you could not curse in front of my kid, that’d be great,” Lorenzo said, stepping into the dining room.

“Oh, thank fuck,” I said, holding the kid out to him. “Shit, sorry. Damnit,” I added as Lorenzo let out a laugh as he settled his kid on his hip like his wife had.

“Let me guess. Giana wanted a shower?” he asked.

“Enough to leave that kid with someone who’s never even held a kid before,” I said, nodding.

“I heard some shi—things went down last night,” he said, walking out of the room, expecting me to follow.

“It was not good. Venezio, one of Leon’s men, but mine now, was stabbed multiple times, got a busted leg, a fucked up face. He’s a mess. And the girl? She was almost raped, and she was slammed against glass.”

Lorenzo set his son down in a highchair, and went to grab a box of cereal, dropping it down on the tray, then walking over toward the doorway to speak to me.

“The same guys?” he asked, voice hushed like a toddler could know anything about assault.

“Yes. The brothers. Three jumped Venezio and beat the ever-loving shit out of him. The other one went up to attack Halle.”

“Is she alright?”

“She was holding it together. Looks like he choked her, held her down on the bed because she has bruises on her thighs, pulled her shirt down because she has scratches on her chest, and slammed her head into a glass window.”

“Christ,” he murmured, jaw going tight. “Did they do any damage to the guys?”

“Sounds like Halle got some good swings with a frying pan in. Venezio thinks he might have shot one in the foot or leg as they were escaping. But that seems like it. I’m keeping her at my place,” I told him. “And I doubled up guards at my place and with her grandfather at the hospital.”

“Good. That’s good. They’re fucking relentless. I’m gonna have someone look into them.”

“I can tell you that they’re capable of violently gang-raping women, and beating the shit out of them in the process,” I reminded him.

Lorenzo’s face darkened as he watched Giana coming down the stairs, skin all pink from the shower, her wet hair pulled back in a braid.

“Uh-oh,” she said, looking at our faces.

“Everyone’s alright,” he assured her, tapping my arm, and leading me down the hall with him.

“You’re not going to let me take them out are you?” I asked.

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