Page 33 of Dirty Deeds

“Carm, leave the girl alone,” Patty says. “You just met her and you’re already secretly plotting to throw her a baby shower.”

I really shouldn’t have poked fun at Ro. It turns out it doesn’t take much to spit wine all over the place.

“Looks like the gang is all here.”

At the sound of Enzo’s voice, I jump from the couch, swiping the back of my hand across my mouth. Very classy, I know. Luckily, Enzo pays me no mind, keeping his gaze focused on his mom.

“Hi, Ma,” he says, bending to give her a kiss on the cheek. She shoos him away, rising to her feet, and envelopes him in a hug.

“Oh, God, I was so worried just thinking of my little boy in the big house,” she cries, pressing a noisy kiss to one cheek, then the other.

“Did she just call him her little boy?” Ro whispers.

“She did,” Sophie confirms while Patty rolls her eyes.

Snatching the wineglass from my hand, Patty takes a sip, then sets it down on the coffee table and points a finger at Carmela.

“He wasn’t in the big house, Carm. He was in a holding cell. Small potatoes.”

“That’s true. My husband is in the big house. Totally different ballgame,” Ro slurs.

“Grandma Sophie, what’s the big house?”

I forgot Anna had front row seats to the circus. The poor kid has been sitting on the floor, playing with her Barbies, listening to everything, including Carmela’s plans for my uterus.

“Great, now we’re schooling my kid on penitentiaries,” Carrie groans.

Enzo dislodges himself from his mom’s embrace and turns to me. I don’t know how it’s possible for a man’s smile to have so much power over a woman’s body. It’s unnerving.

“Do you ladies mind if I steal Danica away for a moment?”

“Oh, no,” Carmela all but shouts. “Take all the time you need. Do you want the keys to my car? I have a really roomy backseat.”

Enzo swipes a hand over his face. “Thanks, ma, but I’m good.”

Eyeing me, he motions for me to follow him out of the living room. I’m more than happy to oblige. Wolf’s wives are lovely, but I’ve taken about as much as I could for one day. Once we clear the room and start down the hallway, Enzo drapes an arm around my shoulders.

“Sorry about that. My mom is eager to see me settle down.”

“Really? I hadn’t noticed,” I mutter, smoothing a hand over the front of my dress. “Where are we going?”

“My old man wants to have a word with you.”

Great. I can’t wait to see how this goes. I’m about to ask if we can go back to the living room to grab my wine when his hand skates down my arm and takes purchase on my hip.

“There’s something that’s been on my mind…”

“Oh?”

“This dress.”

“What about it?”

“It looks great on you, but I think I much rather like seeing it on my bedroom floor. Then I’d finally know the answer to my question.”

“And what question might that be?”

We come to a stop at the end of the hallway, and he leans closer, his lips brushing against the shell of my ear.

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