Page 70 of Takedown in Savannah
Chapter 29
“Dernice Movira Cobb…will you marry me?” Luigi opened the ring box and held it up.
Dernice swayed slightly. For a minute, Carlita thought she was going to pass out. “You want to marry me?”
“I never thought I was husband material, but what the heck. Yes. I’m asking you to be my wife.”
Dernice threw her arms around Luigi’s neck. “I love you, Luigi.”
“I love you too.”
She pulled back, her expression growing grim. “I don’t deserve this, or you.”
He frowned. “Why not?”
“Because I was snooping around your apartment, trying to figure out if you had decided to join the gang.”
Luigi grinned. “I know.”
Dernice’s eyes widened. “You knew I was snooping?”
“Sure. I have a camera hidden in my apartment. I watched the whole thing. You and Mrs. T.”
“In our defense, it was more of a process of elimination seeing how Elvira planned to fire you,” Carlita said.
Luigi’s jaw dropped. He turned to Elvira, who had started to slink away. “You were gonna fire me?”
“N-not because I wanted to but because of the heat I was taking from the cops,” she stammered.
“That’s what you two argued about,” he said. “Elvira was going to fire me, and you called her out.”
“She gave me a couple of days to clear your name,” Dernice said. “So I asked Carlita for help.”
“In Elvira and Dernice’s defense, you did seem slightly suspect,” Carlita said. “Purchasing an expensive sports car. Dernice mentioned something about you having a secretive conversation with someone about a pickup.”
“The ring.” Luigi held the box up. “I was talking to the jeweler about picking up the ring.”
Elvira placed her hands on her hips. “This has to be the most convoluted proposal I’ve ever witnessed.”
Tony wagged his finger at her. “Because of you.”
“I’m not the one proposing,” she haughtily replied.
Pete stepped between Luigi and Elvira. “We’ve cleared the air, the San Maris Gang is being arrested and Luigi is no longer on the cop’s radar, can we get back to the proposal?”
Luigi took Dernice’s hand. “I’ll repeat the question…will you marry me, Dernice?”
“This proposal comes with a lot of baggage,” Mercedes joked. “You’ll have Elvira as a sister-in-law.”
Carlita laughed out loud.
“Very funny,” Elvira huffed.
“Yes. Yes, I will, Luigi Baruzzo.” Dernice held out her finger, her eyes shining brightly. “For the rest of my life.”
He slid the ring on. Grabbing her around the waist, Luigi kissed her soundly. “I love you, Dernice. I love you so much I’m even willing to put up with Elvira.”
Gales of laughter rang out, except for Elvira, who crossed her arms and began pouting.
