Page 19 of Second in Command
He chuckles, “I like flour.”
I roll my eyes at him, gently hitting his chest with a kitchen rag.
Enzo places a kiss on my forehead, and tilts his head at me.
“Do you know the surname of your friend? Michael?”
“Uh . . .” I squint, averting my eyes for a moment, “I think it’s Gallo, no, starts with a ‘G’ . . . Why?”
He ignores me, placing another kiss on my cheek.
“La Grassa,” I remember now, watching Enzo turn around slowly.
“Michael La Grassa?”
I nod my head to confirm.
“Have a good day,” he murmurs, his lips slightly pouted, with his eyes piercing through my soul.
I swallow hard, my heart echoing in my chest, “You too.”
Maybe I should have given him another name,I thought to myself.I had a bad feeling about this.
ten
Enzo Andonetto
Michael La Grassa…
TheMontagna Mafiaknew the family well. The Benedetti’s were at war with the La Grassas’—ever since they took over their turf in the Bronx. They would whack one of our guys and we would whack one of theirs—this endless combat of who could kill how many and often.
OurCapo, Vincenzio Benedetti, had his team work on finding information whilst I sat in the office with the other senior members. We had a few of our younger members sit and work around us—a way to find out who our most probable suspect would be.
My mind, I must admit, wasn’t where it should be. I kept thinking about Francesca, and I almost felt guilty about it while sitting in front of her father.
I thought about the softness of her lips, her smile, her laugh, and the way she stared at me. She gave me this look that made all the hair on my skin stand. Goosebumps.
“I think I’m going to marry Francesca,” I blurt, and Vincenzio raises both eyebrows.
“Enzo,” he sighs, “You’ve only now started to get to know each other.”
“It’s her Vincenzio, it’s her. I can’t — I don’t see anyone else for me.”
“And you figured that out in a week.”
“She’s everything I didn’t know I needed.”
Vincenzio rubs his chin, tapping the papers on his desk.
“And you think she feels the same way?”
I blow out a breath. That was the tricky part.
“If I’m being honest I’m not sure exactly what is going through Francesca’s head.”
“You’re not the only one. I feel like sometimes she’s just running on autopilot, and it’s been that way since her mother died. If you’re asking for my blessing, you can have it after you catch the mole. But it’s Francesca’s verdict I would be worried about.”
“Boss,” one of our men pushes the door open, “Michael La Grassa.”
