Page 48 of Claiming the Mafia Queen

I lower my gun. “From who?”

“The C-Colombos…” he stammers.

Luigi holsters his gun in his suit jacket and rolls his eyes. “You’re a fucking idiot getting involved with them…”

“Mom, are you sure about this guy?” Alessandro asks, his face full of worry.

“Reggie?” I laugh. “Or Tony…”

He looks at me and rolls his eyes. “No one trusts Reggie…” he groans. “I meant Tony…”

Reggie says he’s been in hiding since the Colombos loan shark went swimming with the fish. He owed them a lot of money, and when he found out Louis Limbardi was dead, he knew his deal went with him. When he tried to go get the debt paid off, Donny Colombo told him his debt was transferred and collection fees applied.

Long story short, Reggie was a dead man.

Reggie says they’ve been talking about hitting us while our numbers are even less.

Tony is right about what we need to do.

We need the numbers.

“What do you mean?”

“I don’t trust him..” He sighs, leaning against the counter of the bar. “He seems like he’s up to something.”

“And what’s that?”

“I don’t know, Mom…” he exasperates. “He comes and then all of a sudden you guys get attacked by the Colombos, and now he's got you trying to track down partners to get them back? A bunch of janky thugs, at that?”

I shake my head. “We need the numbers…”

“Yeah, but do you think some thugs that’ll slit your throat for a couple hundred bucks is someone you really want on your side of the line when shit hits the fan?”

“I definitely don’t, but what choice do we have?”

“I just think Tony is up to something…” he grumbles, crossing his chest. “I feel it. And you’re letting him play house with the kids…”

“You’re being paranoid,” I laugh, turning my body to him.

“Am I being paranoid?” He asks, pushing himself away from the bar. “Have you checked up on him? Done your research?”

I had. He came up clean..

A mechanic with a few priors. Nothing to write home about. No mob ties. No friends with the wrong sort could come sniffing around. Nothing but a grade-A bad-boy type his whole life. Now he has the chance to be someone.

“Come on…” he sighs, disappointedly, jumping to conclusions as I take my time to answer his question. I mean, what did he take me for? “You’re slipping…”

I don’t like what he’s suggesting.

I don't like that he's making me out to be some kind of chump. I don't appreciate it. It's not easy to roll one over on me. There's no way that Tony could have weaseled his way in like that without me knowing. I’m Aria Lorenzo for Christ’s sake. There’s no fooling me.

Fury bubbles in my chest. I slam my fist down on the countertop. Jamie jumps. “Watch yourself…” I warn. “And don’t jump to conclusions. I did check him out. He’s airtight…”

I am in the lobby of the hotel, sitting with my legs crossed at one of the brown leather sofas, gazing through the revolving door leading outside. Tony’s out there. With Mattias and Tomasso. They’re skateboarding.

Laughing.

Joking.

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