“My mother. I need to call her and tell her where I am.”
“You can’t do that.” His words are quick.
“Why not? What’s going on?” With a turn of his head, I know he doesn’t want to give me a straight answer. I start to pace. “I hate being left in the dark. Literally and figuratively. I’ve trusted you so far; now, you need to have faith in me by explaining what the hell is going on.”
He runs his fingers through his hair, and with his hands still on his head, he stares back, seeming unsure.
“Jesse, please,” I beg, and he glares out the window. His jaw tightens as he clenches his teeth. The war in his mind rages, but my side seems to win.
“Take a seat.” He gestures to the hearth.
I sit on the cold stone, and he remains standing as he takes his phone out and makes a call.
“Yeah,” he says to whoever picked up. He looks at me with a warning glare that says I need to stay quiet as he speaks, “I’m at the point. Yes, I’m alone.” He listens on the other end and walks the length of the room. “I exchanged fire with one man. Definitely a Lugazzi. I recognize him from one of my runs. He’ll need a bus if he hasn’t been hauled out of there by his own men already.”
There’s more walking. His heavy footsteps tread the room.
His eyes glance to me every once in a while. I’m sitting here, rubbing my sweaty palms together, feeling a pang in my gut, waiting with anticipation for him to ask whoever is on the phone what the hell happened to my family.
“Two? Okay. And the men?” he asks.
I bite my nails, and my knees shake.
Jesse’s shoulders drop, and his feet stop pacing. He gazes at me. “What about Raphael Sorrentino? His wife and daughters were supposed to be there.”
My eyes bulge, and my heart pounds in my gut as he asks about my father.
He nods his head. “I assumed. He’s quick for an old guy.”
His expression lets me know my father is okay. I let out a cry in relief.
“I’m gonna wait here for a few. No, don’t send a car. I can make it back.”
He hangs up without a good-bye.
The relief falls down my cheeks as I thank the heavens that my father is okay. Jesse kneels in front of me. His hands wrap around me as he pulls me into a hug. I grip him hard and cry into his shoulder.
“It’s okay. He’s okay. Your mother and sister weren’t there yet. Your family is all right.”
I sob. “And my uncles?”
His body tenses, and I know the news is bad.
“Your uncle Vic was shot. I’m sorry.”
I gasp for breath. He’s one of my father’s best friends from childhood. “That’s horrible.”
Jesse places a hand on my shoulder and the warm sensation of his touch sooths my nerves a bit. “He’s going to live.”
I lean back and look at Jesse. How he knows all of this baffles me. “Who did this?”
“Carlo Lugazzi. Does that name ring a bell?”
I shake my head. “Should it?”
“He’s a notorious thug who runs a cartel in upstate New York.”
“What does he want with my family?”
Jesse’s brow furrows. He looks pained. “Your father has kept you in a bubble, away from all of this for a reason. I shouldn’t be the one to tell you.”
“The bubble burst when men started shooting at us!”
He nods in agreement. He takes a seat beside me and rests his elbows on his knees. His hands fidget as he tries to start the story. “Your family doesn’t just provide private sanitation around New York City.”
His foot taps on the wood floor as he swallows, hard. I’ve never seen someone so bothered by what they are about to say. It’s making me nervous.
“Your family is involved in something bigger, and Carlo Lugazzi is upset because they’ve infringed on his turf.”
“You’re being vague again, Jesse.”
“And I promise, it’s for your benefit. You need to understand that me telling you this can get me killed.”
“You saved my life tonight—”
“No!” He turns his body to me. His eyes are red-rimmed, and he looks irritated. “You can never let anyone know you were here. They can’t know you were here with me, and most importantly, no one can find out we spoke. You have to promise me.”
The plea is enough to make me grab his shoulder and hold it steadily. “I won’t. I promise. It’s a stupid promise to make because what you’ve done is nothing short of amazing.” I mean it. I don’t know this man as well as I should, but he put his life on the line for me tonight.
“I didn’t do anything.”
“You protected me.” My words make that pained expression morph into surprise and wonderment. “You rushed into action and didn’t hesitate. I put my confidence in you, and now, you need to believe in me. I want to know everything.”
“I can only tell you what I know will keep you safe.”
I swallow. “I can handle it.”
“I know you can.” He runs a hand through his hair and rubs the back of his neck. “Getting you out of Villa Russo, rushing through the tunnels and bringing you here, was the best decision. The men who came tonight were careless. No one shoots up a restaurant if they don’t want to harm a woman. That alone was reason enough for me to take you with me.”
“Why is this Lugazzi person so angry?” I swallow down the nerves, not believing this is really happening.
“When I find out, I’ll tell you.”
I accept his answer as I let out a heavy breath.
“Are you okay?” he asks.
“Sure. It’s not every day you find out your family is involved in business that has mobsters coming after them. I just need some time to adjust to the news.” I rub my eyes and then my temples. “I don’t suppose you have any advice. I’m sure your father has
