Tony was still holding onto Shelby as she and Violet stepped into the hall. Vinnie followed them to the door, locking it behind them. “Shelby looks kinda sickly.”
“I agree.” Carlita briefly told them of her concern, that there was something more going on with Shelby other than a simple case of exhaustion. “She has a doctor’s appointment scheduled right after she and Tony return from their honeymoon.”
Paulie, Gina and the kids were the next to leave. They headed out the back door to the alley and their rental car. Paulie helped his wife and children into the car before returning to his mother’s side.
“I’m sorry you’re not staying with us, Paulie.”
“Not with this tribe,” he grinned. “Besides, you got your hands full. Maybe next time, when you don’t have a wedding to help coordinate and a reception to handle, we’ll stay with you.”
“I would like that.” Carlita smiled at her youngest son. “You and Gina…everything okay?”
“We’re doing good, Ma. Better than ever. My side business is taking off. I haven’t resigned from my position as mayor.” Paulie shrugged. “But if things keep steaming along, it’s only a matter of time.”
“I’m happy for you - for all of you,” Carlita said softly. “Your father would be proud.”
“I hope so.”
Gina tapped the car horn and jabbed her finger toward the backseat, where Paulie Jr. had crawled into the back window.
“You better go. We’ll see you in the morning.” Carlita and Mercedes waited until Paulie and family were gone before slowly wandering back to the apartment. “Paulie’s kids are a handful.”
“Yes, but he and Gina seem happy.” At least Carlita didn’t have to worry about her youngest son. Now all she needed to do was get through tomorrow and focus on getting her restaurant up and running.
Carlita stopped by Tony’s old apartment to check on Vinnie and Brittney.
Tony had already moved into the new three-bedroom apartment above the restaurant, to free up his old efficiency, so his older brother and new wife would have a place to stay.
After Vinnie assured his mother they were fine, she stopped to check the back entrance and caught a glimpse of Luigi, one of Vito’s men, standing on the stoop smoking a cigarette.
He gave her a curt nod, and she sighed heavily.
“He still out there?” Mercedes stood at the top of the stairs, waiting for her mother.
“Yep. I’m sure the other one is close by too.” Carlita trudged up the steps. “I’m not sure if it makes me feel safer or not.”
“Me, either.”
Exhausted, Carlita made a beeline for the bathroom while Rambo patiently waited at the foot of the bed.
Despite being tired, she tossed and turned all night. She dreamt of Vinnie - that he was there with her, but when she tried to talk to him, he disappeared.
Finally, early the next morning, after dreaming she’d opened the restaurant and no one showed up, she crawled out of bed and headed to the kitchen to start a pot of coffee.
Carlita waited for the coffee to finish brewing and then carried her cup onto the balcony. Rambo followed her out and flopped down next to her on the deck.
She sipped the hot brew, mentally ticking off the endless list of last minute details she needed to take care of. If Carlita could hold everything together until the celebration was over, everything else would be a piece of cake.
Despite having the support, encouragement and input of her children, Carlita was nervous about the restaurant’s opening.
Tony’s hands were full running the pawnshop. Mercedes was helping screen prospective tenants for Shelby’s apartment, not to mention helping her brother run Swag in Savannah.
Mercedes was also hard at work editing her new book, Omerta, Honor Among Family, another thriller novel about life in a mob family.
Carlita tried to persuade her daughter to find something else to write about, certain that someday, someone up north would catch wind of her daughter’s new hobby and come down to pay another visit.
As if she didn’t have enough contact with the family…which brought her to the troubling presence of Vito’s “bodyguards” she suspected were somewhere nearby.
She thought about the cake topper with the missing head. Was it a veiled threat? Tony was not involved in Vito’s business, at least not anymore.
Carlita reminded herself Vito’s goons would be on hand. Elvira and Dernice would secure the entrance to the restaurant/reception venue. Perhaps things would run smoothly and she was worrying about nothing.
The smell of cigarette smoke drifted up. Carlita peered through the railing spindles and caught a glimpse of a man standing on the stoop, smoking a cigarette. It was one of Vito’s “employees.”
As if sensing he was being watched, the man looked up.
Carlita quickly leaned back. “C’mon Rambo. Let’s head inside. I’ll throw some clothes on, and we’ll go for a walk.”
Rambo patiently waited while Carlita pulled on a pair of sweatpants and t-shirt. She grabbed her cell phone and apartment keys on the way out.
When they reached the alley, the man was still standing on the stoop. Their eyes met. “Hello, Vinnie’s friend.”
“Mrs. Garlucci,” he drawled. “Gonna be a beautiful day for a wedding.”
“I hope so…” Her voice trailed off.
“Luigi - Luigi Baruzzo.”
“Luigi. Would you like some coffee?”
Carlita could’ve sworn he almost smiled. “No thank you, Mrs. Garlucci. Ricco is on his way to pick up some food now.”
“I see.” She motioned to her pooch. “I’m going to take Rambo for a walk.”
Rambo let out a low growl, and Carlita whisked her pooch off the stoop. She could feel the heat from Luigi’s eyes boring into her back until she rounded the corner and they were out of sight.
They kept a brisk pace, walking down the
