Velvet Lullabies

He listened intently for a moment before snapping at them. ”What?” he asked, followed by, “When?”

Before she knew what was happening Lucian was packing their bags back into the Escalade.

“Where are we going?” she asked.

“Back to Providence. There’s been another shooting.”

Chapter Eighteen

“What the fuck, Luchese?” Being greeted by Vinny was the last thing Lucian wanted when he stepped off his private jet with Adelina in tow. He chose to ignore that comment, but it didn’t stop Vinny from continuing.

“You’re supposed to be handling this issue not off fucking my sister!”

That did it.

Lucian dropped the bag he was carrying to grab Vinny by the shirt collar. “I’d stop talking if I was you.”

Some men couldn’t learn respect but Lucian would be damned if he let Vinny continue like that.

Vinny huffed. “One of my men died.”

“Well you’re damn lucky you’re not dead right now.” He dropped his hold on Vinny. “Get out of my face, DeMarco.”

Adelina looked worried when he turned back to face her. She had looked worried ever since he got the phone call at the Adirondack house.

“You’re safe.” He said again, he’d been telling her that since they left the house but her face still gave the impression she didn’t believe him.

“Yeah,” Vinny spun around to face them. “Yeah, well too bad Maria DelGado can’t say the same.”

Adelina froze at Vinny’s words. “What?” she stammered.

Vinny walked towards them with a puffed chest, almost proud to disappoint his sister. “Yeah, Gemma’s mom is dead.”

???

If he didn’t believe it before, Lucian now knew that Vinny DeMarco was a sardonic asshole. The one man who had died was a soldier that was driving Maria DelGado. The running assumption was that whoever hit them probably thought Guiseppe, consilerge to Massimo, was in the car. Instead, they hit his wife.

They drove straight to the DelGado house, that was filled with made men and the grieving family. Gemma met them at the door. Her face was bare of makeup and streaked red from crying. Her whole body shook as she hugged Adelina. The two went upstairs and Lucian hadn’t seen them since.

“Dad,” Gio’s irritated voice rang out. “You need to rest.”

“I’ll rest when I’m dead!” Guiseppe retorted. Guiseppe was quite the character in or out of grief. He had been a lawyer for most of his life now. Mostly for the mob, but every once and a while he fought a non-mafia related case, though those were mostly just for the money. And because he was damn good at it.

The man was verging on 60, but still look good in a three-piece-suit. His age was evident though, though the crepey skin on his neck and face, the salt and peppered hair, and the large bifocals he wore. His brain was sharp though. He was notorious around here for his ease in a courtroom or police station. His was the number that every man had memorized.

“I’m fine.” Guiseppe shouted irritably.

One bullet and this man was reduced to a grumbling old guy.

Crazy how that works.

“What?” Lucian snarled into his ringing phone.

“Geez, who pissed in your coffee?” Enzo responded on the line.

“No one.” He growled to Enzo. “What do you need?”

“No bro, the question is what do you need? I hear your Providence issue is getting worse.”