“Why does he have to choose?” I asked. “I mean we don’t need a Cappo! And his family doesn’t even like him.” I seriously wanted to break something. I hated that he was getting pushed into that position. Tex was strong but only as strong as he allowed himself to be. I was afraid for him. Afraid for us.
“Family is blood,” Mil explained slowly. “It won’t matter if he suddenly converts to Judaism and refuses to step on spiders because he believes they have souls. The truth is, they need to know where he stands.”
“And if he stands against them?” I whispered. “What then?”
Mil fell silent.
Vinnie and Lou opened the doors to the store. The wind gusted, hitting me square in the face. I took a deep breath and looked down the street. “Shit.”
“What?” Mil paused, reaching into her purse. “What is it?”
Trace reached behind her back and gave Vinnie a thumbs down.
Three men in suits climbed out of a black SUV as if in slow motion. They took their time sauntering towards us. A few people on the street stopped to gawk and then hurried into stores, slamming the doors behind them. A kid on a bike nearly collided with a telephone pole before high tailing it in the opposite direction. Mil stood in front of me. I tried to move her but she wouldn’t budge. In this little scenario she was a bit more important, being a boss and all, but I knew not to argue with her, at least not now.
The man in the middle was almost bald; he had a walking cane and a slight limp, and he looked pissed. I didn’t recognize him—that was until he came within a few feet of us. He had stormy blue eyes, just like Tex’s.
Not. Good.
They wouldn’t do anything out in the open, but that didn’t mean I was feeling the urge to break out into song and dance.
“Mrs. Campisi, is it?” The man offered a predatory grin that sent chills along my spine. I hated it when people smiled like that. Why smile when you want the world to know how pissed off it makes you?
“Sir,” Vinnie said smoothly. “Please step aside. We don’t want any trouble. The girls are having a relaxing day shopping.”
“Relaxing,” the man repeated as the two men accompanying him, the ones who looked like Italian sumo wrestlers snickered. “I haven’t relaxed since the day I was born.”
“Maybe you should get a pedicure,” I said through clenched teeth. “Those work wonders for me when it’s that time of the month…”
“Or…” Mil shrugged. “I could always shoot you, relieve some of that tension between your eyes. In fact, it would be my pleasure, much quicker than botox.”
“De Lange.” The guy snorted. “You disgust me.”
Mil grinned. “Good, I’d hate to attract you. God, you look older than sin. How’s the leg? Skiing accident?”
The girl had a mouth on her; no wonder Chase was enamored.
“You…” He nodded to me. “You are Campisi’s wife, are you not?”
“I’m carrying his child.” I shrugged. “What does that tell you?”
“I have a message for him.”
“So say it,” I snapped. “And tell your lap dogs to stop staring at my chest before I stab them in the throat.”
The two men shared a laugh while I let my knife slide down my leather jacket and held it up between my fingers.
“I wasn’t kidding.”
They stopped laughing.
The man held up his hand, it was covered with rings, manicured, hardly the type of hands of a grunt worker. “I want to meet with him. I’ll tell him anything he wants to know about the family. No guns. No men. Just the two of us, having a nice little chat. Uncle to nephew.”
Trace sucked in a breath next to me, while I narrowed my eyes harder. “You must not value your life.”
“Why do you say that?”
“He could rip you to shreds with his bare hands.”
“Not—” The man sneered. “—if I cut them off first.”
“What? With your teeth?” Mil snorted. “Is that all? We’re kind of busy.”
“That’s all.” He nodded to us and took a step back.
In a flash something sharp hit me in the thigh; I staggered back against Trace as blood started seeping through my jeans. The sharp pain turned into a burn that radiated through my leg. I could feel the wetness of blood start pouring down from whatever damage he’d caused.
He looked at the wound and grinned. “Sorry, it slipped, consider yourself warned.”
“Thanks.” I answered, my breath coming in gasps. I threw my knife directly at his friend’s right thigh. It impaled itself beautifully.
Muttering a string of vulgar curses, the guy stumbled backwards.
But Tex’s uncle didn’t flinch, simply stared me down and then finally threw his head back and laughed. “Well done… once I kill your husband, I may just take you for myself. I could use a little… spunk.”
“Run along, old man,” Mil spat. “She may not shoot you, but I have a loaded gun and I get really trigger happy when I’m not able to use it.”
He nodded, still smiling and sauntered off.
“You okay?” Trace gripped my arms while Vinnie tried to lift me into his.
“I’m fine.” My teeth began to chatter. “Nothing like getting shot after going shopping for lingerie. Think God’s trying to tell me something?”