How did we get here? An hour ago, we were in our apartment, talking about our first vacation away as a couple. Now we were sitting in a club, in the VIP section, waiting for Luca to show up.
"We shouldn't be here. If Jenny's genuinely missing, your mom should have called the cops," I said, trying not to let my frustration show.
"We need more information. Jenny is the daughter of Don Angelo. If anyone's going to know what's going on, it'll be Luca," Stacy said, hiding her shaking hands under the table and clasping them together.
"Whose number you just so happened to have and who was only too happy to drop everything to come out and see you," I said, realizing how petty and jealous I sounded considering the circumstances.
"Oh grow up, Scott. He called me once. Once. Coincidentally, it was the night you were flirting with my sister. Remember that? I didn't even know who it was when I answered," she shot back.
"We talked about this. I did not flirt with your sister. You knew who it was when you saved the number," I said and this was the real problem.
Somewhere in the back of my mind, I was always going to think that she was holding onto some part of her past. Six months of no contact and she slipped back into this world like it was nothing. An hour ago, I thought we were on the same page about what we wanted. I was going to commit to her fully. Now I was back to six months ago, sitting next to a stranger.
"Can we talk about this later?" she said, clearly irritated.
Just then, Luca walked through the door, all business.
"Everybody out. I need the room," he said, pinning Stacy with a look, before dragging his eyes over to me. "I told you to come alone."
People cleared out of the room, everyone leaving everything behind until it was just the three of us.
"No raids today. Pinky swear," I said, meeting his gaze head on.
Stacy looked between Luca and I and let out a frustrated breath. Luca cracked a smile.
"You have a lot of nerve walking in here, knowing daddy's not coming to save you this time," said Luca, walking towards us in big, slow strides.
Alarm bells went off in my head and I'd be lying if I said I wasn't a little intimidated. Still, I wasn't about to let Stacy walk in here alone.
"Where's my sister, Luca?" she asked, rising to her feet as Luca came over and sat down across from us.
"That is the question of the moment, isn't it?" he said, pulling two cigars out of his inner breast pocket. "Bambina?"
Stacy snatched it out of his hand. He cut it for her and presented her with a lighter. She handled her cigar like an old hand, while I just stared at her. That annoying feeling of not knowing her hit me again.
"What? My sister is missing. I'm stressed," she said, blowing rings of smoke out of her mouth.
"Are you going to answer her or not?" I said, willing myself to look away from Stacy and back at Luca.
"I don't know," he said, lighting up his own cigar. "Sorry. I thought it would be just the two of us," he said, trying to push my buttons.
It was working. Stacy sat back down after a few puffs of her cigar, seeming to relax. This shared activity irked me to no end.
"He doesn't know. Great. Let's go," I said, rising from my seat.
"What do you know?" Stacy insisted.
"When my padre died, rumours of me being involved circulated, making my alliance with the Lucianos essential to stabilizing my position. A man like Don Angelo, he's who you want in your corner when you want people to shut up. With Stacy repeatedly rejecting me—"
"What does he mean repeatedly?" I asked, being unaware of Luca's persistence until right that second.
"Not now, Scott," she said, refusing to look me in the eye.
"He doesn't know about the flowers? The jewellery? The engagement ring? The hotel keys? He is not as smart as he seems, bella," Luca said, delighting in making me aware that he was still hitting on my, well whatever we were.
"Hotel keys? Engagement ring? What the actual fuck? That does not sound like someone you have had no contact with," I said through gritted teeth, not wanting to give Luca the satisfaction of seeing me completely lose my cool.
"Finish the damn story, Luca," Stacy yelled.
"Much as I would have loved for it to be you that was my bride bella, I don't have time for Mr. Expert over here to fuck up. I needed a substitute. Jenny wanted access to the mafia. So we got engaged," Luca finished with a shrug, like he wasn't just talking about marrying someone.
"And I'm sure my neurotic brother Joey took the news really well," said Stacy, putting her cigar out in the ashtray on the table.
"Joey? Why would Joey be involved in this mess?" I said, venturing a question against my better judgment.
"You've never met the scemo, have you?" Luca said, and I immediately regretted asking.
Stacy knew everything about my life and I was still filling in the blanks about hers. I had no idea why her brother would be the first person she would suspect. Once again, she felt like a stranger. The worst part? Luca seemed to know everything I didn't.
"Joey sees anyone that gets any attention from Don Angelo as a threat to himself," Stacy said. "If this engagement is Don Angelo approved—"
"It is, though I imagine your padre only meant to get your attention when he gave his blessing. It's a shame he didn't realize you and Jenny weren't close," said Luca and I wanted to punch him in the teeth.
This was a sore topic for Stacy. All she'd ever wanted was to be close to her family. My petty jealousy and frustration gave way to understanding. Of course she would move heaven and earth to find Jenny. Hadn't I been the one to wal
k us into an underground casino not so long ago to do the same for Willow?