been the shooter.”
The news didn’t seem to affect Reese.
“The front doors to the restaurant were locked. I heard shots so I came around back,” Reese said.
Unk looked at Frankie again for confirmation. “We have contracts to sign,” she said.
Leo entered the room, gun drawn, Frankie’s purse hanging off his arm. Frankie couldn’t resist a smile at the absurdity of the situation.
“Let’s just all calm down,” she started. But the sirens echoing in the distance wrenched the tension right back up.
She grabbed her purse from Leo. “Unk, I’m not dicking around with the cops.” She looked at Reese. “You drive, let’s get out of here.”
“One minute before you go,
cara,”
Carmine softly insisted.
She didn’t dare argue. Reese stood rigid and silent beside her. Her heart thumped hard against her chest and her skin flushed warm. She felt on the verge of an anxiety attack.
“Si, Zio?”
His dark eyes trained on Reese. “What did you see outside before you came in here?”
Most men would have shown signs of discomfort, but not her dumb model. Nope, he stared back at her uncle, refusing to back down.
“Nothing, just heard three shots.”
Carmine nodded. “If you happen to remember anything you haven’t told me here, be sure to come to me with that information before you share it anywhere else.”
Please, please don’t let him argue.
Reese nodded. “Of course.”
Oh, good model.
As she moved past her uncle, he called to her, “Go to Sanzo’s, he’ll be expecting you.”
Not waiting for any more conversation or, worse, arguments from her uncle or cousins, Frankie grabbed Reese’s hand and pulled him behind her toward the kitchen and out the back door of the restaurant.
“Don’t ask,” she said as they came around to the front of the building. Sirens wailed closer. She sprinted to her car, quickly unlocked the trunk, and pulled out her camera bag.
“Where are you parked?” she asked breathlessly, looking up and down the street.
This time Reese grabbed her by the hand and pulled her back across the street. “Black Tahoe directly ahead.”
Just as the cops arrived, Reese pulled away from the curb, going the opposite direction.
Looking over her shoulder, Frankie said, “Faster.”
Reese hit the pedal. “What’s the rush?”
“I don’t do cops.”
Reese nodded and focused on the road ahead of him.
After several minutes he turned to look at Frankie, who looked at him through narrowed eyes.
“What?”
“How did you manage to manhandle all three of my cousins?”
“Didn’t you read my bio?”
“Some of it.”
“Did you miss the marine part?”
“Oh, I guess I didn’t get that far. How long?”
“Four years.”
“Why did you leave?”
He shrugged and glanced in the rearview mirror, and she turned to look out the back window. No flashing lights. Her shoulders relaxed a notch.
“I don’t do authority. If I had reenlisted, I’d be in a brig somewhere.”
“That doesn’t surprise me. You’re the most insolent employee I’ve ever hired.”
Reese flashed her a grin. “You ain’t seen nothing yet, baby.”
Frankie rolled her eyes. That’s exactly what she was afraid of.
Without looking at her, Reese said, “You’re bleeding.”
Her adrenaline rush continued to infuse her with energy. Glancing over her shoulder again, Frankie let out a long breath. “It’s no big deal.”
“What the hell happened in there?”
“Someone tried to kill my uncle.”
“Why?”
“I guess someone doesn’t like him.”
“Will he talk to the cops?”
“My family takes care of their own business. They don’t do cops.”
“Do you?”
“Hell no, I don’t do cops!” She touched the wound on her arm and winced, then said, more quietly. “Cops don’t mix well with my family.”
“From what I’ve seen of your family so far, they don’t seem the type to mix well with many people.” Reese popped open the console lid, pulled out a small pack of tissues,
The news didn’t seem to affect Reese.
“The front doors to the restaurant were locked. I heard shots so I came around back,” Reese said.
Unk looked at Frankie again for confirmation. “We have contracts to sign,” she said.
Leo entered the room, gun drawn, Frankie’s purse hanging off his arm. Frankie couldn’t resist a smile at the absurdity of the situation.
“Let’s just all calm down,” she started. But the sirens echoing in the distance wrenched the tension right back up.
She grabbed her purse from Leo. “Unk, I’m not dicking around with the cops.” She looked at Reese. “You drive, let’s get out of here.”
“One minute before you go,
cara,”
Carmine softly insisted.
She didn’t dare argue. Reese stood rigid and silent beside her. Her heart thumped hard against her chest and her skin flushed warm. She felt on the verge of an anxiety attack.
“Si, Zio?”
His dark eyes trained on Reese. “What did you see outside before you came in here?”
Most men would have shown signs of discomfort, but not her dumb model. Nope, he stared back at her uncle, refusing to back down.
“Nothing, just heard three shots.”
Carmine nodded. “If you happen to remember anything you haven’t told me here, be sure to come to me with that information before you share it anywhere else.”
Please, please don’t let him argue.
Reese nodded. “Of course.”
Oh, good model.
As she moved past her uncle, he called to her, “Go to Sanzo’s, he’ll be expecting you.”
Not waiting for any more conversation or, worse, arguments from her uncle or cousins, Frankie grabbed Reese’s hand and pulled him behind her toward the kitchen and out the back door of the restaurant.
“Don’t ask,” she said as they came around to the front of the building. Sirens wailed closer. She sprinted to her car, quickly unlocked the trunk, and pulled out her camera bag.
“Where are you parked?” she asked breathlessly, looking up and down the street.
This time Reese grabbed her by the hand and pulled her back across the street. “Black Tahoe directly ahead.”
Just as the cops arrived, Reese pulled away from the curb, going the opposite direction.
Looking over her shoulder, Frankie said, “Faster.”
Reese hit the pedal. “What’s the rush?”
“I don’t do cops.”
Reese nodded and focused on the road ahead of him.
After several minutes he turned to look at Frankie, who looked at him through narrowed eyes.
“What?”
“How did you manage to manhandle all three of my cousins?”
“Didn’t you read my bio?”
“Some of it.”
“Did you miss the marine part?”
“Oh, I guess I didn’t get that far. How long?”
“Four years.”
“Why did you leave?”
He shrugged and glanced in the rearview mirror, and she turned to look out the back window. No flashing lights. Her shoulders relaxed a notch.
“I don’t do authority. If I had reenlisted, I’d be in a brig somewhere.”
“That doesn’t surprise me. You’re the most insolent employee I’ve ever hired.”
Reese flashed her a grin. “You ain’t seen nothing yet, baby.”
Frankie rolled her eyes. That’s exactly what she was afraid of.
Without looking at her, Reese said, “You’re bleeding.”
Her adrenaline rush continued to infuse her with energy. Glancing over her shoulder again, Frankie let out a long breath. “It’s no big deal.”
“What the hell happened in there?”
“Someone tried to kill my uncle.”
“Why?”
“I guess someone doesn’t like him.”
“Will he talk to the cops?”
“My family takes care of their own business. They don’t do cops.”
“Do you?”
“Hell no, I don’t do cops!” She touched the wound on her arm and winced, then said, more quietly. “Cops don’t mix well with my family.”
“From what I’ve seen of your family so far, they don’t seem the type to mix well with many people.” Reese popped open the console lid, pulled out a small pack of tissues,
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