Breaking Bones (Mariani Crime Family Series Book 2) (5 page)

“It’s for when you change your mind. You better hurry, though. I don’t know how long my contact will wait. He’s already got several auditions lined up, but I assured him you’re the best.”

“Oh, I’m the best,” I said, my voice dripping with sarcasm. “That must be why you wouldn’t stop calling me. You just couldn’t stay away.”

“Don’t be like that, baby. This is for real. Can’t you see I’m sorry and I’m trying to make it up to you?”

He sounded sincere, but could Matt really have gotten me a legitimate audition? I’d convinced myself he was nothing more than a conman. But what did I have left for him to con me out of? He’d taken it all. “If it’s so real, why don’t you just give me his number?”

“He’s a professional, babe. Only agents can contact him.”

As I chewed on that little piece of information, Matt turned and left me standing there. The bastard glanced back once, just to make sure I was watching him. Caught, I looked away, but felt my cheeks redden. I still didn’t trust the slimeball, but I was desperate. Singing in a nightclub? I’d be all over that, but chances were it was just another lie. Angry with myself for even considering it, I stuffed his number in my pocket and headed back to work.

Piper was clocking in when I got there. She took one look at my face and asked what was wrong.

“Run-in with the ex.”

“Tell me all about it,” she said.

The restaurant was experiencing a bit of a lull, so we refilled sauces and napkins while I gave her the rundown on my failed relationship with Matt. When I finished my tale of woe, she said, “Sounds like a real d-bag. You stayed with him for a year?”

It was a reasonable question, but it made me admit, “It wasn’t all bad. We had some good times too.”

“Oh really?” Piper asked.

“I have a pretty screwed up past. I came to Vegas to get away from it all and start over, but it was harder than I thought it would be.”

“Reality sucks,” she said, nodding.

“Yeah, and Matt had everything I needed to escape it.”

The sound of his laughter floated through my memories, accompanied by the smell of smoke and lines of powder. Truthfully, I missed the escape, but not enough to risk my life.

“All in the past, though. That little near-death experience helped me realize I didn’t want to escape reality
that
much.”

She smiled. “I’m glad you didn’t tap out.”

The hostess signaled us toward two families she was leading in.

“Because then you’d be missing out on all this glorious fun,” Piper added.

Feeling better, I laughed and grabbed the water pitcher.

CHAPTER FIVE

Bones

I
DIDN’T TRUST Ariana to wait for me after work, so I arrived early and met her by the door. When she came out, I could tell something was wrong. She had a piece of paper in her hands and her forehead wrinkled as she looked at it. When she saw me she stuffed it in her jacket pocket.

“Everything okay?” I asked, searching her face for clues as to what was on that paper.

She waved me off. “Yeah, fine. Just tired. Long shift and I didn’t sleep so well last night.”

“So I guess you wanna go straight home?”

“Depends. What are Mom and Dad up to? Baking cookies to solve world hunger? Adopting rescue kittens?”

“Cooking dinner, not baking cookies. Although there probably will be some sort of dessert involved.”

She wrinkled her nose. “As long as it’s not the kittens.”

I laughed. She was so funny, bordering on inappropriate at times. I loved the way she always knew how to make me laugh. And judging by the smile she beamed at me, she enjoyed the experience too.

People were watching us, no doubt wondering what to think about me in my suit walking beside her in her waitressing uniform. Ariana seemed to notice the looks we were getting and decided to ramp it up. She closed the gap between us and slid her arm into the crook of my elbow, giving me a conspiratorial grin. “Wonder if they think I hired you or you hired me?”

I could never tell if Ariana was legitimately flirting with me, or just screwing with my head. Lately it seemed like she was looking for any excuse to touch me, though, and I’d be lying if I said I didn’t enjoy the contact. Neither of us had been exactly open about our pasts, but she’d dropped enough hints to let me know she’d been through some pretty tough shit. I was thankful she hadn’t lost her sarcastic sense of humor in the process.

As we walked out into the fading sunshine, she leaned over and stage whispered, “You should probably pay me up front for my services. Just so there’s no confusion.”

It was just loud enough for the young couple walking past us to hear. The woman’s eyes widened as she led her partner away from us, whispering and casting glances at us over her shoulder.

I eyed Ariana, trying not to laugh.

“What?” She gave me her best innocent smile, blowing me away with the seamless transformation she went from sexy to sweet. Ariana had both looks mastered. “That was providing free entertainment to the tourists. I’ll tell you what, tomorrow when you pick me up, wear sweats and drink from a paper bag, and we’ll give them a real show. Got it?”

And man, she loved to screw with people. As she released my arm, I couldn’t help but admit she was probably doing the same to me.

As we climbed into the Hummer, my phone buzzed with an incoming call from Ma. I started the engine and answered.

“Franco, I’m sorry to bother you, but...”

I groaned. She started all her conversations this way, throwing my busy schedule in my face to make me feel like the worst son on the planet. “Ma, how many times do I gotta tell you you’re no bother?”

“It’s just that I know you’re busy.”

Here we go.

Wondering if we’d ever get past this opening and on to what she was angling for, I said the same thing I always did. “Never too busy for you. What’s up?”

“A light bulb in my kitchen burned out.”

Had Ariana not been with me, I probably would have beaten my head against the steering wheel. As it was, I had to struggle to keep my composure. Ma was far from helpless. Hell, she was one of the most independent women I knew. She wouldn’t be calling me for a burned-out light bulb. “Did you call the maintenance guy?” I asked.

“My own son lives in the same city as me, and I’ve gotta call a maintenance man to replace a light bulb? I don’t want to bother him. I’ll just climb on the ladder and fix it myself.”

The guilt was so thick I could almost see it streaming out of the phone and threatening to choke me. Still, I didn’t want her climbing up a damn ladder. Especially not alone. “Where’s David?”

“He’s at the library, studying for a big calculus exam tomorrow. I’d rather not interrupt him if I can help it.”

My useless little brother probably was studying all right… studying one of the girls in his calculus class.

“Franco, if it’s too much trouble, I can—”

More guilt. It suffocated me. I cracked my window to get some air. “No, Ma, it’s no trouble. It’s just that I’m giving someone a ride, and…”

Ariana poked my arm. “I don’t mind, Bones. I’d love to meet your mom.”

I shushed Ariana, but it was already too late. I could tell by the way Ma sucked in a chestful of air, she’d heard her. Any doubts I had shattered when she launched into a barrage of questions and demands.

“A girl? You’re on a date and you didn’t bring her by to meet me? Franco, you know I helped your brother Tony pick out his wife, and they were made for each other. You know this. You bring her over and let me talk to her and I’ll tell you if she’s a good fit for you. I’ll whip us up something to snack on while I make dinner.”

Ariana snickered. “She sounds like quite the matchmaker.”

Yeah, she could laugh. Right up until Ma had our china picked out. I liked Ariana and all, but I wasn’t trying to get hitched. I needed to set Ma straight before she dragged me to a jeweler.

“It’s not a date. I’m taking a friend home from work. Angel’s already making dinner and needs me to pick up Nonna on the way.” Probably best not to mention that Ariana would also be eating with us. Of course, if Ma found out Ariana was living with us and sleeping in my bed, she’d have us both saying Hail Marys for Father Barone while she picked out our china.

“But it could turn into a date. You’re unsupervised in a car with her, and she sounds pretty. I bet she’s a lovely girl.”

Ariana batted her eyelashes at me and mouthed, “She thinks I’m lovely.”

I really needed to turn down the volume on my phone.

“Franco?” Mom asked.

“No dinner. No long stay, I’m just coming to change the light bulb.”

“Yes, of course. I’d never ask more of your time than that. Thank you. You’re such a good son.”

Right. “I’ll be there in about ten.” I disconnected the call.

I didn’t have to look at Ariana to know she was amused, because I could hear her quiet snickering. We drove the rest of the way in silence while I tried to find a way out of this whole awkward situation. It would have been a good time for the new Tech to call me with the details for Renzo’s fence. I could have gone for messing someone up. It’d be a much better way to spend my evening, than hoping Ma didn’t get some marriage-material vibe off my boss’s girlfriend’s little sister.

Still unwilling to accept the meeting as inevitable, I parked in front of Ma’s small house and turned to face Ariana. “I don’t suppose you’d like to wait in the car?” I asked.

She giggled. “Not a chance.”

Damn. “Okay, but not a single word about you and Markie staying with us.”

She gasped, looking wounded. “Do I seem like the type of girl who’d rat you out to your mommy?”

I sighed, knowing full well Ariana would do whatever floated her boat. We climbed out of the Hummer and met Ma where she stood waiting on the front porch with a smile spread from ear to ear. Before I could make introductions, she hugged me and then turned to embrace Ariana.

“Ma, this is my
friend
Ariana. Ari, this is my mom, Marcella Leone.”

“It’s nice to meet you, Ms. Leone,” Ariana said.

Ma’s smile only widened. “Please, call me Marcella. It is so great to meet you. You’re right, Franco, she is gorgeous. He’s told me so much about you.”

No, I most certainly had not. But since calling out my own mother for lying to make me sound good seemed to be some sort of social faux pas, I shook my head and followed them into the house.

“You need some meat on your bones,” Ma said, taking in Ariana’s thin body. “I have a lasagna in the oven. That’ll do the trick.”

I ran a hand down my face. “No dinner, Ma. We don’t have time.”

“Of course, honey. It was just a suggestion. I’d never expect you to stay.”

“I bet you have a hundred baby pictures of Bones, er Franco,” Ariana said, grinning wickedly over her shoulder.

Not good. Not good at all. “Yes she does, but we’ll have to look at those later. Here to change the light bulb, and then it’s back on the road for us. Tight schedule, remember?”

“Nonsense.” Ma slipped into the kitchen. “I just pulled some
pizzelles
off the iron. How do you take your cappuccino, Ariana?”

“Milk and sugar, please.” She looked at me and added, “Pizzelles?”

“Cookies.”

Her brow scrunched up. “Cooked on an iron?”

“Like a waffle iron.”

The cappuccino machine whirred to life. “Franco bought me this beast for Christmas last year. Noisy, but it makes a great cup,” Ma shouted over the machine.

I scanned the kitchen ceiling, searching for the burnt-out light. “Which bulb, Ma? They all look fine to me.”

She gave me a sheepish smile and handed me a cup. “It’s been thirty-two days since I last saw your precious face, and I needed to make sure you weren’t dead or wounded. Last time you pulled a disappearing act on me, you came home with all those cuts on your chest, and—”

Ariana’s eyes grew round.

Needing to derail Ma’s train of thought, I jumped in. “I’m fine, Ma. My job’s been crazy lately.” Since there was no way she’d let me leave without finishing my drink first, I accepted my cappuccino and headed for the table.