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I clench my teeth to prevent myself responding, and fall in line.
And just like that, I’m stuck playing guard dog to the Widow Colombo. I watch the room carefully as she greets a steady stream of mourners, her composure impressive, her sadness an undercurrent. She’s either a hell of an actress or genuinely grieving.
I’m betting on the former. From everything I’ve seen of her so far, Brie Colombo has proven herself a manipulative little minx.
When there’s finally a lull, Brie turns to me. “Do you want something to eat or drink?”
“Nope,” I reply curtly.
She sighs. “Well, I need a break.” She takes a step away, and with a stifled sigh, I follow. I want to ask her what the hell she’s playing at, making me stick by her like this, demandingmeof all people, when she could have had Eva’s trained bodyguard—or hell, one of the Colombos’ guards. Why accept Eva’s offer at all? Briemustbe aware that Eva just wanted eyes and ears in the Colombo Family.
I follow her to the buffet. The room is a sea of black suits and dresses, punctuated by the occasional flash of jewelry or a colorful pocket square. As Brie starts loading up two plates—one for her and one for me, despite my refusal—she leans in close.
“So you didn’t tell Eva about what happened the other night?”
“I didn’t have to,” I respond, my tone clipped. “Since your boy Frank was happy to spill all about it.”
But the truth is, I was as surprised as Brie when Eva came out with that comment before. Because Ididkeep my mouth shut,and now I’m wondering if Eva knows I was there with Brie at the time. She can’t know, I decide.
Because I’d be dead already if Eva Novak thought I was hiding information from her.
“I meant about the Secret Garden,” Brie says, even more softly.
She has me there. “I’m not in the business of outing people,” I tell her at last.
Before Brie can respond, a portly man in an expensive suit and slicked-down hair sidles up to her. Even without an introduction, I can smell the stink of mob boss all over him. His eyes are small and glittering, his smile oily.
“Mrs. Colombo,” he oozes. “Such a tragedy. If there’s anything I can do tocomfortyou in your time of need, don’t hesitate to ask.” He gives her a leering up-and-down, leaving little doubt about what kind of comfort he’s offering.
I step forward instantly, planting myself between Brie and the sleazeball. “Beat it,” I growl, my hand instinctively moving toward where my weapon is concealed.
To my surprise, Brie places a gentle hand on my arm. My skin tingles under her touch. Meanwhile, the guy is glowering at me, but he has nothing to say. “I’m sorry, Don Gatto,” Brie says. “As you can imagine, my friends are very protective of me at the moment. I’m sure you only wanted to show your support.”
“Respectfully,” I add.
He glares but gives a short nod before stalking off.
“It’s alright, Nik,” Brie says, a hint of amusement in her voice. “If there’s one thing I can handle, it’s lascivious old men.”
“Maybe, but you shouldn’t have to put up with that bullshit,” I mutter. “Especially not at your husband’s funeral.” The words come out more vehemently than I’d intended.
Brie gives an ironic little snort. “Come on. I know you don’t think I’m grieving,” she says, continuing to put food on our plates. Her chin raises, a little defiant. “But as it happens, Terry and I were very close. I miss him a lot.” She pauses, meeting my eyes. “Still…thank you for sticking up for me.”
I feel a glow of satisfaction in a job well done. It’s more than that, though—there’s a genuine warmth in her gratitude that catches me off guard. “It’s none of my business what kind of relationship you had with your late husband,” I tell her gruffly. “You focus on whatever you need to. I’ll handle the rest—includingthe lascivious old men.”
Brie actually smiles, but then changes the subject. “Do you know many of the people here?”
I scan the room, picking out familiar faces. The funeral home’s main room is packed, clearly showing Don Colombo’s influence. “I know of Juno Bianchi, of course. The Styx Syndicate’s become notorious since Hadria Imperioli unmasked herself as Hades. I’m familiar with you Colombos; less so with the other Vegas families. I was briefed about the Consortium’s customers before we arrived, but…well, we didn’t expect to be attending a funeral, of course.”
Brie begins a quiet rundown for me. She points out Vince Sabatelli, a shrewd-looking man with ambition practically oozing from his pores. There’s Larry Caruso, the respected Colombo enforcer, built like a brick wall and radiating an aura of violence. She directs my attention to Phil Reynolds, the manager of the Golden Sands, all smooth charm as he works the room.Sophie Carter, the casino’s Chief Financial Officer, looking lost and a little scared among all the mobsters. “And that’s Holden Brooks,” she says, nodding at a young, very attractive man about Brie’s own height. “He was Terry’s…private secretary.” I notice a very slight hesitation in her tone.
And I wonder what it means.
I might as well start gathering intel for Eva. “May I ask if you have any idea who killed your husband?”
She says nothing for a moment, adding another spoonful of baked ziti to the two dishes. Then, in a hushed voice, she starts babbling. “I can’t be sure, but I think itmustbe someone he knew, and so someoneIknow, because there’s no way anyone could have gotten into his office to kill him otherwise, so that means it was an inside job. Frank, Terry’s cousin—he’s been with the Family forever, of course, but maybe he thought it was time he took charge, only he’s not all that clever, so I can’t see him pulling this off without help, maybe from Vince—Vince has always been ambitious—and then there’s Larry, who has the muscle and the respect, but he’s always been so loyal that I just can’t believe he’d—” She breaks off with a sigh.
She’s not just a pretty face. She’s smart, too. “Maybe we shouldn’t discuss this here,” I murmur. “Someone did take a shot at you the other night, after all.”
