Page 34 of Autumn Ritual

Cam had been there, at the finish line to judge the race. We hadn’t spoken. He’d simply stood by the tailgate, ignoring the clucking hens shivering in the truck bed as we’d huddled together to watch the boys and their toys.

I wonder if he liked me then.

We’d always been friendly. To hear the don speak this afternoon in my parents’ house, it sounded like it was more than amicable on Cam’s part. I hadn’t noticed he had feelings for me. Or maybe, I just didn’t want to see them since I lived in New York. At least we’d both given into the pull over the last few weeks.

Which made me wonder why Don Ravello was tailing me now.

I clenched my teeth, accelerated on the back county road, and sped toward the cabin. Lucian didn’t turn at any of the exits for his properties.

He followed me.

Or so it seemed, until five minutes later, he romped on the engine. The black demon darted past my sedan and sped away.

I let out a long breath. “What the hell was that about?”

Shaking my head, I dialed a number from the car screen.

Ivry’s voice came through the speakers a few seconds later. “Sara! Hi, you! How’s it going?”

“I was just in town. Sorry I didn’t stop by the Salted Biscoff,” I responded quickly.

“Oh! I wasn’t working today.” She laughed lightly. “I’ve been baking at home.”

There was a rustle on the other end of the line. I frowned at the screen before cutting my gaze back to the road.

“You baking? Unheard of!” I teased. Ivry giggled. I smiled at the road. “You should really open a shop, Ives!”

“You know I only like to bake for friends and family. Selling stuff would just make me sad.”

I bit my lip so as not to laugh. She would feel remorse for the cookies that didn’t sell. As if it was an insult that her creations weren’t chosen. No…the bubbly ray of sunshine wouldn’t make a good businesswoman.

“I met someone.” Her words interrupted my thoughts. “You should come over for dinner some night. I want you to meet him!”

“Ives, that’s great!” A trickle of guilt slithered through me. Of all my friends here in the Cove, she was the one I stayed in touch with. But that didn’t mean I was ready to tell her I was in the same boat. My mother’s enthusiasm was enough for now.

Plus, until Cam ‘took off the mask’ so to speak, our relationship wasn’t even official. Which I’d drilled into my mother. Thankfully, Mamma liked the idea of a secret relationship. It was a temporary fix. I chewed the inside of my cheek. I was going to have to drill it into my mother’s head to keep things quiet.

“Sara? You there?”

I was too distracted to give my friend the attention she deserved. I gave myself a mental shake, and then forced my mind to focus.

“What’s he like?” I asked.

“Well, Demyan is tall,” Ivry giggled. “Very scary looking.”

“Typical mobster,” I mumbled.

“Oh, no! He’s worse.” Ivry’s voice turned hushed. “He was sent to kill Lucian.”

The blood drained from my face. The clatter of rumble strips made me jerk the wheel to straighten out the car.

“WHAT!” I gasped.

“Don’t worry! He didn’t,” my friend rushed to add. “He canceled the contract, and he’ll be an asset to the famiglia.”

There was a mutter in the background on Ivry’s end. “Not likely.”

Mamma mia, her beau was listening to this conversation.