Page 113 of Captivated

“Your dad—”

“Damian, yeah,” Cory interjected.

“He’s pretty high up in the Chicago mob, right?”

“Outfit, Liliana. We call it the Chicago Outfit.”

“I know what it’s called.”

Cory passed her a look. “Then, use the right name.”

“Touchy.” She stuck her tongue out at him, and he did the same thing right back to her. Then, she asked before she lost her nerve, “So, I guess that means you and Joe are probably connected, too, right?”

She understood vaguely that Joe had a job in the mafia, and what little bit of information she had been given was enough for her to draw her own conclusions. But really, she didn’t like doing that. She would much rather just be told, and then she knew for sure.

“You could say we’re connected,” Cory said. “More me directly than him, or I’m working on it.”

“Oh. And people keep saying he’s the Shadow, right? So, what does that mean exactly?”

Cory chuckled. “A part of me thinks it’s better for you not to know all the details about what Joe does in this business, girl. And another part of me thinks … you probably wouldn’t give a fuck if you did know.”

“Probably not,” Liliana agreed.

“Still ain’t going to tell you, though.”

Asshole.

Annoying as hell.

“You’re lucky Joe loves you,” Liliana mumbled her empty half-threat.

Cory grinned. “I could say the same for you.”

Except … Joe hadn’t told her that yet.

“I was thinking pizza for dinner—Chicago-style,” Cory called from the living room. “How does that sound for you?”

“Sounds—”

It was the banging thrash of the front door being thrown open that stopped Liliana from saying more. She jumped up from the table where she had been flipping through a magazine at the same time she heard Cory curse.

“What the fuck?”

“Liliana!”

Her fear instantly bled away.

Joe.

He met her in the hallway at the same time Cory came out from the living room.

“Hey, man,” Cory said.

Joe’s gaze was only on her, and Liliana wasn’t entirely sure that she liked what she saw staring back at her. Cold and distant Joe was back, it seemed. She could see it in the darkness of his features, and the stiffness in his posture.

He tossed his brother a look. “Pack me a bag, and grab her shit, would you?”

Cory didn’t even bother to ask questions.