Page 236 of Cara & Gian: The Guzzi Duet

“I’ll worry about it tomorrow.”

“Maybe not even then.”

Gian cocked a brow. “And why not?”

“You have bigger problems to worry about at the moment, boss.”

He wasn’t so sure of that.

“Bigger than Cara being two weeks away from delivering my first-born son? Bigger than convincing her she needs to move into the penthouse, so I can take care of her? Bigger than barely escaping more jail time? Tell me what’s bigger than those things at this very moment, Stephan.”

The underboss shot a look down the street, as though he was expecting someone to be watching them. No one was, or so it seemed. Gian wouldn’t put it past their shadows, though.

“You made another show, boss.”

Gian tipped his head to the side. “Excusez-moi?”

“We’re all walking a fine line out here on the streets, trying to keep our noses clean, stay quiet and out of sight of the cops, not to mention away from that fucking prick Gabriel. And then there you go, making a show of yourself and all of us again. All because of your mistress, boss. I’m not saying this to be disrespectful,” Stephan added quickly, likely seeing the rage growing on Gian’s features. “I’m saying it because someone’s got to be the one to warn you and nobody else is stepping up right now. As it is, we’ve been battling the cops and Gabriel’s men, not to mention tip-toeing around one another, thinking there’s somebody among us that’s feeding info to the police.”

“I hear you.”

“Do you?” Stephan asked. “Are you listening now, Gian?”

Gian bristled. “Try that again.”

“Boss, are you listening now?”

“I didn’t intend to make a scene,” Gian said quietly. “Not with this or with Cara. I reacted. Like any man would have done.”

“Any man that wasn’t in your position, maybe,” Stephan agreed.

Gian hated how Stephan made damn good points.

“It’ll smooth itself over, surely. Over time.”

“Except it won’t, not really. Let’s not even consider the cops for the moment, just Gabriel. Already, he’s threatened us, he’s taken from us, and he’s pointed the finger at you each and every time as a reason why. Maybe before, the men in the family would overlook it. But the next time, when another Guzzi man shows up dead because of that fucker, they’re not going to be so compliant and forgiving. They’re going to remember your face on the television, and your pregnant mistress as the reason why.”

Gian no longer felt as carefree as he had just a few minutes ago. “I’ll figure it out.”

Something.

He would figure something out.

“But today,” Gian said, “I have a woman to apologize to, so that’s where I need to go.”

Stephan nodded. “The penthouse it is, boss.”

“She didn’t ask to be taken to her place? Cara doesn’t live at the penthouse, and never lets me forget it.”

Yet.

“Well, that’s where she’s been. Chris says she hasn’t left, either. He’s been keeping an eye on her, apparently.”

Well, then … maybe something was finally working to Gian’s favor for once. He would take what he could get.

“Oh, my God. You smell like a jail cell.”

Cara’s words were grumbled against Gian’s lips, but he still heard them perfectly fine. His chuckles did nothing to quell the way Cara’s nose scrunched up as she pulled away from him in the penthouse hallway. He wanted to bring her closer again—fuck the jail cell smell—but she had a point. He needed a shower, a toothbrush, and a clean suit.