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“Because I was more interested in sticking it to my family than I was about being thorough,” Roman admitted. “But that changes today. Luca, I’m going to ask you to help find this fuck. And then I want you to audit our entire client list. First the dog fighters, now this. It’s too much—too many mistakes.”
Luca nodded his head. “You can count on me.”
“I know I can,” Roman responded. “I just wish I didn’t have to. Not for this.”
“You can count on us, too,” Salvatore spoke up. “What’s the plan?”
“Find out who he really is. Find out where he’s hiding. Then we give him back every moment of pain and terror he caused Angel,” Roman barked, his fists clenching at his sides.
“What about Angel?” Abel asked. “What do we do for her?”
Roman looked around the room. “Protect her. I don’t want her stepping foot outside of Omertà until Godfrey is caught.”
“What about Angel’s job, Roman?” Luca questioned. “She’s going to want to work.”
“She can take a leave of absence,” Roman stated.
Luca looked at him as if he was crazy. “She’s not going to do that. It was hard enough getting her to take time off after she was drugged. We don’t even know if this guy is still in town.”
“Whose side are you on?” Roman snapped.
Luca shot him a dirty look, leaning back in his chair. “Really?”
Roman paced around the room like a caged tiger for a moment, stopping beside his brother. “Sorry.”
Luca acknowledged him with a chin lift. “It’s okay.”
“No, it’s not. None of this is okay,” Roman said, dropping into the chair beside Luca. His brother wrapped an arm around his shoulders.
“We’ll make it okay. Well, as okay as we can,” Luca amended, knowing full well that the past couldn’t be altered or erased. “But until then, Angel is going to want normalcy. She’s going to need it, Roman. And that means work.”
Roman knew Luca was right. But he didn’t like it. “I’ll discuss it with her.”
Luca winced. “Maybe not in that tone. You sound like you want to cut a bitch.”
“I do want to cut a bitch,” Roman responded with a glare.
“And I don’t blame you. In fact, I share the sentiment. But Angel doesn’t respond well to that tone. Nor orders,” Luca reminded him. “Have you forgotten the night you met?”
“How could I forget the best night of my life?” Roman responded without thinking, earning a bunch of awws from the peanut gallery. He scowled at them, even though their annoying faces and instant support had him feeling better. “Shut the fuck up.”
Everyone laughed roughly, some tension leaving the room. “We’ll work it out. Whatever Angel needs,” Salvatore said.
“Whatever Angel needs,” Roman agreed.
CHAPTER SEVEN
The following day, Angela was content to stay in Roman’s apartment with the two cats as company. As if sensing something was up, they followed her around like furry lemmings, only letting her out of their sight when Claire showed up to visit with Mario and Luigi.
Angela bent down when the two dogs ran out of the elevator. She wrapped her arms around their thick necks, grateful for their solid presence. Before she got choked up, she pulled back and scratched their muzzles. “Hi, boys. Your best friends have been waiting for you.”
The dogs and cats were permitted to play with each other now, but only under supervision. They all trusted the dogs, but trauma responses were unpredictable and could be triggered at any time.
As the four animals played a game of hide and seek in the living room, Claire and Angela stared silently at each other. Claire had been made aware of the current situation via text. It was something Angela wasn’t proud of doing, but the thought of explaining it in person made her want to barf. So, she had taken the cowardly option.
“Stop that right now,” Claire said abruptly.
Angela looked around, thinking Claire was talking to the animals. But they were playing happily.
