Kristen Ashley - The Promise

Sal was definitely invited to the engagement party.

“So it’s over,” I remarked, and his arms gave me a squeeze.

“It’s over,” he said softly. “And if Bierman and Barrow already didn’t buy jail time with the serious shit they were pullin’, this latest move would do it. Stark said they had plans in motion to take care of the whole crew who were amateur sleuthing, including women named Kathleen, Jennie, and Miranda. Barrow was picked up on a golf course in Florida. Stark also told me that Barrow kept his shit clean, probably so if anything went wrong, Bierman would take the fall. Nightingale tied him to it though, so he’s gonna be processed and sent back to Indiana to deal with his mess.”

“They seem kinda like private investigator superheroes,” I muttered, and it was Ben’s turn to grin at me. “What I don’t get is why Bierman targeted Lloyd, Heath, and me.”

“Stark had that answer too, babe, seein’ as Bierman and Barrow needed a team to toe the line. Not only were you, that douchebag, and your boss under fire, so was Berger and a number of other people. They were settin’ up to clear house. They already had replacements they’d secretly been interviewing.”

“Whoa,” I whispered.

“Yeah. They knew people were already asking questions, your boss for one and Berger another one. They knew they had to put their own team in place, or at least people who weren’t there before product launch who might ask questions, and they were gearin’ up for that.”

“Dickheads,” I muttered.

“Understatement,” Ben said through a grin.

It was while I was taking in Benny’s grin that a loud pounding came at the door.

Ben’s grin died and his eyes narrowed as he looked toward the door. “Jesus, that always the way the pizza delivery guy knocks?”

“No,” I answered, thinking this also wasn’t the time the pizza delivery guy would be delivering, considering if it was, he had superhuman speed.

Benny sat up, taking me with him and then taking us both to our feet. He left me standing by the couch and stalked to the door in a way that told me the pizza guy was going to get an earful.

I was about to collapse back on to the couch but didn’t when I heard the door open, Ben start to say, “Yo,” but was cut off when I heard Cal bark, “ What the fuck, Benny? ”

My mouth dropped open at his tone. I felt the heavy anger filling my place and I watched Cal stalk in from my entry, wondering if maybe I shouldn’t have given him the gate code. He stopped and turned to Benny, who sauntered in behind him.

“Let me guess. Sal called you,” Ben stated.

“Fuck yeah, he called me. Jesus, Benny. You went into an unknown situation with Sal as backup and me fifteen miles away, havin’ no clue serious shit was goin’ down?” Cal asked irately.

“As you can see, cugino , I’m breathing,” Benny replied.

“Jesus, fuck me,” Cal muttered as he turned to me. “And you. Shit’s goin’ down at work, you got family five miles away, nothin’?”

“Uh…Ben and Sal had it covered,” I replied.

Before Cal could say a word, there was another knock on the door. I looked to Ben, who was already on his way toward it, then back to Cal, who was scowling at me and ignoring Gus, who appeared to be attempting to climb up Cal’s jeans.

“You want a beer?” I asked.

Cal kept scowling at me.

I didn’t know if that meant yes or no and had no chance to make a guess before I heard Vi snap, “Joe! For goodness’ sake! You can’t go tearing into someone’s house at dinnertime.”

Then Vi stormed in with Angie cradled in an arm, Kate and Keira on her heels.

“Hey, Frankie,” Kate called on a smile.

“Hey, baby.” I smiled back as she didn’t ignore Gus when he waddle-galloped to her. She bent, picked him up, and gave him a cuddle.

“Yo, Frankie,” Keira greeted.

“Hey, honey,” I returned.

“I think we need more pizza,” Ben muttered, coming in after the girls.

“Cool! Pizza!” Keira cried, grabbing on to Angie but not getting very far. She got her little sister out of her mother’s arms only to have Joe stalk to her and pull her into his own.

He did this automatically, his attention still on Benny.

“Ben. Explanation,” he growled.

Benny was on his way to the kitchen and he stayed true to his path while saying, “I’m not explainin’ anything.” He opened the fridge and looked to Vi, then the girls. “Vi? Girls? Drink?”

“Diet Coke,” Kate ordered.

“Does Frankie have any of that diet Fanta Grape?” Keira asked.

“Is she Frankie?” Benny asked back to Keira, and I found myself smiling again.

“That for me,” Keira put in her order.

“Me too,” Vi called, moving toward a chair and taking a load off. She then looked up at me. “You got any games?”

“We’re not playin’ a fuckin’ game ,” Cal bit out.

“We’re not havin’ an argument either,” Vi returned, twisting in her seat to look at her husband. “They’re fine. So now we’re havin’ pizza and family time.” Then she turned to me. “And I have to tell you about Virgin Gorda. Oh my God , Frankie. You have to take Benny there.”

“Fuck me,” Cal muttered and another knock came at the door.

Benny came out of the kitchen with cans of pop while Cal stalked to the door.

“We’ll have to eat pizza in waves,” I noted as he handed Vi her can.

“I’m on it,” he said. Giving cans to Kate and Keira, he headed to the door, hand to his back pocket probably to get out his wallet to pay the pizza guy.

“You guys want glasses?” I asked the girls, ready to head to the fridge to polish off Ben’s hosting skills.

They didn’t get answers in.

This was because I turned toward the entryway when I heard Sal exclaim, “Dear God, Cal, she’s a beauty!”

Two seconds later, Sal walked into my living room with Angie held up to his face, Cal prowling close to his back with an expression like thunder, and Benny joining the party last, looking part-resigned, part-annoyed, and part-like he was about to burst out laughing.

“Who’s a beautiful girl? Who’s a pretty baby?” Sal cooed, then cuddled Angie close to his chest, looking into the room. He spied Vi, Kate, and Keira and turned back to Cal. “You did good, figlio , a room filled with beauties.” He turned back. “Hello, girls,” he greeted Kate and Keira. “I’m Uncle Sal.”

“I’m Kate,” Kate told him.

“I know,” Sal told her.

“I’m Keira,” Keira told him.

“I know that too, bella ,” Sal told her.

“You wanna give me my daughter back?” Cal butted into the conversation.

“No,” Sal answered.

“That wasn’t really a question,” Cal pointed out.

“Take this beauty from me, I’ll cut off your hand,” Sal shot back.

Cal looked to his boots before he repeated, “Fuck me.”

“Do I have to say, again , how I’d prefer you refrain from the f-word in front of my girls? All of them? ” Vi snapped.

“Buddy, Angie doesn’t even understand what I’m sayin’,” Cal bit out.

“Let’s not let her understand that particular part of what you’re sayin’ until she’s about twenty-three,” Vi fired back.

“Yeah.” I heard Benny say at this point. “This is Benny Bianchi. Twenty minutes ago, we ordered a pizza to go to The Brendal. I need”—he looked through the room—“two more. Large.”

“I like pepperoni!” Keira shouted.

“Sausage!” Kate yelled.

“Don’t forget the peppers,” Sal put in.

That was when I flopped onto the couch and burst out laughing.

I felt Sal (and Angie) sit beside me. When I could see again through my laughter, I saw Cal sitting on the arm of Vi’s chair, his hand on the back of her neck, with his eyes on Kate and Keira, who were settling in, Keira close to my side, Kate on the arm of the couch next to Sal and Angie.