Page 39 of Heaven Help Me

Call off MM.

There’s only one MM I know. New York’s Mafia Maven. Bettina Barzetti.

I guess it’s not a secret I’m in Heaven, Mississippi, any longer.

They’ve followed me right to Deuce’s front door.

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

Deuce

I’m upset about my car. Of course I am. But the reason my hands are shaking is because my best friends and their babies were just here in my home. Standing right where the glass shattered. Those sweet little girls could have been hit, and I would never have forgiven myself.

Here I am inviting friends over when I’m supposed to be keeping a low profile. Hiding Valentina. Waiting until this whole thing in New York is either resolved or blows over. I’ve chosen to let myself go soft living in Heaven. I’ve developed the kind of connections you’re not allowed to have because of exactly what just happened here tonight. I’ve forgotten the ways of crime families and tonight has been an unwelcome reminder.

We were lucky. So damn lucky.

When my hands finally stop shaking, I leave my car and head inside where Valentina already has a broom and dustpan out, collecting the shards of glass. I grab the vacuum and follow behind her. It’s always mind-boggling how far broken glass shards fly. When we’re done and satisfied the entire downstairs is safe from glass fragments, I head to the garage to find some leftover wood that Dad collected over the years and never used. Valentina helps me hold the plywood in place while I get it nailed. Then she shows me the brick. I’m not surprised. This has mob activity written all over it.

“Let’s take turns sleeping in the living room tonight in case they return?” Valentina suggests.

“I’ve got a better idea.” I pull out my phone and access the app that I rarely use. It takes a couple tries before I get the passcode correct, which is embarrassing, but Heaven has very low crime. I haven’t ever needed to access my security camera footage before.

Valentina crowds in close when she realizes what I’m doing. The scent of her perfume derails my thoughts about intruders. I wonder how things would have been if we’d met under different circumstances. If we hadn’t been raised in a crime family, where survival comes before all else. It makes me sad that she never got out of it like I did. Never got to experience friendships and small-town living. The pride that comes with being successful in business and knowing it’s all above board.

“Right there!” Valentina says excitedly.

I hit the pause button on the footage.

We both crowd our heads in, and when I hit play again, we watch as a pair of headlights come up my driveway just minutes after my friends left. It’s hard to see since it was dark, but I’m pretty sure that’s the gray sedan that I thought was following us earlier. I pause at just the right moment, capturing the license plate.

Valentina’s got her phone out. “I’ll text it to Bettina. Update her on what’s happened and see if she can trace it.”

It takes a shockingly short amount of time for Bettina to text back with the information. Valentina sighs.

“It’s a rental. Leased to a Sam Smith, which is most definitely not his real name.”

I show her a screenshot I’ve taken of the camera video. It’s the best angle of the driver of the sedan. This Sam Smith. It’s grainy and dark and not a great picture, but it’s all we have. He’s wearing sunglasses and a hat pulled low over his face. Valentina studies it while I inhale her scent and stare at her silky black hair. I try to forget the blind pleasure that shot through me when she caressed my dick earlier.

“He looks familiar,” she mutters. Then she straightens and puts her own phone down. “Then again, he’s probably someone I know indirectly, right? Some goon sent here to intimidate us. Get us to convince Bettina to back off.”

I nod, pocketing my phone. “There’s a few crime families that would benefit if the Barzettis folded for good.”

Valentina puts her hand on my chest. “Want to cruise around a bit? See if we can spot the gray sedan? He might still be in town.”

I put my hand over hers, thinking I’m in over my head. In more ways than one. “Sure. But let me change first. I fear I’ve ruined yet another suit.”

We both head upstairs to change, neither of us acknowledging the moment we had right before some fool threw a brick through my window. Perhaps that’s for the best. We have to be doubly careful now. There’s no time for…whatever we were about to do.

“Goddamn! Look at the poor girl,” I whine as I hold the passenger side door for Valentina. The back bumper is toast. There’s no buffing it out. The whole bumper will have to be replaced.

Valentina rolls her eyes. When I get in the driver’s side, she’s back to her normal self, snapping at me over every little thing. “Seriously. What is your deal with this car? I mean, it’s nice, but it’s like six years old.”

I reverse down my driveway, then shoot her a warning look as I put it in drive and slowly roll down my street. “Don’t you dare put down my girl right in front of me.”

Valentina laughs. “Oh, so now the car’s your girl? It’s just a vehicle, Deuce.”

I grab my chest, swiveling my head to peer in every driveway we creep by. “It’s not just a vehicle!”