Rushed(103)

Our plan called for more than ice cream, though, so a little before three o'clock, Tomasso took out his phone and made his first call. "Pietro? Yeah, it's Tomasso. I have something I need your help with. Well, I'd take it to Dad, but with him out of town, this is something I should have you involved with. It has to do with a possible betrayal to the family. Can you meet me at the diner tonight, say at midnight? Thanks. No, it'll wait until then."

Tomasso hung up the phone and handed it to me. "He'll be there. Are you sure that you want to be involved with this?"

I nodded, my smile fading as I opened the phone, intent on doing my part. "Of course. I appreciate your worry, but this concerns me just as much as you. Besides, I won't be doing this blind or unarmed."

He nodded and sat back while I hit the dial button. The phone buzzed in my ear while I waited for Jake to pick up. "Hello, Bertoli's Pizza, accounting. Marconi speaking."

"Hi, Jake? It's Luisa Mendosa." I made sure to use my happiest, most innocent-sounding voice. Tomasso and I didn't want him suspecting a thing. If that meant it sounded like I was flirting with him a bit at the same time, all the better.

"Luisa? Hey, it's nice to hear your voice. What's up?"

"Well, I was talking with my brother today on a video chat. Anyway, when I told him that someone in the Bertolis had been in the military, he just went gaga about it. It seems he’s a bit of a military geek, and while the Brazilian Army is cool to him, the Americans are much more so. Would you mind if I picked your brain?"

"Well, you know, I didn't exactly see any big action or anything," Jake said, still sounding flattered. "The closest I got to combat was yelling some insults at the North Koreans over a loudspeaker."

"That's all right. He's mostly a nut about the equipment and uniforms, things like that. I figure if I can get some authentic details from you about it all, I can fill in the gaps to make it . . . sexy?"

I could hear the gulp on Jake's side, and I had to admit I put an extra little bit of purr on my voice when I said it. Use the tools that the good Lord gave you, after all. "Uh, sure," he replied, his voice getting cocky. "I can think of some cool stuff that will get his attention.”

"Very good. Can we meet outside the mansion? I wasn't supposed to be talking to my brother, and don't want to get in trouble." I winked at Tomasso, who just rolled his eyes at the hokiness of my performance. Still, it was effective. I could hear it in the way Jake's breathing sped up, and he was practically nodding so hard that I could hear his head rattling over the phone line.

"Sure. Where we going?” Jake asked eagerly, like a puppy dog who had just found out he had a new toy to play with. I wondered how he'd react when he found out he was actually the toy, and I was the bitch who was going to chew him up.

“I’ve heard about a diner. Tomasso told me about it, but he refuses to take me there. It has been a long time since I had a proper American diner meal. What about there?"

"There?" Jake asked, surprised. "Uh, sure. I guess. What time?"

"Eleven thirty. That way, I can make sure I have lots of time to enjoy our . . . conversation?" I said, again putting a little extra emphasis and accent on the final word. I was thrilled when I saw Tomasso's fingers tighten slightly, even though he knew it was all an act.

"Yeah, I'll be there. See you then."

"Goodbye, Jake."

I hung up the phone and handed it back to Tomasso, who was looking at me with a little scowl on his face. "What?"

"You enjoyed that too much," he said, putting his phone away. "You were teasing me."

I smiled and leaned over, kissing him on the cheek. “If there's anyone that I'm going to want to make jealous in this country, it's you."

He huffed slightly, then nodded. "Come on. Time for us to get our shit together. As much as I've enjoyed this day, work calls."

We made our way to the car, where I paused before closing the door for him. "Thank you for a nice date."

"It's not a date," Tomasso replied with a mock growl as he jammed his crutches into the floorboard of his car. "If I ever take you out on a date, you'll know it."





Chapter 15





Tomasso





We got to the diner early, a little after eleven in order to make sure our deception was in place. Luisa was dressed in one of her sexiest semi-casual outfits, a short-sleeved blouse with a plunging neckline, along with a set of slacks that left little to the imagination. She had a borrowed miniature Beretta in her purse, a Model 950 that had only a three-inch barrel, the smallest gun in our house arsenal. Ironically, it was also one of the guns that was produced in Italy, the United States and Brazil, which lent a touch of rightness to her carrying it. I hoped that she wouldn’t have reason to take it out, let alone use it.

I came in ten minutes after Luisa, dressed not as Tomasso Bertoli, but as your typical day laborer who was down on his luck. Underneath my jacket, I wore my own pistol, this time a military-style M9. I crutched over to a booth that allowed me to see both the entrance and where Luisa was sitting and dropped in as if I were exhausted. It wasn't that hard of an act, as I'd crutched nearly three blocks in order to make my arrival seem natural.