Twisted Hearts (The Camorra Chronicles #5)(65)

It was the beginning of April—Savio’s twenty-second birthday, and I baked a cake for him. Even if things between us were currently more distant, I wanted to surprise him with it. One of us had to make an effort, at least.

My phone rang when I was about to pull the cake out of the oven. Nonna frowned, still not happy with me having my own cell phone, but she removed the cake for me. I sent her a smile before I picked up.

“Hey Toni, what’s up?”

“Nothing.”

She didn’t sound like nothing. “Toni?”

Nonna watched me closely. Her feelings toward Toni hadn’t changed, and she didn’t even know about her and Diego. No one did, except for me.

I headed into the living room, away from Nonna’s watchful eyes. Mom was playing on the floor with Carlotta, who had been getting worse. She’d need a heart transplant soon, if we found a heart for her and if Dad got the money we needed for her treatment.

I touched Carlotta’s head in passing.

Toni sniffled and my insides tightened. She, unlike me, wasn’t a crier. “Diego broke things off today.”

I froze. Diego had refused to talk to me about Toni, and she had kept seeing him despite my veiled warning that he might not be serious about her. “What happened?”

“I don’t know. He didn’t say much. He didn’t have much time. Apparently, he’s helping Savio with his birthday party.”

“Party?” I echoed. I hadn’t been invited to a party. A suspicion wormed its way into my head.

“Yeah,” Toni said, already sounding more like herself. I wished I could stop crying this quickly. “I asked around a bit. It seems Savio is throwing a big party for friends and fellow Camorrista in a mansion he bought for that purpose. The house party of the year.”

Mom regarded me in concern, probably because my face showed my anger. I turned around. “I’m going to kick his ass.”

Toni huffed. “I bet Diego broke it off so he could have a blast at the party and fuck as many girls as he can.”

“When does the thing begin?”

“Around eight, I think. Why?”

“Because we’re going to crash a party tonight.”

Silence. “Are you an impostor?”

I choked on a laugh. “I mean it, Toni. Diego’s been an absolute ass to you, and Savio hasn’t exactly been a model fiancé. I’m so sick of it.”

“But how are you going to get your parents to say yes?”

I slanted a look at Mom who was busy distracting Carlotta from her breathing problems. Dad was in the restaurant working all night. Diego, my constant shadow, was busy with party preparations. Nonna would soon watch her favorite telenovela. “Don’t worry. Can you pick me up so we can get ready together?”

“Sure, I’ll be there in ten minutes. Do you have clothes to wear?”

“Not really. Nothing for a party.”

“Don’t worry. We’ll figure something out.”

I hung up and picked up the cake. “Mom, I’ll take this cake to the Falcone’s as a surprise for Savio. Toni’s driving me there.” Other than me, Toni was allowed to drive. I didn’t even have a license.

Mom nodded distractedly.

I grabbed a jean jacket, then stepped outside. As promised, Toni pulled up a few minutes later in her father’s Mustang. I slipped in. Her nose was slightly red and her eyes still a bit swollen. She glanced at my cake. “Don’t tell me you want to give that to Savio. He didn’t even invite you to his party!”

“I’m invited to coffee tomorrow,” I muttered. “Today I’d obviously be in the way. He’s probably going to bang half of Vegas.”

Toni laughed. “Bang? I didn’t even know you could pronounce that word.”

I poked my tongue out at her. Toni’s home, an apartment not too far from the Arena, was silent when we stepped in, but that was usually the case. Her dad worked even more than mine.

Thirty minutes later, we were both dressed for the party. Toni wore hot pants, Doc Martens and a black bodysuit. I’d squeezed into the only pair of jeans that fit me. Toni wasn’t as curvy as me, so the black fabric hugged my body like a second skin. Above it, I wore a crop top with flowing sleeves and a low neckline that dipped down to my sternum. Toni helped me fixate the fabric with double-sided tape to prevent an embarrassing show of nipple.

“I’d kill for your abs,” Toni said.

“And I’d kill for your legs.”

We smiled at each other. Toni sighed. “Thanks for being there and distracting me.”

“Always. But I’m not sure if this is the best choice as far as distractions go. You’ll see Diego.”

She shrugged. “If I see him with another girl, I can move on.”

Was it really that easy? I wasn’t sure how I’d feel if I saw Savio with another woman today. After we were done with our hair and makeup, we took Toni’s car to the address that one of the girls in the Arena had mentioned to her.

It was a mansion not too far from the Falcone mansion. The moment we got out of the car, the bass of the party reached us. Different colored lights flashed up.

“He’s got a bouncer for his party. He’s so damn extra,” Toni whispered as we approached the gate where, indeed, a huge man was standing guard.