Twisted Hearts (The Camorra Chronicles #5)(7)

Diego gave me a look that promised retaliation, but he could hardly argue with my reasoning or he’d have to say exactly why Savio was a bad influence and that would mean, he wasn’t allowed to spend time with his best friend either.

“He’s your friend,” Dad said to Diego before he grabbed my chin. “And you, angelo mio, won’t behave in a way that would disappoint your mom or me, right?”

“I just want to become a good fighter.” That, and I wanted Savio to notice me only once.

Diego shook his head and walked over to Nonna to kiss her cheek. “What do you say, Nonna?”

“Gemma wants to return to the church choir.”

I grinned at him and he narrowed his eyes at me. We both knew that Nonna was desperate for me to sing again. Her old-lady friends always asked when the angel-voice would return to the choir.

“Why are you so against Gemma spending time with that Falcone boy?” Nonna asked.

The tips of Diego’s ears turned red. I really wanted to know how he’d managed to stop his face from turning red as well. It was a trick I desperately needed to learn.

“He just doesn’t want to share his friend,” I said.

Dad gently untangled himself from my hold and got up. “I’ll have a talk with Savio before he picks you up.”

“Dad—”

“No,” Dad said firmly, and I snapped my mouth shut, knowing when to retreat. I decided to switch the topic quickly so Dad didn’t reconsider his decision.

“Can Toni come over tonight? I miss her so much.”

“She’s back home?” Mom asked as she stepped into the kitchen.

I nodded. “Came home yesterday.”

Nonna clucked her tongue. “Growing up the way she does, no good will come of that.”

Dad chuckled. “Antonia is a good girl. She can’t help her upbringing.”

Heat washed over me. “Toni’s dad tries to raise her as well as he can.”

“He lets her spend too much time in the Arena. Nothing a girl should see.”

“So, can she come over?”

“Of course,” Dad said.

Nonna frowned, but she wouldn’t argue with Dad, at least not in front of us kids. He was the master of the house. Mom went over to Diego and righted his shirt. He pulled away with a grimace. “Mom, I’m old enough to dress myself.”

“Stop coddling him. He’s a soldier of the Camorra, Claudia.”

Mom sighed. “They grow up too fast.”

Dad walked up to her and kissed her temple then whispered something in her ear that had her swat his chest.

Diego groaned and walked out of the kitchen. I quickly left as well and ran up to my room. I took my secret mobile out of my desk and sent Toni a message.

“You aren’t supposed to have a cell,” Diego said.

I rolled over on my bed. He leaned against the doorframe, arms crossed over his chest. “Don’t tell on me.”

Diego had enough secrets of his own, and while I didn’t know all of them, I did some. Not that I would ever tell on him, no matter how infuriating he could be, and infuriating me was his favorite sport. He came in and closed the door before walking over to me. He perched on my bed. “I won’t. Give it to me.”

“Why?”

He held out his hand. “Give. It. To. Me.”

I clutched the cell against my chest. Sometimes he forgot that I wasn’t his soldier who had to obey his commands. “No.”

Diego grabbed my arms and wrangled the cell out of my hand then unlocked the screen. I shouldn’t have used Savio’s birthday as my password.

I tried to snatch it out of his hand again. If he saw Toni’s last message, she’d die from embarrassment. Unfortunately, Diego was far too strong for me. His eyes scanned the screen and Toni’s message. His eyes widened then his lips curled.

I pinched his arm. “That’s my cell. I deserve some privacy.”

He checked my contacts, only girls from the choir and school then handed my phone back to me.

“You’re an idiot.”

“Toni doesn’t think so,” he said with a self-righteous smile.

My eyes widened. “Don’t say anything to her!”

“About her wanting to see me without a shirt or about her visit from Aunt Flo.”

“Diego! Shut up,” I hissed. “Don’t embarrass her.”

Diego got up. He rolled his eyes. “Don’t worry. It’s bad enough seeing you simper over Savio.”

He walked out with an annoying saunter. Snatching up a pillow, I threw it at him, but it missed and landed on the floor in the hallway. “You dropped something.”




The doorbell rang. I dropped everything and stormed out of the kitchen. Diego was already on his way down the stairs to get the door, but I beat him to it. A grin split my face when I spotted Toni in front of the door. She was dressed in Converse, jeans and a T-shirt. Her long brown hair was completely tousled from riding her bike here. It leaned against the tree in our front yard.

She was tanned from spending the last couple of weeks in Corse with her aunt. I threw my arms around her and hugged her tightly. “I missed you.”

“Missed you too.”

“Don’t tell me you came here on the bike alone,” Diego said, scanning our front yard.