Speak Low (20 page)

“Well, if you don’t mind, I’d like to get married where my sisters did, at Holy Family.”

“That sounds nice.” Bridget had been married there too.

“And then maybe luncheon at the restaurant? We could close it for the day. Would you like that?”

“That’s perfect!” Inside my chest, my heart thumped a happy rhythm. “Hey, you know what? Drop me off at Evelyn’s—I want to tell her the good news if she’s home.”

“Sure.” He turned onto her street and chuckled a bit. “Hope Rosie doesn’t throw something at you. She was coming on pretty strong.”

“Yeah, I saw that. Looked like it was really tough on you.”

He grinned. “I liked that it made you jealous.”

“Of course you did. Well, not to worry, I’m sure she’s on to the next sap by now.”

“Swell. She can bring him to our wedding.”

“As long as she keeps her hands off the groom, it’s fine by me.”

“Could be tough. Especially if I wear my nice suit.”

I sighed in disgust as he pulled up in front of Evelyn’s house. “You know, just when I think you’re a nice guy…” I opened the door and started to get out, but he grabbed my arm.

“You know how much I love you, right? How happy we’re gonna be?”

“Beat it, Joey Lupo. You’re a troublemaker, that’s what you are.” I leaned closer and lowered my voice. “And if you didn’t have such perfect lips and hands, or such a nice big”—I glanced down at his crotch—“apartment, I wouldn’t even talk to you.”

He laughed out loud, and I pulled my arm away. “No kiss goodnight?” he asked.

“You’ve had enough kissing. Now go.” I slammed the door.

Grinning, he threw me a kiss and took off down the street.

Chapter Seventeen

Later that night, I walked home, my cheeks sore from smiling and laughing so much with Evelyn. Other parts of me were sore too, but even that made me happy.

At the news of my engagement, Evelyn had been stunned, then ecstatic, then envious, and then thrilled when I asked her to be a bridesmaid. After a lot of squealing and hugging and misty eyes, she got practical, going over all the details I’d have to attend to before the wedding took place.

“You’ll need bridesmaids dresses—you’ll have your sisters, of course—and flowers. You’ll have to plan the menu for the party and have Bridget’s dress altered and get a license and oh! You will let me throw you a bridal shower, won’t you?”

I’d winced and shook my head, telling her I wasn’t really the bridal shower type, and anyway, we were moving into Joey’s apartment, which already had everything we’d need, assuming his mother let us keep it all. Did I really need my own china or silver tea service to sit unused on a shelf like Bridget’s?

Eventually, Evelyn got smug and told me she’d seen it between Joey and me all along, and how even Rosie had admitted that he hadn’t laid a finger on her and in fact he had talked about nothing but me the two nights he’d driven her home. When we imagined her sitting next to him in the car, getting huffier and huffier at his inattention, we laughed out loud.

As I rounded the corner onto my block, I thought about Joey’s meeting with Angelo. Twisting my hands together, I prayed that everything had gone smoothly. Why hadn’t I made him promise to call?

Daddy’s car was still in the driveway. I was surprised that he was taking a night off, although it was a Monday. Perhaps the club was closed. I let myself into the house, which was dark and silent.
Everyone must have gone to bed already.
I knew I should too, but I was antsy. I wouldn’t be able to sleep worrying about Joey. So when my eye caught Daddy’s keys on the front hall table, I swiped them into my hand and went out again.

I wanted everything settled. No point waiting until tomorrow.

I’d talk to Enzo tonight.

#

“Floor, miss?”

“Nine, please.” My voice was shaky, and I cleared my throat. “Thank you.”

The operator at the Statler pushed nine and the doors closed. As we ascended, my stomach churned incessantly. What would his reaction be? Had I made the wrong decision to come here tonight? I hadn’t told anyone where I was going. By the time the elevator pinged and the doors open, I was close to nausea.

But I stepped out, nodding at the operator behind me and taking a few deep breaths.
Come on. You faced Angel down when you were hundreds short on the ransom. You tricked Raymond into all sorts of things, even when you were at gunpoint. You can end things with Enzo without falling apart.

I put one foot in front of the other and began the walk down the hall to the front apartment. But my knees wobbled. What if Enzo didn’t see it my way? What if he tried to change my mind?

No, impossible. I straightened my shoulders and lengthened my strides, confident I wouldn’t be seduced by him ever again.
Maybe I won’t even find him attractive.

Somewhere deep in my brain I heard a peal of laughter.

OK fine. But even if I find him attractive, there is nothing he can do or say to make me change my mind about Joey.

Positive of that, I approached the door to his apartment, lifted my fist, and knocked.

No answer.

Maybe he wasn’t here? He’d said he would be. I put my ear to the door, and sure enough I heard his voice. It was too muffled to tell what he was saying, but it was definitely his.

I knocked again, louder.

Nothing.

Shifting my weight from one leg to the other, I debated using the key he’d given me. I’d brought it to give back to him, along with the necklace. I raised my hand to knock one more time when suddenly a rhythmic thumping began. I cocked my head—it sounded like it was coming from inside the apartment.

Then laughter. Female.

That’s it—I was using the key.

I rummaged in my purse, pulled it out, and slipped it into the lock with trembling fingers. Bursting into the apartment, I took in the low light, the women’s heels on the floor near the window, and an evening bag on the coffee table.

Half furious and half elated, I slammed the door loud enough to interrupt.

Sure enough, a minute later, Enzo appeared in the bedroom doorway wrapped in a sheet, and holding a pistol.

“Tiny? What the fuck are you doing here? You said you couldn’t come tonight.”

“Clearly I was the only one. Who’s in there?”

“Enzo? What’s going on?” The squeaky voice from the bedroom was unmistakable.

I raised my eyebrows. “Your fiancée. How refreshing.”

“Just wait a minute.” Enzo disappeared into the bedroom for a moment and returned without the gun but wearing pants. Only pants. He ran a hand through his disheveled hair and pulled the door shut behind him.

I was delighted to find that in fact I did not find him as attractive as I feared. Yes, he still had the face and the body, but underneath lurked deception and a darkness I’d never again find beautiful. I threw the apartment key at his head, and he caught it before it struck his cheekbone.

“Tiny, what the hell? Why are you doing this?”

“What a laugh. Why are
you
doing this?”

“Doing what?”

My eyes popped. “Doing what? Fucking another girl in the apartment you just offered to me!”

“It’s
my
apartment!”

I folded my arms. “And it’s going to stay your apartment.”

“Don’t be like that,” he said quietly, moving deeper into the front room. “This doesn’t have anything to do with you.”

He probably believed that. “You’re right, it doesn’t. Because I no longer care what you do.”

“I don’t understand you. I thought we agreed about exactly what we could be and what we couldn’t.” He moved closer to me, too close. I could smell Gina’s perfume on his skin.

I took a step back. “Maybe we did. But I’m no longer interested in it.”

“Oh no?” A seductive smile crept onto his lips and he came toward me again. “Bet I can change your mind.”

“No.” I tried to take another step back but bumped into the sofa. “You’re insane. Your fiancée is in the other room. Probably naked.”

“And she’s going to stay there if she knows what’s good for her.”

From my purse I took out the necklace box and slammed it into his waist. “Go back to her, Enzo. You don’t care about me or anyone else. You just want what you want when you want it.”

“Until now you felt the same way. That’s why it worked between us.”

“Not anymore.”

“Tiny, I want
you
,” he breathed, tossing the box on the coffee table and reaching for me. “I’ve wanted you since the moment I saw you. You know that.”

I put my hands out to stop him from touching me. “And I wanted you. And we had each other, and it was fun for a lark, but now it’s done. You’ve got everything you want—the drugs, the whisky, the club, the car, all of it. I just want you to let me go now.”

“What if I don’t want to let you go?”

“You have no choice.”

His eyes flashed with anger. “It’s Lupo, isn’t it?”

“I didn’t tell him what you told me,” I said quickly. “I kept the secret.”

“Bravo, darling. You passed the test.”

“Damn right I did. I never lied to you.”

“You told me there was nothing between the two of you. That was a lie.”

“There was nothing between us then.”

“And now?” His breaths were controlled.

“And now…” I swallowed. “Now there is something.”

To my surprise, he laughed. “You want that fucking
boy
?”

Rage exploded inside me, and I shoved his chest. “Go to hell! It’s none of your business who or what I choose! It never was.”

“You’ll change your mind. You’ll want what I can give you—I know you, Miss O’Mara. Don’t forget that.”

“No, you don’t. You knew a girl who chased danger for a while, that’s all.” I backed toward the door.

“You chased more than that, darling.”

My face burned. “Maybe I did. But that’s done.”

He moved toward me, slow and sleek, unfairly handsome. Before I knew it, he had me up against the wall, a hand on either side of my head. “And I say, it isn’t done. I still want you.”

“You’ll find another girl.”

He moved a lock of hair off my face. “I don’t want another girl. I want this face, and these lips, and this body.”

I turned my cheek to prevent him from kissing me. “You can’t have me. Leave us alone.”

He slammed a hand into the wall and backed away from me, rage radiating from his body. “Go, then. But if you thought I’d let him go unpunished, you were mistaken. He stole from me.”

Panic screamed through my veins. “Enzo, please don’t do anything to hurt him.”

His lips tipped up. “You’re too late, darling. It’s already done.”

It was the smile that frightened me most.

#

I drove straight to Joey’s. The restaurant was closed, of course, and the block was dark and deserted. As I parked along the street, I glanced up to the apartment. No lights were on. I had no idea if there were any guests staying in other rooms or renting other apartments, but I wasn’t going to be able to get into the building if no one was inside. Chewing my thumbnail, I looked up and down the block. This area was not well lit at night, and I had no weapon of any kind.

Or did I?

Frantically, I looked around inside Daddy’s car. Nothing on the floor, nothing under the seat. Standing on the seat, I leaned into the back and checked the secret compartment in the floor, used for hauling whisky.

Nothing.

Dammit, Daddy, you were a bootlegger. Couldn’t you at least be the kind that carried a gun?
But he wasn’t. Bootlegging hadn’t been violent until recently, and Daddy’s favorite weapons were his fists, anyway. Slumping back down in the front, I looked at my own fists. Pathetically small. I had nothing to fight back with.

But I had to find Joey.

Exiting the car, I gritted my teeth and took the steps up to the double doors at the recessed entrance. I was completely in shadow. My teeth chattered as I rang the buzzer.

No one came.

Cupping my hands over my eyes, I peered inside and saw the silent lobby, the dark wood staircase. I pounded on the glass pane with the heel of my hand.

No one came.

Tears welled. Where was he? Had Enzo done something to him? Why did one man have to be so greedy? I knew it was futile but I tried opening the door before I pushed the buzzer again, three times.
Now don’t get hysterical. He’s probably just still out.
But I wasn’t going to feel better until I saw him, held him, safe and sound. Weeping openly, I rushed down the steps and around the side of the building. Maybe I could climb the fire escape.

In the alley, dark and silent and smelling of rotting food, I held my breath and said a prayer I’d be tall enough to pull down the ladder.

But it was already down.

Something about that seemed off, but I climbed it and then raced up the steps to the third floor—
oh, shit
.

The back door was open.

“Joey?” I peered into the kitchen, my heart knocking painfully against my ribs. It was dark, but my eyes adjusted fairly quickly—no one was there. I entered and crossed to the swinging door to the dining room.

But before I pushed it open, I heard Joey’s voice. “No! Just let her go, Sam, she has nothing to do with this.” His words sounded muffled and strange, as if he had a mouth full of cotton.

“Shut the fuck up, Lupo. I should cut you right now for hiding that dope from me.”

I pulled my hand off the door as if it had burned me, backing up until my butt hit the kitchen cabinet, which rattled noisily.

Shit!

In a panic, I grabbed a butcher knife from a block on the counter, darted into the pantry and shut the door almost all the way. In a moment someone swung into the kitchen.

“Nobody in here!” I heard a voice say over the galloping of my heart.

But it would only be a matter of seconds before whoever it was checked the pantry, and I begged God for the strength I’d need to plunge the knife into human flesh. I didn’t want to kill anyone, but I’d need to injure him badly enough so he couldn’t hurt me.
Aim for his right side, maybe a shoulder.
My hand shook horribly, and I tightened my grip lest the knife clatter to the floor.

And then I remembered the pistol. I swept my left hand along the shelf.

It was still there.

I dropped the knife, swiped the gun into both hands, and screamed as the pantry door opened, revealing the stocky, thick-necked outline of a guy. More than either of the weapons, I think it was the scream that stunned him. He faltered a little at the noise, and I took advantage of his surprise to draw back one foot and kick him in the balls as hard as I possibly could.

Grunting, he went down hard, his own gun clattering to the floor. I couldn’t bring myself to shoot him, even though he might have been willing to shoot me, but I did kick his gun away and clock him over the head with my own.

A few times.

When I was positive I’d knocked him out, I burst into tears and shoved open the door to the dining room.

“Tiny, get out of here!” shouted Joey. But his words still sounded muffled.

Disoriented, I looked through the archway into the front room, where one lamp burned.

My knees nearly buckled.

Joey sat on a chair, the same chair I’d sat in before Sunday dinner, while Sam Scarfone stood to his side, holding a straight edge razor to his throat. His face, his beautiful face, was bruised and bloody, and his wrists and ankles were tied with rope.
Just like Daddy.

Instinctively, I tucked the pistol I held behind me.

“You heard him. Get the fuck out of here,” said Sam. “Where the fuck is Freddy?”

“I…” My voice stuck in my throat. Fear had totally paralyzed me. Somewhere in my mind, a voice said
shoot him
, but I wasn’t sure I could do it. I locked eyes with Joey, who silently begged me to go. I could see the desperation in his face, but I wasn’t about to leave him. My fingers tightened on the pistol.