Page 71 of Time Served in New York
“He’s going to be an usher,” Santa said with a shrug. “He told me he wasn’t sure he’d be able to come to New York, so he didn’t want to agree to be in the wedding and then have to back out.”
“Is he still on parole?” Soda asked.
“No. He’s been free and clear for a while,” Boss said from the table.
“So I made him an usher with the other guys. That way, if he didn’t show, it wouldn’t make that much of a difference in the long run,” Santa explained.
“Shouldn’t he be here now?” Preacher asked.
“I got a text from him earlier that said he’d be here in just a bit. I’m not sure where he took off to this morning.”
“Matalie? What’s wrong?” I heard Boss say. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw him push his chair back from the table and stand as I did the same.
When I turned around, I saw Matalie standing at the mouth of the hallway. She was wearing a robe and no shoes with her hair in an elaborate updo and more makeup than I’d ever seen on her
“What’s going on?” I asked as I rushed around the couch toward her.
Matalie put her hands up and looked around the room for a second before she said, “First, let me say that everyone is fine. No one is hurt, but we need some . . . help.”
“What the fuck is going on?” Boss barked.
Matalie tilted her head toward Paula’s brothers and son as she bit her lip. “Can we talk alone?”
“Is that blood?” I asked when I got closer and noticed the small dark flecks splattered across her chest.
Matalie’s eyes got wide, and she tilted her head toward the Morettis and Campanas again before giving me a pointed look.
“Sweetheart, we’re in their house right now. Whatever happened is going to involve them anyway,” I murmured as I stared into her face. “Talk to me. Where did the blood come from?”
Matalie clutched the front of my shirt. She pulled me closer to her and whispered, “They might be upset. We killed Paula’s dad and some other guy, and we need your help.”
I felt my head jerk back and turned around to look at Boss in confusion before I shrugged my shoulders.
“My girls are down there,” Bug said as he brushed past us and rushed toward the door.
“They’re fine, Bug. I promise.”
“What the fuck happened?” Boss barked.
I looked over at Vincente and then his brother Antonio before I said, “There was a problem with your father and . . .”
“What the fuck is that bastard doing here?” Antonio barked as he stood up. “I’ll kill him if he’s done something . . .”
“We already did that,” Matalie said before she bit her lip, showing her discomfort. “Well, almost. He was still breathing when I came downstairs.”
“What?” Vincente yelled as he walked toward us. I turned around and faced him, blocking Matalie from his view, as my brothers crowded around us to help me protect my woman. “Did he hurt anyone? How did he get in? Where the fuck are the guards? Are the women okay?”
“None of us were hurt, but we don’t really know how to . . . We brought the bodies . . . “
“Bodies?” Boss yelled.
“Just two,” Matalie said quickly. “All of you need to calm down. Everyone is just fine. Frankie insists the wedding is still on, and from the tone of her voice, anyone that wants to argue with her will end up dead. That means you need to stay down here and get dressed so we’re not late.”
“What in the fuck?” Santa asked. When I looked at him, I saw Jared was still sleeping on his chest even though Santa was standing now.
“Give me my son,” Kitty said as he took Jared out of Santa’s arms. “Matalie, you’re sure Pandora’s okay?”
“I’m positive.”
