“Hey,” Letizia said, handing a grocery bag to Finley. “What are you doing here, Ricky?”

“Hey, Z.” Ricky nodded. “On vacation.”

He noticed how Zia turned her head to the side. Yeah, on vacation was the worst answer ever. She looked at Finley. “Vacation? So is that code word for something is about to go down?”

“Not up for jokes?” Ricky teased.

“When the biggest mob boss wants you dead, you kinda lose your sense of humor.”

Ricky put his hands up in surrender. “Fair enough.” He put his hands back in his pockets. “There has been a change, and we may need to move you to a new safe house.”

“Why didn’t they send a message through the secure line,” Finley asked.

“I volunteered.”

Finley set his beer on the kitchen counter and pulled out a chair. “This must be big if you went out of retirement to come down here.”

Zia gasped. “You were a cop?”

“Was.” He sighed and sat down opposite Finley. “It’s Vikki.”

“What happened?” Zia asked.

“They attacked her in the back of The Flying Monkey bar.”

Letizia covered her mouth with both hands. “I don’t understand. Why would they hurt Vikki?”

Ricky shrugged his shoulders. “Our guess, she was an easy target and would hopefully bring you out of hiding.”

“Fuck.”

“Z?” Cris walked in from outside.

“Sorry, Cris. So what now?”

Ricky was about to say something when the doorbell rang. They all looked at each. “Expecting anyone?”

Finley opened the pantry door and pulled out his gun, which was hidden under a bag of flour. “That is the first time that doorbell has rung since we arrived.”

Ricky pulled out his gun. “Letizia, go ahead and answer it. We’re right here.”

He watched as she swung the door open. “Hi, there. How can I help you?”

“I was making some chocolate chip cookies for my husband and ran out of sugar. Do you by any chance have some I can use?” The woman’s voice on the other side of the door sounded fake and disingenuous.

Letizia never missed a beat. “We can’t have sweets, so I don’t have any. I’m sorry.”

“Can’t have sweets,” the woman said, sounding shocked.

“My brother has diabetes,” Letizia lied.

“Oh, my, I apologize for bothering you. Oh, we are just two houses down if you ever want to sneak a cookie. I always have some.”

Ricky noticed Letizia shake her head back and forth. “Thank you.” She didn’t try to have a longer conversation with the woman. “Take care.” Then she slowly closed the door and turned. “Sugar? Really?”

Finley put the safety on his gun and placed it back under the flour. “Do you think you know her?”

“Me? No…I don’t think so,” Letizia said and sat down on the couch. “I do know that someone coming to get some sugar is an interesting angle to play.”

Ricky pulled his phone out of his pocket. “That woman had blond hair from what I could see through the crack in the door. But do you think she looked like her?” Ricky pulled up Ella’s picture.

Letizia took the phone and inspected the image. “That’s hard. This woman had on some serious makeup.”

“We need to be on alert if that was Ella,” Ricky said, putting his phone back in his pocket. “If she is here, then we know one of Giano’s men are nearby, too.”

Zia shivered at the thought. “Have you encountered them before, Ricky?”

Ricky didn’t want to talk about that time in his past. “Yeah, it was a long time ago.”

Finley placed his hand on his buddy’s shoulder. “So, what happens now if we are compromised? Does Cooper have a plan?”

“Yeah, we get you to the new safe house.”

Zia scowled. “You are coming with us, right?”

Ricky wanted to go with them, but he had work to do first. “I need to clean up.”

“Clean up?” Cris said, sitting down next to Ricky. “I’m going out on a limb and guessing it won’t be a good clean up like with a broom and a dust pan?”

“No, this is much different.”

Ricky pulled out some papers from his duffel bag. “Here, this is the latest since you left.”

Zia was reading over Finley’s shoulder. “Pawn to get Letizia Magrino? Jesus.”

“I think Clearwater has worn out its welcome,” Finley teased.

* * *

There was a loud banging on the front door that woke Ricky out of a deep sleep. He stumbled down the stairs with Finley in tow. “Now you have a late-night visitor? This just keeps getting better and better.”

Ricky had his gun in his hand, hidden behind his back. He waited until Finley grabbed his gun from the kitchen pantry. He stayed behind the door as Finley opened it just an inch. “Can I help you?”

The moment the woman spoke, Ricky knew something was off. “My boyfriend is after me. Can I hide in here?”

Finley made a weird sound in the back of his throat. “I’m sorry, no. I can call the police for you.”

“I’m scared he may try to kill me. Please help me.”

Ricky shook his head. This woman was the worst actor. Giano would be disappointed in her performance for sure. He wanted to push the door closed, but he needed to stay in the shadows. No one knew him yet, and he could easily blend in with the Nesta mob.

“Ma’am…” Finley said but was interrupted.

“Fuck you!” The woman stormed off.

“We need to get you out of here and soon.” Ricky dropped his gun to his side and stepped around the door.

“You really plan to stay back?” Finley asked, walking to the kitchen.

“If I can connect with one of them, maybe they can lead us to Giano.”

“Yeah, I just hope you’re ready. Times have changed.”

“Yeah, I know and people are still dying. Something has to give eventually.”

“Why do you have to be the one to save everyone?” Letizia asked, rubbing her eyes and leaning against the counter.

“I just want to take this asshole down once and for all.”