that he minded seeing his sister. But, as usual lately, she looked…too made-up, especially for a Sunday afternoon. She wore a sparkly halter top and black miniskirt that seemed more suitable for a big city dance club—high-heeled shoes with lots of straps on them, too. Her tanned skin contrasted with lips of neon pink.
“Hey!” she said, throwing her arms around his neck, and he couldn’t help the ironic thought that this was the second time in twenty-four hours a scantily clad woman had shown up on his doorstep. If old Mrs. Crowley—who owned the only other house in sight on the country road—was paying attention, she probably thought things were getting pretty wild down here at the Ramsey house. And after last night, she wouldn’t exactly be wrong.
“What’s up?” He probably didn’t sound overly glad to see Jana, which should maybe make him feel bad but didn’t. He’d been pissed ever since she’d gone running off to Ohio with some older guy he’d never met. All he knew was that the guy owned the bar where she worked and his name was Vinnie Balducci. She’d been wearing sparkly tops ever since.
“I brought your car back.” She hiked a thumb over her shoulder and he glanced out to see the old Trans Am—the same he’d driven in high school. It was far past its prime, but he kept it as a spare, and since Jana had needed a car when she moved, he’d let her use it. Behind it in the driveway sat a shiny black Lincoln Town Car with tinted windows. He wondered if his sister had joined the mob.
“Your boyfriend in that?”
She nodded, then pushed past him into the house, obviously trying to draw his attention elsewhere.
Joe spoke pointedly. “Why doesn’t he come in? I want to meet him.”
She shrugged. “He needs to make some calls while you and I visit. Business stuff.”
Ordering hits, Joe guessed. He flashed a look that let her know exactly what he thought of Vinnie. “The guy couldn’t even come in?”
“He’s
really
busy, Joe. Running the club is, like,
more
than a full-time job.”
He narrowed his gaze on her. “And what kind of club is it again exactly?”
She blinked. “You know. A club. Where people drink.”
He eyed her with suspicion. “Is there dancing?”
She hesitated for only a second. “Yeah.”
Mmm-hmm. I just bet there is.
His jaw tightened. But self-preservation prevented him from taking the thought further, so for his own sanity, he changed the subject. “You don’t need the car anymore, huh?”
She shook her platinum blond head and he found himself missing the old
brunette
her. Some women looked great as blondes—Trish, for instance—but on his sister it looked fake. “Vinnie leased me an Infiniti.”
Huh.
So the guy had plenty of money. Joe guessed the mob paid well. “Nice,” he said dryly, then decided to change the subject
again.
“Want a kitten?”
Jana’s eyes went girlishly wide. “A kitten? We have kittens?”
“Four of ’em, under the shed. I need to get rid of ’em.”
“God, I’d love a kitty. But…” A slight grimace reshaped her normally pretty face. “I don’t know. We’re not home a lot. And I don’t know if Vinnie would want a pet in the condo.”
Yeah, and the whole fucking world revolves around Vinnie.
“Figures,” he muttered under his breath.
“What did you say?”
“Nothing.” He raised his gaze, tried to push his irritation aside. But he didn’t like the idea of some guy he didn’t know controlling his sister’s life. He let out a sigh and knew he still sounded gruff when he said, “Want to at least see ’em?”
She nodded enthusiastically and they both started toward the back door, his sister’s heels making little clicks across the floor—until she pulled up short. “But first…uh, Joe?”
He stopped and glanced back at her. “Yeah?”
“There’s a purple bra hanging on your lampshade.”
She pointed across the room and Joe turned to see. He hadn’t bothered taking it down yet. “You
“Hey!” she said, throwing her arms around his neck, and he couldn’t help the ironic thought that this was the second time in twenty-four hours a scantily clad woman had shown up on his doorstep. If old Mrs. Crowley—who owned the only other house in sight on the country road—was paying attention, she probably thought things were getting pretty wild down here at the Ramsey house. And after last night, she wouldn’t exactly be wrong.
“What’s up?” He probably didn’t sound overly glad to see Jana, which should maybe make him feel bad but didn’t. He’d been pissed ever since she’d gone running off to Ohio with some older guy he’d never met. All he knew was that the guy owned the bar where she worked and his name was Vinnie Balducci. She’d been wearing sparkly tops ever since.
“I brought your car back.” She hiked a thumb over her shoulder and he glanced out to see the old Trans Am—the same he’d driven in high school. It was far past its prime, but he kept it as a spare, and since Jana had needed a car when she moved, he’d let her use it. Behind it in the driveway sat a shiny black Lincoln Town Car with tinted windows. He wondered if his sister had joined the mob.
“Your boyfriend in that?”
She nodded, then pushed past him into the house, obviously trying to draw his attention elsewhere.
Joe spoke pointedly. “Why doesn’t he come in? I want to meet him.”
She shrugged. “He needs to make some calls while you and I visit. Business stuff.”
Ordering hits, Joe guessed. He flashed a look that let her know exactly what he thought of Vinnie. “The guy couldn’t even come in?”
“He’s
really
busy, Joe. Running the club is, like,
more
than a full-time job.”
He narrowed his gaze on her. “And what kind of club is it again exactly?”
She blinked. “You know. A club. Where people drink.”
He eyed her with suspicion. “Is there dancing?”
She hesitated for only a second. “Yeah.”
Mmm-hmm. I just bet there is.
His jaw tightened. But self-preservation prevented him from taking the thought further, so for his own sanity, he changed the subject. “You don’t need the car anymore, huh?”
She shook her platinum blond head and he found himself missing the old
brunette
her. Some women looked great as blondes—Trish, for instance—but on his sister it looked fake. “Vinnie leased me an Infiniti.”
Huh.
So the guy had plenty of money. Joe guessed the mob paid well. “Nice,” he said dryly, then decided to change the subject
again.
“Want a kitten?”
Jana’s eyes went girlishly wide. “A kitten? We have kittens?”
“Four of ’em, under the shed. I need to get rid of ’em.”
“God, I’d love a kitty. But…” A slight grimace reshaped her normally pretty face. “I don’t know. We’re not home a lot. And I don’t know if Vinnie would want a pet in the condo.”
Yeah, and the whole fucking world revolves around Vinnie.
“Figures,” he muttered under his breath.
“What did you say?”
“Nothing.” He raised his gaze, tried to push his irritation aside. But he didn’t like the idea of some guy he didn’t know controlling his sister’s life. He let out a sigh and knew he still sounded gruff when he said, “Want to at least see ’em?”
She nodded enthusiastically and they both started toward the back door, his sister’s heels making little clicks across the floor—until she pulled up short. “But first…uh, Joe?”
He stopped and glanced back at her. “Yeah?”
“There’s a purple bra hanging on your lampshade.”
She pointed across the room and Joe turned to see. He hadn’t bothered taking it down yet. “You
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