Free Exploding: A Mafia Romance (The O'Keefe Family Collection #1) by Tuesday Embers Page B

up her projects.
    Killian washed his hands in the sink to clean up for his meeting. “Alright, Fal. I’m all finished with your list. I’ll be out in the cafe with Vince. See you out there.” He shot her a glance that held a mild warning to it. “I mean it.”
    “I know, I know.” Fallyn removed her apron, straightening her pink fitted blouse and gray knee-length skirt that swooshed around her thighs with the grace of a kiss from a feather. She plated the new pastry she’d made special and walked out to the dining area five minutes after her brother, a pleasant smile fixed firmly in place. Her light expression fell when she saw Angelo and Tony standing outside. As predicted, the customers cast them fearful glances, some skipping over her store and moving on down the street to give the feuding families a wide berth. She kept her tone light as she set the plate down between the two men. “I thought I said no henchmen at my store.”
    Vince gave Fallyn his usual stoic glance as he leaned back in his chair. “I told them to wait outside. This is still a new treaty, mind you. You can’t expect me to walk into your bakery by myself.”
    “Fine, but only for today, and they don’t step a toe inside. Understood?”
    Vince nodded, a small smirk playing on his sculpted lips. “What’s this?” He motioned to the plate between them.
    Fallyn stood at her brother’s side, glad that he didn’t see her slip Vince a smile in return. “An Italian boy who can’t recognize cannoli? Never thought I’d see the day you’d forget the important things.”
    Vince reached out and picked up a pastry, licking the cream from the side to test Fallyn’s skill of something he was well-versed in. “You made cannoli?”
    “With caramel dipping sauce.” Fallyn cast Vince a sugary smile, daring him to voice a reason why he wouldn’t try it. “You have to taste it with the cannoli. I made it special just for you two.”
    Vince saw the playful challenge in her eyes and fought back a grin that accompanied the rush of attraction he’d been trying to explain away since he’d had her pressed up against him. “The cannoli’s perfect as it is. Didn’t know you knew how to bake like this. Very good, Little Keefer.”
    She narrowed her eyes at him. “If you don’t want to offend me and upset my brother, you’ll try the caramel. I daresay my patrons might be watching, so make a good show of how much the D’Amatos love their cannolis when they’re made by Irish girls.”
    Killian chuckled at Fallyn’s stubborn streak. He took a large bite after dipping it in the sauce and groaned. “This is awesome, Fally.”
    “I know.” She waited for Vince to dip his cannoli and take a bite, grinning at the squirm he tried to conceal while he chewed slowly.
    “It’s real good,” Vince allowed, taking another bite. “Thanks for this. I know you probably don’t usually make cannoli.”
    “Made it special for our special guests.” She surprised them both by pulling up a chair and sitting next to her brother. “I trust you’re here to talk about how to build a better alliance for our families?”
    Vince sized her up before nodding once, taking in her gall with a tightness to his lips. No one dared to sit down with the heads of the families uninvited. The last person who had sat at Vince’s table without invitation had been taken into the back alley and beaten so badly, he still walked with a limp. A woman who had been watching the exchange snatched her children up and all but ran out of the store. Vince took in the climate of fear that was steadily rising in the bakery. “We are. Why don’t you join us, Little Keefer? Do you have something to say about the alliance?”
    “I do. I had an idea.” She had been waiting to give her pitch since it hit her in the middle of the night. “Would it help if I had a shelf in my case featuring desserts from La Cucina Italia or Cesca’s Eatery? Either one of your restaurants is fine by me. I can even