Joanna squealed loudly and appropriately. “I can’t believe this. My best friend is going to marry Stefano Ferraro. That rock on your finger is worth a small house—you know that, don’t you? It’s beautiful. You’re beautiful. I’m so happy for you, Francesca.”

Francesca looked down at her ring. “It is beautiful, isn’t it?” She found herself smiling at Joanna, so happy she wanted to cry. “How did things go with Mario?”

Joanna wrapped her arms around her middle. “Oh. My. God. He’s so good in bed. Honest to God, Francesca, I’m having a mini-orgasm just remembering. He’s the best dancer, and after you left, Emmanuelle and her cousins didn’t desert us or make us feel as if we didn’t belong. They were so nice. They picked up the tab for all the drinks and invited us back with them again. It was an amazing night. I would have been walking on air for months just from that alone, but then Mario took me to his apartment and I stayed there with him all weekend. He treated me like a princess. I could totally fall in love with him.”

Francesca studied her face. Joanna had dated all the time and she hooked up with men often, but Francesca had never seen her like this. Her face was glowing and she couldn’t stop smiling.

“So do you have another date with him lined up?”

Joanna nodded. “He made a point of saying he wanted us to be exclusive. He said he’d been waiting for an opportunity with me and he wasn’t about to pass it up. He also said he wasn’t about to let any other man edge him out, now that he had me.”

Francesca was happy for her. “That’s so awesome. I love that for you.”

Joanna smirked. “Me, too. He’s just everything I thought he would be and more.” Her head went up and she widened her eyes. “I forgot. Were you listening to the news at all this morning? The three women arrested at the club, those singers who were so rude when they came to the table?”

“Stella, Janice and Doreen. The Crystals.”

“Yep. That band. They pleaded guilty. Just like that. And there were multiple charges. No one does that. I’ve never heard of anyone so stinking rich with money to pay a really great attorney pleading guilty to that kind of charge. They aren’t going into rehab—they’re getting jail time. Why would they do that? And why in the world did their attorney allow them to? It doesn’t make any sense at all.”

“I didn’t know they’d even go before a judge that fast other than to maybe set bail,” Francesca murmured, unease creeping into her mind in spite of the happiness that had permeated her world all morning. Her fingers found her engagement ring and she absently played with it, trying not to think about what might cause three vindictive and very entitled women with the money to pay for a great attorney to plead guilty and allow a judge to sentence them without a trial.

“They’re actually going to prison. Not jail. Prison,” Joanna continued. “You just don’t ever want to mess with the Ferraros. Anyone stupid enough to cross them has really bad karma.”

Francesca didn’t know what to say to that. “My former landlord was murdered,” she blurted. “He was inside Giuseppi Saldi’s home when he was murdered.”

“I read about that. It was on the news as well. That was just weird, too.”

Francesca nodded. “His aunt was actually swimming in the pool and when she got out, he was dead on the lounger, his throat cut.”

“See? He messed with you and you’re going to be a Ferraro and now he’s dead. Do you think the Saldis killed him because they didn’t want a war with Stefano’s family?”

Francesca inhaled sharply. “I don’t think it had anything at all to do with Stefano. He and his entire family were at the club, celebrating.”

“Your engagement? I didn’t even know it was an engagement party,” Joanna said, sulking.

Francesca burst out laughing. “Neither did I.”

Joanna stared at her a moment, wide-eyed and then she pretended to swoon. “That’s the most romantic thing I’ve ever heard of.”

Francesca rolled her eyes and went back to work as another wave of customers entered the store. She couldn’t help but watch the clock as she waited on the various people. They were all very sweet to her and seemed to want to chat a little before handing over their money or credit cards, but she didn’t mind in the least, other than she needed to keep the line moving.

Her heart beat very fast when Pietro came from the back room to take her place so she could have her break. She pulled off her apron and hurried to the restroom. The moment she had the door closed and locked, she removed her panties, bunching them into her hand. An arm came around behind her and took them away. She nearly screamed with shock, but his scent told her exactly who was there.