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 Gio s here? Dante looked utterly delighted.  I thought he was still out looking for Rafe.
Russ took Teresa s arm and began leading her into the restaurant.  He was. He came back for
tonight s birthday party.
 I m glad to hear it. Dante took Beth s hand.  Gio is my older brother.
 And one of you?
Beth didn t miss the sharp glance Teresa shot them over her shoulder, but Dante replied serenely.
 Yes.
When Teresa turned back around, the odd satisfaction on Teresa s face sent shivers down Beth s
spine.
They arrived at the table, Teresa making quick introductions in half Italian, half English that left
Beth s mind reeling.  Gio, this is your brother s fidanzata, Elizabeth. Elizabeth, my eldest son,
Giovanni.
Beth held out her hand, refusing to be intimidated by Gio s sheer size. The Zucco men were huge,
and Gio was no exception. Giovanni Zucco was an older, fiercer version of Dante, but with his
mother s dark hair.  A pleasure to meet you.
 Nice to meet you too. Gio shared a guarded glance with Dante, smiling at her when Dante
nodded.  Very nice to meet you. He winked at Dante, and suddenly Beth saw how much he
resembled his father. His wicked grin went from ear to ear as he held out her chair.  Allow me.
 Leccaculo, Dante coughed under his breath. He grimaced as his mother whapped him upside the
head.  Sorry, Mama.
 Hmph. Teresa took her own seat as her sons and one of her daughters laughed. The other one
looked like she d sucked a lemon.  Francesca, say hello to Dante s fidanzata.
 Hello.
Well. Francesca s chilly tone didn t exactly fill Beth with the warm and fuzzies.  Hello.
Francesca had her father s gold hair and a cold expression that wasn t shared by the rest of the Zucco
clan. Her husband sat quietly at her side, drinking and ignoring everyone around him, including his
two adorable children.
 Hi, I m Anna, the baby. Anna was a dainty blonde with a ready grin who took after her father, but
with her mother s brown eyes, a trait shared by all of the Zucco children.  And these are my
munchkins, Suzanne and Anthony. Suzanne was about eighteen months old and utterly adorable,
while her son was around three and stared at Beth like she was the second coming.  This is my
husband, Trevor.
Trevor quickly swallowed the hors d oeuvre he d been munching on.  Hi. He held out his hand,
shaking Beth s firmly.  Nice to meet you.
 What is it you do for a living? Francesca s tone was belligerent.
Beth smiled sweetly as Dante whispered in her ear.  Wine?
Oh God, yes please. If Francesca was going to be that relative, she d need some alcoholic
fortification.  Thanks.
He patted her shoulder before taking off, and Beth could feel the sympathy dripping off the gesture.
Not that he stuck around to help her. She turned her attention back to his older sister.  I m a private
investigator.
 Really? The evil satisfaction on her face had Beth wondering what the hell she d ever done to
Francesca Zucco to earn such enmity.  Dante hates private investigators.
 Does he? Beth glanced over at Teresa to find the older woman scowling at her daughter.
 I just simply cannot believe that an intelligent woman in this day and age would choose a career
as a private investigator when she could have been a lawyer or a doctor. Or even a nurse, Francesca
said with a venomous side glance at her youngest sister.
 Keep me out of it, Frankie, Anna said cheerfully, but with a hint of steel in her tone. Beth
recognized the look. Dante had sent it her way more than once.  I have no interest in whatever
crawled up your ass and died. Anna grinned at her mother.  Sorry.
 Well, all I want to know is, why can t you have a real career? Lillian had a wonderful career as a
photographer before she married Dante.
Beth clenched her hands in her lap and reminded herself that she could be arrested if she did what
she was thinking of doing.  Were you and Lillian close? she asked as nonchalantly as possible.
 Lillian and Frankie were best friends, Anna offered up before the older woman could reply.
 They still are, as a matter of fact.
 Ah, Beth nodded, deciding to get her own dig in. She d done her homework on Dante, and now
was her chance to prove it. She tilted her head.  How is she handling the divorce from Hershman?
There was silence for a moment. Beth looked up to see shock and anger on the face of Francesca.
 What do you mean, divorce?
Beth took the glass of wine Dante held out for her, gently placing it on the table. She very carefully
did not look at Dante.  She filed for divorce three days ago. Didn t she tell you?
Francesca s answering smile was poisonous.  Well, now that she s divorcing Jerry, maybe she ll
come back to the family where she belongs. She smiled sweetly at Dante.
 Which family would that be? Beth kept the bland smile in place with an effort. Francesca was
really beginning to get on her nerves.
 You know I would never consider taking Lillian back, Francesca, Dante growled suddenly.
Maybe this was an old argument, and she d just found herself in the middle of it.
Francesca shrugged, a smug little smile on her face.  I know she hurt you, Dante, but you have to
realize that Jerry just swept her off her feet. She wants you back. She s wanted you back for a year
now. Why won t you listen to her? Give her another chance.
Dante sighed.  When will you stop harping on the subject? I have no further interest in Lillian. He
reached under the table and gave Beth s hand a surreptitious squeeze, a movement that was not lost on
Francesca. He pried her hands apart and took one of them in his own, resting it against the back of his
hard thigh. His thumb gently ran over her knuckles.  I m taken.
 Enough, Francesca. Teresa, a frown on her face, glared at her second oldest child.  Your brother
lives his life as he sees fit. If Lillian had wanted to be with Dante so badly she would never have
slept with Jerry. Teresa dismissed her former daughter-in-law with one wave of her dainty hand.
 Now, Elizabeth, tell me about your family. She smiled encouragingly, but Beth still felt herself
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