Baby Bundt Cake Confusion (Murder in the Mix Book 31) by Unknown (reading eggs books .txt) 📗

I didn’t think so.

“Look”—he gives a long blink—“he took my niece’s dead body out of the morgue, and now I have to put his dead body into the morgue. It’s simple math, Carlotta.” He doesn’t hesitate using my formal name, and I can’t help but make a face when I hear it. It’s true. When Carlotta dumped me at the fire department, she left a note asking that I be given the name Carlotta. My mother complied, but I’ve never been called anything but Lottie. “What’s done is done. I’m sorry, ladies. But it’s family first.”

Lil’ Mama barks my way. “You have to admire his devotion, Lottie. But now would be a good time to pull the genetic wool over his eyes the way you talked about on the ride down here.”

I give a covert nod to Carlotta before looking his way.

“Jimmy”—my head leans forward, but my body is incapacitated from doing so because my belly is already butting up against the table—“I have some good news for you. You’ve just become a father again.”

“Aw, shucks.” He slams his own hand down on the table as he looks to the stage. “Which one is it? I knew I should have stopped with the private auditions years ago.”

Carlotta gives a dark chuckle. “Still playing a game of raunchy roulette, eh, tiger?”

“Don’t you know it.” He winks her way. “In fact, I believe I cut my teeth on you.”

“Eww,” I moan. “But that brings me to my next point. Surprise, I’m your long-lost daughter, Jimmy. See that? I’m family. So you must stop this hit you placed on my husband.”

He tips his head to the side and examines me. “You do have a hint of the Canelli eyebrows.”

“She does?” Carlotta quickly inspects me herself. “By Georgie Conner, he’s right! You really could be a Canelli, Lot Lot!”

So much for coming in with the confidence we spoke about.

“That’s because I am a Canelli.” The words leave my lips with an odd touch of pride.

“What’s this?” a deep voice caws from behind, and soon another dapper don, Luke Lazzari, joins us. Luke is older, about the same age as Jimmy, late sixties, seventies. He’s bald and always sharp dressed, and he once had a serious fling with Carlotta.

The Lazzaris and the Canellis are the feuding families of Leeds, but it’s not so strange to see Luke popping over to Red Satin every now and again. Luke is the one that found Evie way back when we were still looking for her. And ironically, this is where he dropped her off.

Luke raps his knuckles over the table. “Tell me it’s not true, Carlotta Junior. I always thought you were my secret love child.”

I all but suck down the furniture as I inhale. “Carlotta?” I make wild eyes at her because I suspect there’s a smidgen of truth to this genetic twisted tale.

Lil’ Mama barks. “I always knew who the father of my pups was. Mrs. Albright always found me the most handsome steeds to spend my special time with. Your cats remind me a lot of those handsome boys. Would you mind if I took one of them with me when I head back to paradise? I’ve grown rather attached.”

I shake my head her way because I’ve grown rather attached to them myself.

Carlotta’s lips knot up. “I plead the fifth.”

My mouth hangs open. A part of me wants to shake Carlotta because suddenly this three-way daddy scenario feels like a very real possibility. But another part of me realizes this might just work in my favor.

Jimmy snorts. “She’s mine, Luke. They’re both mine.”

“Does that mean you’ll call off the hit on my husband?” I nod, trying to will it into being.

Jimmy shifts his eyes to the left. “No. The judge has to pay for his sins. I’ve already outfitted two of my sons-in-law with Kevlar vests. I can’t play favorites, kiddo.”

I gasp at the thought. So much for soaking in a bulletproof bucket full of nepotism.

“How about you, Daddy?” I ask, looking up at Luke. “Are you going to stand there and let this man destroy your potential daughter’s happiness?”

His cheeks flex. “I don’t know. The only way to stop another man’s hit is to incite a mob war.” He gives a heavy sigh. “I’ll have to think about it—present it to the family, and see what the consensus is.” He points a finger to Jimmy. “But if you go ahead with it, try to keep it neat. Make sure the little miss here ain’t around to see the bloodshed.”

Jimmy shrugs. “I’ll do my best, but this operation is part of a training session. It’s out of my hands. What am I gonna do?”

“Training, huh?” Luke shrugs to Carlotta and me. “I’ve been there myself. You gotta teach the boys somehow. If you hear loud noises, you ladies might want to look the other way. Things are bound to get messy when the boys are let loose in the sandbox. What are you gonna do?”

“What am I gonna do?” I snip as I rise from my seat and accidentally knock my chair backward. “I’m going to do something. Nobody is killing my husband on my watch. And God forbid anything happens to him, you will both have blood on your hands.”

Jimmy grunts while looking right at me, “I think she’s mine.”

“Nope.” Luke shakes his head. “That threat was delivered just like a Lazzari would give it.”

But I don’t stick around to hear their genetic debate. I head over to the bar and inhale the nachos Meg sets out for me. And all the while I try to think up ways to save my husband.

And sadly, I don’t come up with a single one.

Once Carlotta and I arrive back at the house, we see a horrific sight. Everett has set a few duffle bags by the door with his things in them.

“I’m sorry, Lemon. This is the only way to keep you safe. I’m moving over to Noah’s place.” He