Read Online The Goddaughter's Revenge by Melodie Campbell - Free Book Online

in his holster. He sounded disgusted.
    I wondered if they were purchased at the same store Pete’s so-called Canadian Military Special came from.
    â€œYou a warrior of some sort? What do you call those dudes?” Carmine said.
    Pete was a whirl of arms. Daggers appeared in each hand. “I’m a Roman centurion. Nobody move, or I’ll fill you full of bronze.”
    I rolled my eyes. “Time to go, children. Joey, you guys follow my car.”

CHAPTER FOURTEEN
    Pinky Palmerston had made what we in the family called a good marriage. In high school, she was a knockout cheerleader who hooked up with a really smart guy. They got engaged at eighteen. When Ben was accepted into McMaster’s medical school, my uncle Vince footed the bill. So we have a surgeon in the family as well as a lawyer. Which is really very handy. Don’t ask why.
    Ben and Pinky live on a country estate just outside Hamilton. It was château chic before fake French châteaus became the rage. It is also about as big as Versailles. When you push back the furniture, the great room alone can easily handle a crowd of a hundred.
    When we got there, the place was already rocking. Tony, one of her sons, manned the double front doors, keeping out the riffraff. He looked like Pinky—tall and slim, with Italian-movie-star good looks. The slick suit he was wearing had to have cost at least two thousand bucks.
    Tony’s face split into a grin when he saw me.
    â€œHey, Gina. You behind the whole Lone Rearranger thing?”
    I started. “Don’t spread that around, Tony! Jeesh, I’m in enough shit.”
    â€œAnother Tony?” Pete said innocently.
    My cousin and I exchanged knowing smiles. My other cousin Tony had been taken out by a New York connection. He wasn’t much of a loss.
    â€œYou’re not really Italian unless you have at least two cousins named Tony,” I explained patiently.
    â€œAnd one uncle,” added Tony.
    Pete put out his hand.
    Tony shook it. “Cool costume. Like the sword.”
    I pulled Pete into the marble foyer before he could start demonstrating his weapons. Carmine and the Buffalo boys shuffled in behind us.
    Country music was coming from the two-story space just beyond the plaster columns in front of us. Live palm trees at least fifteen feet tall flanked the columns.
    We entered the immense party room beyond. It was dimly lit, so it took a second for my eyes to adjust. When they did, I nearly fell over.
    â€œOh no. Look!”
    â€œOh Christ.” Pete started to chortle. Then he howled.
    In front of us was a guy carrying a bottle of wine. He was dressed in black and wearing a white Zorro mask. Behind him was another guy wearing a similar white mask.
    â€œI count three. No, four.”
    â€œFive. Here comes Nico.”
    Even with the mask, you couldn’t miss his bleached hair.
    Nico grabbed me in a bear hug. “Gina, can you believe it? I’m a superstar! It’s the costume of the year! Of course, I had to wear it. Who knows when I’ll get the chance again? And look at all the others. I tell you, it’s brilliant. Such a commendation. I’m chuffed.”
    My eyes could hardly focus. Every second man at the party was dressed up as the Lone Rearranger. Some were dark-haired and some were bald. There were thin ones and pot-bellied ones. There had to be at least ten. No, make that twelve. Thirteen. There was even a reverse Lone Rearranger. He was all in white with a black mask.
    â€œIs that—oh my god, it’s Stoner and Toke. Hi, Stoner! Isn’t that cute!” Nico pointed.
    The black standard poodle was wearing a white mask.
    One especially tall guy was wearing a white mask and a black cape.
    â€œOh god, I need that cape. Why didn’t I think of a cape? I wonder if he’ll sell it.” Nico took off in the direction of the cape man. I didn’t hold out much hope for the poor guy’s chances.
    Pete was bent over,