The day starts off with a reminder of our lovemaking the night before. My thighs are red from Niccolo’s whiskers, because after we made love on the couch, he carried me upstairs and into the shower, where he fucked me against the wall, but not before he made me come with his mouth.
Niccolo is already out of bed and must be downstairs. I drag myself out from beneath the sheets, grabbing a pair of black tights and an oversized burgundy button-down shirt that falls off my shoulder. I cinch it at the waist with a thin black-and-gold leather belt, then pile my hair up in a bun. It has the look of casual elegance without me having to take the time to work through the thick curls.
As I walk by the family room, I notice the clothes we tore off one another spread all over the floor. I gather them in my arms, drop them into the laundry room to sort out later, then go in search of Nic. He’s not hard to find; his office is his refuge.
“Good morning,” I say. His eyes rise from the documents he’s poring over, and he closes the file.
“Good morning.” His lips twist into a sexy grin, his gaze taking me in from top to toe. “You look well rested,” he teases with a gleam in his eye. I don’t think either of us slept much. We were too busy doing other things.
“Exercise before bed seems to put me right to sleep,” I reply, watching his lips curve into a bigger smile. I take in his pristine dark blue suit and tie. He looks like he’s ready to head out. “Do you have time for breakfast?”
“Not really. And neither do you. We’ll stop by the bakery and grab some coffee and pastries.” Niccolo rises from behind his desk and comes over to where I’m standing.
“Where are we going?” I ask, confused. He didn’t mention anything last night.
“It’s a surprise.”
“What kind of surprise?” Since I was a kid, I’ve never been able to wait. I mean, how do you say “I have a surprise,” then expect me to wait to see it? Dad used to do it all the time to rile me, but in the end, I loved all his special wonders.
“You’re delaying us, Val.” Niccolo takes me by the hand and leads me to the door, barely giving me time to grab my purse. Before I know it, we’re driving in the complete opposite direction to the city.
“Where are we going?”
“Were you the kid in the back seat who kept asking, ‘Are we there yet’?”
“Yes,” I answer honestly.
“Give me…” He looks around, “about five more minutes, and you’ll see.”
Just saying, five minutes can be a long time when anticipating a surprise. Niccolo drives through a private gate, and that’s when I see a hangar. We’re at a private airport.
I haven’t packed anything. You’d think if we’re going on a trip, he’d give me more notice. I’m speechless, but when we drive up next to a plane, the hatch opens and down the steps comes Lucia, and directly after her is her husband, Leo, carrying their son, Joseph.
I turn to Niccolo, but before I can say anything, he says, “You’re right, Val. We need to live life. Raffaele needs to be addressed, but he shouldn’t be overshadowing the good times. I spoke with Alessio last night, and he agreed. Leo and his family will be here for a few days. We have business to see to, but you ladies can have some quality time together. Josie needs this, and she should have her friends close.”
I lift my hand to his cheek. “Thank you, my love.” Upon saying it, I catch my breath, and Niccolo’s eyes grow wide. Just then, the passenger door is yanked open, and Leo guides Lucia into the car. There’s a flurry of activity as Leo commandeers Niccolo to help him secure the baby seat, while the entourage of men accompanying him are grabbing bags and piling into an SUV.
I slip into the back seat with Lucia and cuddle with Joseph. He’s a happy little guy. I think they cloned Leo into a mini version. Once we’re all settled back in the car, Leo taking my place in the front seat, Niccolo turns to me and gives me a look that says, This conversation isn’t over. I avert my gaze, giving my full attention to Lucia.
* * *
Niccolo
Valentina’s been avoiding me since we picked up Leo and his family. Whether she’s playing with Joseph, holding Nico, or chatting with Josie and Lucia, the one place she stays clear of is Alessio’s office. It isn’t until we come out to join our wives for lunch that Valentina is forced to face me.
She pushes the fork around her plate, barely touches her meal, and listens attentively, keeping her contribution to the conversation to a minimum. I skim my hand over the back of her chair, letting my fingers graze her shoulder. Valentina peers up at me, and I see it in her eyes. Fear, uncertainty. I don’t like it.
“How are the newlyweds?” Lucia asks.
“Very well. Valentina is beautiful, intelligent, and laughs at all my jokes,” I say. Valentina relaxes and rests her hand on my thigh.
“I thought that was part of our vows. Love, honor, and laugh at Nic’s lame jokes,” she counters, and Lucia giggles. Josie lets out a forced laugh, but looks like she could sleep for a week. “Rough night last night?” Valentina asks.
“New routine. Nico was up every two hours for a feeding. I’m just tired. I’m sorry I’m not much fun.” She sighs, looking very sad. Alessio frowns. He’s worried for his wife.
“Well, how about this?” Valentina offers. “It’ll take me a few minutes to clear the table, and if you’re okay with it, I’ll feed Nico with the milk you pumped earlier. In the meantime, you can get a few hours of sleep.”
“I can help once I get Joseph down for his nap,” Lucia chimes in.
“See! Plenty of help,” Valentina adds.
“I could use a nap,” Josie replies tiredly.
“Stellina, you make me worry. Please go rest for a while. Lucia is here for a few days, and Valentina isn’t leaving until Niccolo and I are done. You’ll have lots of time with your girls.” He glides his thumb over the apple of her cheek.
“Maybe a short rest,” she finally agrees. Alessio pushes back his chair and helps his wife up with an arm around her waist.
“I’ll be down in a few minutes,” Alessio murmurs. Lucia gets up, along with Leo.
“I’m going to see if I can get Joseph to lie down for a nap.” Lucia walks over to where their son is playing with blocks and toys and lifts him into her arms. “I won’t be long.”
“I’ll grab his bag and bring it up,” Leo tells her, then steps out, leaving Valentina alone with me.
Before she tries to take off again, I say, “Nowhere to run, tigrotta.”
“I should get these dishes cleared.” She makes a move to get up, but I keep her in place by hauling her chair closer and turning her to face me. Her mouth drops open in shock. “What—”
“Listen closely, because it’ll be rare that I say these words, not because I don’t want to, but because it’s not done.” She blinks, trying to take in what I’m saying. “I love you. I’ve felt it for a long time, and knowing that you feel the same is something I never thought would happen.” I touch my lips to hers in a light, sweet, innocent kiss.
Valentina pulls back and confesses, “I do love you. When I thought I was going to die, I thought about my family, but my one regret was never telling you how I felt. When I came to see you that night, I never imagined that we would marry, but since that day, I’ve always felt safe.”
I run my hand along her hairline from her forehead and along her ear. Her expression gentles as she leans into my touch.
“This isn’t the appropriate time, but when I get you home, I’m going to show you just how much this means to me.” I kiss her again, this time, long and wet and deep, with a promise of what tonight will hold.
Alessio enters and abruptly calls out to me. “I’ve got Reno on the line,” he says before he disappears just as quickly. Taking my cue, I follow, looking over my shoulder to give Valentina an encouraging wink. When we are safely behind closed doors, Leo having joined us, Alessio puts Reno on speakerphone for all of us to hear.
“We’re all here,” Alessio says curtly.
“Raffaele has returned to Philadelphia to deal with a business matter. Dante was able to find his private cell.” Remo rattles off the number. “I’ve called Marco and informed him of the same.”
“I’ll call. I want to know what this bastard is after,” Alessio says.
“Hey, Sebastian here. Dante and I have been looking at his patterns. Although Raffaele made his presence known in all three territories, he seems to have spent more time in Las Vegas. He also has focused his attention on Niccolo. The attempt was made on him. It was Niccolo’s wedding day, and he approached Niccolo’s wife. Dante’s convinced that this means something, and I have to go with his gut. I think it should be Niccolo who calls.”
“I’ve known Dante a long time. He’s got keen instincts. If he thinks this is the way to go, I’d go along.” Leo adds, “In the end, what do we have to lose? Niccolo isn’t anywhere near Raffaele with a telephone between them.”
“A burner,” I say. “We’ll use a burner phone. Keep it short.”
“Can’t trace the burner,” Alessio says, telling us what we already know.
“He’s not stupid, man. Raffaele is as fucking intelligent as they come. He’s a mean motherfucker with a dark soul, but he isn’t stupid,” Sebastian reminds us. “I think this is the right play. And Niccolo is smart enough to pick up on any background noises and shit to give us a clue on where he’s staying. This isn’t his first rodeo.”
Alessio’s just pissed at not being in control. Rightfully so. This is his territory. He’s our capo, and his role is to keep us all protected and safe, which is a huge undertaking. Add a wife and baby to the mix, and the Blood King is ready to unleash his wrath.
“We’ve got nothing to lose,” I tell him. Alessio lets out a heavy sigh, crossing his arms over his chest, seeming to give the matter more thought.
“Fine,” he agrees. “Let’s get this done.” Alessio pulls open his bottom drawer and pulls out a burner phone. All underbosses have at least one, possibly two phones put away for whenever they might be needed. Alessio has half a dozen tucked away throughout the room. I have several myself.
“Call us when it’s done,” Reno says before he hangs up.
The phone rings only once. “Cosa voi?” Is that any way to answer the phone? Translated he’s asking, “What do you want?”
“That’s a question I’d like to ask you,” I reply.
“Torno fra un attimo. Non muoverti,” he calls away from the phone or to whomever he’s speaking, but I can hear his shoes clicking along the floor and echoing through the hall. When the door slams shut, he speaks again. “It’s about fucking time you called. I thought I was going to have to hire a skywriter.”
“What the fuck are you talking about? You wanted me to call?” I’m thoroughly confused, throwing out my hand toward Alessio, whose gaze is fixed on me.
“Well, yeah. I thought I made that pretty clear when I told your wife to tell the three capos to stop ignoring me,” he says, like I’m supposed to know what that meant.
“Why didn’t you pick up the phone and call? Why the hell are you playing all these fucked-up games?” I counter.
“There’s a lot you don’t understand.”
“Explain it to me.”
“There’s a target on Viale, Moretti, and Cassini.”
“Put there by you,” I finish for him.
“Fuck no. What the fuck do I care about this shit?”
“Forgive me if I don’t believe you. You sent a sniper to take me out,” I say angrily. “You infiltrated my wedding.”
“I needed to get your attention,” he cuts in. “I didn’t touch your precious Valentina. In fact, I told her she made a beautiful bride.”
I growl into the phone, “Don’t you dare speak about my wife.”
“Your wife was perfectly safe with me. The idea was to get your attention, not kill you.”
“He almost killed my man,” I bite back.
“And you exacted your revenge. He deserves it. He knew his mission was to get your attention. It was never to eliminate and he was also supposed to be a shadow and disappear into the night. He failed, and it cost him his life. And from what I understand, your man has healed well.” I’m about to tell him to fuck off, but Raffaele doesn’t give me the opportunity.
“I’m not your enemy. Not today, anyway. But there is a situation I can’t discuss over the phone. I’ll give you one opportunity to meet with me, where I’ll explain everything. Keep Alessio away. We can’t be seen together. I can’t be seen with any of them. This is essential. I’ll send you a message. If you choose not to come, then you’re all on your own. This is the only olive branch I’ll extend. I’ll never offer it again,” Raffaele says firmly.
“Why should I trust you?”
“Because if I wanted you dead, you would be.” The click of the phone says it all. He’s done.
I hold the phone away from my ear and lock eyes with Alessio. “Son of a bitch.” I grip the phone so hard, it’s a wonder it doesn’t crumble to dust in my hand.