by Ella Jade
“You were in the foyer?” I joked. “I didn’t know you were here.”
“See.” He punched my shoulder. “I like to hide in the shadows.”
“Nadia, this is my youngest brother.”
“I’ve heard much about you and how you helped Vincenzo this week at his firm.”
“It was no big deal.” He handed her a glass of wine. “You two had an adventure. We could all use one of those.”
“It was different.” She took the drink from him. “Thank you.”
“I’m sure you’re not used to our family,” he said. “You started off with a bang.”
“Poor choice of words.” I shot him a pointed glare.
“She knows what I mean.” Santino winked at Nadia. “Maybe you can loosen him up. He needs to have some fun.”
“I can do that.” When she gazed into my eyes, I wanted to finish our kiss. “I’m going to see if your mom needs any help.”
“If you do that,” Santino said. “She’ll definitely think you’re a keeper.”
“Oh, I’m a keeper.” She giggled as she made her way into the kitchen. I couldn’t stop staring as she disappeared into the house. Why did she have to leave?
“That didn’t take long.” Santino sat next to me.
“What?”
“You falling for her.”
“I haven’t fallen for anyone. We’re compatible. We’re getting to know one another.”
“Hmm...” He smirked. “I’m guessing Gianni’s condoms came in handy.”
“Seriously?” I rolled my eyes when I thought about my brothers having a laugh at my expense. “Did you get those emails I sent this morning?”
“Yeah, I filed the permits for Dom and Gianni. They shouldn’t have any issues with the building.”
“Good.” Dominick and Gianni ran a successful construction company. Even though they worked with my dad, he insisted they have a legitimate business. It made my mother happy. “Thanks for picking up the slack this week.”
“No problem.”
“You’re still not interested in real estate and property law, are you?”
“Nope.”
“You’re going to have to tell Dad what you want to do.”
“Let me take the bar first and then I’ll worry about it.”
“I’ll support whatever choice you make.” I patted his back. “I’m sure Dad will too.”
It must have been getting close to dinner time because everyone began making their way onto the patio. The staff carried in fresh rolls from our favorite bakery in Brooklyn and began placing them on the table.
“Do you like her?” Santino asked.
“Yeah, I think I do. She’s beautiful, smart, and didn’t run away the first chance she got. She could have left after the meeting yesterday but she’s here having dinner with us.”
“Mama is overjoyed.” He nodded toward our mother and Nadia as they came out of the house laughing. “One of us has a girlfriend.”
“Girlfriend?” I scoffed off that term. “What is this, high school?”
“Everyone,” my father said. “Please take a seat so we can enjoy this fantastic meal.”
Nadia came to join me as I pulled out a chair for her. “Thank you.” She put her wine down at her place setting before taking a seat.
“I hope my mother didn’t ask too many questions.” I sat next to her. “She can be a little intrusive.”
“She’s lovely.” She placed her napkin on her lap. “Your grandmother is very amusing.”
“More like inappropriate.” Gianni sat on the other side of Nadia. “That’s probably where I get it from.”
When Dominick sat across from me, I noted how quiet he’d been since I’d arrived. I wondered when he would stop being so suspicious and accept that Nadia and I meeting was a coincidence. There was no other explanation for it.
My father tapped his glass, quieting the table. We all looked in his direction as he spoke.
“I’d like to welcome our new friend to the table.” He nodded in Nadia’s direction. “We may not have met under the best circumstances but I’m a big believer in fate.”
I took her hand under the table and gave it a gentle squeeze.
“From this day forward,” my dad continued. “You are under our protection.”
“I hope that’s not necessary.” She raised her glass. “But I’m grateful to have met such a wonderful family.”
“To a long and happy friendship,” my father toasted.
Everyone held up their glass.
“As long as you keep that smile on my son’s face,” my mother said. “We’ll always be friends.”
“Thank you.” Nadia sipped her wine. “You’re all so welcoming.”
“I know how she’s keeping that smile on his face.” Gianni raised his glass. “Good for you, Vincenzo.”
“Gianni!” my mother scolded.
“Oh, please, Mama.” Dominick set his glass down. “We all know Gianni is your favorite.”
“I don’t have a favorite,” she said. “Gianni just requires most of my attention.”
“That’s true.” Gianni poured more wine into his glass.
“Nadia,” my mom said. “Thank you for joining us today.”
“I’m honored to be here.” She rested her hand on my thigh as I gazed into her eyes.
“Let’s drink to that,” my dad said. “Then we can eat.”
“La Familia.” Salvatore raised his glass.
“La Familia.” When my eyes connected with Dominick’s, I couldn’t help but notice the darkness in his expression.
Chapter Fifteen
NADIA
He’s A Mafia Prince
I’d never been so happy to see a Monday. Getting back into my routine was exactly what I’d needed. Not that I didn’t enjoy some parts of my adventure but I was glad to be back at the office and running my company. Now if my assistant would stop asking me questions about my whereabouts over the last few days, life would be much easier.
“I know you weren’t away on business.” Adele placed two papers for my signature in front of me.
“I told you it was personal.” I signed off on the forms. “Can we leave it at that?”
“Like a guy personal?”
Apparently she couldn’t leave it alone.
Adele had been with me since the start of my business venture. She’d become a very good friend over the years and we shared everything but I couldn’t tell her what had happened to me that night on the docks. Not without explaining why I was there. Not without putting her at risk. I wanted to put it all behind me. As far as I was concerned, I would never tell anyone what I had suspected. It was too dangerous.
“Maybe.” I sipped my iced tea as I played with a web design layout I’d been developing for an old client.
“What does that mean?”
“It means I don’t really want to talk about it now.” I looked up from my computer screen. “I have some catching up to do.”
“That’s what happens when you jump ship for five days. Work piles up.”
“I appreciate everything you and the others did while I was away. I couldn’t have managed without such an effective team.”
“But you don’t appreciate me enough to tell me where you were?” The hurt in her voice riddled me with guilt. “I get it.” She turned to exit my office. “I’ll email you the contract for the Lawson account.”
“I’m seeing someone,” I blurted out before she could leave.
“What?” She appeared shocked. “Who?”
“It’s a new thing and we’re getting to know one another. He asked me to go away with him for a few days and I accepted. It was very spontaneous.”
“You don’t do spontaneous, well, at least not with a guy.” She sat down on the chair across from my desk. “Where did you go?”
“A cabin in the woods.”
“With a stranger? Nadia? What if he was a serial killer?”
“He wasn’t.” I shifted in my seat because she h
ad no idea he’d saved me from a killer. “He’s an attorney with a prominent practice in the city.”
“Where did you meet him?” she asked. “On one of those dating sites? You’re far too uptight for one of those.”
“I am not.”
“You met him online?”
“No, we met at a restaurant.” I wanted to stick as close to the truth as possible, and she was right, I’d be too afraid to date a guy I met online. He could be a serial killer. I watch Criminal Minds. “There was an instant attraction. I took a chance and it’s paying off.”
“This is so unlike you but really cool.”
“Yeah?”
“You needed a change of pace. You’ve been a little off lately.”
“I haven’t been as focused as I should have been but it’s all good now.”
“I know the search for your dad has distracted you.” Adele crossed her legs. “Are there any developments on that front?”
“None.” I hated lying. “Actually, I’ve decided to take my mother’s advice and drop it.”
“How come?”
“The P.I. has hit nothing but dead ends.” Literally. “I think it’s best if I concentrate on the future.”
“The new guy?”
“That would be nice.”
“What’s his name?”
“Vince.” I checked my emails. “He’s funny, sweet, and sexy.”
“You really like him.”
“Let’s just say he came into my life at a time when I needed him.”
“Sounds like destiny.”
“Now that I’ve shared can I get back to work?” I glanced at the clock on my computer. “It’s after five. You should probably get going. You deserve to get out of here on time.”
“Well, there is a kickboxing class I’d like to make, so if you don’t mind?” She hopped off the chair. “I’m happy you met someone.”
“Thanks but like I said, it’s all new so I’m trying not to get too excited.” Who was I kidding? Vincenzo was all I thought about since he brought me home last night and kissed me at my door. Of course I invited him in and we...
“New love is the best time to get excited.” She headed for the door. “I need to see pictures of this hot guy.”
“I don’t have any.”
“No selfies on your getaway?” When she opened the door, she said, “Holy shit!”
“What?”
“Speaking of hot guys...” She motioned for me to join her. “Oh my God! Vincenzo Marchelli is in the lobby.”
“He is?” I walked around my desk, wondering why he was here. “How do you know him?”
“Who doesn’t know him? He’s a Mafia prince.”
“Seriously?” That couldn’t be farther from the truth.
“Okay, he’s a lawyer who deals in legitimate business.” She rolled her eyes. “His family owns Boss Wine among other businesses. Maybe they want to hire you for promo.”
“I saw the documentary.”
“It’s a great wine, isn’t it?”
“I had it with dinner yesterday.” I also had dinner with the actual Boss.
“What do you think he’s doing here?” She opened her mouth in surprise. “Do you think he’s dating Anna?”
“The intern?” She wasn’t Vincenzo’s type at all.
“Well, she’s cute and trendy and Italian.”
“I’m cute, trendy, and Italian.”
“Yeah but...” She thought for a moment. “Oh, wait! Vince?” The realization crossed her face in seconds. “The prominent attorney from the city? You’re fucking Vincenzo Marchelli?”
“Adele, shh!”
“Are you crazy? This is the man you spontaneously went into the woods with? Do you know how dangerous his family is?”
“They’re sweet people.” It was a good thing they were so dangerous or I might be dead. “I had dinner with them yesterday.”
“Oh, God. You’ve been single for years. You’re one of the most cautious people I know. How did this happen?”
“I don’t want to get into this right now.” I stepped out of my office. “You’re going to be late for kickboxing.”
“Maybe you should come with me.”
“Vincenzo.” I smiled when we made eye contact at the two of us gawking at him. “What are you doing here?” I met him in the lobby. “I didn’t expect to see you today.”
“I missed you.”
“It is our first full day away from one another.” I kissed his cheek, taking a moment to linger against his stubble. “How was your day?”
“Hectic. Yours?”
“Crazy.”
“Do you have time for a quick dinner? I have to meet a client in two hours a few blocks from here so I thought I’d see if you wanted to get together.”
“I can get away for a bit.” I glanced over my shoulder to catch Adele staring at me. “Kickboxing,” I reminded her. “You’ll be late.”
“I’m going.” She laughed but I saw the disbelief in her expression. “Hello, Mr. Marchelli.”
“Hi.” He shot her that sexy, half smirk of his. The one that made me fall hopelessly for his charms.
“Vincenzo, that’s Adele, my overbearing assistant.”
“You love me anyway.” She grabbed her bag and headed for the elevator to the parking garage. “See you tomorrow.” As she stepped onto the elevator she said, “I hope.”
“Good night.” I shook my head as the doors closed. “Don’t mind her.”
“What was that about?”
“She’s still giving me crap for my disappearing act last week.”
“What did you tell her?”
“That I met a great guy and he lured me away for a few days.”
“Did she buy it?”
“Why shouldn’t she?” I winked. “That is what happened.”
“I suppose it is.” He brought me to him. “Can I kiss you?”
“No one’s watching.”
“Even if they were watching, I’d still kiss you.” He took the sides of my face into his hands as he brushed his lips along mine. “I’ve been thinking about you all day.” He pressed his mouth to mine, kissing me softly. “I know we had to get back to the real world but I liked being hidden away with you.”
“As absurd as this sounds, because of the circumstances surrounding our being secluded, I needed that time away. I didn’t realize how much until I spent it with you.”
“Next time we’ll plan a real trip. One where we don’t have to hide.”
“And one where we can give co-workers notice?”
“Whatever works for you.” He kissed me again. “I’m here to please.”
“I like the sound of that.”
“This place is fantastic.” He glanced around as we walked to my office. “Very chic. I like it.”
“Thank you.” What started out as a small upstart in my apartment had turned into more than I ever could have imagined. “We moved here in January when we outgrew the basement space I was renting.”
“You must be doing well,” he noted. “The rent here isn’t cheap. I would know.”
“No, it isn’t but it’s a great location. I was fortunate that my mother had been saving for my education. I got a scholarship for college, so she gave me the money to put toward my venture.”
“That was very kind of her.”
“She really believes in me.” I shouldn’t have gone digging into her past. She’d always provided for me and gave me a good life. I understood her reasons more than ever about keeping my father’s identity a secret. The only good to come out of me learning his name was meeting Vincenzo. “I have a lot to thank her for. She had a tough life but she managed to make mine wonderful.”
“I’d like to meet her.”
How would my mother react when she found out I was dating a Marchelli? If the story was accurate, she had been in love with Vince’s uncle when he died. I’d have to tell her what I’d learned before I could introduce her to him.
“She’ll love you.” How cou
ldn’t she? “Let me get my bag and then we can go for something to eat.” I went to my desk and took my purse from the drawer. I tossed my phone in and quickly logged off my computer. “There’s this new restaurant down the street that has a delicious lobster mac and cheese.”
“Let’s do it.” He took my hand and led me to the lobby. “Do you have to lock up?”
“The art department is working on a deadline. I’ll stop by later and see what progress they’ve made. See if I can sign off on anything.”
“You could bring them back some mac and cheese,” he suggested as we stepped outside into the muggy evening.
“They’d love that.”
“I’ll talk to the chef when we get there and see what he can come up with.”
“Of course you will.” I giggled. “You get things done.”
“I told you, I’m here to–”
The loud banging noise followed by the screaming and scurrying of pedestrians on the sidewalk alerted me to a serious problem. That sound was becoming all too familiar. Vincenzo’s jaw tightened as he quickly looked around.
He grabbed me and tried to push me back inside, shielding me with his body as another round of shots were fired, shattering car windows and street lights. I couldn’t tell where they were coming from as high pitched screams filled the air. Before he could complete his task of getting me inside the building a large man took hold of my hand and started running with me, practically lifting me off the ground as he went. I kicked and yelled, trying to get him to release me but I didn’t want to stop running for fear of being hit with a bullet.
“Vince!” I shouted as I struggled with the stranger but with all the panic on the crowded Manhattan street, we became separated in a sea of frantic people. “Vincenzo!”
“Nadia!”
Chapter Sixteen
VINCENZO
This Is All My Fault
Nadia’s fingers slipped from my grasp as I tried to push her back into the building. Chaos filled the streets as people ran for shelter. She yelled my name but I couldn’t see where she was. or who she was with. There were too many people between us.
“Vince.” Tommy maneuvered me into the building. “Get inside.”
“No!” I tried to go back outside but he blocked the door. “Get out of my way.”
