by Zavi James
The icy anger washed over me again. This was the first time I’d seen him since the truth had been broken to me. Every inch of my body hummed with the killer instinct that lay in me. Maybe I could have let it go if I’d known the truth and no one else had been involved, but I’d seen Dad, Hector, and Mia all suffer because of his secret. I could pull my gun, take the shot, and watch him bleed out, and my soul would find peace. The only problem was if I did that, the family would be thrown into disarray and then we’d be in more danger than we were now.
He gestured to the chair beside Gabriel. Biting the insides of my cheek, I took the seat and said, “If you’d mentioned it was dinner, I would have made sure I was punctual.”
“Must have slipped my mind.” No apology. Nothing to show that it was his mistake and not mine. This was how these things always played out. Dante shot me a fleeting look from across the table and I knew he wondered how and why I’d been suckered into this. And with that, dinner was brought to the table for us to play out the charade of a normal, happy family who did this regularly.
“I’m surprised that you didn’t bring Mia along with you,” Xavier said, looking at me from over the top of his glass.
“Pregnancy’s been an experience,” I replied calmly. “She needs to rest. Plus, I don’t make a habit of bringing Mia to a job.”
“Of course. Next time I’ll be clearer about the invite.” He placed his glass down and leaned back in his chair. “I’m sure all the excitement from your engagement has worn her out. Gabriel did mention the spectacle you made of yourself at her birthday.”
The news would have reached Xavier through the grapevine, but it had taken a more direct route through Gabe. If he couldn’t win favor with everyone else with Mia by his side, then he’d try to win favor with Xavier by making us look bad. It would have made for an easier life to let Gabe tie himself into knots and eventually try to take out his father, our father, but I couldn’t rely on him knowing his left from his right most days. Execution wasn’t Gabriel’s forte.
“Good thing she agreed.” It was clipped and I reminded myself that I needed to relax.
“Honestly, I’m surprised you’ve let her back into your life after everything she did.”
“Dad,” Tori said through gritted teeth. “Why are you interrogating him? I’m not sure this is an appropriate topic of conversation for dinner.”
“Why not? I want to make sure the family is safe, Vittoria. That you’re all set in your future, and that includes having a suitable partner.” A not so subtle dig at Dante who did well to hold still in his chair. “Did you find out why she left?”
I dropped my gaze onto the plate in front of me. I prayed that my face gave nothing away as I said, “Hector. She couldn’t cope with the grief. I should have known better than anyone just how much it would affect her. I should have understood.”
“She’s back now,” Dante said, and I looked up at him, grateful that he was playing along. His words were quiet and solemn. “There’s no point dwelling on the past when you have so much to look forward to.” I almost choked on the sip I’d taken from my glass. He’d get the fridge magnet he requested, and I would stick it straight up his ass for playing games right now.
“How profound,” Xavier said, sounding unimpressed. “I would advise you to stay cautious, Lucas. You’ve embarrassed this family enough.”
“Xavier,” Emilia said. His name was not a warning but a plea. My Godmother had always been timid when it came to her husband.
He sniffed and relented. “I suppose you’ll want to find out who was responsible for Hector’s death.”
“Dad!” Vittoria slapped a hand on the table. “That is definitely not appropriate for dinner. Business can wait until after we’re done. I’m sorry, Luc.”
Dante placed a hand over hers and the look Tori shot him would have made a weaker man wince. “It’s not business; it’s family. He’s just making sure we’re all safe. There’s no guarantee that whoever went for Hector might not go for someone else who’s close to us.” He was going all out to keep our cover.
“It’s fine, Tori,” I assured her before returning my attention back to Xavier. “I think it would give Mia some much needed closure to find out who did it. I’m holding off though. As I said, I don’t want anything upsetting her during the last months of her pregnancy. Speaking of which,” I looked to Gabe, “Katia Schultz seems to be taking great joy in telling everyone that my son may be yours. I know you’ll put her right on that misunderstanding.”
In the periphery of my vision I could see Xavier’s expression tighten. He wouldn’t want that association with his family name. Too much scandal for the clean image he wanted to project.
“I have no idea why she’d think such a thing,” Gabe said to me, words flat and even. “I’ll make sure she’s put right.” Gabe created the mess, so Gabe could clean it up.
“I understand you not wanting to upset her in her current condition,” Xavier said, ignoring his son’s misdemeanor. Knowing Xavier, it would be dealt with in private rather than at the table. “But as Dante said, we’ve let it lie for long enough, and with Mia back we need to ensure we don’t have a similar incident. We wouldn’t want anything else to scare her off. I’m more than happy to offer my assistance. Take the pressure off the both of you.”
We were all reckless, all a little risk inclined. You didn’t get where we were by being cautious, but the brazenness of Xavier to ask to hunt for the murderer, for himself, sat heavy on my chest. He’d “find” the perpetrator and an innocent man would pay for his sins, just as they always did. Only this time it wouldn’t rest as easily on my conscience.
“Thanks for the offer but I think it’s best left with me,” I told him.
“Times like these are when you should rely on family. Your father wouldn’t forgive me if I didn’t offer you and your family some assistance.”
My skin prickled as he mentioned Charlie. “I’m sure he’d be grateful for the offer. But I really think Mia would appreciate this situation being dealt with by us. It’s still raw for her.” That wasn’t a lie. Something in Mia had shifted since her father’s death, and I was sure she’d raise hell if I told her Xavier was planning to play detective. Even I couldn’t bring myself to ask her to take part in that charade. Plus, if we wanted to start gaining support, I’d need to distance myself from Xavier again.
“Whatever you feel is best. You know the door is always open should you need me.”
“Great,” Tori cut in. “Can we leave business at the door now?” Her request was granted as we lapsed into simpler conversations consisting of plans for the holidays and the De Salvo wedding. Xavier made no more comments on the choices I’d made in my life, and I feigned interest in the conversation while my mind whirled with violent and bloody thoughts.
When dinner concluded, I kissed Emilia on the cheek and felt my skin crawl as I clasped hands with Xavier and thanked him once more for his offer to help. I stepped out into the night and had almost reached the car when a hand landed on my shoulder and I turned back to see Dante behind me.
“Do you think he suspected anything?” he asked, barely moving his lips despite the fact the door to the house had closed and Tori was sitting in the passenger seat of his car.
“I don’t know.” It was the truth. Xavier had given nothing away, but I didn’t trust that he didn’t have some suspicion that Mia would have told me her side of the story. “You’re the best person to know whether there’s anything going on behind closed doors.” My eyes flicked to Tori and then back to Dante. She would be the key to knowing if there was any change in the Moretti household, and that would tell us how best to plan our next move.
“I’ll let you know if I hear anything.”
With a curt nod, Dante left to return to his car, and I slipped into mine, ready to get home to Mia.
Chapter Thirty Six
Mia
News of our engagement had spread faster than either of us had expected, and with Luc’s forgiveness and willingness t
o admit me back into the family, we welcomed a change in attitude from others. Cards and flowers arrived at the new address and littered the available surfaces. This was the beginning of our work.
Life fell into a routine that had become comfortable, where Luc went to work, often bringing it home with him. On those nights, I played host. I laughed at jokes and offered food and coffee, asking after wives and children that I’d yet to meet properly. It was a way to test the waters and let people warm to the idea of me again. On Sundays, much to my dismay, I attended church by Luc’s side, head bowed in the pews, trying to find some peace with the Creator who had put me in this situation. Luc and Dante felt it was best I at least showed my face if we planned to christen the baby. All our spare time was spent trying to get the house in order so we could stop living out of boxes.
This weekend welcomed a break from the usual routine. We’d traveled south to celebrate the De Salvo wedding. I didn’t know Marcus or Eliza personally, but Luc had ties and by the looks of the congregation, anyone with even a vague thread that linked to the couple had been invited and accepted.
“Please, promise me we won’t have these numbers at our wedding,” I muttered under my breath as we slid into our seats.
“Promise,” Luc said. “It’ll be bigger.”
I turned around to him with wide eyes, praying that it was a joke but knowing that it was the truth. I’d refused to think about the wedding when we had so many other pressing matters to deal with. But it was difficult not to wonder just how ours would play out when we were surrounded by guests and flowers and dresses. Then the sobering thought of if we got to that day intruded and popped my blissful bubble.
By the time Marcus and Eliza had sealed their nuptials with a kiss, the sense of love and commitment had taken over again and tears escaped my eyes. Luc handed me his pocket square, looking amused. “You’re soft, Griffin.”
“Be grateful we’re in a church or I’d tell you what I think of you,” I said, snatching the square from him and dabbing at my face.
He laughed as we followed the couple from church to the reception venue, Dante and Tori nearby. Over the past few weeks, I’d only seen them together a few times, but Dante’s smile was brighter when he was around her, his aura calmer. A pair of fingers caught my chin, turning my head so that I looked directly into my fiancé’s eyes. “Stop,” he told me quietly as Dante and Tori walked past us into the venue. Luc had an uncanny sixth sense of knowing when I was about to spiral.
Guilt still settled too easily into the cracks of my conscience. I wasn’t seasoned in justifying every move the way Luc was. “She’s going to hate him when she finds out. She’s going to hate us.” I don’t know whether it was the wedding or seeing them happy together, but I suddenly found it hard to breathe.
“He’ll deal with that when the time comes.”
“Luc, he’s happy. We’re going to take that away from him.”
He leaned in, resting his head against mine. “Mia, princess, listen to me. We aren’t taking anything away from him. Dante made a decision. He chose his family. He chose duty. You need to make a choice. Love, you’re not going to be able to keep everyone happy and you’re not going to have everyone like you. What matters more? Their happiness or your son?”
And just like that, Luc placed the entire situation back into perspective with words similar to what Carmen had told me. Successful people didn’t care about the opinion of others. I loved Dante. He was like the brother I never had but I loved my son more. Despite the rocky start and all the doubts, I’d had about having this baby, I loved him in a way words couldn’t describe and I would lay my life on the line for him without question.
Luc moved in and kissed my lips. “Get out of your head and let’s enjoy the reception.”
With a nod, I laced our fingers together and we walked into the venue. White and violet decorated the space, large flower arrangements at the center of every table, and people bustled about trying to find their seats. Luc’s words echoed in my head. I could not keep everyone happy and not everyone would like me. Funny, because I was trying to keep everyone happy and make sure that everyone liked me enough that they’d support us.
“Would you like to dance?” Luc asked. The bride and groom had just finished their first dance and couples were joining them on the floor.
“I have a limited range of movement, thanks to your son.” The last few weeks had seen my small bump suddenly pop to something much more prominent. There was no hiding the fact that baby boy was close to making his entrance into the world.
“Oh, he’s my son?”
“When he’s causing me this much discomfort, he’s your son.”
“Lucas.” We both looked up to see Marcello Russo at our table. His silvery hair was combed back, and his suit hung loosely on his frame. “Mia. You look beautiful.” He took my hand and pressed a kiss to the back of it. A sweet lie considering I looked like a whale, but I offered him a smile. “May I have a word with your husband?”
“He’s not quite earned that title yet,” I told him. Marcello was kind enough to me when we saw him at church. He made the effort to speak to me rather than ignore me and carry out a conversation with Luc. “You can take him; just be sure to return him.”
“Of course.”
Luc rose from his seat and gave me a quick kiss before he walked away with Marcello. As they disappeared into the sea of guests, I slipped my feet out of the heels and let the blood flow back into my toes. Less than a month to go before my body would belong to myself again, and I was looking forward to being able to breathe and move easily once more. As I leaned back in my seat, I noticed a pair walking in my direction. Jonah and Katia. I hoped they were heading to another table but Jonah locked eyes with me and smiled and I sat up straight in my seat.
“Hello, Mia,” Jonah greeted me. I got up from my seat and he pressed a kiss to both of my cheeks. “It’s been a beautiful day, no?”
“Beautiful,” I repeated. “Eliza’s glowing.” Casting a glance over at the couple, Eliza was wrapped in Marcus’ arms, her smile causing her eyes to crinkle at the corners.
“It’ll be your turn soon enough. Congratulations on your engagement.”
“Thank you.”
The air of awkwardness hung between the three of us until Jonah cleared his throat. “My wife would like to say something to you.”
I’d avoided Katia at all costs. Her comments had hit deeper than I liked to admit, and I had no intention of putting myself directly in the firing line. It was a small comfort that Luc had given little time to the couple following the day we’d bumped into them at the baby boutique. Now, dressed in deep red satin that clung to her willowy figure, Katia looked unsure of herself. When she looked at me, a rosy blush tinged her cheeks.
“Katia,” Jonah all but hissed and pulled his wife forward so she was in front of me.
“I wanted to apologize for some… comments I made regarding your pregnancy.”
“Oh?” The apology had caught me off guard.
“I was misinformed,” she continued, every word sounding strained. “I shouldn’t have listened to the gossip.”
Listened? She shouldn’t have been the one who started the rumor in the first place and then fanned the flames until everything was ablaze.
“It’s understandable that you and Lucas would be upset,” Jonah pitched in, realizing his wife wasn’t helping the situation by much. “That you might not want to—” He cleared his throat again. “Luc might not feel comfortable doing business with us, but we wanted to offer our sincerest apologies.”
I thought Luc had only stopped interacting with Jonah in social circles. I hadn’t realized that it had extended into business and business was what mattered here. “Luc’s a rather unforgiving man,” I said to him and his muscles twitched. They’d come to me with their apology because they knew this, because they knew Luc would listen to me. If I forgave them then Luc would likely follow suit. “I’ll pass on your apology. I’m sure it’s all a misund
erstanding.”
The relief flooded Jonah’s features and he nodded. “I’d appreciate that, Mia. We’ll leave you to enjoy the evening.”
“Have a good night, both,” I said, and then turned away. I couldn’t help but call out after them. “Katia!” She looked back over her shoulder at me. “Don’t believe everything you hear.” She flushed pink again before turning away and stalking off after her husband.
My heart fluttered in my chest. There was something intoxicating about holding all the power, having people depend on you for what they wanted. Not everyone had to like you. They just needed to respect you.
Chapter Thirty Seven
Lucas
Marcello steered us around the edge of the dance floor where, central to all the action, Marcus held onto his newly crowned wife with a smile wide enough to split his face. Looking at the scene, you could mistake it for a beautiful celebration of two lives coming together under the eyes of God, which it was. However, it was also an alliance between two families: a well-crafted business deal that would keep tensions below boiling point. It just so happened that Marcus and Eliza were well matched enough that both were happy with the arrangement.
There was a sense of pride, perhaps a feeling of superiority in knowing that my own marriage would not be one designed by family members in hopes of avoiding bloodshed. We’d had our own problems, aired publicly, and done things out of line with tradition, but my relationship with Mia was not formed out of the need to placate the masses. Quite the contrary, our relationship seemed to be one that made some, in particular one, feel uneasy because of how unexpected it was.
Mia’s face when she’d seen the number of guests was priceless. She’d need to let go of her modest roots and throw herself into this properly. It wasn’t enough anymore to sit on the sideline and compromise on a life that was the midpoint between what we both knew. The balance was never going to tip in her favor. It was laughable to imagine me walking away from the job and living some white picket fence dream where I clocked out early to pick up the kids from soccer practice. Mia would need to allow herself to be corrupted by money and power.
