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“Not even close.”
“Gotcha.”
“Dinner will be served promptly at six,” my mother announced. “You’ll be staying in the third-floor guest rooms. Joel will make certain your bags are delivered. In the meantime, please excuse us. We have a few more details to discuss before the celebration tomorrow. Oh, and Maxwell will be joining us this evening. Do make sure you’re on your best behavior, Emory.”
She and my father left the room, the clickety-clack of her heels against the hardwood floors was the only sound to be heard besides the whoosh of air which left my lungs. Joel snapped his fingers and two butlers, I hadn’t noticed, appeared. They each picked up our luggage and strode to the elevator, which was hidden on the backside of the stairs.
“Let the games begin,” Gigi deadpanned.
Chapter 9
Luciano
IT WAS OFFICIAL. We were in hell. I had absolutely no idea how my sweet Emory not only survived being raised by these arrogant assholes, she thrived and came out better on the other side.
Actually, I did. Her grandmother.
We spent the remainder of the afternoon in the company of Miss Imogene as we explored a bit of New York. Stopping at a nearby food truck, we grabbed lunch, then walked a few blocks to Central Park where we enjoyed our hotdogs while people watching.
Emory was relaxed and smiling, a far cry from the bundle of nerves she’d turned into the moment the plane landed. It was obvious the city held very few good memories for her but I desperately wanted to change that, if only for a little while.
Excusing myself from the pair, I trekked to a nearby booth. After shelling out a few hundred bucks, I made my way back to my beauty. Taking each of their hands, I helped them off the bench.
“Ladies. Your chariot awaits.”
Emory gasped and squealed as the horse-drawn carriage stopped in front of us. When she threw her arms around my neck and peppered my face with kisses, I vowed to buy her a team of horses when we got back to Mountain Grove. Especially if that was the kind of reward I received for a paltry hour-long ride.
John, our tour guide, exited his seat and quickly introduced us to the beautiful chestnut-colored horse named Lucy before helping us into the four-passenger carriage. After handing us a few blankets to ward against the slight chill in the air, he returned to the front of the carriage.
The clippity-clop of the horse’s hooves against the pavement unleashed a level of serenity I’d never seen before in Emory. Weaving our fingers together, she tilted her head toward me. Her eyes twinkled with barely contained excitement and her lips parted in an ear-to-ear grin. It was then that she went from my beauty…to my everything.
I relished the few short hours we’d have to enjoy ourselves before we were forced to deal with her wretched parents once more. Add her brother to the mix and I was certain our evening would be one for the memory books. The only saving grace was her grandmother. I had a feeling, if left alone, Imogene could and would enjoy causing a whole host of problems for her daughter and the senator. And after the shitshow I witnessed earlier, I wasn’t all that fired up to stop her.
“The last time I rode in one of these was with your grandfather, Emory. God rest his soul.”
“I don’t remember much about him, Gigi.” She leaned into my side. “But I do know he loved you very much.”
For the next few minutes, Imogene regaled us with her epic love story. She’d met Thomas in high school when his family moved to town in the middle of the school year. He’d volunteered to be her partner in chemistry, then promptly asked her out. From then on, until his last breath, they’d been inseparable.
“We had twenty-six wonderful years together,” she stated wistfully. “I wish he were here now though. He’d definitely be able to suss out whatever this foolishness is your dim-witted parents have concocted.”
Emory chuckled, then asked, “What makes you think they’re up to something?”
Imogene didn’t say a word, she simply raised her eyebrow and cocked her head to the side. Yeah, she’d picked up on the same vibes I had. There was something other than a simple reelection campaign happening. Unfortunately, Rico hadn’t uncovered anything we didn’t already know when I had him dig into the upcoming rally. In fact, he couldn’t find any hint of nefarious activity on the senator at all…not even a whisper. Either he was good, or the feds were way off course. Both were a possibility I contemplated, but in my humble opinion, Rico simply hadn’t looked in the right places yet.
The hour carriage ride flew by way too fast and I was about ready to suggest going for another round when Imogene yawned. It was fascinating to watch Emory and her grandmother together—both of them caretakers in their own right—as they each fussed over one another. They had a special bond, which rivaled the one my family shared.
It didn’t take long to walk back to the apartment on Park Avenue. Once there, Emory decided to have a nap with her grandmother, leaving me alone to make a few phone calls in our room.
“How’s New York?” Rico answered.
“It was a chilly reception and I don’t mean the weather.”
“That’s harsh, Fratello.”
“Indeed. Do you have anything new for me?” I probed.
“On the senator? No, but I decided to do a little look-see at your future brother-in-law.”
