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Trust my loving, gorgeous woman to see it that way.
How’s the party preparation going? I ask.
Good, except Lexi is refusing to come.
Why?
She thinks Colt might be there. For some very suspicious reason, she doesn’t want to see him again. I’ve never seen her like this before. It’s almost like she’s smitten. It’s crazy.
I just got off the phone with Colt, I tell her. He won’t be there. In fact, I think it’s for the same reason. He was worried about seeing Lexi.
Luca, do you think…
She hasn’t finished her thought in the message, but I know what she’s asking. Do I think the same thing is happening with them? Do I think they’ll get a chance at a burning, impossible-seeming connection, too?
Maybe there’s a spark there, I text. But if there is, it will never come to anything.
Lexi deserves to be happy, Ruby replies.
I know. So does Colt, but in all the years I’ve known him, I’ve never gotten the sense he’d let his defenses down. Even if he does feel something, he’ll bury it. I think he’d leave the city, the state, and the country before letting himself go down that road.
He’s that heavy? she messages.
Heavier. If you think I was broody and angry when we first met, he’s worse. But let’s not think about him. Let’s think about us. Let’s think about the future.
I suppress a sigh, my mind flitting to my niece, her bright smile, and the unique mixture of Elio and Scarlet in her eyes. I won’t leave my woman, so if that means waiting, I will wait. Yet I can’t deny there’s a spark in me that won’t stop thrumming, a roar deep inside, telling me to put a baby in her young, curvy body as soon as possible.
But it’s like I keep telling her. We’ve got all the time in the world.
“I let that prick dupe me,” Elio says in disgust as we ride the limo to the party.
Scarlet places her hand on his arm. “Don’t beat yourself up. You were worried about Luca.”
“I saw that video, and I…”
“And you wanted to protect your brother,” Dad says gruffly. “You thought you were doing the right thing. Scarlet’s right, Elio. You can’t blame yourself. Look, it all worked out in the end.”
Elio glances at me, a note of his old darkness returning until Scarlet giggles and reaches over, pinching his lips and pushing them up into a smile. “There, all better.”
He chuckles, playfully moving her hand away before shuffling closer to her.
“I hope everybody enjoys the party,” Mom says, wringing her hands. “Or do you think it’s too much? I just don’t want you boys fixating on all this nastiness.”
“Nastiness?” Dad grunts. “Because of Luca, this city’s a better place. One less corrupt politician. One less… Well, the less said about what his son did, the better.”
“I agree,” Scarlet says, shivering. “What a monster.”
I rest my head against the window, watching the city drift by, a tight, excited shimmering in my stomach when I think about seeing my woman. It sparks through me like I haven’t seen her in years, not hours.
“I don’t think there’s much chance of Luca clinging to all this pain,” Mom teases, smiling over at me. “You look like a puppy dog waiting for a treat… and Ruby’s your treat, right?”
“Mom, there are so many issues with how you phrased that.”
She’s not wrong, though. Ruby makes this all worth it. Ruby makes everything worth it. With her, I don’t have to disappear into drink, into reflection on everything that’s happened. I don’t have to dwell.
My phone vibrates. We’re here, Luca. This place is great. Are you going to arrive soon? I miss you…
My smile widens as I compose a reply.
CHAPTER 28
Ruby
I stand at the edge of the party with Lexi, trying to cheer her up. When we arrived at the large function hall, complete with a band, an open bar, and a full buffet—Alessia really knows how to throw a short-notice shindig—Lexi took one look around and then scowled, going straight for the bar.
She’s wearing a dress, which is unusual for her, her hair styled. She’s not saying it, but I think she’s annoyed that Colt isn’t here, even though I warned her he wouldn’t be.
“Look,” I say, gesturing across the party to where my and Luca’s parents are talking, both of them laughing as they share some joke. “It’s almost surreal, isn’t it? Seeing those two get along?”
Lexi forces a smile, but I can tell it’s difficult for her. “I’m happy for you,” she says.
I place my hand on her arm. “You’ll find?—”
She cuts me off with a somehow aggressive burst of laughter. “I don’t want to find anything or anyone,” she says. “I’m going to get another drink.”
Before I can tell her she probably doesn’t need one, she walks across the party dance floor. Even the mafia men step out of her way like she’s a force of nature.
