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“Not possible.” He smiles sheepishly, tucking hair behind my ears, then wiping my cheeks with his thumbs. “I’ve been thinking. You need a break. A longer one, more than a night out somewhere. We could use time on our own too.”
Who am I to argue? “What did you have in mind?”
“How about a week in the Hamptons?” he inquires like it’s an everyday thing.
I didn’t expect him to be able to rattle off an answer like that. I figured this was sort of a hypothetical thing. “The Hamptons?” I ask since I’m pretty sure I didn’t hear him correctly.
“We have a vacation house there. I already spoke to Mama about it, and she’ll make sure the place is ready for us. It’s off-season, meaning it’ll be quieter, and we’ll have more freedom to wander around like so-called normal people.”
I’m still reeling from the surprise when he kisses the tip of my nose. “And maybe we’ll hammer out a plan for how to move forward with your parents while we’re up there. A little time in front of the fire and a dip in the heated pool, and we might be able to think a little clearer.”
“You had me at heated pool,” I tell him, throwing my arms around his neck while he laughs. A whole week away together. No family drama, no mafia war, nothing but the two of us. My heart is ready to soar. “So long as you’re sure it’s the right time for you to be away.”
“You’re going to have to let me worry about that,” he murmurs in my ear while rubbing my back. “You worry about what to bring with you. As far as I’m concerned, you don’t have to wear any clothes. If you want to go out in public, you might want to pack a few outfits.”
“If I have to…” I say, giggling when he growls. God, I love that sound.
Then he sighs, squeezing me again before loosening his grip so I can scramble out of his lap. “I need a shower and half a pot of coffee injected straight into my veins if there’s a hope of getting out of here for a week without getting my ass handed to me,” he grumbles. Stretching, he adds, “Let’s shoot for leaving tomorrow. The sooner we’re out of here, the better.”
The way he makes it sound, he needs this as much as I do. I imagine Dante will complain about his brother ducking out while so much is happening. No doubt Luca has that in mind when he groans his way through getting up and walking to the bathroom.
“I’ll make coffee,” I offer. It’s amazing how much brighter the world seems now. Luca is back. We have a plan to move forward and a week in the Hamptons to look forward to. Once I’ve set the coffee to brew, I take a deep breath and send a quick text to Mom.
Me: I’m going away for a week on a last-minute trip. When I come back, we’ll have dinner together. I have lots of good news to share.
I only need to convince her and Dad that this is good news.
14
LUCA
“That should cover everything.” I step back from my father’s desk and glance around the room. Francesco and Niccolo don’t wear much of an expression at all. It doesn’t matter to them that I plan on running off for a week, as my brother not so kindly put it. Probably because they’re not heartless assholes like he is.
Either that, or it’s because they don’t hate me the way he does.
“We’ll keep you in the loop,” Papa promises with a faint smile. He sounds stronger today, which helps a lot. I doubt I’d be able to stop worrying about him if he looked like hell before I left. “Go on, show the girl a nice time. Your mother and I spoke about this, and we agree it’s the right thing to do.”
Dante doesn’t bother disguising his bitterness, though even I’m surprised when he blurts out a laugh at Papa’s statement. Our father lifts his brows, and I can understand why. “Did I say anything funny?” he asks, tipping his head to the side and looking Dante up and down. “Please, let me know. Maybe I can laugh along with you.” Most full-grown men would find themselves on the verge of pissing their pants if the notorious Rocco Santoro asked that question. Hell, even Cesco squirms a little, then exchanges a glance with Nico.
Dante squares his shoulders. “Pardon me, but I have to say something. Am I living in an alternate reality where any of this makes sense?” When Papa only stares at him, Dante barks out another laugh and then continues his tirade. “The entire reason she’s here is because he can’t live without her, and now he’s going away for a week’s vacation when there are gun fights breaking out on the streets, and two of our strongest allies have lost business thanks to Vitali lashing out at them.”
He’s smirking when he turns to me. “But by all means, turn a blind eye. Think only about yourself and whether you’ll get your dick wet,” he concludes.
“I’m going to the Hampton house,” I remind him, forcing out every word when I’d much rather strangle the life out of him. “I’m not flying to Miami or LA, for fuck’s sake. If something happens, it’ll be easy to reach me, and you know it.”
“Fine, you want to be a stubborn prick about it? Let me remind you that you were almost assassinated barely a week and a half ago at the club. The club you swear is so fucking secure. Who’s to say something like that won’t happen while you’re away?” He’s so goddamn superior in his own mind. It would be funny if it weren’t so sad.
Nico clears his throat. “The club will be fine,” he offers, staring at Dante with no expression. Anyone who knows my cousin knows he’s at his most dangerous when he’s this calm, meaning my brother is treading on thin ice. “There are two more bouncers with handheld metal detectors. Nobody’s slipping past again.”
“Don’t pretend you’re really concerned about the club.” I grunt. “You’re pissy because, unlike you, I’ve got a life outside all of this. Sorry if you can’t understand the need to do things for other people. If you’d pull your head out of your ass?—”
His eyes fly open wide. “Doing things for other people? That’s all I ever fucking do,” Dante fires back, leaping out of his chair and glaring at me like he’s dying to hurt me. I couldn’t be happier. All I need is an excuse to take a swing at him, and he looks like he’s ready to go.
“Stop, for fuck’s sake.” Papa doesn’t have it in him to raise his voice, though somehow, his disappointment rings out louder the quieter he gets. “Dante, you seem to forget I still have final say around here, and I say your brother needs to take his girl away. She’s been true to her word so far. No trouble. She keeps to herself. We hardly know she’s here. She needs a little time away. If positions were switched, I would be just as much in favor of you getting out of here for a while.”
“The positions would never be switched,” Dante insists while glaring at me. “I wouldn’t put us in this position in the first place.” Because he can’t find a woman charitable enough to fuck him.
“Congratulations,” I reply, giving him a slow golf clap that makes his face go red. “You win. You’re the good son.”
