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“My point,” Matteo said.
I pressed my lips together, not sure what to say or do. If Nevio had really wanted to cover up his tracks, he would have done a better job. This kill probably served two purposes: control me and provoke the Famiglia.
I feared he’d succeed in doing both.
“I accepted that he came to New York to slaughter the people responsible for Greta’s attack, I even accepted him being here for the wedding, but I don’t want the fucker in our city whenever he damn well pleases. I’d still love to slice his throat open for what he did to Isa and Gianna, and if he crosses my path in the next few days, I sure as fuck will show him my favorite knife,” Matteo said.
Aria cleared her throat, and we all turned toward the open door. She looked furious. She was one of the few people I knew who still managed to look gorgeous as she did. Her fists were propped up on her hips. “We promised Fabiano to keep Aurora safe, but now you’re questioning her and saying all these inappropriate things to her. This is unacceptable.”
Luca sighed. “It’s also unacceptable to have Nevio running rampant in my city.”
“Do we know it’s him?” she asked.
“We suspect it.”
“Why would he even be here?”
All eyes turned to me once more.
“Why did you want to leave Las Vegas?” Luca asked.
“Maybe there was someone there who made her feel uncomfortable. I don’t want to be the poor woman Nevio puts his sights on,” Matteo said.
“Nevio hasn’t set his sights on me. Nevio only cares about the Camorra and violence.”
Matteo gave me a shark grin. “That’s what everyone said about his old man too, and then he kidnapped a poor woman, and now they live their happily ever after.”
The story of how Serafina and Remo became a couple still shocked me, though I’d known about it for a while. How could you fall in love with someone who kidnapped you to destroy your family?
“Like father like son. They both like blondes,” Matteo said.
I blushed. “We’re not—”
“Did he do something? Is he threatening you?” Aria asked in a motherly tone as she crossed the room and gently touched my shoulder. I appreciated her support, but at the same time, it made me feel even guiltier for having brought trouble to their doorstep. “We can protect you from everything, and Fabiano would stop at nothing to protect you too. He was willing to break with the Camorra for your mother.”
That was exactly what I feared. If Dad found out, his bond with the Falcones would suffer or even break.
Nevio had hurt me. I wasn’t even that concerned about the physical aspect, even if I hated how I’d lost my virginity to him, how he didn’t even remember. But Nevio hadn’t intended to hurt me, not physically at least, because he hadn’t realized it was me.
I still hated him for that night and for everything that came after. But I wouldn’t try to get revenge on him through my dad or Luca. I wouldn’t risk everyone’s safety because I had been stupid enough to fall for someone like Nevio.
I knew what kind of person he was.
“I don’t need protection,” I said firmly, and it wasn’t even a lie. Nevio wasn’t out to hurt me, only everyone else.
Valerio or Flavio and, on a few occasions, even Luca played my bodyguard since the latter’s presence was a bit disconcerting. It wasn’t that I wasn’t used to the intensity of a Capo—I’d grown up around Remo, after all—but I had never been alone with him. It felt awkward and also nerve-wracking because I knew why the Capo himself had decided to keep me safe. Though I wasn’t even sure this was about my safety. None of them could believe that Nevio was a danger to me. They wanted to capture him in their territory, and I was the bait.
I really hoped Nevio wasn’t cocky enough to risk contacting me again while I was under close watch. Maybe I was worrying for nothing, and he’d actually returned to Vegas. Greta had assured me she’d sent him a message, but she wasn’t sure if he’d followed her advice. She’d also mentioned that her dad, Remo, was seething since Luca had told him about the strange events in New York. Maybe he’d find a way to stop his son.
“Listen, Nevio, I have no clue what’s going on in your head, but your father is ready to explode. Luca called to ask about you and your dad lied that you were here. You need to return,” Alessio muttered.
“I’ll be back tomorrow,” I said, then hung up. After a week in New York, my job here was done. Aurora understood that I was dead serious. I wouldn’t let some random asshole flirt with her without consequences.
Not to mention that Luca had upped his protection for Aurora. Tomorrow the whole Vitiello clan would go to the Hamptons for a few weeks.
Returning home would definitely lead to a big conflict with Dad. I’d ignored all of his messages, and the same went for the messages from pretty much everyone else.
When I left the airport the next day, Dad was already waiting for me. His expression made it clear he was ready to kill me. It wasn’t the first time, but I had a feeling he was closer to the end of his patience than ever before.
