I smirk. “Both.”
“Riccardo…” she mutters, taking another sip of the coffee. “He’s going to be such a problem.”
“Then we'll handle him.”
“We?”She raises an eyebrow. “Careful. That almost sounds like you're invested.”
"I'm your husband. Kinda goes with the territory.”
Reaper pads over and sits at her feet, looking up at her with adoring eyes. She sighs, reaches down, and gives him three pats this time. Lucky guy.
Progress.
“I have calls to make,” she says. “Damage control. Board members who are going to panic when the news breaks about the marriage.”
She picks up her coffee and heads for the bedroom, which I guess is her default office now, at least until she feels comfortable working in the common areas with me and Reaper hanging around. I walk into the living room and drop onto the couch, thetelevision remote in my hand. Reaper hops up next to me and rests his head next to my leg.
Adriana suddenly stops. “Lochlan.” She turns to look at me.
“Yeah?”
“When Riccardo got up, you were there before I even registered the threat.”
“It was instinct.”
“No,” she says. “It was training. You were watching him the whole time, weren't you? Waiting for him to make a move.”
I don't deny it.
“I watch everyone. Occupational hazard, like I said.” I lean back and kick my feet onto the ottoman. “But yeah. Him especially.”
“Good,” she says. “That’s really good.” When she leaves this time, it’s for real. The bedroom door closes a few seconds later.
I flip on the television and absently channel surf, my mind tripping back to the way she handled that warehouse meeting, how she was fire and steel in front of those men, how she never once flinched even when that dick Riccardo called her out. She worried them, not because she was weak but because she didn’t crumble.
A smile plays at my lips. She's going to be something, this wife of mine.
And I'm going to be right there by her side when she brings the naysayers to their fucking knees.
CHAPTER 13
ADRIANA
My father looks so damnsmall in this bed.
That's the thing no one tells you about hospitals. They shrink people. Francesco DiMicheli, the man who commanded rooms just by walking into them, who made grown men nervous with a single look… he's just a body now. A body connected to tubes and wires and machines working to keep him alive and breathing.
I've been sitting at his bedside for an hour now, holding his hand and talking to him like he can hear me. I’ve never prayed as much as I have since the attack, and right now, all I want is for just one of those prayers to be answered.
Please, Dad. Just squeeze my hand, open your eyes, and let me know you’re here.
But nothing happens. No cue, no sign, no nothing. Just the beeping of monitors and machines.
Still, I hold out hope that maybe he can hear me. The doctors say it's entirely possible, that coma patients sometimes remember voices and conversations they heard while unconscious. So I talk.
“The meeting with the capos went well,” I say. “Better thanexpected. At least, that’s what Lochlan said.” A familiar fluttering in my belly happens at the second I mention his name, like I’ve just awoken a swarm of butterflies. I pause for a second. “He’s… different than I thought he’d be. I went into this expecting the worst, especially because of who his father is. But Lochlan isn’t like him. At least from what I’ve seen of him so far. And he’s supportive. I didn’t expect that. I figured he’d be power hungry and use this as a way to take over our interests. But he just stands by my side. He doesn’t try to control me. He’s just… there. In case I need him.”
I stroke the top of Dad’s hand. “And Riccardo… my God, Dad. I know you promised Zio Tony that you’d take care of him, but he is such a pompous ass. He tried to challenge me at the meeting. He accused me of being incapable of the role, tore me down in front of everyone. As if he could command one iota of respect from any of those men.” I allow a smile to tug at my lips. “He actually got up at one point and it looked like he was going to walk over to me. And Lochlan positioned himself right next to me, almost as a threat to Riccardo. And guess what? It worked. Riccardo didn’t come any closer. Vincenzo was there. He's been so good, so helpful. Thank goodness for him. He’s been a rock through all of this."
