She’d be safe—safer than working alongside the mafia, at least. But so long as I work for Dante, there will always be threats. Threats to my wife, my son, the family.
Even with the DeLucas dead, there are always rivals, new and old. You don’t run an organization without creating a few enemies along the way.
I pull back, stalking toward the door.
“Luca?” Harper’s voice is soft and warm, like honey, filled with concern. “Love, where are you going?”
“I don’t want anything to happen to you.”
Thirty
Harper
Luca is so damn broody. From the moment I admitted I wasn’t sure I wanted to keep the baby, to him telling me that he’d let me out of my obligations to the mafia, he’s been like a dark storm cloud. Worse, his mood seems to be contagious around here.
Liam and Ashton have been no better. Ashton has been moping around even more since his breakup with Nova. I swear they’ll figure it out and get back together, but it hasn’t happened yet. Liam, on the other hand, he’s been even more protective of Sophia, now that she’s working for Dante. Questioning where she’s going, what she’s doing. It’s unnerving for her and annoying as hell for me to listen to daily.
Dare I admit I’m worried about Luca, but telling him that, it’ll only make him more focused on me.
That’s not what I want.
Zeke is at preschool during the afternoon, which makes studying between classes easier. My mind has been a haze since the abduction. Whenever I’m outside, I find myself glancing over my shoulder, taking note of the people around me.
I’ve been carrying mace on my keychain and a small Swiss Army knife in my backpack, a sort of just in case.
Livia DeLuca is dead.
I shouldn’t have to fear a dead woman. The entire organization died with her in that second explosion, when Rhys sacrificed himself.
He was named on the news as a war hero who police believe witnessed Harper’s abduction and took it upon himself to save her.
At least that’s the story that was spun, making it so that Rhys didn’t die in vain.
Doesn’t mask the pain that he’s still dead.
I’ve seen the grief in Nova’s gaze, the tears she tries to hide. At least Ashton has been there to comfort her.
“How’s the studying going?” Ashton saunters by me, glancing at my books.
“I have to write a paper, and I can’t get more than a few sentences out before deleting all of it and starting over.”
“Sounds frustrating.”
I huff under my breath. “Understatement of the century.”
That gets a smile out of him.
“What are you up to?” I glance up at him; it’s not like him to be home already from classes. Or he’s usually spending every waking hour with Nova. Those two were practically like Velcro before the breakup.
He bites down on an apple and sighs, grabbing the chair at the table, turning it around to sit backward on it as he faces me. “I need your help.”
“That depends,” I say, unsure what he wants help with and if I’m willing to do it. It’s not like I don’t have a lot going on as it is, but I’m willing to listen.
Ashton nods. “Fair enough. I need your help in winning back Nova.”
I open my mouth and shut it. “I don’t know, Ashton.”
He stares at me, silently pleading for help. I swear he’s giving me the sad puppy dog eyes and pouty lip.
