“Can you be ready by six-thirty?”
“That’s two hours from now. Of course, I can be ready. Am I supposed to dress in a certain way?”
“No. Just wear whatever you feel comfortable in. And don’t forget your ring,” I add after a moment. That reminds me, I need to get her something better than that cheap band from the Vegas chapel. She doesn’t need a reminder of our less than stellar wedding on her finger.
She needs something sparkling and heavy, so that whenever she looks at it, she’ll think about what we can still become.
CHAPTER 10
BLAKE
“Blake, why don’t you tell us how you and Nero met?”
My gaze jumps to our hostess—Vita Ferraro—who’s giving me a smile from the other side of the oak dining table. I gulp down my wine. To say I’m feeling disoriented would be an understatement.
If someone asked me what I imagined the wife of a big mob boss to look like, Vita wouldn’t be it. She’s slim and lively, and she has an air of sophisticated elegance that’s both captivating and disarming. I had expected her to be cold and aloof. Instead, she radiates a warmth that makes me feel surprisingly at ease.
It’s confusing.
When my dad brought Maxton and me to the trailer park where he and many members of the Iron Raptors lived, there was no mistaking the fact that the people there were criminals. The place reeked of crime. In every corner, there seemed to be whispered secrets of illicit deals and violent confrontations. Conversations grew hushed as Maxton and I walked by—wewere outsiders and thus not to be trusted. It was a place where the rule of law had long been forgotten and replaced by a code of survival written in blood.
But it seems the Ferraros operate differently.
Their home—a penthouse even grander than Nero’s—is a tranquil setting.
There are no stray dogs with ribs showing, no broken windows patched with duct tape, and definitely no garbage littering the floors.
Instead, subtle notes of pine and lavender waft through the air. The sound of trickling water permeates the space like a gentle lullaby. Everywhere you look, there’s something beautiful. Whether it’s a piece of art on the wall, an ancient-looking vase on top of a dresser, or the glittering jewelry strung around Vita’s neck.
If I didn’t know who this family was, I never would have guessed that everything in here was paid for with blood money.
After I got over the initial shock of being invited here, I decided this would be the perfect opportunity to get smart. I’ll need help if I want to extricate myself from Nero’s iron grasp. I’ll need a damned passport, but I have no clue who to ask for that help.
First, I need to understand the rules of the game and the pieces on the chessboard. Tonight is my chance to do that.
Nero squeezes my hand lightly under the table, reminding me Vita’s waiting for an answer.
I take another sip of wine before answering. “He moved in next door to me, and then he set my house on fire so that I’d date him.”
Nero coughs, nearly choking on his wine, and I can’t help but feel a bit of satisfaction at his reaction. Did he want me to make up some story? He should have given me an indication of that if that was the case. Instead, he did his best to avoid answering most of my questions about the Ferraros on the drive over.
It’s like he wants to keep me in the dark.
“Well, that’s certainly one way to make an impression,” Gino Ferraro says with a chuckle, his eyes sparkling with amusement.
Cosimo Ferraro, the only sibling who’s joined us for this dinner, regards Nero with a scowl. “So that’s what you have to resort to in order to get a woman within five feet of you?”
“At least I didn’t need my daddy to arrange my marriage for me,” Nero responds without missing a beat.
Cosimo’s eyes narrow.
Vita’s smile doesn’t waver, but there’s a slight tightening around her eyes. “Boys, let’s not forget we’re here to enjoy a pleasant evening.”
Nero gives a curt nod and slightly loosens his grip on my hand.
“I have a hard time imagining you in a small town, Nero,” Gino says. “You must have been very bored.”
“At first, but Darkwater Hollow grew on me. Especially after I met Blake.”
