Page 29 of Sicilian Savior

Would I have hobbies? Passion projects? I’d never been allowed any as Victor’s trophy wife. He’d kept me employed as the woman on his arm who entertained his guests and raised his child. He told me what to wear, what to say to his friends, and how to act. Now, my store would keep me busy and hopefully support us financially, but I wondered what other interests I may find. More importantly, what did I want? What would provide food for my soul?

With a shiver of anticipation, I realized that Luca could have friends come over after school for cookies and playtime. He hadn’t really had many in New York after I found out Victor’s true identity. What kind of mother would allow any other children into our dangerous household? After realizing I’d married a monster, Luca and I had lived a very isolated life. I hoped that in our new world he could make lots of friends.

Would we find some normalcy after everything we’d been through? Pleasure in the mundane? I could only imagine how traumatized Luca would be after spending a year with Victor, but I held out hope that my sweet boy would recover and we could find our new normal together. Our happiness. A life filled with love and joy.

A life that would start the minute Knox carried him back to my arms.

“Do you want to eat your cannoli now or when we get back?” I asked, holding up the bag.

“I’ll eat it when—” He froze, his eyes sharpening as he locked onto something.

“What is it?” I asked.

“Get behind me,” he answered. “Casually. No sudden movements. Act natural but stay out of sight.”

I did exactly as he said, even though I wanted to ask him what was going on. I slid around his body, staying close but keeping my reactions as natural as possible.

“I’m gonna turn around and put my arm around you and head us back to the car. Don’t look over your shoulder. Don’t draw any attention. Just walk with me. Understood?” he asked calmly.

“Yes,” I answered.

Knox spun around and slid his protective arm over my shoulder, guiding me away from the market and toward the car.

“One of your ex’s men is here. He’s just behind us along with another man I don’t recognize,” Knox said without looking concerned. To the rest of the world, he acted like he’d just asked me what was for dinner.

“What?” I tried to still my face. “Who?”

“Mario Romano. Wes sent over his picture in the file with all the heavy hitters in your husband’s crew. Does he know you?”

I knew Mario Romano. Well. He’d practically lived at our penthouse he’d spent so much time with Victor. What the hell was he doing here?

“Yes. He knows me.”

“Then we can’t risk him seeing you. He’s close, so just keep acting natural. When we get back to the car, keep your body turned away from him and get in as fast as you can. You’re in a hat and sunglasses, and he’d never expect you here, so I doubt he’ll recognize you, but we can’t take any chances that he sounds the alarm to Victor. Your ex will lock Luca up tight if he gets any inkling you’re coming for him.”

“I understand,” I answered. My heart raced in my chest as I realized how close I was to one of Victor’s goons. A man I knew was as dangerous as Victor himself.

Knox continued casually strolling through the crowd, and I had to force my head to stay focused forward and not look back. I didn’t know how Knox remained so calm and resisted the urge to glance over his shoulder. What if he was right behind us? What if he’d already seen me and was on the phone with Victor right now, blowing Marcus’s plan straight into the sky.

“Just keep walking,” Knox said like he knew I was struggling not to fall apart and turn around.

We walked for several minutes away from the busy town center until we reached the parking lot. When we got there and were the only ones around, I felt more exposed than before when we’d been surrounded by other people in the market. There was no crowd to blend into now. It was just Knox and me, as well as Mario and his friend.

At least I thought that was who still walked behind us because I couldn’t turn around and look, even though it killed me not to glance back.

When we approached the car, and I had to force my feet not to start running. I pushed my body closer to Knox, letting his protective energy envelop me like a cocoon.

He won’t let them hurt me.

We got back to the car located on the far side of the lot, and I hurried to my side. I glanced up and saw Mario not twenty feet away. He looked like he was heading to his car as well. Another man I didn’t recognize walked beside him in a matching black suit. Mario looked my way, but I quickly diverted my eyes.

Shit. I looked.

“Get in the car,” Knox commanded.

I did as he said, but my fear overtook my good sense. I lifted my sunglasses-clad eyes to the man now only ten feet away. When I looked up, I caught him staring straight at me, his eyes narrowing as he tipped his head.

“Fuck,” Knox whispered, apparently noticing the same interested expression on Mario’s face.