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We stay like this in stoic silence for long minutes, until his uninjured hand comes to rest on my knee. “Listen,” he says softly. “Will you listen?”
I nod, looking at him curiously. “Yes?”
“You need to understand that my brothers run the biggest crime ring in all of Boston. Possibly New England. They aren’t going to take it easy on you.”
“Will you?”
When he doesn’t answer at first, I start to feel the tiniest bit hopeful. Maybe he will?
“I won’t let them hurt you,” he finally says. “You’re mine.”
I look out the window, unsure of how to process any of this. It’s unusual. Disconcerting. And yet… attractive.
He begins to stroke my leg softly, almost thoughtfully. His thumb brushes over my knee, and I shiver involuntarily.
“You shouldn’t have gotten together with me,” he says softly, almost to himself, as he looks out the window. “You should not have come anywhere near me.”
“Maybe I could say the same thing about you.”
He shakes his head. “Don’t you see, doll?”
There he is, the charismatic flirt who picked me up. Even though I will myself to stay stoic, stay detached, my heart beats a little faster again. “See what?” I whisper.
“There’s no turning back now. I almost killed a man for you tonight. My brothers and I are not in the habit of letting ourselves become vulnerable for anyone, most especially girls who don’t know how to take care of themselves.”
I’m so angry, I can’t respond at first.
“What do you want from me?” I ask. Still, even as I’m playing the role, I’m mentally tallying everything that’s of note so far. He wears no rings, no jewelry, but the rose tattoo sticks out from under his suit jacket.
He gives me that dazzling smile that makes me forget to draw in breath.
“Sweet, sweet girl,” he murmurs. “It’s only a matter of time before I know everything. Who you are. What you’re trying to do.” He shrugs. “How to stop you. Don’t you realize how powerful my family is?”
I nod. “I do, yeah.”
“And don’t you know that having me as an advocate for you when we face the rest of my family is in your best interest?”
He’s not wrong.
“Yes,” I whisper.
“So let’s start at the beginning.”
I give him a quizzical look. “And where would that be?”
He dazzles me with his smile. “Tell me your name.”
I’ve got nothing to lose. I can only gain his trust at this point. If I gain his trust, but still find out what I can about his family… “Emma.”
“Emma?” Oh wow do I love the sound of my name on his lips.
“Yeah, Emma,” I whisper.
He smiles. “It’s a beautiful name for a beautiful woman.”
Oh, boy. He’s turning on the charm again. I doubt it’s a conscious decision for him. He does it without even thinking.
“Thank you.”
“And what do you do for work, Emma?’
He’ll find that out soon enough, but the longer I stall disclosing that the better. I quickly try to think of an answer that is close enough to the truth.
“I work for the state.”
Surprisingly, he lets it go. For now.
“And what do… you do for work?” I ask. Ironically, he hasn’t lied to me yet. Not that I’m aware of, anyway.
“I work for my family. I buy, repair, spiff up, and sell cars.” He smiles. “Expensive ones.”
“Do you? Do you have a shop or is it just like in your garage?”
“Yes.”
That makes me laugh out loud. “Which is it?”
Another one of his panty-melting smiles. “Both. I’ve been working under the hood of a car with my friend Santo since before either of us could drive. I always have a car in the garage I’m playing with. But about a year and a half ago, I bought a car shop north of here in Rockport. You know Rockport?”
“I do. It’s that adorable seaside town with the incredible seafood.”
He nods. “And the best handmade candy shops in New England. My niece Natalia loves the rock candy. I like to spoil her.”
My heart thumps a little when he mentions his niece. He’s an uncle. It’s adorable.
“Why does it not surprise me that Uncle Mario knows where to buy pretty pink candy for his niece and loves to spoil her? Do you have any other nieces or nephews.”
“I do. Let’s see.” He closes his eyes and counts on his fingers. Wow, he must have a big family. “My oldest sister Rosa has a little girl Natalia, the oldest of the grandchildren. Orlando and Angelina have two, a baby and a toddler. Elise and Tavi have a baby, and Vittoria, my brother Romeo’s wife, very recently gave birth to a baby as well.”
“Ah. Your family likes the bambinos, then?”
He sobers at that. “We love children, yes. The Rossi family tradition holds that children are a king’s crown jewels, that life is incomplete without them. And we hold that one of our own cannot ascend in rank unless he’s married, and he further gains power by having children.”
