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"Your father won’t live forever, so it will be you who sits at the Summit the next time we convene. The old generation fucked up NYC, but now there’s young blood waiting to take over it, we can start anew."
Smirking at him, I said, "If you want Da to like you, don’t say shit like that."
Valentini smirked back. "I know my audience."
"Which prompts me to ask why the fuck should I trust you?"
"Because I don’t want war with you. You hate the Fieris as much as me, which means you're the enemy of my enemy, Aidan. Plus I have no beef against the Irish. The Valentinis and the O'Donnellys always played nicely together...
"I just want to take back what’s rightfully mine." He turned to me with his hand outstretched. "I truly hope you make the asswipe pay for covering up what he did. Knowing your reputation, I’m sure you’ll do all those children proud."
My hand snapped out to grab his and we shook on it, gaze held firm as we both took each other’s measure. I knew it was a little like a pissing contest, but after a few minutes, we both reached a semblance of peace, and we pulled free at the same time.
"He’s drugged for the moment. It should last three more hours max." He cast a look at Savannah as if he knew how I’d be using that time, before he shifted his gaze.
Smart man.
I wasn’t exactly rational where she was concerned.
Jumping down the steps to the driveway with an ease I envied, I watched as he gathered his men together. Savannah’s interest was stirred and she peered around, watching the Italians disperse, getting into their vehicles so they could head back to the city, leaving only the white van behind.
I’d met the Archbishop several times over the course of my life, and though I didn’t know him well, it was hard for me to imagine he sheltered pedophiles.
He’d always seemed so upstanding, but then, what those priests did to protect the church was sickening. One of the many reasons that I wasn’t as devout as Da.
When the Italians disappeared down the driveway, I closed the gates manually through my phone, shot off some messages, and then, I stood on the top step, watching Savannah.
My one, true priority.
It didn’t take long for our eyes to clash and when they did, she ducked her head and opened the car door after unlocking it.
Biting her lip, she climbed out then, without me having to say a word, muttered, "I couldn’t just leave you. I needed to know what was going on."
"That car is bulletproof, Savannah," I told her calmly, even though I felt anything but calm. "It’s also wired up with more security than you can imagine. You get in there, it’s like a fucking tank. There’s no getting you out of it unless you open the door.
"They could even drop it in the river, and water wouldn’t get in. You might die of oxygen deprivation, but that’s how airtight it is. So, when I tell you to get your ass in there, you fucking do it, do you hear me?" I snarled at her.
She ground her teeth together. "And what? I was just supposed to watch you get shot or stabbed?"
"What if you were pregnant, Savannah? What if you were carrying our baby?" My dick needed to not get hard at the thought right now. We had bigger fish to fucking fry. "You think my life is worth more than our kid’s?"
She gulped. "I get the shot. I couldn’t be pregnant."
"I’m sure you do, but that doesn’t take away from the question."
Her mouth worked. "I don’t want to answer it."
"No? Well, tough shit. That’s the mafia life, little one," I growled. "You have to answer the impossible questions because that’s what it boils down to. You have to accept that I’m going to look after you no matter fucking what.
"I did it when there was nothing in it for me other than knowing you were goddamn safe. I did it when you weren’t mine, so now that you are, how the hell do you expect me to stop?"
Her eyes flared wide. "I’m yours?"
My mouth tightened. "What do you think? And trust you to focus on that rather than anything fucking else."
Was I surprised when she pretty much flung herself at me?
Not really.
