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Neo laughs beside me. “Does that mean T will love your sister as much as he loves you, Hol?”
“What? No. T wouldn’t…”Shit, will Theo even be able to tell us apart?I certainly hope he can.
“So, your theory is flawed,” Bray counters.
“Shut up. When the plane goes down, I’m stealing your oxygen mask.” I poke my tongue out at him. Childish, I know.
“Don’t worry, babe, I can take her. I’ll get your mask back for you.”
“I wouldn’t be so sure… After all, your sister shot me in the chest a few weeks back, because she thought I was going to hurt her husband. She also held a gun to a Don’s head, because he was in a fight with T. She’s fiercer than anyone would ever expect.” Neo smiles proudly at me.
“La nostra regina senza pretese,” Sonnie offers quietly.
“Wait, what do you mean she shot you? She’s afraid of guns.” Reilly narrows her eyes.
“Wasafraid of them. She actually fainted the first time she saw T pull a piece on me.” Neo laughs.
“I didn’t faint. I briefly lost consciousness. It’s different,” I argue.
“Hold up a second. Let’s go back to you shooting someone, and what the fuck is this about you aiming a gun at a mob boss? You are joking, right?” Bray jumps to his feet and shouts in my direction. And within seconds, three men are standing in front of me—a protective bunch, they are.
I push my way through the wall of bodies. “Don’t worry, his bark is way worse than his bite,” I tell them, though they don’t appear too impressed, nor do they back off. Interestingly enough, Neo is the only one who doesn’t rise to my defense. “Aren’t you—I don’t know—meant to protect me with your life or something?” I ask him, arching an eyebrow.
“And I absolutely fucking would, mia regina, if I thought you were actually in danger. Your brother-in-law is not a threat.” Neo waves me off, going back to looking at his phone.
“Right, just checking.” I turn to Bray, who is scrutinizing every word exchanged between me and my husband’s second.
“What the fuck is going on, Holly? Are you in some kind of trouble?”
“No, I’m not.” I fold my arms over my chest.
“Give her five minutes. I’m sure she’ll manage to find some. She’s like a fucking magnet for it,” Neo mumbles.
“Not helping.”
“Oh, I didn’t know I was supposed to be helpful. Let me rectify that. Holly here caught the eye of my cousin, T. It was funny to watch. The guy fell fucking hard and fast. It was like the first coming of Jesus Christ himself—a goddamn miracle. I had lost all hope for T, and then Holly just happened to walk into my sister’s coffee shop.” Neo pauses for a breath. “At the time, my cousin was just the prince, the underboss, then his pops was taken out. Poisoned at the dinner table, terrible scene. May you rest in peace, Uncle.” He stops to make the sign of the cross over his chest. “Anyway, with the passing of my uncle, T’s old man and also the head of the Valentino family, my cousin was left the throne. And when he and young Holly here went and eloped, without telling a soul mind you, it made her our reigning queen.”
“Fuck off, you did not go and marry into a crime family, Holly,” Bray huffs.
“Let he who is without sin throw the first stone. Don’t think I don’t know all about your own misdeeds. And your brother’s,” Neo tosses back.
What’s he saying? I knew the Williamsons weren’t always on the up-and-up when it came to everything, but they’re nothing like the Valentinos. I mean, they just ran a nightclub with a little illegal underground fighting. That’s not that bad.
“I don’t give a fuck what any of you fuckers do with your lives. However, I do give a fuck about how it’s going to impact my wife… and my fucking sister-in-law,” Bray growls.
I drop down into my seat. I don’t want this lifestyle—my choices—to affect my sister. Or her husband.I really don’t.I couldn’t stand it if something were to happen to either of them. “I understand, if when we land, you no longer want anything to do with me,” I say, looking at Bray and Reilly.
“What? Don’t be stupid. Holly, you are my sister. I don’t care what your last name is, or what your husband does or doesn’t do for a living. Let’s not forget thathe’sfucking dead, right? You’re a widow, Hol. You don’t have to stay around this broody lot if you don’t want to.”
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to drag you guys into my mess. I think I need to lie down.” I can’t be here right now, not with everyone looking at me.
“Let me check the room first, Mrs. Valentino.” Sonnie is quick to stand and walk down the hallway.
“What do you think is going to be in there, Sonnie? We are literally in the air. I don’t think the boogeyman boarded mid-flight.” I follow him.
“You can never be too careful, ma’am.” And we’re back to thema’amthing. “All clear,” he announces, walking out and holding the door open.
“Mmm, you don’t say.” I smile at him. “Thank you for being so cautious.” I close the door, lie down on the bed, pull the phone out of my pocket, and open the message thread from T. There are only a couple, but reading them gives me some sort of reassurance. I want him back so badly. Knowing he’s alive and out there doing God knows what… it’s terrifying.
