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“Wanna keep playing…”
“We can keep playing in the morning,” I tell her gently. “All the games you want.”
Felicia sniffles. “O-kay.”
Arin smiles warmly. “Would you like Dom to tuck you in?”
Our little one nods, wiping her eyes dry as clumsily as she did the plates. I know there’s a million and one things that I have to take care of—forces to gather, traitorous capos to put in their place—but all I want right now is the chance to be with my daughter. I’ve never tucked a child into bed before, never had to tell a toddler a bedtime story or give them a kiss on the forehead good night. It’s somehow far more daunting a task than declaring war with the Mob that I once would have given my life for.
And yet I do it, hopefully with flying colors. When Felicia is fast asleep, my chest swells with the warm feeling of accomplishment and adoration. I would never describe myself as a soft man. Far from it. I’m all things cold and hard and unmoving. But little Felicia is helping me see that might not always be the case. Somewhere deep within my core, I can sense a shift, some unknown part of me unlocking.
It suddenly occurs to me that I don’t care what happens to me as long as Felicia and Arin get to live long, healthy, and happy lives. Lorenzo is a fool to come after me now that I’ve found something I love and cherish far more than the Family.
Myownfamily.
Arin takes my hand and guides me out into the hall, shutting the door to Felicia’s bedroom. She peers up at me, those frosty grey eyes studying me so intently it’s like my own personal spotlight. She cups my face in her hands, so tender and sweet I feel like I don’t deserve the attention.
“What’s going on?” she whispers. “Tell me what’s bothering you. Don’t you dare say it’s nothing, either.”
I take her hands in my own and kiss the backs of her fingers. “Things are… getting complicated. I might be going to war sooner than I thought.”
“What can I do to help?”
“We’ve been over this, Arin. There’s nothing you can do.”
She licks her lips, her brows furrowed into something almost resembling determination. “I want to show you something,” she says, leading me toward her room.
Arin leads me to her studio, which I can only describe as being an organized mess. Scraps of fabric lie on every available surface, beautiful sketches are pinned to the walls, and several outfits close to completion hang from their mannequins. She brings me over to inspect the four suits I ordered from her all those weeks ago, each one of them a wondrous display of her talent.
“What do you think?” she asks.
“They’re perfect, Arin. Thank you.”
“Feel the inside lining.”
I do as she asks and reach out, running my fingers along the inside of the suit jacket. It’s stiffer than I expected it to be, the texture hard against my fingertips. “What is it?” I ask, curious.
“Kevlar.”
I glance at her, surprised. “Are you serious?”
“Did you know you can buy Kevlar by the yard? It’s definitely on the pricier side, but since I have to put my launch on hold, I figure I could use the money you gave me to invest in better material.”
To say I’m stunned is an understatement. Arin casually walks forward, inspecting her work. “Now, it’s not thick enough to protect you from a bullet. You’d need an actual vest for that, which I can definitely make, but that’ll take time. And it probably won’t withstand a direct stab wound, though it’ll keep the knife from going too deep, as well as deflect any swipes coming your way.”
“You made this… for me?”
She nods. “I can’t stop thinking about it. You were hurt because you were trying to protect me.”
“I’d do it again, if I had to.”
“That’s what I’m worried about,” she mumbles, her eyes suddenly glossy with the threat of tears. “I know who you are, and I know what you have to do, but that doesn’t stop me from worrying.”
I circle my arms around her and pull her into a tight hug, pressing light kisses to the top of her head. She doesn’t have to tell me she cares about me. Her actions speak louder than words.
“Thank you, Arin. They’re perfect.”
“Promise me you’ll wear them, okay? This is the only thing I can do for you.”
