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“That was when he would’ve been protecting her.” Alex sat up straight.
“He’s still protecting her,” Marco bit out. “And we’d be getting rid of a known threat. What’s your problem?”
“The chunk of our territory in St. Louis you’d be stealing.”
“Nah. You’d be delivering it as payment. And on top of that, your seat at the head of the Chronis family would no longer be contested. How much longer can you survive with a rival so close? Your father . . .”
“Enough,” Alex gritted out, dragging a hand down his face. He shared a look with his brother, and they both turned to Benny. “There won’t be any more problems. We’ll handle it.”
Nikos gulped down his scotch and set the glass on the table. “I’m sorry about Luca.”
With that, all four men stood, shook hands, said things about “being in touch,” and the Chronis brothers walked off, leaving Marco, Benny, and me alone.
“Well, that went better than I thought it would,” Benny joked, his eyes never leaving Nikos and Alex as they crossed the room to the exit. “Nothing was resolved, but at least they know they’re being watched, and there will be consequences.” He clapped his hands and pulled his phone from his pocket. “If you’ll excuse me, I need to call my wife.”
As Benny walked away, Marco said, “You were supposed to stay with Frankie.”
“Uh-huh.” I refused to meet his eyes, so I watched the couples dancing cheek to cheek.
“But I think you just got us the upper hand, so I’ll let it go.”
“That’s mighty kind of you.”
“Shut up,” Marco threw over his shoulder as he walked away.
For the first time that night, I was free of a chaperone. The doors to the balcony were to my left, so I side-stepped until the hot, humid summer air hit my face, then booked it outside. A few couples stood around tall cocktail tables chatting, leaving the railing and the fantastic view of the city free for the taking.
I posted up in the corner, and the tension from going toe to toe with the Chronis brothers, Benny, and Marco slowly left my body. A sense of pride settled in my chest. I was the Mrs. Moretti and had kicked some serious ass in there. I may have offered to murder a man, but the guy had it coming at this point. Letting out a laugh, I shook my head and focused on the night.
The lights below were mesmerizing as I sipped the expensive scotch. The arch loomed over the outline of the city, creating an iconic silhouette that was just minutes away from being illuminated by fireworks. Much to my dismay, people started to pour out of the ballroom, shattering the tranquility of the balcony.
After the first boom and flash of white light, a tall man slid behind me. “You look amazing.”
I cringed and folded over the railing, pressing myself against glass and metal. Panic seized me, and my first instinct was to curl into a ball.
“Oh, don’t be that way.” Lorenzo moved next to me, and I took a step away, stupidly cornering myself.
“What do you want?” My voice came out strong but was overpowered by the loud pops and explosions.
“To offer my condolences. It’s a shame you’re spending the first days of your marriage alone.”
“We’re all doing our best to get him home.”
He tilted his head, a sneer curling his lips. “I’m sure Marco’s in a hurry to get the little prince home.”
“King. Luca is a king. The boss,” I shouted to be heard.
Lorenzo closed the distance between us. His face was lit up by a flash, distorting his features and making him all the more menacing. “And that makes you the queen, right? What happens when there’s a new king? Does he get the queen? I seem to remember the last time Luca couldn’t live up to expectations, you were more than willing to find a replacement.”
Regret for having ever met Lorenzo turned my stomach. I swallowed the bile on the back of my tongue, vowing to make Lorenzo suffer. You know, once I wasn’t terrified and surrounded by a crowd.
He took one step, pressing me against the wall without even touching me. The people around us oohed and aahed at the fireworks display, unaware of the danger I was in. “You’re not ready, but you will be.” He ghosted his knuckles down my cheek, and I cringed away. His face softened as his hand fell to his side. “I’m sorry about Pete.”
His voice was somber, but the way his eyes lit up was all wrong. Tears stung my eyes, and my breath caught in my throat. “Stop.” I choked on the words, my body trembling with a silent understanding of the monster in front of me.
“I couldn’t make the funeral, but luckily, I got to see him before he died. Great guy. It’s unfortunate how much tragedy this family has gone through in the past year. But I don’t have to tell you, do I? You were there when Dante died.” Lorenzo bit his bottom lip, a predatory glint in his eyes.
I flattened my hands against the plexiglass behind me, ready to push off. “That was a tragic accident.”
