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“It’s the life.”
“So then you’ll understand when your daughter gets taken down in the name of business.”
His spine straightens. “I left her to protect her. Your mother knew the risks. Mariella doesn’t know anything about this world. She’s innocent.”
My lips curl up in a cruel smile. “I wouldn’t say that, Donati. And she’s aware of a lot more than you think.”
“How dare you bring her into this!” he seethes. “You’re putting her life in danger.”
“You’re right,” I reply, bringing the letter opener to my side. “She is in danger, but it was you who put her there. The moment you abandoned her, you left her unprotected.”
“Goddammit, Moreno.”
“This is the life, Donati. You said it yourself. Nothing personal, right? It wasn’t until I was in my thirties that I found out what happened. Alberto was a hard man to get close to. My father tried for years to get to him, but then Khalid’s father, Jeremiah, told him he had to think of me. They’d know it was retaliation. They’d go for me or they’d kill him, leaving me an orphan. My father couldn’t live with either of those scenarios. He decided to wait until the timing was right, and it wasn’t until he was dying from cancer that he told me the truth of that day.
“Alberto killed my mom simply because my father made a deal with a man he was hoping to get to first. He lost out on money and because of that, I had to lose my mom and my father had to lose his wife. Dad wanted me to get vengeance. It was my last promise to him. Unfortunately, he stepped down before I could get to him. But this works out better. He’s not technically part of the family anymore, is he?” I grin. “Sure, if someone were to find out, they might try to come after me, but you won’t let that happen, will you? Because now you know that Mariella’s at risk. So, you tell me where he’s staying, and you stop fucking with our business, and we can call it even.”
He huffs, running his fingers through his gray hair before he swipes his arm across the desk again, making more papers fly up and flutter to the floor.
“You’re putting me in a bad spot, Moreno. If I do this, it stays between us. Nobody can find out I told you anything or we’re gonna have an even bigger problem. I also don’t want Mariella to be involved. Drop her like you’ve done the rest. She’ll get over it and live a longer life because of it.”
I contemplate his requests. It was the whole reason I pursued her in the first place. She was just a pawn in my game—needed and useful. I didn’t know how much I’d enjoy playing with her though. I would’ve never guessed she was exactly what I desired.
“Deal,” I say, walking away from him. “I expect you’ll find a way to get the info to me.”
“Yes.” His voice is clipped and angry. “Give me some time. It can’t happen shortly after everyone saw you here with me.”
“Fine. Not too long though.”
I open the door, but before it can close, he says, “Leave her alone, Moreno. Tonight. Tomorrow at the latest, and remember I’ll know whether you’ve listened or not.”
When I emerge back into the dining room, I find Jian, Tommy, and Mariella still by the bar, the three of them taking a shot together. Jian and Mariella are laughing while Tommy fights the urge to join in. She’s already bonding with them, her kind and sweet nature breaking through their walls already. These men hated her because of her Italian mafia boss father. We always knew who she was but it wasn’t until tonight that I knew for sure she wasn’t aware of who her father was. In our eyes, she was always an enemy. Untrustworthy. She was never going to stick around, only meant to be used.
I just didn’t know she’d actually enjoy other ways I used her. I didn’t know I’d like having her around.
“Hey,” she says, relief in her voice when she spots me. “Everything okay?”
I give her a tight grin and nod. “Yep.” I convey a look to Tommy and Jian to let them know everything went to plan.
“We’re going home now?” she asks.
I hesitate.Home.That house is her prison and yet she calls it home. It’s now full of memories of her. The basement, kitchen, and jogging trail. My dining room table and the path from the kitchen to the living room where she crawled for me.
“My place in Clover,” I say with a bite.
Her brows dip slightly, but she doesn’t say anything. The four of us leave the restaurant with eyes still watching our every movement.
Outside, my driver exits the car and opens the back door.
“Go ahead,” I tell Mariella. “I’m gonna be a minute.”
She nods and looks at Tommy and Jian. “Thanks, guys. See you around.”
Jian grins, giving her a slight nod while Tommy looks less homicidal than usual.
Once she’s inside, I turn to them. “Making friends now?”
“Ah,” Jian says with a swipe of his hand. “I always liked her.”
