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Nico says nothing, but the warm weight of his arm over me is anchoring in a way I wish I could hate. I should shove him away and demand he go sleep somewhere else. Anything to ignore how oddly comforting this small moment is.
I can't let him comfort me because we hate each other.
Still, it takes only a few minutes for the heaviness in my eyes to pull me into a deep sleep. I usually wake up almost hourly throughout the night, jolting awake at the sound of every honk of a car in the street or the abrupt worry someone will knock on my family's door. But somehow, on this stiff mattress in this little room of this pathetic little apartment, I rest like I haven't in years.
It's so deep that I don't really even dream—except for one short moment when my subconscious imagines that Nico kisses my forehead and whispers in Italian. It's as fleeting as it is ridiculous, fading quickly into the peaceful darkness.
Chapter 10
Nico
Sleeping near Sybil for that handful of hours was a luxury I didn't deserve, but all good things must end.
Especially stalemates like this.
I think this regretfully as I shut the apartment door behind me, knowing that the next time I see her, she'll be all teeth and claws again. It's only natural because she hates and fears me but seeing her angel face unguarded in that peaceful slumber was a sweetness I can't easily shake.
But I need to. It's better to think of her as a nuisance. That will keep me from making the same mistake I made four years ago.
Rolling my shoulders, I straighten and leave the apartment, determined to leave any soft emotions behind as well. I'll be thePadrino, and my family doesn't need a weak-hearted leader. They need someone unflinching who will do what needs to be done.
So, I do. For the next few hours, as the sun rises and the city is again overfilled with pedestrians and cars, I check on my men and make calls. The Attolini family is a mixed bag of highly profitable sources and serious expenses. The more distasteful illegal activities are left to the Gattos and other mafia families in the state. We don't always color inside the lines, either, but a large percentage of our transactions are legitimate.
By nearly ten in the morning, I sign the card as Giovanni watches. He picks it up and arches a brow. "They're going to lose their shit over this, you know."
"Good."
He sighs, looking over the festively gift-wrapped coffin nestled in the back of a moving truck like a man-sized Easter egg. Maybe a normal person would find it twisted. I find it morbidly funny.
"My boys will drop this off, and we'll see how they react. Are you headed to the lounge next? Should I go with you there or what?" he asks.
"I'm keeping you on street watch."
"Where? That apartment from yesterday?"
I hesitate and then sigh, tucking the pen in my pocket and walking towards the Attolini family car I arrived in. "No. My place."
Giovanni perks up and hurries after me, his interest piqued immediately. Only Percy and my father know where I really live. "Yeah? That's privileged information, isn't it?"
His grin tells me everything. He thinks he's so special—part of my inner circle now. I smirk. "Ace and The Kid will be there, too."
"Oh." He deflates but hops into the passenger seat. As I start the old hunk of junk, he adds, "Street watch? Do you not feel safe in your place or something?"
I don't answer, but I nearly laugh at that idea. The Attolini family doesn't know where I live, let alone any of our enemies. If they did, I could take care of any threats if it was just me. But it won't be only me living there now. I check my watch before making another left turn. Percy, Ace, and Sybil should be arriving about the same time we do.
"Uh, Boss? You're driving into Upper East Side. I think you took a wrong turn." Then Giovanni looks sharply at me. "Shit—you live here? Why?"
Because I can. Because I prefer safer neighborhoods than the ones that I grew up in. Because Johnny wanted to settle down and move here, and now he'll never get the chance.
"Just shut up and keep an eye on the street."
By the time the car is parked, and I'm approaching the towering apartments, I see Percy step out of another car with Sybil in tow. Her dark hair is a tangle of waves cascading over one shoulder, her eyes wide as she takes in the high-end apartments looming on either side of the street. Her face immediately turns into a scowl when they meet me in front of the large column-flanked entrance.
"What are we doing here?" she demands, eyeing me warily. "Don't tell me that you brought me here so I can watch you scare up money from some unfortunate rich person."
I smirk and look over her shoulder at Percy for an update.
"Nothing suspicious over by St. Ann's. I don't think the Gattos know where she is—but they'll probably figure it out soon enough because I hear you sent them a present. Very thoughtful of you, by the way," he chuckles.
