AllFreeNovel
Share Us
My mouth seems to have a mind of its own because I can't stop my voice from coming out, even though I shouldn't be curious about this. "Is Lorenze Gatto the Gatto family's…Padrino?"
Nico shoots me a warning look, but the words are already out there.
"He is afottuto mostro,"his father growls, tossing his cloth napkin onto the table. "After what he did to us, to my eldest son and my beautiful wife…." His voice breaks. The mafioso composes himself, looking Nico in the eye. "Our family's past was built with violence, but its future will be nourished by that man's blood. Lorenze Gatto and his family deserve to rot, along with anyone else who was involved in your brother's death."
Chills run down my spine, and I try not to shrink down into my seat too noticeably.
I was involved in his brother's death.
Unwittingly. Still, I don't think that would matter to Johnny Big Man. I've never been in the presence of someone so full of poisonous hate for someone else like this—and I've spent years hating Mad Blood plenty. But it seems to roll off Nico's father in waves.
What's worse, Nico seems to understand it. He's not spooked at all the way I am by his father's abrupt change of demeanor. Instead, he stands with his father as the two exchange more Italian, finally stopping in front of the elevator. Johnny Attolini is saying something about a lake house, but Nico's gaze flicks to me, and he arches an eyebrow.
I realize I'm still seated at the table, clutching a cloth napkin. I quickly set it down, grab the crutches, and hurry over with a pinned smile, hoping the kingpin didn't notice my blunder.
He didn't. He shrugs on and rebuttons his shearling trench coat and turns to me with another infinitesimal smile. "Forgive me for the short dinner. I never linger in the city. It's too full of Gattos who want my head."
What does one even say to that? "Eh. I can relate," I blurt with a shrug.
Johnny Attolini guffaws at that, which surprises Nico as much as it does me. "I'm sure. I hear my family has been keeping watch over yours. It's a good thing—the Attolini family protects its own to the end, and you are part of it now, Sybil. I see it by how you look at my son."
It's getting difficult to keep my smile in place, and now I'm just trying to remember if I stared at Nico inappropriately at any point during dinner.
The seasoned mafioso says goodbye, patting his son's shoulder in a rough paternal way before stepping back into the elevator. As soon as it descends, I kick off the high heels and rub my temples.
"I can't believe I did that without the help of alcohol," I groan.
Nico studies me. "He likes you."
"What gave you that impression? That dinner lasted less than thirty minutes, and he barely asked anything about me."
"I imagine he didn't ask because he already knows."
Neat freak that he is, Nico begins tidying things up immediately. I help him begin clearing off the table as best I can with a crutch under one arm. "What do you mean?"
"My father never meets someone new without first learning everything he can about them. I guarantee that he already knew everything about your family and your background."
I freeze where I stand, grasping the dishes tight. "Fuck. That's bad."
"Why is that bad?"
"Do you think…does he know about four years ago? He sounded absolutely murderous when he said anyone involved would be punished, so does he know that I—"
"Sybil."
Nico takes everything from me, including the crutch, setting it all aside before pulling me against him. God, his body is so warm and powerful as it envelopes me. I tip my head back to frown up at him. He replies with a kiss on my forehead, his voice a comforting rumble by my ear.
"It doesn't matter if he knows because nothing that happened was your fault. He won't hurt you. No one will. If anybody tried, I would enjoy making their deaths slow and painful."
His words are so savage, so it makes no sense that they soothe me. I find it disturbingly touching how protective—and deadly serious—my mafioso sounds about my safety.
I really shouldn't. They're just words, after all.
"You're just saying that because the contract says you have to protect me," I mumble against his chest. I'm not even sure he heard me.
Chapter 20
Nico
