I can tell I’ve caught him off guard. It was intentional. I wanted to gauge his reaction. From the flash of surprise in his eyes, I’ve done that. His gaze hardens and his jaw tightens.

  “How long have I been married to your sister?” Emilio asks instead of answering my question.

  “Seven years, give or take.” Not sure what that has to do with anything, I patiently wait for him to get to his point.

  “In those seven years, have I ever given you the impression that I’m a pussy?”

  Behind me, someone—probably Paddy—coughs, but I continue staring at Emilio. “No,” I say through clenched teeth.

  “Have I ever given you the impression that if I had a problem with you, that I wouldn’t stand in front of you, look you in the eye, and tell you that we have a problem?”

  My rigid posture only slightly bends. “No.”

  “Then, please,”—he raises his voice—“tell me why the fuck you would ask me such an insulting question?”

  Tense silence surrounds us, filling the room its weightiness. Emilio’s eyes blaze with the fire no doubt glowing brighter from the reflection of the hellish eyes of Pierce’s throat tattoo.“I had to ask,” I say. “I apologize for the offense.”

  Emilio continues glaring at me, the throbbing vein in his forehead reminding me of Grand-da when he was angry. “That’s twice now you’ve disrespected me in my own home. There better not be a third time, Nathan, or we will have a problem.”

  I nod in acquiescence. Everyone in the room seems to breathe a little easier and the temperature drops a few degrees.

  “Now that that’s settled, tell me about this incident.” I open my mouth to protest, but he holds up a hand. “Then we will discuss how to find this son of a bitch and end him.”

  Considering I’m toeing a dangerous line, I agree. “It happened a few days ago. A couple days after Lucia arrived. I’d come to find her and ask her about the letters. I was on my way back to Bay Ridge, still in Italian territory, when someone in a black SUV slammed their vehicle into mine. I lost control and crashed. Paddy had one of his contacts hack into nearby camera feeds, but wasn’t able to identify the driver beyond being male. He lost him in a parking garage.”

  “This happened in my territory?” Emilio growls glancing over my shoulder, likely at Pierce.

  “Yes.”

  “Why am I just now hearing about this?”

  “Because I didn’t want to rush to any conclusions,” I say. “I wanted confirmation, first, that it hadn’t been an accident. Then, with the wedding, there just hasn’t been time.”

  Emilio remains quiet. “So shortly after a letter is delivered to Lucia’s brother, you’re run off the road in my territory. Then, today, another letter arrives at Jack’s.”

  “Yes,” I answer despite it not being a question.

  “Where are Lucia and her son?”

  “Lucia and our son are staying with me until this is over,” I tell him firmly.

  Emilio raises a brow. “So he’s yours, now?”

  I straighten with pride. “He’s always been mine.”

  Something that could pass for approval crosses his face. “Felicitations, again, then.”

  While I appreciate them, my point in being here is to find out what we’re going to do to get this guy’s attention. To make him surface. A spark of an idea hits me, but I instantly dismiss it.

  “You thought of something,” Emilio says. “I saw it in your eyes.”

  I glance up at him. “It’s not an option.”

  He cocks his head. “Why don’t you let me decide that.”

  “Because it wouldn’t be putting your woman at risk. It would be mine. I won’t chance putting Lucia in harm’s way.”

  “What do we have to go on?” Jack finally speaks up.

  I’d forgotten anyone else was in the room. I swivel in my chair to address the men behind me. “Not much. We know the letters first started after Lucia’s fiancé was killed. They continued after she went to England, albeit infrequently. All of them saying the same thing: wanting to know where she was and how she could leave him. How he’d wait for her as long as it took.”

  “Fecking lunatic,” Paddy mutters.

  “We also know that although, according to Andrea, it’s been over six months since the last one arrived, but the day after Lucia gets to town, one is delivered,” Emilio adds.

  “Who knew she was coming to town, besides Rory?” I ask.

  The Italians share a glance. “To our knowledge, only her brothers,” Pierce replies.

  My body goes rigid. “That can only mean that one of them told someone. I thought her location was supposed to be secret.”

  The muscles in Emilio’s jaw shift. “That was the deal.”

  “Then one of them went back on it,” Paddy notes.

  My brother-in-law reaches for the phone. “I’ll get an answer.”

  I keep my eyes on him while he waits for someone to pick up.

  “Who’s been speaking about Lucia outside your family?” he ask into the receiver. No greeting to the person on the other line. No pleasantries. Just a deadly calm question in a tone that should send terror through a normal person.

  The thick tension returns. The silence is an almost tangible entity crushing us with its weight.

  “I won’t wait long, Andrea.” Emilio hangs up. He threads his fingers and rests his chin on them as he stares at the phone.

  Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock.

  My leg bounces in an impatient beat. This idly sitting by, while we wait for Lucia’s brother to call back is putting every ounce of control I have to the test. Unable to sit any longer, I rise and pace, desperate to go for a run and burn off some energy. I glance at my watch. Goddamn it, call.

  As though answering my command, Emilio’s office phone rings. He picks up.

  “Put him through.” There’s a long pause before he speaks again. “I will deal with him.”

  For the second time, he places the receiver down and then glances up at me. “Apparently, an old friend of Lucia’s ran into Edoardo, who mentioned that she would be in town for the wedding and what day she was coming in. Valentino Marrone. One of my soldiers. To my knowledge, a loyal one.”

  A sliver of jealousy slices through my veins. Who is this Valentino? Had there been something between them?

  “He told him where she was staying and also gave him her phone number. Considering Marrone is a close family friend, he didn’t think it would be an issue,” Emilio adds. “As I said, he’s been a loyal soldier since he was initiated into the organization. I have no reason to suspect him of anything.”

  “I’ll talk to him,” I say, rising from my chair.

  “No, you won’t,” he says harshly. “I will speak with Valentino. I won’t have one of my men questioned as though he’s done something wrong. Not without proof. If anything warrants my suspicion, I will let you know.”

  An instant denial makes its way up my throat, but I bite it back.

  “Fine,” I concede. “But know this. If Marrone is the one behind the letters and running me off the road, he’s a dead man. I don’t give a shit if he’s one of your loyal soldiers or not.”

  With the promise, I walk out the door. I make it to the elevator before Jack and Paddy join me.

  “Jaysus, you really do want to die, don’t you?” Paddy shakes his head.

  “If someone threatened to hurt Anya and Kira, what would you do?”

  A fierce light enters his eyes. “I’d bleed the fucker dry.”

  “Even if they worked for Emilio?” I ask.

  “Nothing would stop me from protecting my girls.”

  The elevator dings its arrival and the door slides open. We step inside and it closes, the metal shining our reflections back on us. I stare at Paddy’s. “Nor me. Which means we may have to start a war whether we want to or not.”

  Chapter 23

  Lucia

  * * *

  Nathan’s mother has been wonderful. As has Caitlín, who’s been keeping Enzo occupied almost the entire afternoon. The two of them have spent time playing out in the garden, until staggering inside, sweaty and exhausted, but full of laughter. While they both sit and draw at the table, Moira shows me how to cook. It’s been helping me keep my mind off that letter.

  “Thank you for being so kind to me,” I tell her quietly, glancing over to check on Enzo. “You certainly didn’t have to be. Not after what I’ve done.”

  Moira pauses stirring the mashed potatoes and turns toward me. “I know what this life is like for us women. The choices some of us are forced to make. Being a member of families like ours…it’s difficult for many reasons. I don’t know what your struggles have been, but you were here for Rory when she needed someone. Without your help—without you going to Brenna—I’m not sure my daughter-in-law would be alive. My son would have missed out on his greatest love.”

  Her eyes grow misty, and she sniffs. “I also know a mother will do anything for her children, especially if it means protecting them. No one should fault you for that. Not even me. I want to know my grandson. And his mother. Besides, I see how Nathan looks at you. How you look at him.”

  She turns back to her task leaving me staring at her in shock. How does Nathan look at me?

  A door slams somewhere. Footsteps draw closer and he walks into the kitchen. His stormy eyes instantly find mine. The wild emotion in them seems to calm. My heart skips and my pulse races. I’m in so much fucking trouble. He closes the distance between us until we’re nearly touching. The hands I’d been wiping on a towel get trapped between us. My fingers nervously pluck at the fabric.

  “Hi,” I greet him with a slight stutter. “Is everything okay?”

  “It is, now that I’m here with you,” he says. “Are you doing all right?”

  I nod. “Your mother is teaching me a new recipe.”

  “Mmm. I can’t wait to taste it.” He glances over at Enzo, who climbs down from his chair and approaches us.

  Nathan squats and picks him up, holding him on his hip. I suck in a breath, waiting for my son’s reaction. This is the first time a male has carried him. All the adults he knows and interacts with are women. The two of them study each other as though communicating silently in some father-son way. I swallow back the tears.

  “Have you had fun today?” he asks Enzo.

  “Uh huh. Auntie Catwin and I pwayed. We draweded,” our son relays, happily pointing at the pages strewn across the table and Nathan’s sister sitting there.

  Nathan glances over at me. “Have you been taking care of your mother?”

  Enzo nods.

  “Good. How about later you show me all your pictures?”

  “Okay.”

  “Okay.” Nathan sets him down and our son walks back to the table, climbs up on the chair, and continues his drawing. He’s oblivious to the momentous occasion that just occurred. Nathan’s eyes meet mine. That’s all it takes. I’m completely and utterly done for. God, what am I going to do?

  “Did you find anything out from Emilio?” I ask, taking my mind off the unruly thoughts running through it.

  He turns to Moira. “Mother, can I borrow Lucia for a few minutes?”

  She waves us off. “Of course.”

  Nathan takes the towel from me and places it on the counter. Then he tugs me out into the living room. I sit on the couch and stare up at him.

  “Who’s Valentino?” he asks.

  I startle. “Val? He’s a friend. Well, he was more Michele’s friend than mine, but we grew closer after Michele was killed.”

  “How close?” Nathan growls.

  I bristle at his tone and want to tell him it’s none of his business. With him standing over me, this is starting to feel like an inquisition, although I’ve done nothing wrong. The same guarded emotions I’ve used to protect myself rise up. “I never fucked him, if that’s what you’re asking,” I bite out.

  He blinks and regret flashes over his face. “I’m sorry,” he says. “That was a dick question.”

  “Yes, it was,” I agree. “I had a past before you. There was nothing more than friendship between Val and me. But even if there had been, it doesn’t concern you.”

  Nathan sits in the chair opposite me with his elbows on his knees. “You’re right. Your past is your past. Jealousy got the best of me.”

  A small part of me preens with pride that he’s the jealous kind. But jealousy can also turn controlling. “I understand, but there’s no reason for you to be jealous. Val and I were just friends.” I hesitate for a second, but decide that I’m not going to hide anything. “In fact, he asked me to have dinner with him.”

  “Wait, is he the friend you were supposed to meet today?”

  “Yes. He called me a couple days before the wedding. I’d actually run into him the day after Enzo and I arrived,” I pause. “It was near my hotel the evening we had dinner in the park.”

  Nathan unfolds his frame and sits upright in the chair. “What did he say to you?”

  My brow wrinkles at his tone. It doesn’t hint at jealousy, but something serious. “He asked how I was doing. When I’d gotten to town. The normal questions you’d ask someone you haven’t seen in several years. Then he asked if I would have dinner to catch up. That was it. We talked for five minutes, maybe.”

  Nathan doesn’t say anything for a minute. “He knew when you were arriving, Lucia. Where you were staying. Edoardo told him.”

  “No,” I deny. “He was as surprised to see me as I was him. He’d been having dinner with friends nearby.”

  “He knew,” he repeats.

  I don’t understand. Was our running into each other really not a coincidence? Had he planned it?

  “Do you think he could be the one behind the letters?” Nathan asks.

  My head jerks up. “Val? No, why would he? We’re friends. He’s never shown any interest in me beyond that. If he did, he had plenty of opportunities to tell me. No need to write me creepy letters.”

  “I’m just trying to rule out possibilities.”

  “God, I hate this,” I groan, covering my face. “I hate that whoever he is, he’s still out there. More than anything, though, I hate how scared he’s made me. I hate feeling this out of control.”

  Nathan quickly moves from the chair to sit next to me. He palms my cheeks. “I already told you, no one is going to hurt you. I’m going to find him.”

  “How?” I ask. “Even Emilio hasn’t been able to.”

  “I don’t know, yet. But my brothers and I will come up with something. We always do. Besides, I have far more at stake than Emilio does.”

  “I’m not sure what I would do without you,” I admit.

  “You may not be ready to hear this, but I’m not going anywhere, Lucia. Whatever this is between us, we’re going to figure it out and make it work. Somehow.”

  “You’re sure this has nothing to do with Enzo?” I’m not sure my heart could take it if it is.

  “For six years, I’ve thought about you. I can’t explain why. You certainly didn’t give me any reason to think you’ve thought about me as well.” His lips turn down. “Yet, there you always were, lingering in the back of my mind. Neither time nor the distance separating us has changed that. There’s some part of you that calls to a part of me. I can’t define it, but I won’t ignore it, either.”

  Nathan is right. There’s always been something about him that I never forgot no matter how hard I tried. I used our age difference as an excuse to dismiss him. I used the fact he’s part of the syndicate. But there’s no denying it anymore.

  “I’ve thought of you, too. No matter how hard I tried not to, you just wouldn’t leave my mind.”

  His lips turn up on one-side in a lopsided grin. “I guess that means you’re stuck with me.”

  “Maybe that’s not such a bad thing.” I gnaw my lower lip. “What are you going to do about Val?”

  Nathan’s gaze hardens. “Let me worry about that. It may have been a coincidence that you two ran into each other.”

  His tone says he doesn’t believe that.

  “If it was just happenstance?” I ask.

  “Then I won’t have to kill him.”

  I cock my head. “That sounds a bit extreme. We were always just friends.”

  Nathan palms the back of my neck and brings our foreheads together. His breath mingles with mine and he growls. That little sound does something to my insides. Warms them. Melts them. I’m nothing more than a gooey mess.

  “It would seem I’m much more possessive than I thought. I’ll try to be accepting of any friendship you two have, but he better understand that it will never be more than that. You’re mine, Lucia Giordano. Always have been. Always will be,” he vows.

  I spear my fingers through his hair and clutch his head to hold him to me.

  “If I’m yours, then you’re also mine,” I tell him. “I’m not the kind of woman who just sits back and lets a man claim her. You should know that about me. I don’t share. With anyone. You’re mine, Nathan Donnelly.”

  “For as long as you’ll have me,” he says.

  What if that’s forever?

  The thought doesn’t scare me as much as it did a week ago.

  Chapter 24

  Nathan

  * * *

  There’s been a noticeable shift between Lucia and me. She’s less guarded and much more open since our conversation. Throughout the family dinner, her gaze met mine often, and her expression was relaxed. She laughed during Caitlín’s stories and the worry lines that have been evident smoothed out. Her laugh is infectious. I want to hear it more often.

  While Mother, Caitlín, and Lucia clean up the kitchen, Enzo and I sit in Da’s office with him. The cold, sterile room has changed since Grand-da used it. Before, it smelled like anger and despair. These days, a light floral scent from the vase of fresh-cut flowers Mother keeps up is only slightly stronger than the odor of pipe tobacco, a habit of Da’s she barely tolerates. A family picture with all seven of us sits on Da’s desk, as does a picture of Saoirse, Cristiano, Rowan, and Matteo. If I know Da, a picture of Kira and Enzo will join them soon.