“What prompted you to go Emilio?” Nathan asks.

  Emilio told him. But, why? What reason would he have to tell Nathan? Is the whole world conspiring to put him in my path?

  “I got another letter. The rest prior had been annoying. This one scared the shit out of me. By that time I’d already gotten two job offers; one from The British Museum. I hadn’t told anyone I’d even applied for it,—not even Rory—because I didn’t think I had a chance,” I tell him. “It was both a dream come true and the perfect opportunity. Emilio took care of everything. Basically, I disappeared.”

  Nathan is quiet. I wring my hands. He’s the only other person besides Emilio and Rory I’ve ever told about my stalker. Although, even she doesn’t know all the details, only that no one needs to know exactly where I am.

  “You’ve been back at least once since Gio and Francesca’s wedding. Weren’t you worried?”

  “A little,” I admit. “Although I figured they’d forgotten about me in that time. Still, my arrival was kept as quiet as we could get it. Only Rory knew I was coming. Emilio sent a driver for me and provided a place to stay. Of course, neither of us expected I’d stay so long.”

  “And you have no idea who it is?” Nathan almost growls.

  I shake my head. “None. If I did, I’d tell Emilio. I know he’d take care of it.”

  He moves and closes the distance between us until with every breath I take my chest brushes his. I stare up into his bright, fiercely lit blue eyes. I’m paralyzed by them.

  “You don’t need him to take care of it.”

  “Why’s that?” I reply, breathlessly.

  “Because I will,” Nathan growls deep and low sending a shiver down my spine.

  “It’s not your responsibility,” I whisper.

  He reaches up and palms the back of my neck tilting it so I have to stare up at him. The rough sandpaper of his skin abrades mine in a way that sets my blood on fire. The blue of his eyes darkens to near black. He leans in close, his hot breath ghosting across my ear. “It is now.”

  Only his hold on me keeps me from collapsing against the wall behind me. My knees tremble and I palm his chest to steady myself. This is what I’ve been resisting all this time. This sensation of falling so completely into someone. No matter how much I fight against it though, my gut tells me I’m going to lose.

  “Is this because of Enzo?” I can’t help but ask.

  “I think I made my interest known long before our son came into the picture.”

  He’s right. The pull between us began long ago. I’m not ready to concede to anything, but would getting to know Nathan a bit be a bad thing?

  “I just don’t want you to think there’s more to this than there is. I still have every intention of taking my son back to England with me after the wedding. My mind hasn’t changed on that. It won’t,” I say adamantly. “You should know that right now.”

  Nathan’s thumb brushes across my lip. My breath freezes. “Still fighting me, I see. You forget though, that I have two older brothers who have taught me patience and perseverance. A Donnelly doesn’t give up. You should know that. “

  I’m coming to discover that fact all on my own. After all, Enzo is his son.

  Chapter 12

  Nathan

  * * *

  At last, I might finally be getting through to Lucia. At least she’s stopped denying that Enzo is mine. She also hasn’t confirmed it, either. Not that I need her to. But damn, those walls of hers are built so high it’s a wonder she can even see over them. My usual tactics aren’t going to work. If she were any other woman, I’d charm my way into her bed. There’s a lot more going on here than just her denying my son. Including the fact I still don’t have an answer as to why.

  “I should probably get back inside,” she says, taking as big a step back as the wall behind her allows. It’s not much. Only far enough to make my hands twitch with the need to reach for her again. To feel the smooth silkiness of her skin beneath my fingertips.

  “Have dinner with me,” I blurt out, not ready to let her go yet.

  “Nath—”

  I place a finger over her lips, unable to resist touching her once more. “I’m not asking.”

  Lucia swallows, and I follow the movement with my eyes. Her pupils widen and she inhales deeply.

  “Fine,” she says on a breathy exhale.

  “Fine,” I echo, the tip of my finger catching on her bottom lip before it releases. Needing to put space between us before I’m tempted to touch her in more ways, I take a step back. “I’ll call you tomorrow.”

  Before she can reply, I walk away first this time and let her be the one left standing there. One hurdle down. It isn’t the last, though. But I’ll take any wins I can when it comes to Lucia. I didn’t expect this to become a war between us, but if that’s what it comes to, then I plan on winning.

  Two miles from the unmarked, but well-known, line that divides the Italian and neutral territories, something slams into the Mercedes. I grip the steering wheel hard, but the impact came from nowhere and I don’t have time to correct the misdirection. The vehicle fishtails hard and slams into a pole, jarring my whole body from the collision. Blinking the dizziness away, I lean over and grab the .9mm from the glovebox, expecting a barrage of gunfire to penetrate the door and rip into me. Except everything is quiet.

  My gaze darts out the windshield and through my driver’s side window, scanning the area for enemies. Several cars have stopped and loiterers point and stare, some with their cameras out, no doubt taking pictures or video. But no one comes rushing me and nothing seems out of place aside from my crashed vehicle. With the gun still in my palm, I slowly push open the driver’s side door and step out, keeping my eyes peeled for anyone waiting to ambush me.

  In the distance, sirens blare. I slowly spin in a circle, watching, but no one moves. I holster the gun in the waistband of my jeans at the small of my back and slip my phone from my pocket, hitting speed dial. I assess the damage to the Mercedes. Son of a bitch.

  “What’s up?” Jack asks after the second ring.

  “Someone just rammed me off the road. I’m”—I glance up at the street sign, ignoring his curse on the other end—“on the corner of Grand and Union. Send a tow.”

  “What the fuck? Are you okay?”

  I wave him off though he can’t see me. “I’m fine. The Mercedes is shit.”

  There are rustling noises in the background. “The Italians know who you are. We have no issues with them.”

  “Well, unless it was accidental, someone has an issue with me. Or wants to make it seem like the Italians do.”

  “I’m on my way. I’ll call the body shop and have them send someone over there for your car. You’re sure the area is secure?” Jack asks with steel in his voice.

  “It’s secure. Whoever it was is long gone. I doubt anyone is going to talk, even if they saw something,” I say. “I’m going to call Paddy. Maybe his hacker friend can access some of the security cameras in the area. See if they picked up on anything.”

  “Good idea. Until I get there, watch yourself,” he advises. “We don’t know who the fuck did this. Or if they’re still in the area.”

  “Will do,” I concede, although it’s unnecessary. Whoever did this is gone. I disconnect the call and ring Paddy. Nothing else I can do but wait for Jack to get here.

  “To what do I owe the honor, little brother?” he asks.

  “I need your hacker contact to work their magic.”

  “Oh, do tell.”

  “Just got run off the road in Italian territory,” I reply.

  “Are you shitting me?” All amusement leaves him. In its place is a hardness.

  “It might have been an accident, but if it’s not, then we have an issue on our hands.”

  “I’ll reach out. Whoever it is, Maddox will find something. And when he does, we’ll deal with it,” he growls.

  No less than twenty minutes later, Jack pulls up and gets out of the car. I’m sure he broke several traffic laws to get here that fast.

  “You have any trouble?” he asks. “Cops?”

  I shake my head. “Come and gone. Took my statement. Tried giving me a hard time when they saw my license. Got pissed I wasn’t taking their bait and giving them an excuse to try and arrest me for anything.”

  They’d reluctantly left, minus the one who remained behind to keep the flow of traffic moving around the incident.

  “Good to know. One of the O’Callahan boys is right behind me. Five to ten minutes, tops,” he says, assessing the damage done. “You call Emilio?”

  “Not yet.”

  Jack turns his gaze to me. “He’ll want to know. This is his territory, and since we’re presently on good terms with him, I don’t think he sanctioned this.”

  “We don’t even know there is a ‘this’. I’m not jumping to conclusions until we get some type of visual confirmation from any cameras that it was intentional. Could merely have been a simple hit and run. The person panicked and took off.” Except my gut tells me otherwise. Still, I have no plans on going off half-cocked without evidence.

  Jack opens his mouth like he wants to say more, but he jerks a nod and shuts it. Moments later, Killian O’Callahan pulls up in their family-business owned tow truck. Once he gets the Mercedes loaded up and takes off, I join Jack in his car and we drive to the brownstone.

  Paddy’s car is parked outside. I guess we’re having a mini reunion. We stride up the walkway and inside. Sure enough, Paddy has taken a seat in the den and already has a drink in hand.

  “I talked to Maddox. He said to give him a few hours, tomorrow at the latest, and he should have more information for us. I’ll send you his bill when the job is done.” Paddy smirks.

  “Thanks,” I say drily, grabbing a water out of the mini fridge.

  “What were you doing in Italian territory, anyway?” Jack asks dropping into his usual seat.

  I side-eye him. “Not that it’s any of your business, but I went to speak to Lucia.”

  “She still blowing you off?” Paddy asks.

  “It’s…complicated.”

  Paddy snorts. “It’s not that complicated. Either she is or she isn’t.”

  “She agreed to dinner,” I finally tell him because he’ll only needle me until I give him a different answer.

  “That’s a start,” Jack says. “Maybe next she’ll actually admit Enzo is yours.”

  “I think we’re past that stage.”

  “What happens after this?” he asks.

  My gaze glides between the two of them. “I don’t remember butting in this much in either of your personal lives.”

  Paddy coughs. “I guess we won’t talk about what a fecked idea you had when you threw me that ridiculous bachelor party, then.”

  “Or when you tried hooking me up with Eoin’s cousin five years ago,” Jack adds.

  My neck heats. I wave them off. “Okay, so maybe I might have encouraged a few things. Either way, this isn’t just about Lucia. I have to tread carefully. Because if she bolts, I’m not just losing her, but my son as well.”

  “You have less than a week to figure it out, then,” Jack points out. “That should give you plenty of time to work that magic Donnelly charm of yours. If Paddy can get Anya to fall in love with him, then you shouldn’t have any problem getting Lucia to.”

  “I’d be offended by that comment if I didn’t agree with you,” Paddy says. “I’m the lucky one, though.”

  It still amazes me how happy he and Anya are together. Despite starting out as a marriage of convenience, they fell in love. Paddy is the last of us I’d have imagined with a wife. It suits him.

  “Between our date, the rehearsal dinner, and the wedding day, I’ll have plenty of time to spend with her and try to work something out. Even if that means some type of shared custody.” If it leads to more than that with Lucia, I’m certainly not opposed. There’s something about her I have’t been able to forget. Not in six years. Maybe not ever.

  “Speaking of rehearsal, you have the ring, right?” Jack asks Paddy who rolls his eyes.

  “This is the fourth time you’ve asked me, and the answer is always yes. It’s sitting at home on top of my dresser.”

  “I just don’t want you to forget it on Friday.”

  Paddy blows out a breath. “I’m not going to forget it.”

  Jack nods and rises. “When you hear from your hacker, let me know.”

  “Will do.”

  Then he turns and heads out. Paddy remains seated. I glance over at him. “Don’t you have some place to be?”

  He settles even farther back in his chair and crosses his ankle over his knee, taking a sip of his drink. “Not at the moment.”

  Great. “I’m going to make some phone calls. I’m currently out a vehicle.”

  “Go ahead,” he says. “I’ll just sit here and enjoy my whiskey.”

  Doing my best to ignore Paddy, I pull out my phone and scroll until I find the number for O’Callahan’s. A quick conversation tells me that they can fix the Mercedes, but it’s going to be at least a week until it’s ready. My next call garners me a rental for the time being. Meanwhile, Paddy remains in the same spot.

  I set the phone on the bar and turn to him. “What?”

  “What, what?” he asks far too innocently.

  “Why are you still here? I’m sure you have better things to do than sit here and stare at me.”

  At last, he stands and brings his empty glass with him. Paddy rinses it out in the sink while I stare, waiting for him to talk. He and I have never been close. Not like he and Jack. Which is why I don’t understand what he’s doing here. He sets the glass on a towel on top of the bar. Finally, he faces me. He leans back against the counter, crosses his arms and ankles, and studies me. I raise my eyebrow in expectation.

  “I’m happy for you,” he says.

  My jaw nearly falls open in shock. That’s the last thing I ever expected Paddy to say.

  “I am,” he continues. “I also worry about you. Are you sure you’re ready for a kid?”

  I blink, sure someone else has taken over his body. “Why would you be worried about me?”

  He shifts uncomfortably. “Because no matter how much I bust your balls, you’re my brother. And because I know you. I know that when you care about someone, you care about them with everything you have. It’s how you’ve always been. I don’t want to see you get your heart broken is all.”

  “Wow,” I manage, shaking my head a little in disbelief. “I don’t know what to say.”

  “Don’t get all weird about it,” he grumbles. “Just…be careful.”

  My tongue tangles. Before I can assemble a reply, Paddy walks out of the den. I’m frozen while his footsteps fade and the front door opens and closes. Finally I get unstuck and I blindly fall onto the couch. I’ve always felt apart from Jack and Paddy. But after this, a piece inside me shifts. I lean back and grin. But it slowly fades.

  He’s not wrong. I do tend to care with everything I have. When I’m with a woman, I’m with her. Which means I have to decide if Lucia is worth the possible heartbreak. Although, it might be too late for that.

  Chapter 13

  Lucia

  * * *

  I’m annoyed by the fact I’ve been glancing at my phone every five minutes since I woke. No missed calls. No texts. Nothing but silence.

  “Nathan said he’ll call and he will,” I mumble under my breath.

  I’m not supposed to want him to call. Distance, remember? It doesn’t stop me from picking my phone up again and staring at the empty notifications. Then the damn thing rings, and I nearly drop it. Once it’s secure in my grip, I swipe the screen with the unknown number displayed.

  “Hello?” I say quietly as to not disturb a napping Enzo.

  “It’s Nathan. How are you?”

  “Good, thanks. You?” I close my eyes. Could you sound any more stiff?

  “I’m always doing well when I talk to you.” He actually sounds sincere.

  “Flatterer,” I can’t help the rising heat to my cheeks. He certainly is working his charm.

  “Sorry I didn’t call earlier. I’ve had a shit day. Got into a car accident yesterday and have been dealing with that,” he grumbles.

  My stomach sinks. “God, are you okay?”

  “I’m fine. The Mercedes not so much. What did you and Enzo do today? I’m sure it was better than what I did.”

  Still rattled by Nathan’s news it takes me an extra second to reply. “Um, we hung out with Rory. Did a little shopping and then we went to Coney Island. I wanted Enzo to experience some of the same things I did when I was a kid. We rode the Ferris wheel and ate hot dogs while we wandered down the boardwalk. Then we walked out onto the pier to enjoy the lovely day on the water. He crashed before we even got back to the hotel.”

  Enzo’s favorite part had been watching the seagulls hop along the length of the beach and then soar around, their wings flapping white until they became little specks in the sky.

  “Sounds like you all had a great time. Being Irish, I never got the chance to experience Coney. Now that we’re related to them, maybe you and Enzo can take me one of these days. Show me what it’s all about,” Nathan suggests.

  “Maybe,” I say coyly, not ready to make any kind of commitment. I’m only here for a few more days. Plus, I’m still getting used to the fact that I actually agreed to go out this time. Anything more than that feels too much like dating. I can justify a single evening.

  “You haven’t forgotten that you promised me dinner, I hope?” he asks next like he can hear my thoughts.

  I bite my nail. “No, I haven’t forgotten.”

  “Good. Then tomorrow night I’m coming to pick you up and take you out. We’re going to have a nice evening ,” he says firmly as though it’s a guarantee. “After dinner is over, we’ll take a walk along the river before returning to your hotel. I plan on kissing you goodnight. So be prepared. It’s going to be deep and long and leave you begging for more. Then, I’ll head home to my cold, lonely bed where dreams of you will fill my head.”