Chapter 25
NIC
SEVEN WEEKS LATER
W e’re both shocked when we step into Madalina’s living room and see the effort she’s gone to.
“Wow!” Lorna looks overwhelmed as she takes in all the pastel pink and blue decorations. Along with the doughnut stand, photo station, and candy cart that’s brimming with blue and pink sweets.
“You're here.” Madalina finishes wrapping more pink fabric around one of the huge pillars, tying it off with the perfect bow before she races toward us and picks up a sash on her way.
“You look adorable.” She pats Lorna's tummy, then slides the sash over her head and positions it across her chest.
“It’s one of the dresses you gave me,” Lorna points out, looking down at the cream-coloured dress that's stretched tight over her baby bump.
“Guests will start arriving soon. I thought we could sit you here…” Madalina takes Lorna’s arm and guides her over to a chair that she’s taken from the dining room. “I’ve positioned it between the two couches, with easy access to the coffee table so that you’re central to the room.” She taps the seat for Lorna to try out and when she steadily lowers herself onto it I hide my smirk behind my laugh.
“What do you think?” My sister turns her attention to me.
“It’s perfect, all she needs now is a crown.” I wink at my girl, knowing how much she hates being fussed over.
“Oh, I have that!” Madalina darts to the other side of the room and picks up a tiara. Just like the sash it has the words ‘mom to be’ written in diamanté, and I have to bite my lip to stop myself from laughing as she places it on Lorna’s head.
“Madalina, I appreciate this but don’t you think it’s a little too much? It’s just going to be us, Cass, my mom, Serena, and a few girls from college.”
I can tell Lorna’s grateful for my sister's efforts, but she hates being the center of attention.
“Yes, about that.” Madalina grits her teeth together.
“About what?” Lorna suddenly looks angry but I find it hard to take her seriously with that tiara on.
“I invited a few of the district leaders' wives and daughters…” Madalina admits, looking guilty. “...I thought it would be good for you to get to know them.”
“Mads, you know I find these kinds of things awkward.” Lorna sighs, playing with the end of her sash, nervously.
“You’ve thrown me two incredible showers, I just wanted to do the same for you.”
“Yes, because you like this kind of thing and Dario gave me an unlimited budget. I’m just going to feel like an exhibit, sitting here, trying to make small talk with strangers.”
“You don’t have to worry about that, I have some great party games to break the ice.” Lorna shoots me a look as Madalina delves into one of the boxes that are on the coffee table.
“I have to go.” I make my way over to the ‘mom-to-be’ so I can kiss her goodbye. “Have fun.” I stroke her tummy and leave her scowling as I head back out to the car.
Judging by the itinerary Madalina messaged me yesterday, this baby shower is set to last all day and I have a few errands to run while my girl is occupied.
“It’s been a while.” Aunt Elena kisses my cheek before she sees me in through the door.
“I apologize for that, though I see you are doing well for yourself.” I glance around the three-story townhouse she’s living in now.
“Donald is resourceful, and works away…a lot.” She raises her eyebrows as she makes her way over to the liquor cabinet.
“And Donald is husband number…”
“Three, since your uncle passed.” She allows sadness to cloud her eyes, but only for a second.
“I don’t think you came here to discuss my marriages though, did you Nic?” She lifts up the decanter and I shake my head in refusal.
“Suit yourself.” She shrugs, pouring one for herself before she perches on the edge of the couch.
“So, what do you need to know?” She gets straight to the point.
“I need to know who people are hiring these days.” I’m sure her house staff can be trusted, but I glance around to make sure we’re alone.
“You're asking me?” She laughs.
“I’ve been working privately for Dario for over a year now, I’m out of the loop,” I admit.
“Mmm, there has been a gap in the market,” she sniggers, lifting her cigarette case and selecting one before placing it between her lips and waiting for me to light it for her.
“Come on, you can’t convince me that you don’t still have contacts. You don’t just stop being a fixer because Donny, or whatever husband number three’s called, knows how to invest.” I keep my voice low.
“It sounds to me like someone wants to go back on the books.” She raises her eyebrow and takes a long drag of her smoke.
“That’s not why I came here. I need information about a hit that was carried out a few months ago. I need to know who did it.”
“You know how this works, Nic. Even if I knew, I couldn't tell you.” She shakes her head as if she’s disappointed in me for asking.
“Elena, come on, we’re family.”
“Not by blood.”
“Don’t give me that shit, you adored Uncle Demetri. Some of the best memories of my childhood were spent with the two of you.”
“He would have killed for a son like you.” She smiles fondly. “You made him proud, you made us both proud.” She reaches over to place her hand on top of mine. “But that still doesn’t change the code of conduct.”
“All I need to know is if someone came to you and asked for a hit on this guy.” I take out the picture Dario gave me with his file and show it to her. She does me the courtesy of putting on her glasses and studying the photo for a while, before taking them off and shaking her head.
“No.” She looks almost offended as she clears her throat.
“So, you didn’t send anyone to Malibu in June, with an order to shoot this man in the head?” I ask again.
“There are other fixers in this city, Nic.” She sips from her glass tumbler.
“But you’re the person people come to, first. Elena, this man is the father of someone very special to me,” I explain, knowing the hard-assed bitch has a heart buried somewhere. I’ve seen it for myself once or twice.
“And would that someone special be the woman that's carrying your child?” She looks back at me cleverly.
“How did you–”
“Madalina actually takes the time to call her lonely, old aunt.” She looks back at me judgingly. “I even got an invitation to the baby shower, but I’m intolerable to those kinds of things.”
“I just need to know who ordered the hit, so I can be assured she’s not in any danger.” I get us back to the reason I’m here and she holds her hand back out for the picture.
“Can I keep this?” she asks when I give it to her.
“Of course.”
“I’ll put out some feelers, but I can’t promise anything.”
“I knew you wouldn’t let me down.” I stand up and kiss her on her cheek, almost choking on her perfume. “I should head back, but I’d like you to meet Lorna, and the baby when it gets here.” I smile at the old woman who my uncle was hopelessly in love with. I don’t know what her job was before they met, but I’d put all my money on guessing she was some kind of special agent. She has that way about her.
“You know my feelings toward infants, Nic,” she reminds me, and I nod my head as I go to see myself out.
“If you should ever want to go back to private hire–”
“You’ll be the first to know about it,” I turn around and assure her.
“I’m pleased to hear it, your uncle trained you well, it would be a shame to see that go to waste.” That sadness finds her eyes again, and I quickly leave before it catches up with me too.