The Accardi Twins: A Mafia Romance Duet

Chapter 29

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Gia

“ I ’m surprised you can walk at all,” Elisa whispers as we stand outside while Joshua loads our bags in the trunk of his Maserati. I’ve just been filling her in on how fast things have developed with Joshua and our official relationship status. Joshua and I just enjoyed a delicious lunch prepared by Natalia, and now we’re heading back to the city.

“Same, girl.” We’ve had two incredible days here, mostly spent in bed, exploring one another’s bodies and experimenting with different positions. “Not sure what it says about me, but I’m still craving him like I’ll die if I can’t feel him moving inside me.”

Elisa cocks her head to one side, examining my face. “You love him, don’t you?”

Slowly, I nod. “Yeah, I do. I’m not sure how it happened. It just snuck up on me.”

“Sounds perfect, and he clearly feels the same. The way he looks at you. Gawd. It’s beautiful, Gigi. He looks at you like you’re the only woman who has ever existed. Like you’re his entire world. He looks at you the way I wish Caleb would look at me, but it will never happen.” She averts her eyes for a second, and when she looks at me again, I see the hurt hiding behind her eyes.

“Oh, Lise.” I yank her into a hug. I hate seeing her hurt, but I’m glad what’s happened seems to have brought her to her senses. “Your knight in shining armor is out there waiting for you. I bet it happens when you least expect it. Just how it’s happened to me.”

“I told Seb I’d go out on a date with him,” she blurts as we separate. I watch Joshua hug his mother at the door.

My brows climb to my hairline. “When did that happen?”

Fire dances in her eyes. “I texted him Christmas night.”

I’m betting it was after Caleb left to meet Anais.

“Good for you. He seems crazy about you, and I really hope it works out. You deserve to be happy.”

She looks miserable as she forces a nod, and my heart hurts for my bestie. It feels wrong for me to be so ecstatically happy when she’s dejected and heartsore.

Joshua glances over his shoulder, communicating with his eyes. I loop my arm through Elisa’s and we walk to the entranceway of Nat and Leo’s homey house. “Thanks for everything, Nat. It’s been a wonderful Christmas.”

Leo snorts out a laugh, and his wife shoots him the evil eye. He promptly shuts up, and I can’t hide a grin. Gotta love seeing a dangerous made man humbled by his wife. Someday, I want that to be me. To be us . My eyes are drawn to Joshua like a string being pulled between us, and I can tell he’s thinking similar thoughts. A rosy-red flush creeps up my cheeks, and I literally radiate happiness.

“We loved having you here.” Natalia bundles me into a hug. “Thank you, Gia. Thank you for bringing my son back to us. I couldn’t be happier you two are together. It’s the best Christmas gift of all time.”

“Enough conspiring.” Joshua pulls me out of his mother’s embrace to wrap me up in his. “And stop hogging my woman.”

“I wouldn’t dream of it.” His mom beams and wipes a tear before she wraps Elisa into a warm hug. She whispers in her ear as Leo saunters over to us.

“You kiddos take care in the city. Watch your backs and don’t take any risks. It’s dangerous out there.”

“I won’t be there for long,” I say. I’m mostly heading back to the city because my team is meeting up tomorrow night in honor of Aldo and Pisano, and I want to be there. “I’ll just pack up my stuff, say goodbye to my folks, and then I’ll be on my way back.”

“We look forward to having you stay with us, and you’re welcome for as long as you like.”

I reach out and hug him. “Thanks, Leo. I appreciate it.”

“You’re family, Gia. You always have a place with us.”

“Let’s hit the road before traffic builds,” Joshua says, nodding at his mom and stepdad as he walks Lise and me to his car. He helps Elisa into her seat as I climb into the passenger seat, and then he climbs behind the wheel.

We wave to his parents as we pull out, driving down the long entrance to the front gates.

Elisa falls asleep after ten minutes, and I lower the music so it doesn’t wake her.

“Is she okay?” Joshua asks in a low voice.

“She will be.”

“Do I need to kick my brother’s ass?”

“Is that a rhetorical question?” I lift my eyes.

“Do you want me to talk to him?”

“And say what? You can’t force someone to love.”

Joshua glances briefly into the back seat through the mirror. “He loves her. The only women Caleb truly loves are Mom and Elisa. It’s because he loves her that he stays away. He knows he’s not good enough for her. That he can’t give her the things she needs. He’s trying to do right by her.”

Yeah right. If he knew the things I knew, he wouldn’t say that. But Elisa made it clear she doesn’t want me or Joshua getting involved. And I think this was the breaking point. I think she’s finally ready to move forward with her life, and I’m not doing anything that might cause her to regress. She needs to forget about Caleb Accardi. He’s not the one for her.

“It’s a moot point now anyway. She’s over him.” I almost blurt about her date, but that’s not my business to share.

Joshua quirks a brow but doesn’t question me, and I’m glad.

“I spoke with Ben this morning, and we’ve had a little breakthrough.”

The leather squelches under my butt as I turn to face him. “What kind of breakthrough? Did my plan work?”

His face contorts into a grimace as he signals to move into the left lane. “Unfortunately not. None of the lies we spread were sent out into the community. Somehow, the rats knew it was a trap.”

“Well, that sucks.”

“It does, but we hired some guys outside the famiglia to break into the Irish bar, and they struck gold.”

Excitement bubbles up my throat. “What did they find?”

“Paperwork with intelligence reports submitted to Liam from informants inside all our families. We have a list of names now. It’s most likely not exhaustive, but it’s a good starting point.”

“What is The Commission going to do? Will they take them in and interrogate them?”

“I’m heading to a meeting at HQ to discuss it after I drop you and Elisa home, but my guess is we’ll leave the guys in situ so we can watch them. We risk exposing ourselves if we round up these men for questioning. Pretending we aren’t on to them is probably the smartest course. We’ll watch what they are up to and see what extra intel we can glean. It will help to ferret out other spies and rats, and then we can plan an attack on several fronts to take our enemies down.”

I stretch my leggings-clad legs out and cross my feet at the ankles. “Will Liam not suspect you know after the break-in?”

He shakes his head. “The guys got in and out without breaking anything or taking anything. They copied all the files, and Philip’s team doctored the cameras in the bar, the alleyway, and streets outside, so if anyone looks, nothing will seem suspicious. Liam won’t know we know until it’s too late.”

“What about O’Hara?”

“He’s preparing to clean house. We added more names to the dossier we were compiling from your intel on Liam’s crew. We have a substantial list now. Diarmuid is going to take them down and restore order within the Irish mafia. We have offered our support, and in return, he will help us defeat the Barone and whomever they’re working for and with.”

“There are a lot of angles at play and a lot of risk.”

“There usually is,” he says, taking the exit off the highway.

“Do we have enough manpower? We don’t know how many we’ll be up against.”

“The decision was taken before Christmas to open applications for four new positions on the board. We’re going to move fast and add new dons this month so we will have their backing when it’s time to draw the enemy out.”

“Sounds like you guys have thought of everything.” It’s reassuring to know they are finally getting ahead of this thing.

“We’ve had more emergency meetings these past couple of months than the entire two years Caleb and I have been on the board. It’s been exhausting, but we work well as a team, and our skillsets complement one another.”

“I hope that dynamic doesn’t alter too much after the new dons join the board.”

“You and me both,” he says, heading for the city.

We drop Elisa at her apartment first. We hug, and she promises to let me know how her date with Seb goes. We stop by Joshua’s penthouse next because he wants to get changed for his meeting.

I inspect the collection of books in his small living room library annex while he gets dressed. “Damn, you make a suit look good,” I say when he emerges from his bedroom wearing a sharp black suit with a deep-blue shirt and a blue, black, and silver tie. “No wonder your brand is one of the most in demand.” I slide my hands up his solid chest. “Having you and Caleb as the face of the brand was a stroke of genius. Every man wants to be you, and every woman wants to have you. It’s a win-win.”

“It doesn’t hurt the bottom line, that’s for sure.”

I nuzzle my face in his neck, inhaling his gorgeous scent. “You smell divine too. Thank fuck you’re only meeting men, or I might get jealous.”

He tips my chin up with two fingers. “You don’t need to be jealous. I’m yours. Only yours.”

“I won’t ever tire of hearing that.”

“Good.” He presses a hard kiss to my lips. “Because I’m going nowhere. I’m in this for the long haul, Gia.” His eyes probe mine.

“I love you.” It feels like the right moment to say it.

His Adam’s apple jumps in his throat as shock splays across his face. He stares at me with unnamed emotion flooding his face.

“It’s okay,” I add, softly stroking his cheeks. “I don’t need to hear it in return.” I know that is a big step for him, given his past, and I’m fine to work up to it. “I see it in the way you look at me and in the things you do for me. I don’t need to hear those words yet.”

“I don’t think I’m worthy of you.” Joshua reels me into his strong arms.

“You are more than worthy.”

He releases me with a resigned sigh a minute later. “I wish we didn’t have to go, but I’m under pressure.”

“It’s cool. I know we’ll be forced to separate until this is all done. I’m prepared for it.” I’ll hate it because Joshua is like oxygen to me now, but he’s going to be in the city working with The Commission to take our enemies down and reclaim order while I’ll be hiding in Greenwich until Liam’s no longer a threat.

“I’ll fly back as often as I can to see you. Ben will be traveling back and forth, so I’ll probably travel with him.”

“I’d like that. Is it strange to say I’m already missing you?”

“Not at all. I feel the same.” He brushes his lips against mine and takes my hand. “Let’s go.”

We are waiting for the elevator in the private lobby when the door to Caleb’s penthouse opens and someone I loathe appears.

The door snicks shut behind her as she walks toward us. Anais’s dark-blonde hair tumbles down her back as she sashays her hips and cocks her head to one side. She’s a stunning woman, always dressed immaculately and expensively, but it’s all fake. The resemblance to her half-sister is strong, but where Catarina Greco is a natural beauty, her younger sister is like the cheap knockoff version. She’s caked in makeup with thick dark brows and bright red lips. Her lips and boobs are surgically enhanced, and her frozen forehead speaks to a Botox obsession.

Her eyes roam over Joshua and I, lingering on his arms around my waist as I lean back against him. Her lips kick up at the corners. “Slumming it again, Joshua?”

“Shut your hideous mouth, Anais, or I’ll shut it for you.” Joshua isn’t holding back but he rarely does when it comes to Mrs. DiPietro. She is not well liked, and that’s a universal truth.

“Trying something new?” she asks, fingering my red hair.

“Don’t touch me.” I snag her wrist and thrust her arm away. “And it’s none of your business.”

“Red is so tacky, and it really doesn’t suit you,” she adds as the elevator pings and the doors slide open.

Joshua opens his mouth to retaliate, and I shake my head. “I don’t care what she thinks,” I say, not lowering my voice, as we walk into the elevator. “Her opinions are as inconsequential as her existence.” I turn to face her scowling features as the door shuts and we start moving. “In case that got lost in translation, it means you don’t matter.”

“How’s your little virgin friend? Still pining after something that’s mine?” Her haughty laugh grates on my ears, and I have to bite my tongue not to snap at her. There is no point entering into a war of words with her, and I won’t lower myself or Elisa to respond to her ridiculous claims.

“Caleb will never be yours,” Joshua says, holding me flush against his body as we ride the elevator with the bitch. “Tell yourself whatever delusional bullshit you like, but the cold, hard truth is you’re a convenient hole to fuck. That’s all.”

The doors ping open, and she sidles up to us, pressing her hand on Joshua’s chest. I shove her away, baring my teeth and snarling. “I don’t think I’m the delusional one, Josh. You might want to look in the mirror.” Tossing her hair over her shoulder, she saunters off looking like the cat that got the cream.

“I do not know how Caleb tolerates her. He might deserve a medal,” I mumble as we exit the elevator and head toward Joshua’s Land Rover.

“She’s completely toxic, and I wish he could cut her loose.”

“I really fucking hate her. She’s been such a bitch to Elisa over the years.”

Joshua holds my hand as we walk toward his car. “Probably because she realizes Caleb genuinely cares for Elisa, and she’s jealous because he really doesn’t give a fuck about her.”

“I used to feel a little sorry for her about that until I remembered she’s cheating on her husband and she’s a complete cunt to my best friend. All my sympathy evaporated then. It’s hard to believe she and Catarina are sisters. Cat is so compassionate, caring, and smart, yet Anais is the complete opposite.”

Catarina is married to Don Greco, and Massimo and Fiero are best friends, so they are often at Maltese events, and I’ve gotten to know her over time. She’s my hero and one of the few inspirational women within the mafioso . It’s hard to fathom she and Anais share some of the same DNA.

“Wait up!”

Joshua and I turn around as Caleb comes running toward us.

“What’s up?”

“Anais had very interesting intel.” He falls into step beside us as we resume walking. “Apparently, Cruz has struck up a friendship with the new Don D’Onofrio in Florida. Been taking weekly trips there for months, and she overheard him arranging flight schedules in and out of Florida.”

“Massimo and Fiero felt he was shady when they paid him a visit recently,” Joshua says. “You think Cruz and Vitto are in on this?”

“It’s beginning to sound like it.” Caleb rubs his hands together, and he can barely contain the glee on his face. “We’re starting to connect all the puzzle pieces, and when we do, they’re all going down.”

Joshua drops me off around the block from my Brooklyn apartment, shortly before four p.m. Liam is in Ireland, but after claiming ownership of me, it’s not inconceivable he’d leave some goons to watch over me. We don’t want him finding out I’m part of the mafioso . It’s better he thinks I’ve just run in fear. He can’t discover who I am because it will risk the entire operation.

“I’m sorry I can’t help you to pack,” he says as he kills the engine at the curb.

“You can’t risk being seen. Besides, you have a meeting to attend.”

“Two meetings. Caleb and I have our usual weekly meeting with Benedito and Luca before we need to be at Commission Central.”

“You’re busy, and that takes priority. I’m more than capable of packing up my things by myself.” I lean over and kiss him, loving I get to do it whenever I feel like it.

“The moving van will pull up at the rear entrance, and the guys will use the staff elevator to move your boxes from the apartment. I have a couple of men outside your apartment already. They’re your bodyguards until we get you safely back to Greenwich.”

“Try not to worry, and be careful,” I say, curling my hand around the door handle.

Joshua pulls me back, slamming his lips down on mine in a toe-curling kiss that warms me on the inside. “Watch your back.” He slaps a small handgun into my palm. “Keep that on you at all times, and don’t hesitate to use it if you need to.”

I tuck it into the back of the waistband of my leggings. “Thanks, and I will.”

He rubs his thumb along my lips. “Fuck, I hate leaving you.” He kisses me quick.

“I’ll see you tonight.”

He nods. “Text me when you’ve finished packing, and I’ll send the van over and come get you.” We’re going to spend a couple of nights in the city, attending to everything I need to do, before I relocate to Greenwich and go into hibernation.

“Will do. Now go before you’re late to your meeting.” I get out and sling my bag over my shoulder, resisting the urge to turn around and blow him a kiss.

I’m on high alert as I walk the quiet streets to the apartment, glancing all around and constantly checking my surroundings. I am close to the apartment when a vehicle comes careening up the road at speed. Tires screech, and I whip my head to the side in time to see a black van hurtling up the road toward me. I’m reaching for the gun when I’m shoved forcefully from behind. Losing my balance, I fall forward, slamming into the sidewalk. The side of my head cracks against the asphalt, and it’s instant lights out.