7. Matteo #2
He jerked his chin toward the slumbering infant. “It’ll keep until you get her down for the night.”
“She’s fine where she is.” My lips dusted over the dark hair at the top of Serafina’s head.
In the weeks following Bianca’s near-drowning, I’d kept the promise I made to Allegra that day. The girls were back to being the center of my universe—when I wasn’t knee-deep in mafia bullshit—and I was eight months behind on baby cuddles.
Enzo nodded. “Eh, not like she’s gonna tell anyone anyway.”
He sauntered closer, dropping onto the couch with a sigh.
“Nico did a deep dive into Dante’s finances, and as far as he can tell, only a fraction of the money went into his accounts.”
“How much?” I pressed.
“Hundred grand, which he used to get his mother out of the country. He was stupid enough to steal from us in the first place but not dumb enough to think he wouldn’t get caught eventually.”
“And we have no idea where the other six hundred grand went?”
Dropping his head back on the cushions, Enzo shook his head. “Casino runs on cash; you know that. It’s impossible to trace.”
“Fuck.” I dragged a hand down my face. “If he didn’t keep it all for himself, that means someone else is involved.”
“Yeah,” Enzo agreed. “And after your little ‘performance’ earlier”—he shuddered, a hand moving to cover his crotch—“I had Nico investigate everyone who handles cash inside the casino. From what he could tell, no one seemed to have a higher-than-average bank balance or was hiding family members.”
Groaning, I pinched the bridge of my nose. “That means he was working with someone on the outside.”
“Sure looks that way. And as of right now, we have no clue as to who.”
“Fucking fantastic,” I muttered.
“I mean, best guess would be the Russians since we’re not exactly friendly at the moment, but petty theft under the radar isn’t exactly their style.”
He wasn’t wrong. The Russians favored death and destruction. If they were coming for us, it would be with guns blazing.
And that meant there was an unknown enemy lurking out there, which was even more dangerous.
Three months of being Don was three months too many, if you asked me.
“Any word from Gio?” I was more than ready for my older brother’s return.
“Not a peep,” Enzo replied. “He’s gone dark, just like he said. We likely won’t hear from him until he’s completed his mission.”
Reaching toward the side table, I brought a glass of scotch to my lips. “His mission is fucked up.”
Enzo stood, walking to the bar in the corner and pouring himself a drink. “You won’t hear an argument from me there.”
“So we’re just supposed to sit around here, waiting for the day he shows up with a kid? Or worse, with a pissed-off Rory in tow?”
Returning to the couch, the bastard chuckled. “Maybe you can share your nanny.”
“Over my dead fucking body,” I snarled.
“What is it about this girl that’s got you all growly?”
I blew out a heavy breath. “If I knew, I’d tell you. She’s a distraction I definitely don’t need, but I crave her—almost like an addiction I can’t shake—and I haven’t even had a taste yet.”
“Sounds terrible. Hope it’s not contagious.” He made a show of scooching further away from me on the couch.
My eye roll couldn’t be contained. “You’re an asshole.”
His grin grew wider. “Better than being smitten.”
I groaned. “Shut up.”
“Here.” Enzo dug out his phone. “I’ve got something that’ll make you feel better.”
He turned the screen around, and my eyes locked on the video he’d pulled up.
The dark-haired woman berating a blond behemoth of a man was one I’d known my entire life—my cousin Gemma.
“Jesus, she’s really letting him have it.
I’m almost afraid to ask what the poor sucker did to poke that particular hornet’s nest.” Gemma was known for being feisty.
It’s why she’d often ended up on the wrong side of Uncle Dario’s temper.
But the type of meltdown she was having in the video wasn’t something that happened unprovoked.
Enzo bit back a grimace. “He cut her in line at the DMV.”
I scanned the title of the amateur film uploaded to a social media site: DMV Diva Goes Ballistic on Pro Goalie.
My eyebrows rose. “Couldn’t have picked a lower profile target for her rage?”
“She has no clue who the guy is.”
Wasn’t sure that made it any better.
“Hold on, the best part is coming up.” My cousin snickered as a DMV employee grabbed Gemma from behind, and she rammed her fist right into his nose.
“Holy shit.” I barked out a laugh.
The loud noise startled Serafina, whose head lifted on a whimper.
Immediately, I bounced her little bum, murmuring, “Shh, topolina .”
Enzo rose from his seat, tucking his phone into his pocket. “I’ll get out of your hair.”
“You’ll pick up Summer tomorrow?” I called out to his back as he moved to exit my office.
“Yes, Boss,” he teased before pulling the door open and disappearing.
He might love busting my balls, but I trusted him with my life, my daughters’ lives, and apparently, now with Summer’s.
Even still, I wouldn’t be able to breathe until she was officially under my roof.