18. Noah
Noah
T he stare of murder I got from my father after that announcement almost made me drag Del out of the party and go into hiding.
“I hope you know what you’re doing,” Del says next to my ear while we slow dance to “I’ll Be Home for Christmas . ”
I’ve had three chutes of champagne and a vodka soda cranberry, and I’m feeling pretty freaking good.
“It’s going to work.”
“Your father is going to kill me.”
“Don't worry about him. I can handle my father. Once I tell him that I’m ready to learn the business, he’ll be too excited to care about killing you.
” I think. “Besides, it’s just temporary.
No one will question the fiancé of “Noemi Lenetti” being in Empire territory.
This makes it easier to snoop around for answers about our mothers’ murders. ”
“But they will question Lance Carter, QBM heir. Your father’s not going to trust you now that he knows you’re engaged to the enemy. Honestly, I’m surprised I’m not already dead.”
I’d considered this. I didn’t mean to out Del too.
“Okay, now hear me out.”
“This ought to be good.”
Rude.
“I had this idea after seeing your brother here at the party that maybe we can bring the two families together and become one crime organization. We’d be powerful enough to take over the Lords’ territory on Staten Island.”
The Lords are such a waste of space, it’s time for them to go.
They run illegal gambling rings and black-market trading schemes. They're also a hotbed for sex trafficking.
Not that the other two mafias are angels. The QBM controls all the drugs that come in and out of the city.
And the Empire has majority power over guns.
I know each organization deals in other illegal activities: extortion, fraud, loan sharking. Up until now, I haven’t cared to learn all those details.
I still don’t want to know all the details, but if it will lead us to answers, then I’ll learn.
Speaking of answers… We've yet to figure out who’s trying to kill me. Am I being targeted for being a mafia heir or contract killer?
“I don’t know about this, Vixen.”
“I’ll talk to him. I’m surprised he hasn’t come over here to steal me away.”
He’s been busy doing damage control over my little stunt.
“He won’t touch you if he knows how important you are to me.”
“Am I important to you?”
“Yes. I need you to help me snoop through my father’s stuff.”
“Is that all I’m good for?”
Del’s hands smooth up and down my back, inching dangerously close to my ass. He leans in and sniffs my neck.
“Basically.”
“I’m not good at eating you out and fucking you until you’re sore?”
“You’re definitely not good at that. You’re fucking fantastic.”
Del growls in my ear. “Fuck it. Talk to him another night. I want to take you home now so I can devour you.”
“Home? And where might that be? Your safe house?”
“Yes, the safe house.” His soft lips press against my neck. “Or wherever you want. I’ll buy you a penthouse with the best views of New York City if that’s what you’d prefer.”
More kisses, this time along my jaw.
“Mhm. Moving in together so soon? We barely know each other.”
Even though we’ve technically been living together since the explosion.
“Good thing we’re engaged, fiancée . We have until our dying day to get to know each other.”
“It’s a fake engagement, and you know it,” I say, breathless as his eager lips leave no part of my skin untouched.
“Nope. We’re getting married.”
“What if l want a divorce?”
“Not happening. You’re mine forever.”
“Should I be concerned about this obsessive behavior of yours? What’s next? Are you going to tell me you love me?”
He answers by nipping at my jaw.
I need to stop Del’s PDA, because he won’t hesitate to fuck me in front of everyone in the middle of this dance floor.
I glance around the crowd. I was hoping to talk to Sage.
I know she’s probably pissed about me hiding this part of my life from her.
When I invited her tonight, I didn’t think she’d accept since she’s not a fan of my father.
But I think she misses me. Fuck, I miss her.
Del has been taking up too much of my time.
So, yeah, she was thrilled to attend. She told me she was going to find a rich sugar daddy to take her home.
She either found that person or a handsome mobster stole her away.
“Where’s your brother? I don’t see Sage, and I’m worried he kidnapped her.”
“He might have. I saw the way he looked at her.”
He twists me around, crushing his front to my back and crosses his arm over my stomach. His lips return to my neck, and I close my eyes at how wonderful they feel.
“You better behave,” I whisper. “My father has not let us out of his sight.”
“We want to be believable, yes?”
“I also want you alive.”
At that, he stops and swings me back around.
“I spoke too soon. We’re about to be summoned.” I nod at Vershun approaching us.
“Miss Lenetti,” he says coldly. I blanche at the use of my birth name. “Your father has requested an audience with you and your… friend.”
“I think you mean fiancé,” I hold up my ring finger, flashing the white gold, five-carat, pear-shaped diamond ring.
I nearly passed out when Del gave it to me.
He claims it’s not real, and it cost next to nothing, but I know my diamonds.
It's the real deal with a $100,000 price tag. “Lead the way, Vershy.”
He snarls at the nickname, and Del snarls at Vershun’s reaction. My puppet is so adorably protective, and I’m quite enjoying this possessive side of him.
But right now? He’s raging.
“Are you trying to break my hand?” I ask as we walk through the crowd.
“Sorry,” he says and loosens his hold.
He might be nervous too. I mean, I’m nervous, but at least I know my father won’t hurt me.
Vershun leads us out of the ballroom to a conference room with a long table and twelve chairs around it. My father sits at the front, or I guess the back, smoking a cigar.
“Sit, daughter.”
The moment my ass hits the seat, my dad has a gun in his hand, and he pulls the trigger.
Despite the silencer masking the noise of the shot, Del was prepared and dodges the bullet to hunch over me like a shield.
“Impressive. Your reflexes are fast, and your first instinct was to protect my daughter.”
“Is this really necessary, Babbo?”
“No, but it’s fun.”
I grab Del’s hand and sit him down next to me, weaving my fingers with his; a sign of solidarity for my father.
“What is this about?” I ask.
“What is this about?” My father laughs. Then he laughs a little more until his face is scarlet and tears are in his eyes. He might have gone insane.
In a flash, my father’s gun is back in his hands.
“No!”
It’s too late. The bullet pierces through Del’s shoulder. It would have gone in his chest if I hadn’t tugged on his arm, out of the line of fire.
I stand up and press my hands over the wound.
“What the fuck, Giovanni?!”
“Watch your mouth, little girl,” he says, pounding a fist on the table.
“You disappear for over a week after the apartment you rented in neutral territory blows up. And you return only to be engaged to the enemy? Then you tell everyone your true identity? After everything I’ve worked for to keep you alive and safe? !”
“You wanted me back and now I’m here. Everyone was going to find out who I am.”
My father’s face is as red as his tie, and I worry he’s going to have an aneurysm.
“Tell me this engagement isn’t real.”
“It’s real, Babbo. I love him.”
“You love me?” Del wheezes through the pain.
“After, what? A week? Bullshit.”
Del’s face pales and sweat coats his forehead. He winces when I ease pressure off the wound to swipe a piece of stuck hair back. Maybe I do love him. At least, I can see myself loving him.
“We’ve known each other longer. Almost three months now.”
“He’s QBM,” my father says and spits on the ground beside him.
“I think him being QBM can help us,” I say, my voice shaking because my father’s face reads pure murder. I might not be able to talk myself out of this one.
His eyes narrow before he stands and walks to where we sit. He raises his gun and presses the barrel to Del’s head.
“Tell me why I shouldn’t kill him right here in front of you.”
My throat aches with the threat of tears.
I rarely see this side of my father. Ever since my mother’s murder, I knew there were two versions of him: the man who loved and cared for me and the murdering mobster.
But part of me didn’t want to believe he could be the latter.
I never wanted to believe he could be capable of ordering the hit on the wives and children of rival mobs.
Now I can see it. I see the true Gio Lenetti.
“Because to the world you may be a dangerous criminal, but to me, you’re Babbo. My father,” I say through tears. “You love me and if you care about me, you won’t kill Lance. Let me explain. You at least owe me that.”
He presses the barrel harder, and I can hear Del grind his teeth in response. My father finally lowers the gun with a sneer, leaving an indentation of a ring on Del’s forehead.
Before I can breathe a sigh of relief, Gio pistol whips Del and knocks him out cold.
“Seriously?”
My dad shrugs. “I don’t like the way he looks at you.”
I pinch the bridge of my nose with my thumb and index finger.
“Can you please call someone to stitch him up so he doesn’t die?”
Gio stares me down as if he’s about to say ‘maybe I want him to die.’ He glares at me, well, more at Del, then flicks his wrist at Vershun and the other guard with blond hair whose name I can't remember right now.
No name guy gives my father a snarl—or maybe that was meant for me—and leaves.
“Okay,” my father waves his hand over the table. “Talk.”
My eyes move to Vershun. I’d rather not have him here either. My father must see my hesitation, and with a silent command, the big security guy exits the room.
“Why him?” my father asks the moment the door closes.