Chapter 35
LUCY
Moments earlier
I stare at the papers covering the wall of Amara’s salon. There are more than there were yesterday. “You guys figured all of this out since I left yesterday?” I ask incredulously.
Soren’s taken up residence in Rori’s arms, kicking his feet happily as Hades sniffs and rubs his big nose against his feet. Rori grins at me. “I thought the same thing when I came back this morning.”
“We can’t look at everything the way we were,” Gia reminds us. “I mean, look at all this. This isn’t just about power and using us to get it anymore. This is a battle for an entire city. Secret journals, offices, routes, and alliances. Maybe this is what all of this was building up to.”
“This is what I think,” Sofia agrees. “All of this has been building. Look at all these connections. Gia was promised to Dante. Why? Before finding out about Nico’s mother’s operation, it didn’t make sense to me.
What does Leonardo get out of being promised to a small Don in another state?
Esposito has a small territory, and he’s not a big player.
So you have to think that he offers something else, right? ”
“You’re thinking that he’s the mastermind behind all of this?” Sienna asks, gaze sharpening.
“I mean, think about it. Nico’s mother wouldn’t have known who to approach, right?
Maybe they cooked it up together, or maybe it was her idea but she needed him to help her get it going.
Either way, once the connections were made, it would be Esposito that would need to do a lot of the big work.
Leonardo and Giovanni despise women. Seamus might appreciate women a bit more, but he’s still not going to let a woman run something on her own.
He won’t respect her. So there had to be a man, right? ”
“She’s right,” Gia rushes out. “My father would never work with a woman. He doesn’t think we’re smart enough.
Giovanni is exactly the same. So she had to have someone do the talking.
And she wouldn’t trust anyone but her brother.
” She looks around quickly. “We need Nico here. We need more information.” Then she rushes for the door.
“Okay, while she’s dealing with that, Lucy, you said you finished the journal?” Amara asks me.
I nod. I give them a quick rundown on what I know.
“There weren't any big revelations beyond what we already know,” I finish. “She hated her life, but she also just wanted her husband to love her. She hated her children, but she also wanted them around her so she wasn’t alone. I know she’s technically my birth mother, but she wasn’t a mother.
She spent a lot of time on pills and using alcohol other than when she was pregnant.
She also knew of Leonardo’s affairs. She followed a few of them too, but she never mentions any of them by name. ”
“Did you have time to read your mother’s journal, Amara?” Sienna asks.
Amara nods. “I read the first few pages, and most of it is from when she was told she was being sent to marry Giovanni. She had hope that it would be an okay marriage. She knew her duty, but I haven’t gotten past that.”
“Gia said that she rarely saw your mother, so I have to assume she suffered under Giovanni’s hands too,” Sofia says sadly.
Amara nods, a somber look in her eyes. “Once I get through it all, I’ll let you know what else we can add to this.
The one thing I do think is that all this with Marco, Giovanni, and Leonardo is about to come to a head.
When they realize that we have closed off their secret entrance, and their informants won’t be giving them anymore information, they’re going to get desperate. ”
That’s exactly what worries me.
I try not to panic about it, telling myself that Massimo and the others won’t let anything happen to us.
Instead, I force myself to put it out of my mind and focus on what we’re talking about.
It’s that or I start thinking of Massimo again, and I’ve already done too much about that since last night.
Ever since he left last night, the only thing I’ve thought of is his words, the way he kissed me.
Hell, I woke up dreaming about him hovering over me in bed, and I swear to God my entire body was on fire.
I’m still surprised that I haven’t combusted.
I haven’t seen him yet today and I catch myself looking at the door, hoping to catch a glimpse of him.
“There’s still one thing I don’t understand,” Amara remarks, frowning as her eyes scan the papers on the wall. “Maybe this is in the journal, but why didn’t she ever go to her family? Why didn’t your mother go to hers?”
“Well, our mother said that her family saw her as a way to get an alliance with a bigger family, more power and access to routes that they couldn’t get where they were. So it sounds to me she was from the same kind of family. She probably wouldn’t expect them to take her in.”
My heart hurts thinking of being trapped the way she was, but then the other words she wrote echo through my head and the hurt disappears. She could have changed the cycle, or she could have tried to run. She did none of it.
“I don’t know anything about my mother’s family, and we’re missing that,” Amara muses. “I really need to read that journal. There might be something important in there that really will help us fit some of the pieces together.”
The door opens and in walks Gia with Nico and the others at her back. All of them spread out through the room, but Massimo makes a b-line for me. I give him a shy smile, but my eyes widen in shock when he pulls me into his arms and puts his mouth on mine. When he pulls away I gape at him.
What the hell is he doing?
My face flames, and I see the amused looks from the others. Well, other than Kida. She can’t hide the unease in her eyes, but she’s distracted by Zeno coming up to her. I can’t hear what he says, but the way she scowls tells me that it wasn’t something nice.
“My turn,” Urso laughs, moving toward me, arms outstretched, a wicked grin on his face. Massimo simply glares at him and smacks his hands away before pulling me into his side. Urso shrugs and moves away, but not before he sends me a teasing wink.
He’s a shit disturber like Massimo and Alessio I think.
I look up at Massimo and mutter, “Nothing like making a statement.”
“I want it well known, cerbiatta,” he replies, eyes intense on mine. “There will be no doubt. Ever.” His arms are around my waist, his fingers splayed along my hip. I’m surprised by how much I like it.
I turn my head when I hear Soren let out a screech, and I tense when I see Alonzo take the baby from Rori, settling him gently in the crook of his arm.
Soren stares up at him, and I’m pretty sure he’s being held by a giant.
Well, he kind of is. Still, my anxiety heightens, but I force myself to stay still.
We’re safe here. No one will drop or hurt him.
“Gia tells us that you’ve been figuring some things out,” Papa announces, taking in the wall.
“We’re trying,” Sienna answers, smiling. “Honestly, there is so much here, it’s hard to make all the connections.” She leans in to Alessio, resting her head on his shoulder.
As they talk amongst themselves, I find myself tuning in to Massimo.
He smells so good, and he’s so warm. I want to burrow into him and just breathe him in.
Before I can tell myself it’s a terrible idea, I cautiously, unsure of what he’ll think, move my arm around to wrap around his waist, settling into him more comfortably.
He looks down at me, a pleased look in his eyes, and the little submissive whore inside me preens. I blush and lower my gaze. Damn it, I need to get a grip. The man is going to think I have no control.
Though, around him, I don’t think I have much.
I try to focus back on the conversation, but Massimo keeps shifting, his fingers keep rubbing and moving over the thin material of my clothes, distracting me. Damn him. I look up at him beneath my lashes, and I see the slight tilt of his lips. That knowing smirk. Bastard. He’s doing it on purpose.
So why can’t I push him away?
Determined to pay attention, I force myself to zone back in on the conversation, but then notice that Soren isn’t with Alonzo anymore; he’s now taken up residence in Alessio’s arms. Alessio makes faces at him, but Soren just watches him like he’s not sure what the hell he’s doing. Sienna grins in amusement.
Okay, he’s fine. I need to focus.
I look back to where Amara is talking to the others, her hands gesturing to the papers. “This entire thing is a big dick measuring contest if you think about it,” she states exasperatedly.
Wait. What?
“All of them are trying to outdo the other, and they want the territories to be under one person, not four families. It also would mean that they would control all of this secret network. And Nico’s twat of an uncle clearly wants to be the one to do that if you ask me.”
“Twat?” Pietro asks carefully, and I can tell he’s trying not to laugh, though no one else succeeds. Most of the others snicker, including Massimo, his body shaking slightly with it.
“Oh, right, he is Nico’s uncle, I probably should be a bit more respectful. Ummm, how about Mr. Twat? I mean, it was that or I call him Mr. Prick, but this seems more insulting.”
The snickers turn to outright laughs, and Pietro’s lips pull up into a grin. “Twat it is then,” he agrees. “I’m sure Nico will be understanding.”
“I call him a cocksucker, so call him whatever you want.” Nico gives a careless shrug.