Chapter 39
LUCY
I look in shock at the older black woman walking in with Dante.
She’s stunning, with long braids that fall down her back, bright blue eyes like her son’s, and a face that looks downright serene.
I don’t know how she manages it, but I want to perfect that look.
She looks unbothered by it all until you really look into her eyes.
Sofia is the first one to recover from the shock and steps forward. Her shoulders are straight, but if you look closely, you can see the slight hint of nerves. Is this her first time meeting Dante’s mother? “Ms. Abara,” Sofia greets her, holding out her hand.
“Ada, dear,” the woman says with a warm smile.
She looks up at her son. “You told me she was beautiful, but your descriptions were not enough, son.” Then she looks back at Sofia.
“My son tells me that you are the one that keeps him sane. I thank you for that. Especially considering what he’s now finally told me.
” She gives him a mild look of rebuke, clearly displeased that he hasn’t told her what’s been happening here.
I need her to teach me that look too. Damn, I have a feeling I’ll need that one when Soren’s older.
Dante gives her an exasperated look, but even from here I can see the relief in his eyes. Like he’s just glad that she’s safe.
“Men do tend to do that, don’t they?” Sofia returns with a conspiratorial wink, ignoring Dante’s eye roll aimed her way. “Come have a seat. I’m sure Dante just whisked you away and you’re probably feeling a bit overwhelmed. We can introduce you to everyone and then Dante can explain.”
It’s a bit hectic for the next few minutes, and I try to wrap my head around adding one more person, and one more piece of the puzzle, together.
Soren, thankfully, is finished eating, and I hand him off to Kida while righting myself.
Kida burps him, but then scowls when Massimo comes over, hands outstretched for him.
“No, he’s staying with me,” she tells him firmly.
There’s also a tone there that I know too well.
She’s pissed at Massimo, and I’m going to shut that down quickly.
“Kida,” I tell her softly, but give her a warning look when she looks at me. “We’ll talk later, but don’t be upset with Massimo.”
The angry look comes into her eyes again, but she just gives me a stiff nod. “I’m still keeping Soren with me for now. It seems you two have some things to figure out anyway.” A bitter sound tinges her tone, and I narrow my eyes at her.
“Don’t mind her,” Zeno says as he comes to stand close to us. “She’s just upset that you snuck away and we didn’t get to.” He says it so casually that at first I don’t comprehend what he’s just given away. Then Kida flushes in embarrassment and it clicks, even as she glares angrily at Zeno.
Wait, my sister and Zeno? What the hell has been going on with these two?
I thought they didn’t even like each other.
I give Kida a wide-eyed stare, which she studiously ignores, instead turning her full attention to getting Soren to burp.
Massimo snickers, claps his brother on the shoulder, and moves to sit on my other side, his arm on the back of the couch.
Okay, I need to talk to Kida as soon as I can.
For now, though, I force myself to tune back into the conversation happening now that Ada has been introduced to everyone.
Dante stands protectively behind his mother’s place in Amara’s salon chair, though I clearly see Sofia next to him, a silent show of support.
And if I’m not mistaken, that is her hand in his hidden behind the chair.
You can’t see it except from this angle, but when I glance at Massimo, I can see that he’s realized it too, but instead of scowling like normal, he looks more thoughtful.
Progress maybe?
“Ada, perhaps you can tell us what you know,” Pietro asks gently, giving her a warm smile. “Any information is helpful, no matter how small.”
Ada nods, but I can see the slight tremble in her hands. My heart aches for her. She must be terrified of this entire thing. Dante puts a hand on her shoulder comfortingly, and she touches it quickly before dropping hers and giving Pietro her full attention.
“It started a few years ago,” she begins, her accent thick enough that I have to work to understand all the words.
“Gregorio is obsessed with image and power. So angry that he is viewed as smaller, weaker, than others. Especially Nico’s father.
Nico’s father wanted nothing to do with him other than the basics.
He gave him some power, but only over small things, while he had his own men handle the big things.
Things that Esposito felt should be his.
He was infuriated when Nico’s mother got pregnant.
He felt that she had betrayed him, giving her husband a son to pass on the territory to.
If she hadn’t borne him any children, it would by rights go to Gregorio since Nico’s father was an only child himself and didn’t have any other male relatives.
If she had borne a girl, he wouldn’t have cared.
He raged for days.” Her eyes are haunted.
“You had Dante before or after Nico?” Pietro asks her.
“They were born months apart. Nico is only two months older than Dante.”
Pietro nods, smiling. “Did you know that Dante was promised to Gia De Luca?” He gestures to Gia, who smiles shyly at the woman.
Ada shakes her head. “I only knew that a contract had been struck, not to who. Gregorio did not want me to know, and no matter how many times I tried to find out, I was never successful. It wasn’t until Dante left and told me himself that I realized what he was doing.”
“Can you tell us what role you’ve had to play in his schemes?” Pietro asks. He glances at Dante quickly, before his gaze moves back to her.
Ada tenses, and shame covers her face. My heart clenches as I watch her. I also note that Dante’s face hardens, but he simply gives his mother’s shoulder another comforting squeeze. Whatever it is, he doesn’t hold it against her.
Nico and Sofia’s statements earlier that Dante would kill for his mother echoes in my head, but it’s not so loud this time, not so frightening. If Ada is here, then that means that he’s wanting to protect her too.
Ada takes a deep breath, blowing it out slowly, seeming to gather her courage to speak. Finally, she looks at Nico and says, “I am very sorry for my part in this, Nico. To betray you this way is unforgivable and I will understand whatever punishment you must give me.”
The tension in the room shifts, and when I look at Nico, his own face is hard. Dante is watching him with a cool expression, but the warning in his eyes is clear.
Hurt my mother, and you won’t like the consequences.
A shiver of fear moves through me, but Massimo simply lowers his arm from the back of the couch to pull me in tighter to him, offering a silent comfort. I settle into him, breathing him in, as I wait for Nico to respond.
Nico finally says, “Ada, you have nothing to fear from me. Just tell us what you know. When this is over, you’ll have a place here if you want it, or we’ll set you up wherever you want to be.”
Ada eyes him, though I can tell she’s not sure she believes him. Hell, I don’t blame her. Nico is fucking scary. Finally, she gives a small nod and looks back at Pietro who is waiting patiently.
“My job started years ago. I…I did something that Gregorio found out about, and he used it to blackmail me. At first, I thought he would kill me, because I was doing something that went against him if he looked closely enough into it, but he was too caught up in whatever schemes he was working on. So the deal was I helped him, made sure that no one found out, and I lived and continued to have a job. He also threatened Dante, but I don’t know that he meant it.
Still, I could not risk it. Dante was only a child.
“He told me that he had a business venture that he was starting, and there were some logistical things that he wanted me to oversee and record for him. But it had to be in code and had to be concealed. No one could ever know about it. If they did, I would pay with my life, and Dante would pay with his. He could marry and have a legitimate son, and no one would miss a bastard child.” There was bitterness in her last statement. My heart breaks for her.
“You had no choice,” Pietro says with a knowing nod. “A parent must do what they must to protect their children.”
Ada nods, relaxing slightly at the implication in Pietro’s words.
“It started out with just keeping track of inventory in ledgers that I had to hide in a hidden safe in my room. I was required to do my job during the day and then work on these at night after Dante went to bed. He knew I was good with numbers, math in general, and before I moved to America, I did accounting back home for my father’s business.
It was a much smaller scale than this, but I quickly figured out that whatever I was tracking wasn’t anything good.
“The better I got, the more he gave me to do. Nothing really with money, other than a cut of the business. I figured out within a year he was having me track the people he was sending through the pipelines and routes that they got set up. I was horrified, tried to refuse.” She trembles, clenching her hands tightly into her lap.
“He beat me and then went into Dante’s room and held a knife to his throat.
Dante tried to fight him, but I told him to stop, and told Gregorio that I would do whatever he wanted, but to leave Dante alone. ”
Dante’s body is rigid. “I remember that night.”
Ada looks up at him, shame in her eyes. “Until then he had left you alone. You were showing promise in your training, as much as I wanted to keep you from it, but it kept him from harming you. That night I thought he would actually do it. So I agreed and I haven’t fought him about it since.
” She looks back at Pietro. “You understand, yes?”