13. Luca
Luca
Chapter thirteen
Giada is gnawing on her bottom lip as we drive to Boston. The lip I kissed not even an hour ago. The kiss that had me questioning everything I thought I knew about myself. I was here to make sure Francesco Cataldi paid for what he did to my parents, to the Monaghans, and to the man who raised me. I wasn’t meant to come to Boston and fall for his daughter. But there is no denying the heat that raced through me when her lips met mine after we said our vows.
“Hey,” I say, taking my hand from the wheel and using my thumb to pull her abused lip from her teeth. “You don’t have anything to worry about. Finn understands there was no way I was going to allow Carlo to trade you to the Russians.”
“Carlo tried to hurt his wife. You don’t think that’s going to be playing through his mind when he looks at me?”
I let out a breath. “I think Finn is going to see a girl who needs help. My family doesn’t view women the same as yours. He doesn’t use them to make deals and gain power.”
“That’s not what I heard. He married an Amatto to do just that.”
“Fair,” I concede. “But Finn loves his wife, regardless of why they got married. He respects her and has her working in his casino. From what I hear, she runs the place and he doesn’t allow anyone to utter one cross word about her. That’s not a man who doesn’t care about his woman.”
“One woman. Fine. But me? That’s a whole other story.”
“I said I would protect you. In fact, I remember making that vow to you less than an hour ago. Do you think I’m going to go back on my word now? We haven’t even been married a full day. Give me a little credit.”
“That was so my brother couldn’t marry me off. It wasn’t real.”
“Seemed pretty real to me.” That kiss was sure as hell real.
Giada stares at her hands lying in her lap, her fingers twisting and pulling.
“What are you really worried about?” I ask. Her nerves are understandable and it’s been a hell of a morning, but there’s something else going on in her mind. I want more than anything for her to have the same courage she’s always had with me and tell me what she’s thinking.
“What if he sends me back?” she whispers, continuing to stare at her lap. “What if he doesn’t want anything to do with me because I’m a Cataldi and he wants me gone and away from his family? I’m dangerous, Luca.”
“First of all, you’re not dangerous. That’s your brother. Our marriage has all but incapacitated him as far as what moves he can make now. If you’re married to me, the Russians won’t help him. Even they don’t have the power to override the state of New Hampshire, and as of eleven thirty this morning, they attested to the fact that you are now my wife. Second, you’re no longer a Cataldi. You’re a Bennetti, and by extension, a Monaghan. Even my cousin can’t deny that. So, as far as I’m concerned, you’re family, just as much as me.”
Giada’s stare bores into me as I continue to drive down the highway to the penthouse.
“What?” I ask, glancing at her.
“I’m your wife.”
“That’s what I just said.”
A laugh bubbles from her, and I’ll admit, I’m a little scared the day has caught up to her and she’s cracking under the pressure. Not that I could blame her.
“I don’t know why I find it funny. I’m still pissed you pulled the wool over my eyes for years, but it just hit me that we’re married now.”
“Giada, you know why I couldn’t say anything. Even when you’d confided in me, I had to be careful—”
“I understand. What you did was incredibly dangerous, and I’m glad as hell you weren’t caught. Otherwise, I’d be on my way to New York right now, and you’d be…” She pauses, the weight of what she was going to say suddenly heavy in the SUV.
“I’d be dead.”
“As your wife, I think it’s well within my rights to tell you never to do something like that again.”
I smile at the no-nonsense tone in her voice. “I’ll give you that.”
The feeling in the car lightens as we make our way into the city, but as soon as we pull into the underground parking of Finn’s penthouse and Giada gets a look at the three armed guards waiting for us to park, her jaw tenses along with every muscle in her body.
“Remember what I said. You’re my wife, and that means you’re family.”
“Being related to someone by blood or marriage has never meant the same in my family as it has in yours.”
“Exactly. It doesn’t mean the same thing. So when I tell you you’re safe, please believe I’m saying that as the man who married you to make sure you stay that way. I wouldn’t bring you here if I didn’t know for certain I can keep that promise.” I reach over and cover her hand with mine. “Giada?” I prompt when she doesn’t move a muscle.
When her eyes meet mine, there’s still fear in them, but there’s a flicker of certainty that she knows I’m telling her the truth. I can work with that.
“Okay,” she breathes out. “Introduce me to your cousin.”
I squeeze her clammy palm once more for a little extra reassurance, then step out of the car and walk to her side of the SUV to open the door for her. As soon as she stands, the elevator door opens, and Finn steps into the garage.
He walks to where we’re standing and wraps me in a hug. “I’m glad to see you, cousin.” Finn pats my back twice then releases me, turning his attention to Giada. “Finn Monaghan,” he introduces, a smile playing on his lips as he holds his hand out for her to shake.
If the tension rolling off Giada wasn’t breaking my heart, I would laugh at the surprise in her eyes at the warm greeting my cousin is giving her. So different from what thoughts I’m sure are swirling in that beautiful head of hers.
“Giada Cataldi.”
I clear my throat and she gives me a small smile.
“I mean Giada Bennetti.”
Finn looks between the two of us and smiles even wider while shaking his head. “You two really know how to make an exit,” he says, humor in his voice.
“Have you heard anything yet?”
“No. Not that I expect to. You were my only line inside the family. With you gone, we’re blind.”
“I’d say I’m sorry about that—”
“Yeah, yeah.” He waves a hand in front of him. “You did what you had to do. I’d have done the same if I were in your shoes. Come on.” Finn tilts his head toward the elevator. “I’ll have my guy update the keypad with your handprints so you can come and go as you please, though I wouldn’t suggest leaving the penthouse anytime soon. Carlo and the Russians are sure to be on the lookout for this one,” he says, pointing his thumb at Giada.
“Thank you,” she tells Finn. “For letting me come here. I know this puts you in a dangerous situation.”
He looks between my new wife and me before settling his gaze back on her. “You’re family now,” he replies as though it explains everything. To him, it does. For her, it’s going to take a little time for that not to be a meaningless word.
We head into the elevator and Finn shows us into the spacious loft-style penthouse with exposed brick walls and huge windows letting in the natural sunlight of the early afternoon.
His wife, Alessia, is sitting on the couch, and when she turns, her face breaks into a wide smile. She stands and comes over to Giada. “So good to see you again,” she says, holding out her hand. “I don’t know if you remember me, but we met years ago. Gosh, you were maybe eight?”
Giada nods as relief washes over her. I’m sure she was nervous about seeing the woman in front of her after what her brother tried to do not that long ago. “I remember. It was at your family’s Christmas party. I loved the tiara you had on, and you let me wear it for the night.”
Alessia laughs at the memory, and I smirk. “So I wasn’t far off in calling you princess.”
Giada shoots me a narrow look. “I was eight, and it was sparkly.”
Finn’s phone rings and he takes the call, his brow furrowed. When he hangs up Alessia’s concerned look has me on edge.
“What is it?” she asks her husband.
“It was one of the guards.”
“Is it my brother?” Giada asks, fear lacing her words.
“No,” Finn replies. “It’s mine.” His eyes find mine. “And my mother.”
I guess it’s a good day for a wedding and a family reunion.
Moments later the front door swings open, and an older version of a woman that looks so much like my mother barges in, with a younger man who is obviously her son trailing behind.
“You have a lot of nerve, Finnegan Monaghan. How dare you keep such a secret from me?”
“Really, Eoghan?” Finn grits out at his brother. “Bet you couldn’t wait to run to Mom with this little tidbit, could you?”
“Don’t blame me, brother. Did you honestly think I was going to keep this from her? She has a right to know her nephew is alive and well.”
“Yeah, he is, but I didn’t know if that was going to stay the case. It’s not like he was living his life, happy as a clam somewhere and I kept it from her. I didn’t want her heart to break all over again if someone found out who he was and—”
“Do not make excuses for your poor judgment. You should have told me the second you found out he was alive. If I thought it would do any good, I’d put you over my knee and spank some sense into you.” She points a threatening finger at Finn.
Though Maeve is shooting fire at her eldest son with her eyes, the moment they land on me, tears douse the flames. Her hand goes to her mouth, and she stops in the middle of the room, staring at me.
“Oh my God,” she whispers. “You look just like your mother.” My aunt races to me and throws her arms around my shoulders, pulling me down to envelop me in a fierce embrace. “I prayed and wished this day would come. That you would find your way home to us,” she cries into my shoulder.
I’m stunned to have this woman I’ve never met wrap me so tightly in her arms that it takes a moment for me to return the hug. When I do, she starts crying harder, and I feel my eyes get watery right along with hers. This is the closest I’ll ever get to hugging my mother. The moment feels surreal to finally meet the woman my cousin has always spoken so highly of.
Maeve backs up a step but keeps a firm grasp on my upper arms. “My God. You have her eyes,” she says in awe as she stares into them. “Oh, sweet boy.” She starts to cry again and Finn walks up behind her, resting a hand on her back.
“Come on, Mom. Let’s not overwhelm Luca. He’s had a day as it is.”
Maeve whirls on Finn. “I’m so damn angry at you right now. You know what I went through. You know the years I searched for this boy in the face of every child his age on the street. But you don’t know about the nights your father held me while I cried, so overcome with grief I could hardly breathe. And you knew he was alive for seven years.”
Finn looks at his wife for help, but she gives him the look of you’re on your own here, pal. I don’t blame her. Maeve Monaghan is a force, but since I agreed to the plan of keeping my identity a secret, I feel a responsibility to shoulder at least some of the blame.
“It was my fault, too. When I found out who I really was and who my family was, I didn’t want to put you through losing another family member all over again. I’d just lost my dad, and I didn’t want anyone to go through that kind of pain.”
Maeve takes a deep breath and releases it through her nose. “I can’t imagine what it was like for you growing up. I’m so sorry I wasn’t there for you. I wish I could have been.”
“Frank was a good man. He raised me right and I never wanted for anything,” I say, suddenly feeling defensive over my childhood. Then, I remember Frank also murdered her sister. Yeah, I don’t think she’s going to want to hear anything remotely good about the man.
“How did this happen? Where have you been the last twenty-eight years?” she asks.
I’m nervous about telling her my story. To tell her that after I found out who Frank really was, I still stayed, still took care of him until he died. I’ve often wondered if he hadn’t been sick, would I have stayed? Or would I have left California and gone straight to the Monaghans with what I knew and let them sort it out? On the one hand, Frank was responsible for the death of my parents, but he saved me. Francesco Cataldi is a monster. One who didn’t care that he sent someone to kill an innocent baby. The man who raised me and the man who is a murderer are two different people in my mind. Or maybe that’s what I need to tell myself in order to justify my decision to take care of him in his last days.
“It’s a long story, Mom,” Finn interjects, seeing the nerves and anxiety written all over my face. “Let’s let Giada and Luca settle in. There’s plenty of time for him to tell you his story.”
I can tell it’s taking everything for Maeve not to bulldoze her way into the situation and get every detail from me this very second, but she nods at her oldest son and a sense of relief flows through me. I’ve never had to explain why I stayed with Frank or why, after what he did to my real parents, I’ll always love the man who raised me. I’m still coming to terms with it even after all these years.
Maeve turns to Giada who has been standing silently next to Alessia. “You must be Giada,” she greets with a warm smile. She walks over to my wife and wraps her in a hug. Giada stiffens for a moment then returns the embrace with a look of surprise and relief etched across her face.
“Nice to meet you, Mrs. Monaghan.”
My aunt pulls away and still holds Giada’s arms like she did mine, as though she wants my wife to really hear her. “Call me Aunt Maeve. You’re family now. Though I’m not sure how comforting that is considering you married into a family where sons lie to their mothers for years.” She shoots Finn a pointed look.
“Mom,” Finn groans out. “I had my reasons.”
“Yes, son. I’m well aware. You always do.” Her tone tells me and everyone else that she wholeheartedly disagrees with his reasons.
An hour later, Maeve and the rest of the Monaghans are still at the penthouse. The tension has cooled between Maeve and Finn. Finn is still annoyed with his brother for dragging their mother into this without warning him first so we could discuss how best to explain the situation to everyone. Then Finn receives another call from his guard, letting him know that Cormac Monaghan has arrived. If I thought Giada was nervous about meeting my aunt, it’s nothing compared to the fear in her eyes when Cormac walks through the door. Her father hated the man. I can only imagine all the things she must have heard about him through the years, considering my wife has always had a knack for eavesdropping on conversations she shouldn’t have been privy to.
He walks to his wife, who’s sitting on the couch next to Alessia first and kisses her. They stare at each other for a moment, communicating with just a look before Maeve nods and smiles. Then he stands and looks at his son, who is sitting on the opposite sofa. “You and I will discuss this later,” he tells Finn, pointing a finger at him. I don’t miss the smirk on Eoghan’s face. When his father turns to him, he points the same finger in his direction. “And I’ll be talking to you as well.”
Eoghan’s face falls and he looks around the room. “What the hell did I do?”
“Language,” Maeve admonishes.
Cormac pays him no mind when he turns to me and Giada sitting in the two club chairs we pulled to form a circle with the rest of the living room furniture.
I stand and hold out my hand. “Luca Bennetti,” I introduce. “And this is my wife, Giada Bennetti.”
Cormac smiles, picking up on the fact that she is no longer a Cataldi and now has my last name and is under my protection.
“I’m glad to meet you, Luca,” he says, shaking my hand. I’m grateful he doesn’t pepper me with questions like my aunt did, though I’m sure he wants the answers just as much as she does.
Giada nervously stands next to me, and Cormac turns his eyes on her then holds out his hand. “Welcome to the family,” he tells her with a kind smile. She returns it, and he leans in, kissing both of her cheeks.
“I already said that,” Maeve tells him.
“Well, dear wife, it doesn’t hurt for the girl to hear it from me.” He winks and smiles wide at Giada. And just like that, I watch the tension fall away from her as she smiles back at my uncle.
“Thank you,” she replies, and I take her hand, squeezing it as if to say see, I told you they were different from what you’ve always known.
Early afternoon turns into evening as Giada and I spend the day getting to know my family. Maeve and Eoghan do most of the talking, keeping the conversation light, mostly reminiscing about family trips and funny moments they had together growing up. No one asks me about my life before coming to Boston, and I’m thankful for it. I know it’s not because they don’t want to know. Finn asked them to hold off on questioning me, understanding that all of this can be a little overwhelming and our day already started out on shaky ground, to put it mildly.
When Eoghan’s stomach lets out a loud growl, we realize that it’s well past dinnertime. Giada and I haven’t eaten today, but until now, I didn’t notice how hungry I am. It’s been a hell of a day and my nerves are shot, as I’m sure Giada’s are.
“Finn, do you have anything to eat here?” Maeve asks.
“I brought a few things with me,” Alessia answers before standing.
“Please, let me help,” Giada offers as Alessia walks past her into the open kitchen.
Alessia nods and the women begin opening cupboards and the refrigerator, pulling out all kinds of ingredients.
“You’re lucky your wife volunteers to cook,” Finn says. “Mine barely makes me a sandwich if I ask.”
“Finnegan Monaghan, you have two hands and are perfectly capable of making your own damn food. Not to mention, we’re hardly ever home for me to cook dinner, so you can shove it,” Alessia calls from behind the large counter that separates the kitchen from the living room. “And don’t act like I never cook. I wrestled that damn tiramisu recipe from my mother’s cook and made it for you last week, and what did you say?”
“I said it was delicious,” he replies.
“No, you said it was delicious, but my mother’s cook was still better and that I should practice more.”
Maeve gasps. “Finn!”
My cousin holds up his palms. “In my defense, I only said that because Alessia is as stubborn as they come, and I thought if I challenged her to be even better than her parents’ cook, I’d be swimming in tiramisu.”
I bark out a laugh. “How did that work out for you?” I ask.
Finn shakes his head and blows out a breath. “Not well.”
Cormac laughs, and we fall back into easy conversation. My uncle imparts his wisdom of staying married for the last thirty-five years and it basically boils down to happy wife, happy life. As I watch Giada and Alessia cook together, I wonder if I’ll be sitting with her in thirty-five years or if, once all is said and done, she’ll take me up on the offer I made her today before we said our vows. That as soon as she’s safe and her brother is taken care of, she’s free to move on and get out of this life that has brought her nothing but pain and heartache.
After eating a delicious meal of pasta with a light tomato sauce and garlic bread, the Monaghans say their goodbyes, Finn telling us he’ll be back in the morning and we’ll discuss our plans now that shit is sure to have hit the fan. Maeve hugs me long and tight before getting into the elevator with the rest of her family, a teary smile on her face as the door shuts.
Giada is cleaning up the plates from dinner when I walk back into the kitchen.
“Here, let me help.” She looks at me with surprise in her eyes. “You cooked, I can clean.”
Giada shakes her head, clearing her thoughts. “Sorry, I’m not used to a man doing ‘woman’s work.’”
I roll my eyes because that’s something I’m sure her father and brother said countless times about various things. “That’s some antiquated bullshit, Giada. We’ve both had a long fucking day, and there’s no reason any of this”—I sweep my hand over the pile of dishes in the sink—“should fall on you just because you’re a woman.”
She smiles and steps back, taking her glass of wine and sitting on the couch while I roll up my sleeves and get to work.
When I’ve finished, Giada is practically falling asleep where she sits.
“Come on,” I say. “Let’s go to bed.”
Her gaze darts to me and she looks at the loft on the other side of the open space where the only bedroom is.
“I’ll take the couch,” I offer, and she nods. If I’m not mistaken, there’s a hint of disappointment in her gaze, but she doesn’t argue with me as she trudges up the stairs.
An hour later, I’m wide awake, lying on the couch with nothing but a throw blanket and decorative pillow to rest my head on. I’m sure I could go in search of something more comfortable, but I don’t want to disturb Giada. She’s had a hell of a day, and she’s probably fast asleep by now, seeing as her eyes were half-closed when she walked up the wrought iron staircase to the loft bedroom. It’s not until I hear muffled sobs that I realize I’m not the only one who can’t seem to calm my racing mind.
The sounds coming from the room tug at my chest. There’s no way I can keep myself on this couch while Giada is up there crying, probably completely overwhelmed by everything that’s happened in the last twelve hours. My god, was it just this morning I drove her away from that house in the trunk of my car to escape her brother and the Russians?
I make my way up the stairs and see a lump curled up under the blankets of the California king bed facing away from me.
“Giada,” I say gently as I lie down next to her and turn on my side, facing the crying girl. “Talk to me.”
She turns over, and I can scarcely make out her face in the darkness of the room, but I catch the glistening of tears on her cheeks.
“Being here, with the Monaghans, it’s so different than I expected. I don’t remember my father ever looking at my mother the way I saw Cormac look at Maeve. I’ve never felt the love Cormac so obviously has for his sons and the way he was kind and respectful to Alessia. I’ve never had that, Luca. My house was so cold. I had nannies and housekeepers make sure my needs were met, but no one showed me the love I saw tonight. I guess…I guess I’m just sad that I missed out on that. I thought that’s how all fathers in this life were—cold and distant. It never occurred to me it’s not this life that made him that way, that’s who my father is to the core. The Monaghans are proof of that. It made me realize if he wanted to give a shit about me, there was nothing stopping him. Caring about his family wouldn’t have made him sacrifice his business or his power. He could have had both. But he didn’t. Why couldn’t he have just been a father to me? Why couldn’t he have loved me like he should have?”
Her broken sobs break my fucking heart because I don’t have the answer. Except that Francesco is a heartless bastard, but Giada knows that. She’s just now seeing it didn’t have to be that way because he was head of a Mafia family, and that’s what’s hurting her. If he wanted to, if it was important to him, he could have been the father she deserves, but he never was.
“I don’t know, sweetheart. I wish like hell I did. I wish you could have grown up in a house where you were told how special you are and how incredible you are. That they’re so damn lucky you’re their daughter. Because he is, Giada. He was blessed to have a daughter like you, and he never appreciated it like he should have.”
“You’re lucky, Luca. To have the Monaghans. I saw how much they love each other and how strong their bonds are. I’m so glad you get to have that.”
“They’re your family now too. You have the family you always deserved; it just took a little longer to find them.”
Giada hums but doesn’t say anything further on the subject. That’s okay. Today is a lot to process, and she needs some time to work out her thoughts.
With nothing but silence between us, I move to get up and go back downstairs.
“Don’t,” Giada whispers. “Stay here.”
I pause and slowly lie back down next to her, sinking into the plush mattress.
“Thank you,” she says when she feels me settle. “I just…I don’t want to be alone.”
“Neither do I,” I reply and cover her hand resting between us before closing my eyes, letting exhaustion pull me into a dreamless sleep.