13. Elio #2
And then we went to sleep, and I couldn’t remember a time when I had slept that soundly before.
Joseph’s house was nearly empty out front in the early morning light.
I recognized the old brown SUV—it was Maura’s, who probably arrived early to get everything ready for the day. I parked by a tree, close enough for Isa to walk back to her house, but out of sight enough that I wouldn’t be detected here.
I put the car into park and turned to her. She had been silent all morning, and I didn’t know what to make of it.
Did she regret it?
All of it?
Did she regret me?
I tightened my fists around the steering wheel, the move not going unnoticed by her.
She looked at it, then at me.
“Thank you for driving me home,” she said, sounding way too fucking polite for my liking.
I nodded, then looked off to the side.
I didn’t want her to leave. At least, not like this.
I grabbed her shoulder and pulled her to me when it looked like she was about to open the door.
“What—”
Her words were cut off when I pressed my lips firmly against hers.
Her palms moved over to my chest, but she didn’t push me away. She didn’t pull me in closer either. They settled there, the weight somehow feeling both delicate and heavy.
I kissed her harder, running my tongue over her bottom lip until she opened her mouth for me. We both moaned from the first touch of my tongue against hers.
Fuck, but she tasted good. She tasted like mine.
She was mine.
I molded my lips over hers and deepened the kiss. I felt her palm fist my shirt tightly from the move.
I pulled away first.
Her eyes were still closed, as if she was committing every little detail about that kiss into her memory.
I cupped her cheek and kissed her once more, this kiss hard and brief.
She smiled a little and finally opened her eyes to look at me. Those baby blues of hers would be the death of me, I was sure of it.
“I’ll see you soon,” I said.
She nodded. “Soon.”
Then she opened the door and got out of the car. I watched her leave, a feeling of wrongness settling heavily on my chest. I didn’t want to let her go.
I didn’t want her to go back inside the Gambino house. I wanted to tie her to my bed and keep her there forever.
But while Massimo was trying to veer us away from some of the more archaic traditions, it didn’t mean it would happen overnight, and it didn’t mean all our men agreed with it. I would cause an uproar by trying to keep another man’s daughter.
I took a deep breath. There was a right way to do this. And I wouldn’t get there by rushing into it, especially if Isa’s reputation was at risk.
I stayed where I was and watched as she disappeared inside the house.
It was still early. I drove back to my empty house, plotting how I would make this happen.
I didn’t head over to Massimo’s house until early afternoon, and I was the last one to show up.
Romeo and Matteo were already in Massimo’s office, while Giulia was hanging around with Luna in the backyard.
My three brothers turned and looked at me as soon as I entered.
I didn’t say anything as I moved to an empty spot on the couch and sat down.
No one said anything for a moment, giving me the feeling they might have been talking about me.
I shook my head and glared over at Matteo, the worst offender.
“What?” he asked.
I didn’t bother answering him. He was worse than a bored mob wife.
“Let’s just get started,” I said.
Massimo ignored my words. “Are you okay?”
I kept my expression neutral when I said, “Yes. Why wouldn’t I be?”
He answered right away. “Okay. Let’s get started. You sent a license plate number to Romeo to look at?”
I nodded, turning to him. “Did you find anything?”
“Yes. The car’s registered to a company.”
“What company?” I asked.
“Nova Inc.”
I blinked at the unfamiliar name. “Are there any connections? To anything? Or anyone important?”
Romeo shook his head. “I don’t know yet. I’m still looking, but from what I’ve got so far, the company appears to be pretty clean.”
“Bullshit. If it’s so clean, what the hell was it doing on Joseph Gambino’s property late at night?”
Massimo didn’t react to my words, but I knew he was surprised. We both knew nothing good could come from this if there was suddenly a secret meeting with an unknown player.
“And it wasn’t the only car there. Marco Conti and his group were there,” I continued.
“Do you think Joseph would do something so risky as to hold a secret meeting at his house? What about Valentino?—”
“Whatever Joseph is up to with his friends, Valentino isn’t involved,” I interrupted Matteo.
“Are you sure? Or do you think your friendship would blind you to that fact?” Romeo asked.
I shook my head. “I’m sure. I would put my life in his hands.”
Besides my brothers, there was no one I trusted more than Valentino.
Massimo nodded. “We grew up with Valentino. He has proven time and time again his loyalty to us. There’s no question about it.” He looked over at Romeo.
“I didn’t question it. But we would be stupid to go into this blind.”
I shook my head. “Not Valentino. I would bet my life on it.”
Romeo nodded, and I tried not to let my anger take control of me, something I had gotten from my bastard of a father.
While Massimo had always been cool and collected, hiding his feelings no matter how tense the situation was, I always found myself slipping.
Out of the four of us, I was more like my father than I ever wanted to be, but unlike the bastard, I didn’t let my emotions control me.
“Keep looking into this,” Massimo said to Romeo.
“And let’s keep quiet about it for now.” He turned to me.
“You can let Valentino know what’s going on, but make sure he doesn't confront his father about it. It’s best if they think they can get away with this.
Their guards will be down, and I’m sure they’ll slip up soon. ”
I nodded.
Matteo turned to me. “How did you happen to run across that car on the Gambino property? When were you there? Or were you just driving by?”
The amusement in his eyes told me he already guessed the answer.
I didn’t answer him. Just looked at him. The fucker’s smile widened. Thankfully, before he could say anything else, a small knock came at the door. I looked up to see both Giulia and Luna standing there.
“Are we interrupting anything?” Luna asked softly. She was mostly focused on Massimo, though her eyes did stray over to us briefly before moving back to her husband. She was still so shy around us, mainly my brothers and me.
I didn’t think that would go away anytime soon. I didn’t know much about what she went through with her family before she married Massimo, but I saw enough at their wedding for me to piece some of it together.
And based on how Massimo looked when Andre Lombardi was mentioned, even after the fucker’s death, it told me enough.
“Never, sweetheart,” Massimo said with the kind of softness I had only ever heard him use with Giulia.
She smiled brightly at him, and he motioned for her to come in. A slight blush hit her cheeks as she slowly made her way over to Massimo, Giulia following behind her. She sat down on the armrest of the sofa by Matteo as Luna stood by Massimo’s side.
Before she could say anything, Massimo wrapped his arms around her and pulled her onto his lap. She let out a small squeak, and I glanced over at Romeo, sharing a small smile.
“Massimo,” she muttered softly. “We have guests.”
Matteo gasped in outrage. “Guests? I thought we were family, little sister.”
I rolled my eyes at his antics. The fucker did sound like he was hurt.
Luna’s blush deepened, and she stammered out something incoherent.
Massimo nodded at me. I reached my hand out and lightly hit the back of his head. No need to cause any more brain damage than necessary.
Matteo glared at me.
I ignored him and turned to Luna. “He’s joking.”
She smiled a little. “I do consider you guys to be my family.”
“Right back at you, little sister ,” Romeo said with a wink.
Massimo turned to his wife. “Is there something you need?”
“Oh, Giulia and I were wondering if you guys would join us for lunch. We made it.”
I worked hard to control my expression. Giulia was as good a cook as Luna… which meant not at all.
She looked around at all of us when we said nothing, then smiled at Giulia conspiratorially.
Giulia let out a small, annoying little laugh. “Beatrice helped.”
Matteo stood up excitedly. “If that’s the case, I am hungry.”
Romeo shoved him as they walked out the door. “When are you not hungry?”
“During—”
Thankfully, Romeo covered our brother’s mouth before he could say anything that would embarrass Luna and Giulia. The women followed them out, and I was about to get up, too, when Massimo stopped me.
I stayed where I was and waited for everyone to leave.
Massimo didn’t say anything for a moment. “What is this that Matteo is saying about you and Valentino’s sister?”
“Matteo needs to learn to keep his mouth shut,” I grumbled.
Massimo shot me a look. “It’s important that I know everything going on with you guys.”
“Why? I’m a grown-ass man. I don’t need to report everything I do to you, do I?”
He let out a small sigh. “I’m not talking to you as your capo dei capi. I’m talking to you as your brother.”
“You can say that, but we both know you can’t separate the two.”
“Perhaps you’re right,” he conceded. “Which is why it is even more important that I know these things. Especially if you’re starting something with Joseph Gambino’s daughter.
We know he’s a traitor. We know he’s not satisfied with being forced to hand over the reins to Valentino.
But the rest of our men don’t see that. Most see him as one of our father’s most loyal men.
Someone who worked hard his whole life to help build the De Luca empire. You fooling around with his daughter?—”
“It’s not fooling around. Don’t say it like that,” I said without thinking.
Massimo blinked in surprise. Then, “I can set up an arranged marriage between you two.”
I shook my head. “Not now. Not when we’re looking into her father. I don’t want her to think I’m only with her to get closer to Gambino.”
“That’s ridiculous. She wouldn’t think that.”
I shrugged. I wasn’t willing to risk it, not when she had made her feelings for me clear from the very beginning, and I hadn’t realized I had any for her until now.
“I don’t want to blindside Valentino with this.
And I don’t want people to speculate about her.
You know how dangerous a tarnished reputation can be for the women in our circle. ”
“But is it something I have to worry about?” Massimo asked quietly.
I shook my head. “No.”
We were careful. And I wouldn’t let anything that could hurt Isa touch her.
“Aldo Valachi came to me a few days ago,” Massimo said. I didn’t ask him why. “He wanted to arrange a marriage for his second daughter with you.”
I leaned back against the chair. “And what did you say?”
“I said I had to think about it and discuss it with you.”
“Bet he liked that.”
Massimo shot me a look. “He was expecting me to say yes because why wouldn’t I? It makes sense.”
“No, it doesn’t.”
I had never given Chiara Valachi any indication that I would be on board with the arrangement. I barely noticed the girl most of the time, and when I did notice her, it was in connection with her father.
I stood up. “Tell him no.”
“I figured that,” Massimo responded dryly.
And I was done with the conversation. The last thing I wanted to do was discuss my feelings for Isa with my brother, no matter how close we were.
I could hear Massimo let out a small sigh from his seat as I walked out the door. I shook my head and turned back to look at him.
“You worry too much.”
“And I never thought I would have to say this to you, but you don’t worry enough. A storm is brewing, and we need to take each step with care.”
I let my eyes roam over him. Something was going on with him.
“What’s got you so worried?” I asked.
“Luna wants babies.”
It took a moment for his words to sink in. Then I threw my head back and laughed. “Good luck with that, brother. Do you need some pointers?”
He scowled.
And that was my cue to leave.
I walked out of the room and into the kitchen, where all my family was gathered. I stood there for a moment, taking them in as I imagined Isa being here with everyone. She would fit right in—somewhere between Giulia’s recklessness and Luna’s shyness.
And a huge part of me couldn’t wait to make that happen as soon as possible.
Fuck me.