Chapter 11
TWO MONTHS LATER
Present
Upper East Side, New York City
THE PRIVATE ELEVATOR OPENED TO a wash of light and music. The soft hum of jazz was slipping into something more upbeat as midnight drew near, the sounds of laughter and clinking glasses weaving together into the night.
Maria was already waiting when the doors slid back. She beamed, her red dress glittering like fire under the chandelier’s glow. “Finally! You’re here.”
Her hug was instant, warm, grounding. She tucked her arm through mine and guided me into the penthouse, her perfume familiar – sweet, floral, comforting.
I did my best to stay in the moment but I was still fucked up over what had happened a couple days prior at the Cosa Nostra’s Christmas Gala.
We walked past a wall of glass where Manhattan stretched out beneath us, a million lights scattered across the dark sky like jewels. Maria lowered her voice, leaning close as we moved toward the party. “I was starting to think you’d skip out.”
Before I could answer, Zach appeared through the crowd, tall and solid in his suit, like a man who had everything he wanted. He caught Maria’s waist and pressed a kiss to her temple before glancing at me.
“Francesca.” He leaned in for a side-hug; casual, familiar. “Glad you came.”
“Hey, Zach. Wouldn’t miss it,” I said lightly.
Natalia’s laugh carried across the room before I even saw her.
A moment later, she appeared through the shimmer of fairy lights, Trevor’s steady hand guiding her through the throng of people.
She looked radiant in a sparkly pink dress that caught the glow from the chandelier, the fabric clinging and flowing at once.
Her cheeks were flushed, and the way Trevor hovered just half a step behind her, protective and proud, said everything.
“Francesca!” Natalia opened her arms, the glitter of her bracelet winking as she pulled me in for a hug. She smelled sweet, like roses and vanilla.
“I haven’t seen you in so long!” My eyes dipped, unconsciously, to her belly – subtle, but there, a quiet promise beneath the sequins. “You look incredible.”
Trevor smiled, almost proud, rubbing his palm in small circles over his wife’s lower back.
“Not that I’m complaining, but how come you’re not at the Cosa Nostra party?”
She raised a perfect brow. “I could say the same about you.”
“Dad said I can get one veto card a year. I’m using it to party into the New Year with my best friends,” I smiled, catching a glass from a passing waiter and lifting it slightly into the air.
“Me too.”
I raised a brow of my own. “What about your dad–”
“Still not talking about it,” Natalia interrupted me.
I put my hands up in surrender. Their situation was… Complicated. From what I knew, she hadn’t spoken to him since August.
“Anyways… How’s Tony doing? Kim is still so worried about him.”
I frowned. “He’s alright. Been back at home at my parents’ since Christmas Eve.”
She frowned too.
“Why? Something wrong?”
“No,” Natalia spoke softly only for me to hear while the others talked about whatever. “It’s just… Kim tried calling, but…”
I scoffed. “He didn’t pick up. Of course. I would be furious if he hadn’t taken a bullet for her.”
Natalia sighed heavily. “I’m so sorry that happened. I can’t even imagine if something had happened to Antonio.”
“It’s okay. He chose to pull Kim behind him. As any honorable man would’ve.”
“I know, but… Still.”
“All that matters is that we’re all okay.” My smile took a darker turn. “And that we make the Bratva regret ever stepping foot in New York.”
Natalia smirked too, winking at me, before we all turned back to the group.
Kali swept into our circle, all silk and easy confidence.
Her dress shimmered like quicksilver under the lights, hugging her curves with every step.
Beside her, Zane was a shadow in a black suit – understated, sharp, a little dangerous.
He carried himself with that watchful stillness that never fully blended into a party, even when everyone else had a drink in hand.
“Look at this group,” Kali said, her smile wicked as always. “The OGs, all gathered again. Zach really knows how to get us all together, doesn’t he?”
“Only with an open bar and unlimited food in your case,” Zach replied, making everyone laugh, and earned a small jab from Kali. We’d all known each other since we were kids.
“So, how’s the new living situation?” I asked, my tone light, though I watched Zane out of the corner of my eye.
Zane Takashi, a close friend to Trevor, my brothers and me included, was an ex-assassin, turned underground fight club owner, turned bodyguard. All of us knew the only reason he was here for Kali, was as a favor to her older brother, his best friend, Trevor.
And now, in order to maintain Kali’s safety – after a series of targeted attacks, including the one earlier this month at the DeMone Tower which I didn’t even want to get into because it was still heavy on my heart – she had moved into Zane’s very secure loft in Brooklyn.
Zane’s expression didn’t shift, not even a fraction – blank, unreadable, like marble carved into human shape.
Kali, of course, filled the silence without missing a beat. “Oh, it’s great. Zane and I have a perfect arrangement. I supply the humor, beauty and charm, he supplies the sarcasm and terrifying glares at my new neighbors.”
We all laughed – real, warm. Even Zane’s mouth twitched. Not much, but enough to reveal the ghost of a chuckle beneath the steel.
I shifted my glass in hand and turned toward Natalia, unable to help the curiosity tugging at me. “So… How far along are you now?”
Her smile softened instantly, her hand brushing over the curve of her belly like it was second nature. “Five months,” she said, pride glinting in her eyes.
“Twenty-two weeks,” Trevor clarified, his tone solemn as though it mattered, which of course made all of us laugh.
Natalia rolled her eyes, and the rest of us girls exchanged knowing smiles.
She reached up suddenly, catching Trevor’s square jaw between her small, sparkling fingers, and tugged him down into a kiss that was more possessive than sweet.
The move was comical – five-foot-seven Natalia dragging down this broad, towering man – but the way Trevor leaned down for her, so unbothered by the eyes on them, turned it into something tender.
When she finally released him, he slipped behind her in one smooth motion, his arms circling her waist. His large hands covered hers, both of them resting over the swell of her belly. The gesture was so instinctive, so protective, that for a beat I couldn’t look away.
“You two are ridiculously cute,” Kali teased, the grin tugging at her mouth betraying nothing but affection.
Natalia laughed, leaning her head back against Trevor’s chest. “Get used to it. He’s only going to get worse.”
“Poor Nat,” I teased. “Forced into daily declarations of weeks and days from Trevor…”
“Hey, someone’s got to keep count,” Her loving husband said, unruffled, his voice low but laced with amusement.
We lingered a little longer, the easy rhythm of old friendships weaving itself between us, until Natalia gave a small dramatic sigh. “Okay, I need food before I turn feral. Kali, come with me before I eat all the desserts and scare everyone.”
“Lead the way, mamacita,” Kali laughed, hooking her arm through Natalia’s as the two of them disappeared toward the buffet, sequins and silver glitter trailing through the crowd like twin comets.
That left Trevor and Zane standing shoulder to shoulder, their voices lowering as naturally as a tide shifting. Business. Always business with those two.
I turned back to Maria and Zach, only to find them making out. No wonder they hadn’t participated in the earlier conversation. I cleared my throat loudly, causing them to pull away with a laugh.
“So, where’s Matteo?”
Zach frowned. “Don’t think he’s coming.”
I couldn’t stop the flicker of surprise. “Oh.”
“Something about a deal in Miami that went overtime,” He explained with a shrug.
“No, yeah. Sure.” I tried to keep my tone neutral, but the words tasted flat.
“Don’t worry. I know you need to talk to him about the market.”
I blinked. I did need to talk to him about that. “Yeah, yeah.”
“I’ll tell him to get back to you ASAP, but you know how he is.” Zach’s grin returned, broad and easy. “We’ll talk in the New Year, alright?”
“Of course! You’re right.” I forced my own smile. “Let’s just have fun tonight.”
He kissed Maria again and tugged her toward the dance floor. She glanced back at me, her smile sweet and soft before she let herself be pulled into his arms.
And then I was alone.
Surrounded, yes – the room thrummed with people, voices layered in laughter, glasses raised in toasts, dresses shimmering beneath the golden light. Outside, fireworks were already starting in the distance, faint sparks against the glass skyline.
But in the middle of it all – this glittering penthouse in the heart of Manhattan – I felt a pang of loneliness lodge deep in my chest.
Everyone seemed to belong with someone.
Everyone but me.
The party was in full swing – music swelling, glasses clinking, voices rising louder as midnight bled into the early minutes of the new year.
I found myself standing in a quieter corner of the apartment, near the floor-to-ceiling windows, staring out at the city instead of the crowd.
Manhattan glittered beneath the night sky, alive and buzzing, while I felt… Still.
Pathetic, really, the way disappointment had been sitting heavy in my chest. All because he wasn’t here.
I guessed it had all just been building up since the last time I saw him in Vegas. Two months ago.