Chapter 16
SIXTEEN
Sable
Starting my job tomorrow both exhilarated and frightened me. I was excited to start something new, but the unknown always made me anxious. Maybe it was Milo who made me nervous.
The deeper I fell for him, the more ensconced I became in his world. The Accetti family may have been notorious for their business, but I had no idea who they really were. The night Milo drove a knife into Romeo’s hand haunted me. But not enough for me to walk away.
Did I have a breaking point when it came to Milo? Would I know when enough was enough before it was too late?
“What has you so lost in thought, Irish lassie?” Antonella finished washing the last of the dinner dishes. “Although, a little birdie told me you are half-Italian.”
“Milo was surprised to find that out.” I swept the floor. “Not that I’ll ever be able to hold a conversation with him in Italian. I only know a few words.”
“You might pick a few more up when Nico comes home. He and his sons often hold conversations in their native tongue.” She nodded toward the broom. “You don’t have to do that.”
“I don’t mind.” I bent down and brushed the crumbs left over from dinner into the dustpan. “I like being helpful.”
Milo and some of the guys ate with us before hurrying out to deal with business.
I had a feeling it wasn’t car business. I tried to put what Milo did when he left here out of my mind.
The less I knew, the better. Maybe that was naive of me, but whatever he did to run his family’s empire was probably more than I could handle.
“I was thinking maybe I should teach you how to make a proper sauce for Milo.” Antonella interrupted my thoughts again. “Would you be interested in that?”
“I think I would.” I dumped the crumbs into the trashcan, then I put the broom in the closet in the small hall just off the kitchen. “This kitchen is bigger than my apartment. I might be intimidated learning here.”
“Nonsense.” She dried her hands on a towel. “This is the perfect place to learn. You’ll feel like you’re in Italy.”
“It does have a Tuscan vibe.”
I gazed around at all the elaborate stone and wood that accentuated the terracotta tiles beneath my feet.
The entire house gave off notes of Italian architecture with the eloquent marble running through the halls and staircase to the intricate archways and columns that set off different sections of the house.
From the time the car had pulled into the driveway, it was easy to forget we were in New Jersey. The estate was fitting for mafia royalty, and the Accettis definitely fit the bill.
“Everything is authentic,” Antonella said. “Julia made sure of that. She drove Nico crazy when she designed it, but he spared no expense and gave her whatever she wanted.”
“It’s beautiful. I feel like I’m in Italy.” I ran my hand along the rustic countertop. “Not that I know what it would be like since I’ve never been there.”
“It’s unforgettable.” She reached up on her toes and placed the pasta bowl on the shelf in a cabinet. “My mother still lives there. I visit as often as I can.”
“That’s nice.”
“Do you see your mother often?”
“Not at all. She left when Chance and I were young. She and my father didn’t get along, and she thought it was best to go.”
“Oh.” When she turned, I couldn’t avoid the pity in her expression. “I’m sorry to hear that.”
“It’s no big deal.” I shrugged. “Chance and I got over it.”
We didn’t really, but there was no sense dwelling on the past. We made it through, and when the time was right, we left home. No looking back.
“Hmm…” Antonella pushed the chairs in at the center island, making sure they were spaced perfectly apart. “Well, you’ve come to the right place if you’re looking for a family.”
“Oh, I’m not… Well, I’m not really looking for one.” At least, not the Accettis. I didn’t think. “Milo seems a little lost without Nico and Marchello.”
“He is,” she said. “I can’t wait to see them all back under this roof where they belong.”
Would I belong once they came back? Would Milo need me then ?
“Are you excited about your new job?” she asked. “Milo seems eager to have you work at the dealership.”
Milo is eager to have sex with me whenever he wants. “I’m looking forward to it.”
“But?” She looked at me over the rim of her stylish, black glasses.
“When I suggested I get a job, I didn’t think Milo would offer me one right on the spot. I was trying to gain some independence.”
“You might be in the wrong relationship for that.” She laughed. “The Accetti men are in the wrong decade when it comes to women. Don’t get me wrong, I love them all, but they can be challenging.”
“I’ve noticed.”
“I think it stems from Nico’s trauma over what happened to Julia.” She crossed herself. “God rest her soul, and that sweet unborn baby of hers.”
My heart hurt for this family. What a devastating loss. How did they come back from that? Maybe they hadn’t. Could that be what shaped them into who they were today?
“So, your job,” Antonella said. “Do you have your clothes picked out?”
“I can’t decide.” I curled my fingers to avoid picking at the smooth polish on them.
I wasn’t used to having my nails painted, but I found that having them polished only gave me something else to fidget with when I was overwhelmed.
“All the women I saw today were so meticulously perfect. Hair, makeup, clothes. They looked like they walked the runway. Especially Nico’s assistant. She is flawless.”
“Angela?” Antonella rolled her eyes. “She’s a wicked one.”
“Why?” I didn’t want to gossip, but it might be helpful to know who I was dealing with. “She must be good at her job considering she’s Nico’s assistant.”
“Depends on what she’s good at, I guess.”
“Oh?”
“After Julia died, she swooped in and comforted Nico during a tough time. I’m not faulting him.
At the time, he needed that. She was a little younger than him, and she paid him some attention.
” Antonella shook her head. “It’s not my place.
Julia was my friend, and I just felt like Angela didn’t respect her memory. ”
“How did Milo feel about it?”
“I think he saw the relationship for what it was. It was an outlet.” She tapped her hand on the counter. “Nico doesn’t really encourage lasting relationships. Not after his enemies used his wife against him.”
“But Marchello is married.”
“Nico would never stand in his sons’ way, but I think they are all a little cautious.”
Shit! No wonder Milo wasn’t that receptive when I asked him if he saw us lasting forever. What a stupid thing to say.
“Don’t be nervous about tomorrow.” She patted my arm. “You are more stunning than any other woman in that place. Milo knows it. He wants you there because he likes being with you and he wants to help you.”
“I appreciate his help, but I’m worried we are moving fast, and I don’t know how to deal with that. I’m not good at relationships either. I don’t have any experience.”
“You can learn together.”
“There’s so much I don’t know about him.”
“You’re not supposed to know everything all at once,” she said. “A little mystery never hurts.”
“Milo is full of mystery. ”
“Give him a chance.” She gathered up the dish towels that she’d used during the day. “You can still take things slow in a fast environment. Control the things you can.”
“Thank you for your advice.”
“I love this family.”
“I can tell.”
“You’re good for Milo. He’s been a bit of a wild one through the years. Unpredictable and out of control, but he’s older now. You’re what he needs.”
“He’s what I need too.”
She headed toward the back staircase. “I’m going to put these towels in the laundry room and leave for the night.”
“Okay.” I took a seat at the kitchen table. “I’ll see you in the morning.”
“What would you like me to make you for breakfast on your first day of work?”
“Fruit will be fine.”
“I’ll stuff your French toast with fruit.” She shook her head. “You have to have a full breakfast. Not just fruit.”
“Thank you, Antonella.”
“I’ll look after you, lassie.” She waved as she exited the kitchen. “See you tomorrow.”
Her energy was comforting. She wanted to make me breakfast before my first day of work.
Milo had given me so much in the last few weeks, and now I could add ‘mother figure’ to that list. Antonella was right.
Control what I could. The rest would fall into place.
For the first time in my life, things were looking up.
When Chance barged into the kitchen from the back door, bringing the frigid air with him, it didn’t take long for the tranquility I had momentarily found to be replaced with that familiar stab in my gut. The one I wanted to go away forever. Or at least long enough for me to catch my breath .
“Sable!” My brother hustled into the room with windblown hair.
“What’s wrong?” I got out of the chair and closed the door behind him.
“Listen to me, whatever happens tonight, just go with it and let things play out.” He paced the kitchen. “This could be your way out of here.”
“What are you talking about?” I went to the cabinet and got a glass and filled it with water. “Slow down.” I handed him the glass. “What happened?”
“We can get out of this.” He gulped down the water. “Tonight. I made sure of it.”
“Get out of what?”
“It’s my fault we’re here, but I can fix this.”
“There’s nothing to fix.” I took the empty glass from him and placed it on the counter. “You have to stop provoking Milo. He gave us jobs, so we’ll be able to get ahead.”
“Don’t defend him.”
“Because of him, we’re getting another chance.” I threw my hands in the air. “Isn’t it nice to not worry about how we’re going to pay the rent or if we’ll be able to afford groceries?”
I had been tired from all of the anxiety of trying to stay above water. Worrying about Chance all the time had caused more stress than I realized. Because of Milo, we were in a better position. We may not have gotten here in a conventional way, but it was time for us to catch a break.
“We have to go before Milo comes home.” He pointed toward the steps. “Get your stuff.”
“We’re not going anywhere until you tell me what’s going on.” I tapped my hand on the counter. “Did you do something to piss him off? Because I can’t keep getting between the two of you.”
“Because you like him?”
“Yes,” I said. “Why can’t you understand that?”
“Why can’t I understand how you fell for a gangster? One of the most dangerous people in the city? Do you know what he does for a living?”
I try not to think about it.
“How do you think they afford all of this?” He motioned around the kitchen.
“It’s not by selling cars.” He pushed at a chair, causing it to hit the table.
“You’ve been going on for months about how I needed to stay away from people like him.
You told me they were no good. They would only get me into trouble. ”
“And they did,” I reminded him. “Trouble that I had to get you out of. So you don’t get to stand here and judge me because I’m grateful to the man who saved your ass.”
“It’s worse than I thought,” he said, raising his voice. “You are falling in love with him. How did you let that happen? It’s only been a few weeks.”
“No, I’m not!” Heat crept up my neck. “I like him. He’s good to me. He’s good to you.”
“Sable!” Milo shouted as he came down the hallway. “Sable!”
“Fuck!” Chance fisted his hands at his sides.
I stared at my brother as anxiety exploded inside my chest. “What have you done this time?”
The cracks in my breaking point were showing. Could they be glued back together, or was it already too late?