Chapter 38
“You’re not upset I named her after Mom, are you?” Aurora asks, leaning against the kitchen counter.
Evalina is in her bassinet, sleeping, exhausted after everyone took a turn holding her.
Liliya is on the patio with Angelica, who’s now back from her nail appointment and most likely asking Liliya a hundred questions.
Angelica means well. She’s just cautious about who she allows in her home and around her family.
Her husband is king of Chicago’s underworld, so she has every reason to see every new face as a threat.
I shake my head as she plops down in a chair in exhaustion. “Not at all.”
“I know she’ll have Andre’s last name—”
It’s rude, but I talk over her. “That’s for the best. The Lastro name is tainted. Evalina Ricci is a beautiful name.”
She frowns. “The Lastro name isn’t tainted.”
I give her a look.
“Seriously, it’s not. I hope you have lots of babies to carry on our family name.”
I don’t say anything, only look out the window to check on Liliya. She’s sitting in a chair, posture perfect, nodding and listening to Angelica.
“I like Liliya,” she comments. “She’s good for you.”
I turn my attention back to her. “She’s a pain in my ass.”
“Andre said the same about me plenty of times.” She laughs around a sigh. “You wouldn’t have brought her here if you didn’t trust and like her.”
I flex my fingers and straighten my watch.
“You needed me, and I didn’t want to waste my time figuring out what to do with her.
So, I made the choice to bring her. I just pray it wasn’t a mistake.
” I take a slow sip of the fancy water that Angelica said was filtered through pixie dust or some shit. “Who put a bullet in Andre?”
“He won’t tell me.” She rolls her eyes. “I’m sure he pissed someone off.”
“I wish you hadn’t married into this world. It puts you in too much danger.”
“Andre and his family would take a bullet for me without blinking. They’re like the Lombardis on steroids when it comes to bloodshed over people they love.”
“His father is a don. That makes your life more in danger than it was, being the daughter of a capo.”
She holds up a finger. “Or more protected.” She perks up. “I like to look on the bright side of things, dear brother.”
“At least Andre isn’t next in line to be the boss.”
Andre is the youngest, and his brother, Gabriele, is set to be the boss when his father either steps down or dies.
While I’ve only met Gabriele once, he’s the perfect candidate to take over. Their father, Constantino, has taught him well. He’ll continue to run a great empire.
“Just stay safe, okay?” I chug the remainder of my water and toss the bottle into the recycling bin.
“Are you going home today?” she asks around a long yawn.
“Yeah. Gabriele said we can use the jet again.”
“I love that jet,” she says around a sigh before yawning again.
As much as I’d rather stay here and spend time with her, I need to get back to New York and find out who tried to kill me and my wife.
The list of possible suspects who’d want me dead is long.
Could be the Russians, a rival family, or some entitled prick who lost money at the poker table. Hell, it could be all of the above.
If I had to place my chips, I’d stack them against the Russians.
Whoever it is, they won’t live to try again.
“Why don’t the Lombardis own a private jet?” Liliya asks while we’re in the air.
It’s all she’s done—ask questions.
One after the other, over and over again.
I’m half tempted to find a parachute in here, strap it to her back, and tell her we’re skydiving back to New York.
“Because they’re expensive as hell,” I reply.
“Tell them they need to make more money then.” She motions toward the jet. “Clearly, Andre’s family has it figured out. Maybe you should switch sides. Andre’s Mafia fam looks like they pay better.”
I massage my temples, a headache pounding so hard that my ears ring. “Let’s play a game.”
“Monopoly?”
“No, it’s called Liliya Goes Five Minutes Without Asking a Question.”
She tilts her head to the side, thinking. “Best I can do is, Liliya Goes Three Minutes Without Asking a Question.”
I groan, going back to rubbing my head.
She dramatically slumps in her seat. “What am I supposed to do during those three minutes then?”
I remove my fingers from my head, one by one, and smirk in her direction.
Her eyes widen, and she slaps my arm. “Yeah, right. They probably have cameras in here, and I’m pretty sure Angelica would slit my throat if I were caught being naughty on her plane.” She makes a slicing motion across her throat. “She’s probably already plotting my murder now.”
“Angelica doesn’t want to kill you,” I state.
“She probably doesn’t want to see me suck your cock on camera either. Sorry, hubby. One thing I’ve yet to find as a turn-on is voyeurism.”
“We’ll work on that.” I ruffle her hair.
“Buy us a private jet, and I’ll give you a blow job whenever you want.” A full-on smirk spreads across her face. “Now, did you mention Monopoly somewhere?”
I shake my head, not having any interest in a board game. “You just sit there. Ramble. Whatever.”
She exhales slowly. “Guess I’ll just read on my phone. Can’t go wrong with a guaranteed happily ever after.”
She turns quiet, losing herself in her book.
I pull my phone from my pocket and open the Lombardi group chat.
I have a lot of shit to figure out.
Starting with the fact that none of them know Aurora is alive.
I swore I’d tell Antonio and the other men after my father’s death.
But when that happened, I still stayed silent.
In this world, every secret you share is a risk.
The more people who know she’s alive, the less protected she becomes.
They attended her funeral and mourned her alongside me.
Stood at her grave, not knowing she wasn’t in it.
Planted a tree in her name.
Antonio hosts a dinner in her memory every year.
My keeping this from them isn’t just a lie.
It’s betrayal.