34. ~Caterina~
34
~Caterina~
It had finally happened for Julian.
He’d been able to throw the party that he’d wanted.
Although it was encompassing several different celebratory matters now.
Carlo and Remo’s engagement.
Our victory over the two families and Erebus.
And even me winning a massive contract with the Brimbank Waterfront development!
There was one more thing still to celebrate. I only had to hold on a little while longer where that was concerned.
The place was decorated with gold and silver streamers, the same going for the balloons. There were flower arrangements all over the place and Julian had sweetly picked my favorites, peonies, for that aspect. He’d brought in two fountains—one a champagne fountain and the other a chocolate fountain. There were suited servers all over the place dispensing the most luxurious foods as well as some fancy cocktails. He’d really gone all out.
It had been several weeks since the home invasion and it had taken that long to repair the damage that had been done that night. Now that had finally been seen to, the party had been able to happen.
“Caterina,” a familiar voice called, and I spun from staring out through the window of the foyer that looked out at the courtyard that was currently jampacked with vehicles, to see Dante striding up to me with Matteo.
They’d been meeting with Nico in his home office.
Nico Marchetti, now officially Boss of the new incarnation of the Marchetti Syndicate.
“The Boss tells us congratulations are in order,” Dante spoke as the two of them reached me.
“You got a big portion of that development for Camlann Corporation. Impressive,” Matteo added.
I smiled. “Yeah, it’s a major step up, without a doubt.”
“Well, you deserve it.”
“You’ve long deserved all of this,” Dante said, gesturing around us. His smile faltered, the mood dampening as he uttered, “I’m sorry, Caterina. I’m so sorry I couldn’t do more to protect you from what you suffered through.”
“Dante, you were my guard for many years. You protected me from a great deal. Three kidnappings, I believe.”
“But not from him.”
Matteo hung his head, looking as ashamed as Dante.
“Circumstances being what they were, no one could have protected me from Santino,” I told them. “You did the best that you could with what you were given. I don’t hold you responsible for any of it. I don’t blame you.”
“Thank you, by the way,” Matteo told me.
I arched an eyebrow.
“Nico told us what you did. Replacing what Santino took from me and then some in my account. The same with Dante.”
“Well, you were both caught up in a no-win situation. You deserve the chance to start over in whatever manner you like, a way without restrictions or strings.”
“You’ve definitely given us that,” Dante said. “We’re both going to remain in the city. At least for now. We’ll see you around, Caterina?”
“I’d like that.”
With that, they both smiled at me, then headed on out of the mansion.
“Seems like that went well.”
Before I could turn at the sound of the voice, an arm wrapped around me, and I was pulled against a hard chest, looking up at Nico in the next moment.
“Trying to literally pull me away from the foyer, huh?”
“I want you to enjoy the celebrations, principessa.”
“I will. I’m just—”
“Antsy? Excited? Maybe a little nervous, too, because it’s been so long?”
“All of the above,” I admitted.
“Well, hear me when I tell you that it’s going to be fine. Better than fine. Perfect, warm, amazing, and everything you imagined.”
“Wow, such lovely words and visualizations.”
“What can I say? I’m in an excellent mood.”
“I can see that,” I said, stroking the collar of his crisp, white shirt that was tucked into a pair of black dress pants, and gazing up at his beautifully rugged features and how lit up he was. It was truly amazing to see that usual heaviness lifted off him.
I mean, there was definitely still a dark intensity, because that was Nico. But most of that was sexual, at least currently, as his fingers wandered over my little black dress while he held me possessively to him.
I snatched his hands. “Nuh-uh. Not yet.”
“Not yet? I’m barely touching you.”
I gave him a look. “You know exactly what you’re doing.”
“And you know that I’m holding myself back. Significantly.”
I stretched onto my tiptoes, and breathed in his ear, “I’ll make it worth your while once the party’s over. I promise all three of you will have the night of your lives.”
A delicious growl rumbled from him.
“Down boy,” Julian’s voice came.
Nico turned with me basically attached to him, to see Julian leaning against the wall in a casual stance, his legs crossed at the ankles of his sleek gray suit.
“I’m so close to making you shut this party down now,” Nico told him.
“A couple more hours. Cat’s present isn’t here yet. And Stover’s gone a long way to retrieve said present.”
Nico grunted his displeasure at the wait.
“Not to mention you’ve barely mingled at all. You’ve been holed up in your office. First, meeting with Carlo and Remo, then your Capos, some new business associates, and then Dante and Matteo. Remember when we talked about work-life balance with Cat? You were included in that.”
“I just took over as Boss, J.”
“And you’re just that fucking good. So don’t give me that. I know you have the skills and the means to pull it off.”
I chuckled at the look on Nico’s face.
Julian definitely had him.
“Fine,” he said. “Let’s rejoin the party.”
“Good, because I’ve just spent a hell of a long time holding court with your Capos to offset your lack of social interaction tonight. We’re trying to keep things upbeat, so I’ve been keeping Milo away from engaging them solo. You know how he can get into that steadfast, way-too-serious business mode of his that can be a real damper on a party situation. I’ll send him over to Carlo and Remo because nothing can dampen their mood. Also, he seems to have hit it off with Remo and the guy’s promised to give him some Underboss tips.”
“I love how you have a formulated plan for social interactions ,” I told Julian.
“Gotta give this party its best chance, darlin’. Along with the food and decorations, that’s how you do it.”
“And where will you be?” Nico questioned.
“Schmoozing your business connections, of course.” He clapped Nico on the back. “I’ve got you, N. Don’t you worry one little bit.”
“And you’re keeping to the zero posting rule?”
“Yes, Jesus. No posting any photos or anything else on my IG. Received loud and clear.”
“Good.” He clasped his shoulder. “And, thank you. I do appreciate it.”
“I know you do.”
Nico tucked me into his side. “Ready for this?”
“Ready as I’ll ever be.”
Social situations weren’t my favorite things, but they were also necessary and an unfortunate part of running an empire.
We stepped back into one of the rooms overflowing with people, and I sucked in a steadying breath.
Here goes nothing.
The party had finally worn down.
It hadn’t seemed like it ever would.
People had definitely had a blast.
Spirits were high.
Excitement was in the air with the new alliance and the new incarnation of the Marchetti Syndicate.
Everything was on a great track at long last.
I couldn’t quite believe it.
It had been such a fight to get here, there’d been so much to overcome, yet here we were. We’d come through it.
“Hey.”
I turned from looking out over a little wall by the patio, staring into the peaceful, dark night, to see Milo emerging.
“Hey,” I returned, smiling out at him. “How are you doing? I know this sort of thing isn’t exactly your favorite way to pass your time.”
“It’s not. But Julian was right. We did need to make a big celebration out of it. What we’ve all achieved is no small thing. And I did actually end up enjoying it.” He came to me and made a show of whispering, “Just don’t let Julian know I’ve told you that or he’ll see it as a go to throw so many more of these things.”
I chuckled. “I hear you there.” I wrapped my arms around myself, feeling the chill now because I’d been out here for a good ten minutes or so. “Did you know that Nico had invited several key business figures here for me?”
He grinned. “Yep. We all knew. He doesn’t want to actively interfere in Camlann Corporation, but he wants to be there for you. We all do. So this was the compromise.”
“It was really sweet. I don’t know how to thank you guys.”
“You’re already doing it ,” he said, reaching out and tenderly stroking my cheek in a way that made my heart skip a beat. That was intensified when he shook off his blazer and draped it over my shoulders. “By being here with us, being a part of us. It’s changed so much. And I love you for it.”
“Aww, I love you too, Milo,” I said, sinking into him.
I smiled as he rubbed my shoulders through his blazer, warming me up.
A throat cleared, and it had us pulling apart.
And then my breath caught as I took in the sight of Joe standing there, his hand clasping hers.
“Oh my God,” I choked.
I’d known she was coming.
I’d been waiting all night for her to arrive.
But seeing her now, flesh and blood, right here after all this time… it was surreal.
She was dressed down, especially compared to how she usually was, in just a loose light-gray sweater and a pair of jeans, but she looked cozy and comfortable. Her eyes were bright and that downtrodden air about her was long gone.
“Mom,” I croaked.
In the next moment, she was pulling from Joe and rushing to me.
Milo stepped away, and I saw Nico and Julian come out onto the patio, the two of them joining him, and looking on at the scene, just as my mom and I threw our arms around one another.
“I’ve missed you, sweetheart. I’ve missed you so much,” she breathed into my hair.
“I’ve missed you too, Mom.”
Long moments passed before we eased back a little.
She took me in. “You look well. Happy.”
“I am.”
“I can’t believe it’s actually over. I can’t believe that monster is actually gone, that the whole thing has been dismantled. Joey was filling me in. Everything has changed. All for the better. There’s just so much—” She noticed the minor cuts and bruises that were healing and fading now from our last two battles but still noticeable up close. “Are you all right, my sweetheart?”
“I’m fine, Mom. Better than fine. Amazing.”
“You have to tell me everything. I need to know how he was killed.”
Bianca Leone was the sweetest and gentlest person ever, but what Santino had done to her over the years had cut her deeply. I wasn’t surprised that she was asking for details, where his death was concerned. It was a form of closure that she needed.
“It was me.”
“What?”
“I was the one who killed him.”
She looked over at Joe. “You told me you didn’t know who it was.”
“Because it wasn’t for me to say, angel.”
Angel? I guess their long coming reunion was going well then.
“It was Caterina’s story to tell.”
“I understand, but these secrets and lone wolf tactics of yours will stop going forward if we’re going to remain in the city together and try to rekindle things. Do you hear me, Joey?”
Wow. This was… a lot.
Rekindle things?
Her telling him off.
He actually looked nervous.
And he even answered her right away, telling her, “I hear you, Bianca. I’m sorry. It’s going to take some time.”
“I have no doubt,” she rebutted, before turning her full attention back to me. “I’m sorry it fell to you.”
“I’m not.”
“No?”
I shook my head. “As sick as it sounds, I needed it to be me who put him down.”
“Knowing that monster as well as I unfortunately did, there’s nothing sick about it. You did what was needed for you and countless others who’d been oppressed and hurt by him.”
“Thank you, Mom.”
“Come here,” she said, wrapping her arms around me. “Sit with me and tell me everything that’s happened. And I want you to promise me that you’ll meet with that therapist of Julian’s regarding the loss you suffered during all of this.”
I stilled and looked out at Joe.
“I thought it would help if she knew,” he told me.
Well, he had actually made the right call there.
I looked back at my mom. “I will.”
“Good.” She eyed each of my men in turn. “Thank you.”
“We’d do nothing less than what’s best for Caterina,” Nico told her.
“As I suspected before I left. And something that’s been reinforced through what Joe has told me about what’s happened while I’ve been away.”
I looked out at Joe again.
It had actually worked. I’d actually managed to get through to him. Not just that night when he’d put his life in jeopardy in a misguided bid to protect me by sacrificing himself, but beyond that, too. He’d really heard me.
We could move forward much more easily now.
As my mom led me past the guys, I reached out to him and took his hand.
He beamed out at me as the understanding passed between us.
Having him here, having my mom here, all alongside my men, too, was incredible.
All of it was more than I could have ever hoped for.