Chapter Six
Gemma
I couldn’t be more in love if I tried. My heart was full to overflowing when I glanced at Evander as he pulled out a seat for me at an Italian restaurant that was rumored to be mafia-owned.
Perhaps because some rivals had been shot and killed just outside it.
Did he know this place was likely owned by mobsters? I drew in a deep, steadying breath. I wouldn’t allow the possibility to spoil my mood or my appetite. Evander was perfect. He was everything I could ever want in man.
He took a seat opposite me at the table, his smile lighting up his face, his dark eyes crinkling at the sides. “You’re staring.”
“I am,” I conceded. “It’s hard not to.”
His smile widened into a grin. “Flattery will get you everywhere.”
“You always make me feel beautiful. I want you to feel the same way.”
“You are beautiful. It’s not even up for debate.”
I laughed, though passion thrummed through me. He really was perfect. “See? You’re a born charmer.”
“Only for you. Charm doesn’t come easily to me for anyone else.”
I glanced down our long table, arching a brow at the vacant chairs, the empty spaces beside us. “Are you expecting company?”
He reached for my closest hand, his face somber. “Yes. I wanted you to meet the rest of my family.”
I gaped, my heartbeat accelerating. “Really?” He’d already met my mother. It was nice to know he now wanted me to meet his family. Although unlike me, it was obvious by the many seats at the table he had a big family, and likely more than one involved parent. I guessed he had siblings, maybe aunts and uncles as well. My cheeks hurt from smiling so much when I said, “I’d love that!”
“You would?” he asked, the taut planes of his face softening. “I was worried it might be too soon.”
I giggled. We had only been dating a few months. “Well you’ve already met my mother.”
“True,” he said huskily. “Your mom is an amazing woman. I can see who you take after.”
My mouth dried. Thankfully, he’d never asked about my father. That I looked so much like him in the few photos I’d seen terrified me no end. It’d be so easy for anyone who knew him to connect the dots.
Even coming here I was taking a risk, though the chances of a mobster being here and seeing me, then somehow recognizing me were slim to none.
I pushed away misgivings and managed a smile. “It’s my turn now to see who you take after.”
He grimaced. “As long as it’s not my father. I’d like to think I have none of his...attributes.”
Something within me softened. It was kind of nice and more than a little reassuring to know I wasn’t alone in not having the perfect role model for a father. “I’m sure you’ve inherited all his good parts.”
He snorted. “Believe me when I say he has no good parts, no redeeming qualities whatsoever.”
“Oh?” I wasn’t sure there was anything I could say to reassure him.
He shook his head. “I’m not saying I’m perfect either, not by a long shot.” He sighed heavily. “In fact, I know I have some of my dear old dad’s traits.” His eyes searched mine, as though delving into all my secrets by sharing his own. “Gemma, I’m not the man you think I am.” His smile turned crooked, self-damning. “It’s why I brought you here. You’re not just here to meet my family, you’re here to meet the real me.”
A shiver of unease prickled through me. I shook it off. “I know you’re not perfect, Evander. I’m not either. But nothing you tell me will scare me away. We might be moving fast, but it feels right. We belong together.”
He nodded, then conceded softly, “We do belong together.” He leaned forward and kissed me with a tenderness that made my heart ache with yearning. When he drew back, his eyes glowed. “My brother will join us soon. No doubt he’s distracted overseeing the chefs and making future plans for his restaurant. He often loses himself—“
“ His restaurant,” I interjected with a squeak. “The owner is you r brother?” I shook my head and added, “The one rumored to be a member of the mafia?”
Evander blinked, caution filling his stare. “Would it bother you if the rumors were true?”
My heart contracted, my throat tight as I countered, “Are you saying they are true?”
He nodded. “The rumors aren’t rumors. My family is the Agostino mafia.”
I sucked air through my clenched teeth, my heart dropping to my toes and my senses reeling so hard I was close to blacking out. The Agostinos were even more infamous than the Accardi mobster family. A shiver of distaste ricocheted through me. “And you ?” I asked numbly.
His eyes narrowed a little as they searched my face. “I’m an Agostino, being a mobster is my birthright.” His hand tightened a little on mine. “I’m a capo, in charge of my own soldiers.”
My insides squeezed together, even as grief thickened my voice. I couldn’t be with this man, not anymore. The life of my mother and my future, my freedom, depended on not being with him.
My chair scraped back as I stood and withdrew my hand from his. “If you’ll excuse me for a moment, I need to use the ladies room.”
He frowned up at me, but relented with a nod. “Of course. I’ll be here. I’ll order you a drink.”
I nodded absently, then headed toward the restroom. Only once I was out of his sight did I quickly head toward the elevator and step inside. As its doors closed and I descended alone, I pulled out my cell. “Mom, it’s me.” I squeezed my eyes shut briefly. “You know how we talked about a plan B? I’m sorry to say it looks like we’ll need to use it.” I swallowed back a taste of burning acid. “Evander is an Agostino.”
I woke with a gasp, and to the thrumming of a sedan’s powerful engine as I lay on its backseat. My wrist was snared by a cuff, which was attached at the other end to a metal arm that sat just below the door handle. I pulled my arm and the cuff rattled and snapped tighter around my wrist.
“Did you really think it’d be that easy to escape from me a second time?”
I stilled, then glared into the rearview mirror at his dark, fathomless eyes reflecting back at me. “You don’t seriously think you’ll get away with this?”
A smirk hardened his face, his resolve. “I seriously do. You won’t be leaving me again.”
“I left you once,” I gritted out, struggling against my restraint. “I’ll do it again.”
His stony stare lifted to meet mine once again in the rearview mirror. “I doubt that very much.”
I paused, my heart surging into frantic beats. “What is that supposed to mean?”
“I mean...by the time I’m done with you, you’ll never want to leave me. Not. Ever. Again.”
If those words had come from anyone else, I might have laughed. But I knew better. He was serious. Deadly serious.
It didn’t mean I’d yield to him. “You don’t scare me!” I snarled. “You’re not the only one with connections—“
He raised a brow. “Oh?”
I lifted my chin, my face as heated as my burning arm. “You’ll get nothing out of me.”
He chuckled darkly. “It seems to me I’ve already gotten more out of you than expected.” His eyes again met mine. “If there is one thing I’ve learned over the years since you left me, it’s patience. A lot of patience. His gaze returned to the dirt road in front of him. Though I’d yet to see any other traffic, it appeared to be meticulously maintained. “I’ll find out everything I want to know. It’s just a matter of time.”
“Then I hope you have a million years to uncover everything I’ve buried, because you’re going to need it.”
His nostrils flared, as though a predator scenting prey and anticipating the hunt. “We’ll see.”
I sat higher, the cuff digging into my wrist. “Is this restraint really necessary? It’s not like I’m going to jump from a moving car.”
“I’m not taking any chances with you this time around.”
I wanted to scream, to cry and wail. At the very least I wanted to continue protesting. Instead I slumped back, the chain on my cuff snapping tight. There wasn’t any point. There was no give in his hard, merciless face. “You can’t do this to me,” I said, my voice pitched high enough to be a whine.
“Did you forget I’m a mobster? I can do whatever the hell I want.”
I ground my teeth together. “One day you’ll push someone too far.”
He shrugged idly. Perhaps. But until that day...I’m going to enjoy our time together.”
My gaze darted around wildly. All I could see were trees, trees and more trees. There weren’t even any signs on the side of the dirt road to indicate where we were heading. “At least tell me where we are!”
The sedan topped an incline, which showcased stunning views of a verdant green valley beneath. A small log cabin sat back a few yards from a small stream. Behind the cabin was a small orchard, but otherwise it was a long sweep of rocky, grassy land.
Holy shit! It couldn’t be...could it? Though it seemed impossible, I’d imagined this scenery in my head, painted it almost exactly how I saw it now.
I swallowed hard, my senses reeling as the car swept down the long incline toward the cabin. “This place is yours?” I asked weakly.
He nodded. “Welcome to la mia oasi .”
My oasis.
Despite its beauty, it didn’t feel like an oasis. Not now I was so rattled. I scowled even as my stomach curdled a little. “It looks more like l’inferno in terra .”
Hell on Earth.
It wasn’t until he braked the car sharply and turned his head to look at me, that I realized my mistake even before he growled, “You know Italian?”