11.
Some might look at a person and say, ‘I’d hit that.’ But in Jewel’s case, the rest of the sentence will be either with a shovel, with a chair, with a bat, with a brick, or maybe even with a car. Jewel will always explore her options. She’s open-minded that way.
Nichole Grissom
ZIGGY
The private dining room my sons had reserved was the perfect size for everyone to be comfortable, and there were even a few tables set aside for our guards to share a meal and catch up after spending so much time apart.
Ziva and Zara were grilling Zander and Zane about some of the wildest things they’d witnessed while running the family’s Vegas hotels, trying to dig up dirt on various celebrities they knew stayed with us.
Zander and Zane entertained them without dropping names, and I was glad to see they’d learned the art of discretion during their time here.
Ziva and Zara were anything but discreet, but I loved that about them. In their current phase of life, neither really needed to be. That would change as they got older and transitioned from college into the real world, but for now, it was entertaining as hell.
The realization that all four of my children were grown adults was sobering, especially since the boys were twenty-five and my girls were already nineteen.
Instead of wondering where the time had gone, I wondered what the future would bring.
In a few years–hopefully at least ten or more–I’d become a grandfather, and I loved the idea.
I had cherished my kids when they were small just as much as I loved spending time with them now, only differently. I loved how everything new they saw was magical and that they thought I hung the moon just for them. I would have, if I could. But I never corrected them–that phase was far too short.
“Is the house you’re buying big enough for all of us to stay at once?” Ziva asked out of the blue.
“Actually, I invested in several properties because I hope the four of you–and the rest of our family–will come often. This way, there will always be a home waiting for everyone.”
“You’re really going to stay in Rojo?” Zara asked. The excitement in her eyes gave me pause, though I tried not to overanalyze it. I knew it was about a guy and not just eagerness to spend more time there. “Won’t you miss home?”
“Do you miss the city?” I asked.
“Sometimes,” Zara admitted. “Not as often as I thought I would.”
“We never got a chance to miss it because we came straight to Vegas, and it offers the same level of excitement living in New York City always did,” Zane said as he picked up his beer, leaning back in his chair.
“It’s great to go home and see everyone, but after a few days, I want to come back here–just as much action, but a different kind. ”
“I don’t know how you live in this heat,” I grumbled, taking another sip of my ice water. “I remember now why I only come here in the winter.”
“It gets pretty hot in Texas too,” Zander reminded me. “I’ve heard you complaining about it to Aunt Frankie when we go to Tenillo during the summer.”
“It’s not nearly as horrible as Vegas or as stifling as the city on a calm day with no breeze, but it pisses her off when I whine about it, so sometimes I like to go overboard.”
“Aren’t you glad none of us ever fight like that?” Ziva asked.
“Last Christmas, the two of you almost threw down in the foyer of Dad’s penthouse because one of you stole the other’s specific drink order,” Zane reminded them.
“I created it, so I should be the only one who gets to have it,” Ziva snapped.
“Look what you started!” Zander chided. “Ladies, ladies, ladies. We’ve got four excellent coffee shops in this hotel, and any one of them would be happy to serve you whatever drink you want.”
“Spoken like a true businessman,” I announced proudly.
“Zane found out what it was and turned it into such an exclusive recipe that he had to fire three employees who refused to sign an NDA. He told them if they ever leaked the recipe, he’d sue them for a hundred grand!” Zara tattled.
“That is a true businessman,” I repeated with a laugh.
“When we graduate, are you going to give us hotels, too, or are you going to keep us out of the loop because we’re girls?” Ziva asked.
I leaned closer to her and, in a whisper loud enough for everyone at the table to hear, said, “No. I’m going to give the two of you a winning sports team.”
◆◆◆
“I don’t like the security. It’s bad enough that the back of the subdivision is open fields with no guards, but your front yard is on the main road into the neighborhood!” Tino complained, frowning at me. “How are we supposed to protect you if we can’t even keep a decent perimeter?”
“One of you will sleep in the downstairs guest room by the front door, and the other will sleep in the quarters above the garage. That’s going to have to be good enough.” Before he could reply, I said, “Does it make you feel any better knowing I own the properties on either side of this one?”
“Moderately,” Tino grumbled.
“One thing you haven’t considered is the local gun laws, my friend,” Jersey said with a tight smile. “This evening, after we get settled, we’ll look into the details. I think this is going to be much easier than you expect.”
“As soon as the other property is ready, we’ll probably stay there most of the time, unless something else comes up.”
“Where does she live?” Jersey asked with a sigh. “Please tell me it’s more secure than this place.”
I turned and pointed toward the front window. “That’s her house across the street.”
“Now we’re stalking a woman? That’s something I never thought I’d be listing on my résumé,” Tino said as he walked across the living room and stared out the window at Jewel’s house. “I’m not sure I’m okay with this.”
“You can always go back to the city and . . .”
“I love this house, the neighborhood is fantastic, and I can’t wait to explore the town!” Tino cut in, completely changing his tune at the thought of returning to New York, where his ex and her crazy family had been making his life miserable. “Excellent choice, Boss! Excellent.”
“She’s really done a number on you, my friend,” I said as I slapped him on the shoulder. “But, for the record, there’s another thing about this town you’ll come to appreciate.”
“They’ve got a great deli that’ll remind me of home?”
“If you can’t find one, maybe we should open a restaurant,” I suggested.
“So what’s the good thing you’re talking about?”
“The women here are all calm, rational, and perfectly sane.”
Saying it with a straight face was a short-lived victory because Jersey started cackling before he said, “Yeah. I’ve met a few of them that are exactly that.”
“Great. That’s just what I need,” Tino mumbled as he ran his hand over his face.
“One other thing, guys.”
“What’s up?” Jersey asked.
“If we’re gonna live in Texas, we need to dress like the people around us,” I announced.
“I am wearing a cowboy hat, no matter how much you pay me!” Tino said angrily.
“They don’t all wear hats and ride horses, stronzo! I think he’s saying we can ditch the ties most of the time.” Jersey looked at me. “Right?”
I nodded. “I’m looking forward to it.”
“I think we have a problem, Boss,” Tino said warily.
“What’s going on?” Jersey asked, stepping toward the window.
I hurried behind him. Outside, a young man walked out of Jewel’s house with a small dog in his arms and sat on the porch step. He set the dog down, and it bounded into the yard, caught a small ball he threw, brought it back, and vibrated excitedly while waiting for him to toss it again.
“I think she’s got a man.”
“No, he’s too young,” I argued. “That could be one of her three sons, but she also has at least a dozen nephews close to their age.”
“Want me to go check?” Jersey asked.
“It’s not very stalkerish to walk up the front steps and ask who the fuck is hanging around her place,” Tino pointed out sarcastically.
“I’m not a fucking stalker!”
“Does she know you moved in across the street?” When I shook my head, he asked, “Does she even know you moved to town?” When I shook my head again, he sighed. “No, you’re not a stalker, Ziggy. Not at all.”
“I have to tread carefully where Jewel is concerned. She’s . . . particular about things.” Jersey laughed, and I glared at him. “Don’t push it.”
Jersey ignored my warning. “Particular is not the word I’d use to describe Ms. Parker, although I have to admit it was a lot of fun to see her reaction when we took her around the city.”
“Not just a typical tourist?” Tino asked.
“Before we even got six blocks from the hotel, she had a dozen ideas on how to improve different things, from parking to the angle of the sidewalk,” I explained.
“If she ever runs for mayor, I’ll back her and make sure everyone else does too,” Jersey announced. “Her ideas were that sound.”
“So you’ve found a smart one,” Tino mused with a secretive smile. “Good for you.”
“She’s a doctor.”
“We could use a few of those, or at least we could when we were back home.”
“Hopefully we won’t need one for any of the reasons we did when I was still part of the organization.”
Jersey frowned and swallowed hard. “Let’s hope we don’t.”
As the guys settled in the guest house at the back of the property, I sent my sister and daughters pictures of my new home and fielded their questions about what furnishings they wanted to help me find.
Finally, I gave up and asked all three to come out as soon as possible to help me shop. They readily agreed.
A little too readily. On my sister’s part, I knew she wanted to feel useful.
My daughters were excited, too, partly because of the friends they’d made while they were here for Bella’s wedding.
My girls made friends easily, but it helped that the people of Rojo had been so welcoming to all the guests–even the ones from our family who they’d probably seen and heard more than a few unsavory things about.
Our family’s business dealings were no secret, at home or anywhere else.
I was used to that, having grown up under my father’s reign before helping Rico take over the organization.
Afterward, we settled every score and conflict we could, making life safer for our growing families and the community.
When Rico approached three other families about uniting our organizations, they all thought he was crazy, which tracked since they’d known our father.
But no one could deter or underestimate Rico.
He banded together people who had been raised to hate each other and, most of the time, actively tried to end each other–or at least take over the organizations they controlled.
Luckily, when Zach Campana and the Russo twins got old enough to join us, they were just as on board as their relatives who helped Rico and me get started.
Now, things at home were relatively peaceful, even though Rico and I had a half brother somewhere out there who wanted to wrest control of the organization and get rid of us in the process.
But unless he made another mistake, we had no way to track him down, which meant we couldn’t stop his efforts–most likely by ending his life.
Even though I wasn’t part of my family’s organization anymore, which was unusual considering it wasn’t often anyone left the mafia, I was still involved in several of the family’s business interests, just not the day-to-day operations.
Since I had a business degree, I oversaw some of the legitimate businesses my brothers and I owned, including the team I was helping bring to Rojo.
That included a lot of emails, travel, and decisions, which kept me busy when all I wanted was to go to Texas, kidnap the woman I couldn’t get off my mind, and take her somewhere she couldn’t escape.
Even though I hadn’t known Jewel long, we’d had some very long conversations, and I knew trying to take her away would be the death of me.
The woman had some terrifying ideas, and the matter-of-fact way she talked told me she wouldn’t hesitate to defend herself if it came down to it–something that would come in handy when we finally got together.
Just because I was “out” didn’t mean I was free, and I never would be. That was why I still had guards and always would. Once I convinced Jewel to give me a chance, she’d need her own protection. I knew that wouldn’t go over well, but that was a fight for another day.
Right now, I needed to get my house and my life in order–and quickly–because I couldn’t wait to make Jewel part of it.
For some reason, the empty living room drew me back.
I realized why when I stood in front of the window and looked across the street.
Jewel sat on the porch next to the young man, deep in conversation.
I watched them talk and could tell she was upset about something he said, even though she tried to hide it.
It felt surreal watching her from a distance, and I knew in my heart that if she discovered I’d been here this long without letting her know, she’d think horribly of me. So, without a word to the guards, I stepped onto my new front porch and waved.