Chapter 20 – Nico #3
Catching her hands, I drew her away from the mess on the cracked cement. “I’m telling you, Rae, because I need you to understand. My grandfather won’t be alive for much longer.”
“He’s coming back this week.” She frowned. “Or are you killing him?”
I wish. “His health is bad, even if he won’t acknowledge it. This isn’t the first time he’s had chest troubles. But he won’t have surgery because it will seem weak to his men.” I squeezed her fingers. “No, I’m not killing him. He’s doing that himself.”
But if he wasn’t fast enough, I would have to step in and help him.
It seemed like relief swept through her face at that. “Okay, well, good. He’s a bastard, but murdering family is wrong.”
I almost laughed. Almost. “I’m making allies in the city. I’m also working to clean up the messes the lazy old men have made. It’s not easy.”
Rae shot a look to the spiderweb crack on her back windshield. “No, it’s not.”
“But I need you to know, nothing is going to happen to you.” I tugged her close, wrapping my arms around her. “Nothing is happening to you,” I repeated and kissed her.
She struggled, squealing in protest.
The thing was…I didn’t fucking care.
While today had been a test of how Rae would handle the underworld, to say it didn’t bother me that she’d been in danger would be a lie. I needed to feel her. Hold her against me. Reassure myself as much as her.
Her lips didn’t part for me, and she didn’t kiss me back.
I knew why, but it didn’t bother me that she’d just been sick. I needed to feel her mouth more than I needed to breathe.
The kiss was short, and I pulled back sooner than I wanted.
“That was gross,” she protested, trying to cover her lips.
I pulled her hand away, pressing the palm against my chest. “I’m not taking away your power or control, Rae. But every inch of you…I’ll ruin it for anyone else. You’ll only crave me. You’ll only surrender to me.”
She stilled and watched me. Uncertainty flashed through her eyes. The flecks of amber shimmered in the darker browns. She didn’t trust me yet, and how could she? This thing would take time. But I needed her to hear it. The more times, the better.
“Nico, andiamo vai!” Emanuele shouted, as the brothers piled into the green Corvette.
“Alright, go sit down, and I’ll get us out of here,” I said, squeezing her hands one more time.
But Rae shook her head with a rough laugh. “Nice try, prince boy, but you’re not driving my car.”
Part of me was irritated. She shouldn’t be driving. The other was glad to see color returned to her cheeks and fire back in her step as she scooted behind the wheel. Maybe I hadn’t scared her too badly.
Maybe she’d heard me after all.
***
“That was the nurse,” my grandmother announced, sailing back into the dining room.
Arabella had a sharp look in her eyes that I couldn’t quite place. “Is everything okay?”
“No! They keep saying he’s been taking high levels of calcium.
The idiot doctor listed other things like niacin that he should avoid.
He doesn’t take vitamins!” My grandmother pinned me with a look.
“It doesn’t make sense! But! To make matters worse, Enzo Rossi stopped by the hospital. Can you guess what happened?”
I folded my hands and leaned my chin against them. “I can guess, but it might be easier if you told us.”
Rae slid a salad plate in front of me, and I felt more than saw her smile.
My grandmother pursed her lips and waited until the butler and his niece retreated into the pantry. “Enzo has been dealing with a fire storm down at the docks. Apparently, someone thinks we were the reason behind the attack.”
“They’re accusing the Zorzallo Famiglia of the same thing,” I said with a shrug and stabbed the bitter, leafy greens. “Enzo is an idiot.”
“He is.” My grandmother sat hard. “But I don’t appreciate him causing a scene at the hospital!”
Poor Nonna. She was haggard and worn. My grandfather’s bad health had finally taken a toll on her. If he wasn’t already on my shit list, the underboss would have made it to the top just for bothering my grandmother.
“I’ll deal with Enzo,” I assured her.
She chewed slowly and then nodded. “Good. I don’t want anything to upset your grandfather. You’ll run things exactly how he likes.”
“Of course I will,” I lied through my teeth. “Enzo just panics when things happen.”
“Exactly! And how am I supposed to keep Francesco calm and healing if he’s dealing with that pig.” My grandmother scowled. “I could ring his neck.”
“Your fingers wouldn’t fit,” Arabella muttered.
“Bella! What a terrible thing to say. Go to your room. At once!” My grandmother shook with rage.
“Nonna,” I hissed, but the girl was already leaving. “You’re being too hard on her.”
My grandmother sniffed. “She needs to learn her place.”
It was the stress. The signora wasn’t always that crabby with her ward. Was she? I didn’t miss the flash of pure hatred that showed in Arabella’s deep brown eyes before she slipped through the door.
I wasn’t the only one looking.
Standing with a pitcher of water, Rae stared at my grandmother with a look of pure disgust. She roused herself a moment later and came to refill my glass.
Like a balm of fresh air, the other troubles flitted away.
I dropped my hand and grazed my fingers against her outer thigh.
I hated that she was here, tired on her feet.
Until the rest of my plans were in place, there was next to nothing I could do about it.
But I would make sure she was taken care of.
Tonight, instead of jerking away, she lingered beside me for a heartbeat, as if answering my unspoken question. It was enough to send my heart galloping in my chest and my slacks tightening across the front. If there wasn’t an underboss to deal with, I would do something about her answer.
Fucking Enzo made it to the top of my shitlist after all.