Chapter Fourteen
Noah
I didn’t know what I’d been thinking. We had too much on our plates for me to be going out on a date, much less with the doctor I’d been rude to repeatedly.
But she looked so shy standing there beside me, so inviting. And when I finally kissed her, my lust went through the roof at such a simple interaction.
Inexplicably, Sailor seemed unsure of what to do.
All her hesitation made me want to treat her gently instead of ravishing her the way I desired.
Instead of hiking her leg around my waist and grinding into her, I brushed my lips across hers.
Except for when she opened her mouth on a moan so hot I nearly forgot there were cameras in that elevator, and then I was afraid of doing something unholy to that woman that I could never take back.
Dinner was the perfect way to get to know her.
She already talked to my father like they were old friends, so maybe she’d open up to me, too.
I could tell she thought she had nothing to offer, with no friends or family to speak of, but that didn't bother me.
As usual, I wanted to shield her from the world.
But, for the time being, I had to focus on my father and the business at hand.
“Gio took a copy of this picture to our investigators. Assuming he’s in the system, they’ll have a better chance at identifying him with their computer software than we can with simple legwork.”
“If it’s the Lombardis, then we need to consider how to repay them.”
“Agreed, but have you noticed they’ve stopped their attacks? There were two back-to-back, and now nothing.”
“Don’t say it out loud and curse it,” Dad grumbled.
I just shook my head. “We’ve also brought most of our deals to a screeching halt, which might have been their plan all along. If they can hamstring us for long enough, then we’re out of the game.”
“Perhaps.” Dad poured a bourbon, handing it to me before pouring another. “Or perhaps they’re biding their time until we’re exposed again.”
“Well, they’re right about the fact that we can’t remain in hiding forever. So either they’re waiting to pounce or they’re hoping we'll end up broke without any deals to make.”
Though he casually sipped his drink, he watched me like a hawk. “How did it go when you walked Sailor down?”
“That’s what you have on your mind when we’re trying to figure out who’s after us and how to save our asses?”
“They both have to do with the future of this family.”
The bourbon soured in my gut, and I set the glass down extremely carefully so I didn't break anything. “You’re already thinking about marriage.”
Coming closer, Dad narrowed his eyes on my face. “I could have forced your hand eons ago, but I didn't. The truth is, I’ve let you throw yourself into the business long enough without insisting you find a wife to help further the family line.”
“Vittoria can further the family line just fine,” I said with irritation.
“Wrong,” he snapped, and I knew his patience was stretched thin. “She’ll carry on the Bianchi line, not the Costa line. Even she took her sweet fucking time deciding Giovanni was good enough for her. I tried very hard not to arrange marriages for you both because your mother was against it.”
“And yet, now that she’s long cold in the ground, you’re trying damn hard to do just that with me.”
When he gripped my shoulder, I saw the underlying strength he’d been missing for a while. Only now, he was using it against me and not our enemies. “What I’m saying is that the clock is ticking. Pick someone yourself, or I’ll have to do it for you.”
“And you’re convinced this woman is the one?” My laugh was bitter. “After you chose her over me and berated me for wanting to see your healthcare provided by someone older than twelve?”
He shook his head sharply. “You’ve seen her for who she is now. You know you were wrong in the beginning. Build on that, or I’ll pick someone from one of the rival families to make an alliance.”
“You wouldn't.”
The hand on my shoulder tightened. “I would.”
That fucking incessant headache came back with a vengeance, and I grit my teeth. He’d gone from gently pushing us together like a benevolent grandpa to threatening me with someone I didn't know and would hate on instinct.
“Sailor is under the impression you still don’t like her. That all you want to do is fuck her and forget to call her. Show her differently.”
“How the hell did we get to this point?” My breathing had accelerated, and I had to fight not to gasp. I liked Sailor, sure, and she was gorgeous. But marriage?
“It was only because you were working so hard to keep our enemies in line and our pockets full that I didn't insist on this when you were younger. Maria would be disappointed not to have grandbabies by now.”
“Stop invoking her name,” I said through gritted teeth, shrugging his hand off to pick up my drink and swallow it in one go. Pouring another, I downed that too and went to stare out the window.
“She’s part of the reason you haven’t married. Her death rocked us all, and we took the time to grieve properly, but it stole years from your life. We threw ourselves into work and let the rest slip by.”
“If your condition is Sailor or a goddamn Lombardi traitor, I’ll choose Sailor. But how the fuck do I convince her?”
“The same way you convince any other woman into your bed.”
I barked out a laugh. “In case you haven't noticed, she’d sooner run and hide than let me woo her. The other women I’ve been with were in it for the gifts and the infamy.”
“It’s true that she wants neither. So show her you can give her the one thing she doesn’t have that she wants more than anything.”
Turning, I asked, “Which is?”
“A family who loves her.”
His words stabbed through my chest. It was obvious Sailor needed that connection to other people she’d been lacking for years, and I saw that she’d formed an attachment to my father pretty quickly.
But it felt disingenuous to pretend that I wanted to marry her and give her babies because I couldn't live without her.
I had never been interested in a family outside the one I had, but I was supposed to make her think I wanted to give her that?
I sighed. “Are you setting a timer?”
Dad chuckled. “As long as you’re actively working toward my end goal, then no.”
“You’re really trying to make me hate you, aren’t you?”
He sounded genuinely surprised when he responded. “Hate me? I’m only doing what’s best for you and the family.”
“By manipulating both me and the doctor? Playing God with puppets in His hands?”
“No, by ensuring you are happy, and that the business continues to thrive after I’m gone. To make damn certain you’ll have heirs to carry on what we’ve spent decades perfecting, Nero.”
“Please,” I scoffed. “You’re not dying, and you can’t use that as your reasoning anymore. I’ve seen through you and your disguise.”
With shaking hands, I snagged my keys and left his room. Heading downstairs, I sat at the bar in the lobby and tried to calm my racing heart. Suddenly, I couldn't stand the sight of the man I loved.
The more answers we found, the more questions I had, and the more my father tried to change the subject. I was past wondering if he knew something and simply didn't want to tell me. He was guilty of something egregious, I could tell, but he kept pretending he’d never lied to me.
It hurt more than I could describe. We’d always been close, and had grown closer when I lost the woman I looked up to more than anybody in the world. I’d shifted my love and devotion to him, heaping it on top of his grief to help him heal from his monumental loss. And this was the end result.
Mom had disapproved of me killing our adversaries, but was resigned to it.
She knew it was the life she signed up for, and never went so far as to tell me she was disappointed in me.
But I felt it radiating from her heart every time I returned late at night with figurative blood on my hands.
I’d heard her and Dad fighting about it one night, and he promised I wouldn't do it again. We had men for that, after all, and I’d long since made my bones.
I’d been the one to take out our biggest nemesis for my first kill at eighteen. Dad had been proud, but Mom was saddened by my bloodlust. These days, we didn't resort to killing anyone. We had made peace with the worst of the local families, and used money as punishment—or the lack thereof.
But now, I had to consider the real possibility that we’d need to use deadly force against the Lombardis if they were behind the attacks. They’d killed one of our men and tried to kill me and Dad. There was no easy punishment for such major crimes.
For once, I wanted to push all that away.
Pulling my phone from my pocket, I searched for a low-key place to take Sailor for dinner.
I could have had a personal shopper pick out a cocktail dress and sent it to her so we could go to Le Bernardin, but she wouldn't have appreciated the exclusivity.
It wasn't her style, and she would have been annoyed at me for spending so much money on her. Satisfied I’d found the perfect place, I sent her a text with a time, asking if she was okay with me picking her up.
Lord knew she was independent to a fault.
Her response came quickly enough that I smiled. At least she wouldn't make demands of me and break my heart with her words. I had to go back upstairs to change, but I avoided the adjoining door to the suite beside mine. There would be time later to deal with my feelings about him.
Instead of using a driver, I took my own car from the garage and headed to the address she’d sent me.
She lived in a nice part of the city in a pretty little building that looked as if it used to be a single-family home a long time ago.
She had the bottom unit, and as I knocked on the door, I suddenly wished I’d had the foresight to buy her flowers.
She opened the door, her hair down past her shoulders, and a purse in her hands. I’d almost always seen her with her doctor bag and a bun, so it was a nice change.
“I hope this is okay for where we’re going,” she said, indicating the long-sleeved dress and boots.
“If you’re comfortable in it, then it’s perfect.”
“You’re, um, not wearing a suit.”
For the location I’d picked, I thought it best to put on jeans and a polo shirt. I was still probably overdressed, but it was a date, after all.
“Neither are you.”
She giggled, and I grinned. I’d never heard such an easy sound coming from her before.
“Are you ready?”
“Yes, just let me lock up.”
Her loose security ran through my head as I waited for her to close the door and engage the deadbolt.
At some point, I’d have to suggest she get an alarm system, but for the time being, I kept my mouth shut and led her to the car.
I’d kept it running since it was still chilly out, and remembered to open her door for her before getting in.
When I pulled into the lot at the diner I’d picked, her eyes went wide.
“Have you been here before?” she asked.
“Never.”
“I believe that,” she said with a laugh. “You did good.”
Such simple praise, but I felt proud of myself for pegging the type of place she’d prefer.
We ordered burgers from a sticky menu and watched each other warily over the table between us. The booths were narrow, but I didn't think she'd appreciate me reaching over to take her hand. We weren't there yet.
“Tell me something about you I don’t know,” she said, and I raised my eyebrows. Had she Googled first date questions?
“Though I’m very close to my father now, I used to be a momma’s boy.”
Her smile faded. “I know how it feels to lose your mother.”
“What’s something about you I don’t know?” I asked, hoping to bring back some levity, but her face was entirely too serious for my liking.
“I became a doctor because I couldn't save my parents.”
My heart clenched. “Jesus, Sailor, I was hoping to start with a lighthearted conversation.”
“I’m sorry. I’m not very good at this.”
Reaching for her hand after all, I said, “Tell me something else about you.”
“I played the flute in high school.”
“Do you still play?”
She shook her head. “Not in years.”
Absently, she ran her thumb over the back of my hand. I discovered the headache was gone, and my thoughts were clear. Maybe Sailor was a balm for my chaotic mind.
“I can’t sing or play an instrument, but my sister can do both. She plays the cello and the piano.”
“That’s quite impressive.” Sailor sat back when our food was dropped off, and I was disappointed to no longer be touching her.
“She hates to perform, though, so don’t ask her about it.”
“I don’t see myself spending much time with Vicki.”
Oh, but she was wrong about that. If dear old Dad got his way, they’d be sisters-in-law very soon.
But maybe that wasn't such a bad thing after all.