Chapter 32 #3
“There were a few times I felt watched,” she admits. “But I’m new to New York. I thought I was being paranoid.”
Mason stops dead in his tracks. “Since when do you ignore your gut?”
Silence.
Her eyes slide to me. “Why aren’t you saying anything?” she whispers.
Ethan doesn’t answer, but he texts me immediately to say he'll call me back in one minute.
I look into my lap, shaking my head.
Maddie is anything but na?ve. Why would she ignore this?
“I need to take this,” I say tightly when my phone rings, ignoring her pleas as I get up and walk away. “Ethan, we have more information…”
“Fuck. Let me work on this, and your friend, Matteo?”
“He’ll find him.”
“Good. Send me a picture of every letter. Get me access to all her social media. Her PO Box and anything else that belongs to her pseudonym.”
I hang up and go into the kitchen when I hear Mase still ranting and raving.
“She didn’t realize,” Addie says gently.
I duck my head. “I know, but it was still fucking stupid.”
“We all know that,” she says softly. “But it’s done. She can’t undo it.”
I finally look up.
“And what if I wasn’t here the night he knocked?” My voice is rough. “What if he took her? What if—”
I can’t finish.
I physically can’t without my heart ripping from my chest.
“I’m sorry,” Maddie sobs from behind me.
Fuck.
“I know, Mads.” I hold out my arms, and she throws herself into me. I rub my hand down her back. “It’s okay.”
Benny opens the door and can sense the tension, so he unclips Skye’s leash and quietly exits with a head nod.
Good man.
Skye doesn’t glance at our guests; her only concern is Maddie crying in my arms.
She whimpers, causing Maddie to let go of me to hold on to her baby. But my arms stay where they are.
After a moment, the front door opens again.
Harrison and Seb stride in, both of them wearing the kind of expressions that make the air in the room feel heavier.
“What is this, the fuckin’ airport?” Leo calls out.
Seb’s eyes snap straight to me. “You weren’t going to call us?”
I don’t even get the chance to answer before Harrison’s voice follows, sharp and furious. “How did you think pulling men off my wife and kid wouldn’t get noticed?”
Right. Ethan.
Seb stalks toward me, and for one irrational second I’m genuinely afraid he might deck me.
So I do the only thing I’m certain would stop him.
I angle my body cowardly and keep Maddie between us, because Seb might kill me, but he would never put a hand anywhere near her.
“Our family doesn’t do things like this alone, Nate,” Seb says, voice low and lethal. “You know that. We handle the hard shit together. As a unit.”
“I know,” I mutter guiltily.
When it comes to Madeline, I get tunnel vision and have a one-track mind. I didn’t even think to call the other brothers.
“Do Mom and Dad know?”
“Dad does, he’s already spoken to Ethan,” Seb says. “I went over for an early-morning coffee to go over hotel business.”
Harrison’s jaw flexes. “Mom will find out soon enough. They don’t keep shit like this from each other.” He gives me a pointed look, then both of them head toward the living room.
Maddie hasn’t lifted her head until she uses my shirt as a tissue.
“I’m sorry,” she whispers. “I don’t know what I was thinking. I was so excited to see the shock on your face when I finally told you. Now look at what I’ve done.”
“I am so proud of you, and I can’t wait to hear more about it. But this between my brothers is not on you, Mads. I should have called them first thing this morning.”
“What if…” Her voice breaks.
She can’t finish the sentence because the truth of it is too terrifying to speak out loud.
“For now, let’s not think about the worst. I’ve given all the information to Ethan and Matteo, and we’ll see what they have to say. These letters might not have anything to do with it.”
“Matteo?” She pulls back just enough for me to see her frown. “Your friend who moved to Italy?”
Shit.
I didn’t mean to mention his name.
I could lie, make something up, or go for the truth…or a semi-truth to not involve her.
“Matteo’s family has connections that can assist Ethan.”
She narrows her eyes. “What type of connections?”
“The kind that I won’t involve you in.”
She studies me. “When someone in New York says ‘connections’ and you pair it with ‘Italy,’ all I can think of is the Mafia.”
I reach down and give her a light, teasing slap on the ass. “You watch too many movies.” I move the conversation in a different direction. “How are you feeling?”
“I haven’t thrown up in at least two hours. I think that’s a good sign.” She pauses. “I’m scared, Nate. What do we do?”
A small bark comes from the living room, which has me, Maddie, and Skye turning our attention.
Skye lets out a playful bark and bounds over to the rest of the crew.
I didn’t even notice Harrison had Jules’s new puppy on a leash when he walked in.
“Don’t be nervous, Mads.” I hold her tighter. “We’ll get to the bottom of this, I promise.”
“Yeah. Okay.” Her attention is on the dog now. “Look at how cute!” she coos, then tenses when Mase walks over to us.
I speak before he does. “I’m with you on everything you said. Mistakes were made and we can’t undo them.” I hold his gaze. “But we’re not going to tear her apart over it. We’re all scared. We’re all stressed. Let’s leave it there.”
“I know.” He holds out his arm, and Maddie is quick to step into her brother’s fierce, protective hold. “I’m sorry, Madeline. I’m pretty sure I was close to having a heart attack.”
“Oh no.” Maddie pulls back quickly.
“Are you going to be sick?” Worry crosses his face.
“No. But I can’t get you sick. What if I’m contagious? You have practice tomorrow and a game on Thursday.”
He reaches out and pulls her into another hug. “Having my sister tight in my arms with a fucking lunatic on the loose is the only thing keeping me sane right now. I don’t give a shit if I get sick.”
I swallow hard.
Amen to that.
Three hours later and Matteo has finally given me an update that they’re onto the guy, and it shouldn’t be long before they get him.
My shoulders loosen, just barely. A thin thread of tension finally slips free, though the knot in my chest is still very much intact.
Across the room, Maddie is sitting on the floor with Adelaide, completely absorbed in Skye and the still unnamed puppy tumbling between them.
I don’t have the heart to disturb the moment.
Color has finally returned to her face, and for the first time all morning, she looks lighter. The distraction of the puppy couldn’t have come at a better time.
Good.
I don’t want her carrying another ounce of stress until we have real answers.
I text Matteo’s update on the brothers’ chat, including Mase, knowing all their phones will be on silent.
Seb sees it first and gives a nod of affirmation.
Matteo’s cousins won’t give him mercy, and we’ll get the answers we need. We all know what’s implied if you involve the extended Moretti family.
I lift my drink, the second one I probably shouldn’t be having, to my lips and take in the view around me.
My brothers.
My girl.
Our dogs.
Even with the storm surrounding us, I still feel stupidly lucky.
To have a family that would drop everything to be by your side, no matter the circumstance, no matter the time, is a luxury I sometimes take for granted.
My favorite people in the whole world are all in one room, and I love them to death.
I’d burn down the city to protect each and every one of them.
No one outside of our family will ever understand the brotherly bond we share. Or how we’ve already been through so much heartache in our short lives that no one can break us now, and we will get through this.
We always do.
Harrison pushes to his feet. “I’ve gotta head out. Claud’s making dessert for tonight with Jules and Mom, and apparently, she volunteered me to help. Whatever that means.”
“I’ll come with you,” Seb says, already standing. “Keep us posted.”
Harrison glances down at Maddie. “Claud’s looking forward to spending the day with you.”
Despite everything, she gives him a genuine smile. “More me than her. Is it still okay for me to take her next week to spend some time with her?”
Harrison rolls his eyes. “Be prepared. She already has a whole itinerary planned, and she’s going to sucker you into a multi-day sleepover.”
“Sounds like the best time ever.”
They leave the puppy for us to bring her to Mom’s, where Harrison’s going to surprise Jules.
It will be another happy distraction.
Leo stretches beside me. “Why don’t we get out of here too? I’m starting to feel suffocated. Let’s grab a drink before family dinner.”
“Works for me,” Mase agrees.
Maddie looks between us. “Do you guys really need another drink? Not that I’m trying to monitor you, but Rosa won’t be happy if you show up drunk.”
“Probably not,” I say. “She’ll give us a pass this time. Unless you’d feel safer staying here.”
Her eyes flick toward the door, then back to me. “The guards will come with us?”
I nod. “Of course. They’re going to be a part of our life until we get to the bottom of this.”
Or forever.
Her shoulders ease a fraction. “Then yeah. Now that I’m feeling better, I want to get out too.” She scratches behind Skye’s ear. “What about the dogs?”
“We have a dog-friendly pub we go to.”
“Good. I’m not leaving them.” Maddie pushes to her feet slowly. “I need an hour or so to get ready.”
“Same,” Addie groans. “And I didn’t bring clothes.”
“I want to drop my stuff off at my place first,” Mase says. “You can share my Uber.”
“Don’t you dare leave her,” Maddie snaps quickly. “Drop off your bag together, then go back to Addie’s while she gets ready. Unless you have a guard with you, I don’t want anyone alone.”
The room falls silent. Not because she raised her voice but because of the fear lacing through it.
She’s been trying to be brave.
Trying to act like she’s fine.
Something Maddie’s done her whole life, and I should have recognized it sooner.
I cross the room slowly and slide my hand into hers, squeezing just enough to ground her.
“We’ve got you, Goddess,” I murmur quietly, pitching my voice low enough that it’s just for her. “No one’s going anywhere alone. Not today. Not for a while.”
My jaw sets as I pull her a little closer to my side, eyes already drifting toward the door, toward the guards, toward every possible point of entry.
The second the Moretti family finds this guy and who’s behind it all, they’re going to learn they picked the wrong people to mess with.