Abby
My second kid’s day in the library isn’t shaping up to be any less chaotic than the first. Why can’t Ellie volunteer on a super chill, quiet day? If I’m going to be cutting my work days here to accommodate Misha, I would much prefer them to be calm shifts. But nonetheless, I have a job to do.
The clock chimes right before a stampede of ten-year-olds make their way to the table of refreshments I’ve set out following their class.
It’s the last group of the day, and I’m impatiently waiting for everyone to clear out so I can make more progress on my mission.
Last week went better than I could have ever imagined.
Exchanging numbers alone would have exceeded my expectations, but to get access to an in like Misha was striking gold.
I doubt I’ll experience that same level of luck today, but even so, I’m excited to see Ellie.
We’ve texted back and forth a bit, but nothing past book memes and library jokes.
Enough to know that she’s planning to stay late and help clean up while I give her a full report of Misha’s training.
It won’t be a very long report, but who am I to look a gift horse in the mouth?
If Ellie wants to stay and chat, I’m here for it.
By the time the last kid leaves, I’ve already cleaned up most of the mess from the pizza and chips. Thank goodness for disposable tablecloths. I’m vacuuming the crumbs, lost in my own little world, when Ellie finally makes her appearance.
“Eeep!” I scream, losing my balance and nearly falling to the floor. “Christ, Ellie, I didn’t hear you with this thing going.”
“I’m sorry! I tried to go super slow so I wouldn’t scare you.”
“That just made you look even creepier from the corner of my eye!”
“Sorry.” Ellie grimaces, then joins me in a fit of giggles.
I quickly put the vacuum away and join her as she shelves books. There are more on Thursdays since it’s harder to find free time throughout the day, but I made a point to save as many as possible for closing to give us more time to chat.
“So tell me all about your practice with Misha.”
I take a book and turn away to shelve it, allowing myself to smile at the thought of my new “student.” From a skills perspective, the sessions have been pretty horrible, but he’s a hard worker. “We’re just starting, so it’s hard to say…”
Ellie snorts a chuckle. “That bad, huh?”
“Uhh…well, yeah. How can someone be so strong and agile off the ice and such a newborn rhinoceros on it? But he’s trying. We’re going to practice three days a week from now on, so I think he’ll get the hang of it.”
“Hey, you don’t have to defend his skills to me. I’m sure I’m even worse on ice. I tried for years and didn’t make a bit of progress.”
Fuck, I hope I’m a good enough teacher to at least get him on the ice.
I would feel terrible if he didn’t get any better.
I’ve seen it happen before, but I never had a student walk away without significant improvement.
“I’ll have more to report next week. We’ve only had two practices, and it’s mostly been drills for me to gauge his starting point. ”
“I’m sure he will do splendidly. Poor Teddy is going to be sad when he can’t make fun of him for not being able to skate anymore.”
“Oh, are they close?”
Ellie smiles. “Of course they are! Almost like brothers, really.”
Damn, this whole Mafia life intrigues me.
I wouldn’t necessarily expect Ellie to be hard, but Misha seems so gentle and kind.
I’m the first to admit he’s forced me to revisit my prejudices.
With his size, tattoos, and scars, I would usually keep my head down around men like him.
My brain may know he’s involved in nefarious activities, but my soul knows he would never hurt me.
I knew from the first time we met, when he was checking me so thoroughly for injury, that I was safe in his arms. Stop daydreaming about your hunky skating student and get your eyes back on the prize.
It takes an hour to shelve the rest of the books, and Ellie and I spend every minute chatting. I haven’t giggled this much in years, and I’m actually sad to be done with one of my least favorite tasks.
Locking up, I open my mouth to say goodbye, but Ellie beats me to it.
“Why don’t you come to dinner tonight at my parents’ house? We get together every Thursday. Teddy can’t make it tonight, so there’ll be an empty seat. And my nonna would love to meet you!”
She’s bubbling with excitement, and if I didn’t have an ulterior motive, I’d still accept her invitation. As it stands, this is the perfect way to get closer to the Santoris. A family dinner with everyone is almost too perfect, but I’ll count my blessings.
I don’t skip a beat answering her, and any twinge of guilt at my deception is snuffed out immediately as Conor’s face flashes across my subconscious.
“Absolutely!”
An adorable elderly lady greets us, giving Ellie a giant hug before turning to me.
I hold out my hand to introduce myself, but she beats me to it, pulling me into a hug instead.
“You must be Abby! Ellie let me know you would be replacing our Teddy tonight!” She pulls back with a big grin on her face. “You can call me Nonna.”
I can’t help but return her smile. “It’s a pleasure to meet you. Ellie speaks so highly of you.”
Nonna pinches Ellie’s cheek and guides us through the house to the dining room, giving a mini tour along the way.
The Santori home is spectacular. Weathered wooden beams crisscross the tall ceiling of the entryway, and if I didn’t know we were in Florida, I’d swear we were in a European villa.
A curved staircase with a wrought-iron railing curves up one wall and spirals into the second-floor landing, and as we continue, it’s clear that much of the back wall of the home is tall arched windows and French doors.
Being married to Conor, I’m accustomed to elegance and luxury, but the combination of light and charm makes this mansion feel more homey. It’s definitely not the dark, menacing undertone I was expecting from a dangerous family. Instead, the vibe is lighthearted and easygoing.
Finally, Nonna drops us off in a grand but cozy dining room, where some of the most handsome men I’ve ever seen sit waiting at the table in silence.
The pictures Conor gave me of these men do not do them justice.
Dante is as handsome a middle-aged man as I’ve ever seen.
I recognize the eldest, Gabriele, or Gabri.
He’s devilishly good looking as well, but there’s an aura of danger around him that the other men don’t carry.
Then there’s the younger brother, Niccolò, who is also insanely hot but warm like his father.
“Damn, Teddy’s looking better than ever. Can’t say I don’t like the makeover, but I don’t know if you’ll be able to handle all your blocks with that petite frame!” The least menacing of the three men looks up at me with a blush-worthy smile and a wink.
Ellie rolls her eyes. “Nikki, stop hitting on my friend!”
He raises his hands in surrender before putting one over his heart. “Hey, this is just payback, little sis. You started this by hooking up with our teammate. And not just any teammate, Ellie. Our goalie. Speaking of Cuddles, where is our guy tonight?”
“He had business. This is my friend Abby.” She pauses and turns to me. “These are my brothers, Nikki and Gabri, and that’s Papa!”
“Hi, Abby! I’m the Nikki brother and the grimacing grump beside me is the Gabri brother.” He says, elbowing Gabri in the side.
Gabri’s only response is a grunt to me and a death glare at his brother.
The older man stands and walks toward us with a warm smile, stopping to give my hand a gentle shake. “A pleasure to meet you.”
“I’ve never heard you mention anyone named Abby before,” Nikki whisper-yells to his sister.
“She’s a new friend,” she whisper-yells back.
“How new?” Gabri growls.
“She works at the library! She started last week and—”
“Are you telling me you’ve known this woman for a week and you’re bringing her into our home?” He’s seething mad, and for the first time tonight, I sense the danger I expected when Ellie invited me over.
“Gabri! That will be enough!” their father snaps before patting me on the shoulder. “Any friend of Ellie’s is welcome here any time. Please have a seat. My wife and mother will be back in shortly, and we can begin dinner.”
Gabri and Ellie’s dad are seated at each end of the table with Nikki to his brother’s left.
Ellie takes the seat next to her father, leaving me to choose between the empty seat beside Nikki or sitting across from her.
It doesn’t take a genius to see which of the Santori brothers will be the easiest and safest target.
And I’m sure the seat directly across from her would belong to her mother, so I opt to sit next to the younger brother.
Nikki greets me again with a smile. “So, Abby, tell us about yourself.”
Wow, he’s charming. He’s classically handsome with a dimple that could break hearts.
But I don’t feel butterflies the way I do when Misha is around.
I suppose that’s a good thing, though. Feelings for my target would threaten to sabotage my mission altogether.
Misha is more of...well, I don’t know what Misha is.
I’ve barely had time to wrap my head around how well my main mission is going, let alone explore the magnetic pull I feel with my pupil.
I’m not convinced that the sparks I remember weren’t imagined, but it’s so unlike me to feel something other than fear around a man that there must be something there.
“Abby?”
The second call of my name brings me back to the moment, where every beautiful olive-skinned member of the Santori is staring. While I was lost in my head, Ellie’s mom and Nonna took their seats as well.
“Well, I’m pretty boring, really.”
“Trust me, boring is nice,” Nikki mumbles beside me.
With a chuckle, I continue my story, praying I remember all the details so that when this Mafia family inevitably looks me up, there will be no red flags.
“You’ve really only met this girl twice?” Gabri grumbles, and I’m sure that if he were a cartoon character, steam would be coming out of his ears.
I don’t envy Ellie as he glares in her direction. If I didn’t know they were related, I’d fear for my friend’s life. Even so, I’m not sure anyone would survive Gabriele Santori’s wrath, family or not.
“Yes, Gabriele. What’s the big deal?” Ellie says, not cowering at all.
“What’s the big deal? The big deal is that after everything we’ve been through this year, I would appreciate you being more selective about the company you decide to bring home.”
Nikki gives me an I’m sorry half smile then shifts his attention to his brother. “Gabri, calm down. We can’t stop living just because Le—”
“Don’t say his name.” Gabri shoots up from where he was sitting, sending his chair falling behind him. He scans the table with nothing but hatred in his eyes before storming out of the room.
Silence fills the air for a moment before Ellie’s mom speaks up. “I’m sorry, dear. He can be a grump. I’m Guilia, by the way. It’s an absolute pleasure to meet you. And you’re welcome here anytime.”
“I’ve already told her that, amore mio.” Dante takes his wife’s hand and kisses it with a flourish.
“You’ve got my approval as well,” Nonna says. “You look much better sitting next to Nikki than Teddy does.”
I can’t help but blush, but luckily, everyone is too busy laughing to notice.
“Nonna! Can’t you revel in Ellie and Teddy’s relationship for a minute before you start trying to play matchmaker with me again?” Nikki laughs.
Their grandmother throws up her hands. “Hey, don’t blame me! Ellie’s baby is going to need cousins, and Gabri is a lost cause, so I’m afraid you’ll have to step up! All I’m saying is you can at least take the pretty girl out on your bike or maybe a picnic.”
The mention of a bike reminds me of Misha, and my mind immediately goes to his giant form straddling his motorcycle in the parking lot.
“See, she’s smiling!”
Oh!
“Abby darling, do you like motorcycles?”
“Oh, I’ve always wanted to ride, but I’ve actually never been on one—”
“Perfect!” She claps. “Nikki, you’ll take Abby on a bike ride!”
Nikki gives me another half smile. “Um, sure. I can take you on a ride. When are you free?”
I should be thrilled. A date with Nikki Santori is my goal, after all. Really, either Santori brother would work, but it’s clear Gabri isn’t going to let me anywhere near him. Something like this falling into my lap is almost too perfect.
“Thanks, I’d love to. I’m free next week.”
Nikki pulls out his phone and scrolls through. “How about next Thursday? You can come to dinner, and we can go out after?”
Everything else about tonight might be fake, but my blush certainly isn’t. Feelings or not, the man is hot. “Perfect.”
We exchange numbers, and when I look back across the table, I’m met with three sets of heart eyes from Ellie, Nonna, and Guilia.
God, I’m going to let them all down so hard.
Pain shoots through my heart as I realize my betrayal will affect so many people.
When Conor gave me this assignment, I was perfectly fine with bringing down a Mafia family, but that was before I met them.
Aside from Gabri, who might be Lucifer himself, everyone I’ve met has been incredible.
I would already choose their company over my husband and his band of friends.
The thought that maybe I could weasel my way into the Santori family for good flutters across my mind, but I know that’s wishful thinking.
I chose my destiny ten years ago when I said “I do.” It may have been the biggest mistake of my life, but I made it nonetheless.
With a plastered smile, I suppress the tears I so desperately want to cry.
It’s time to lie in the bed that I made.