3. Chapter Three Tristan
Aman breaking into our house…that, I could deal with. Adriana’s mother randomly showing up only minutes after it had happened was an entirely different matter.
Sitting in a leather armchair across from me, Alessia was a formidable presence. Her eyes were filled with the same steely resolve I’d seen in Adriana’s many times - a chilling reminder of where my love got her tenacity.
“Alessia,” I began, my voice steady despite the turmoil inside me, “I can’t apologize enough for this.”
“No need for apologies, Tristan,” she responded, her tone cool and controlled. “This isn’t your fault.”
Her words did little to ease my guilt. I was the one who brought this danger into their lives. As the head of the Callahan family, I had failed in my primary duty - to protect those that mattered to me.
And now here we were, sitting in our living room, surrounded by remnants of danger and violence that had trespassed our sanctuary.
“I’ll do everything in my power to ensure this doesn’t happen again,” I promised, meeting Alessia’s eyes with determination.
“I know,” she said, sipping the last of her coffee. “I should get home before my husband wakes up.”
“Alright, I’ll have one of my men see you home safely,” I said, getting up. Alessia mirrored my motion, standing gracefully from the plush couch.
“No need to trouble your men, Tristan,” she demurred. “I can manage.”
I shook my head, “I insist,” I said. Adriana was dozing off on the couch already, and we both looked at her and exchanged a smile before we walked out.
“Tell my daughter I said good-bye,” Alessia said. Adriana had gone to bed when I had arrived, saying that she felt very tired. I wasn’t sure, but she looked a little green, so there was a good chance she was dealing with some morning sickness.
She’d given me a kiss and then practically ran upstairs, leaving me to deal with her mother.
A heavy silence descended upon us as I opened the front door for her. Outside, the early morning sun was just beginning to peek over the horizon, painting the sky with hues of purple and pink.
“I will,” I promised, watching as she stepped out into the crisp morning air.
She turned back to me, her eyes serious. “Tristan,” she started, her voice barely above a whisper. “Remember what I said. Protect my daughter.”
I nodded, feeling the weight of her words like a physical blow. “I will.” It was both a promise and a vow that I intended to keep with everything I had.
With a nod, Alessia turned away and walked towards her car. Another car with one of my men was waiting to escort her back to the Orsini mansion. Her figure was swallowed by the growing light, leaving me alone with my thoughts and the quiet hum of dawn.
Closing the door behind me, I leaned against it for a moment, taking in the silent house around me. Despite the chaos that had unfolded just hours before, there was a sense of peace that seemed to linger in its wake - an odd sense of calm after the storm.
But it was a deceiving calm, the same kind that came just before lightning struck. I knew we were still in the eye of the storm, and the worst was yet to come.
I returned to the living room, my gaze immediately drawn to Adriana. She had curled up on the couch, her dark hair fanned out on the pillow, her face serene and unguarded in sleep.
Something twisted inside me as I watched her, a potent mixture of love and fear. Love for this woman who had become my everything and fear for what our families’ violent inheritance could do to us.
I moved quietly towards her, not wanting to disturb her sleep. Bending down, I pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead. Her eyes fluttered open, those emerald orbs blinking up at me with such trust and tenderness that I felt a sudden lump in my throat.
“Hey,” she murmured sleepily. “Is everything alright?”
“Yeah,” I breathed, my hand skimming softly over her cheek. “Everything’s fine, love.”
“My mom?”
“She went home.”
“Alright,” she said. She looked at me for a second before closing her eyes again, her hand reaching up to cover mine. A soft sigh escaped her lips and I watched as she drifted back into sleep.
Drawing away from her gently, I made my way to the window, pulling the curtains slightly aside to take a look outside. The sun had risen higher now, casting a warm glow on the world. The city was coming alive; cars began to fill the streets and people were shuffling along sidewalks, starting their new day oblivious of the storm brewing inside our house.
A bitter laugh escaped my lips. Our lives were so different from theirs. So filled with danger and uncertainty that I sometimes wondered what it would feel like to wake up without a sense of impending doom lurking over my shoulders.
Lost in my thoughts, I didn’t hear Adriana approach until she slipped her arms around my waist from behind.
She pressed a soft kiss against my back. “Coffee?” she asked.
I shook my head. “Let’s go get breakfast somewhere,” I said. “I need to speak to Kieran about what happened last night and I don’t think he loves being here right now.”
She nodded in understanding, her arms tightening around me briefly. “Alright,” she murmured before releasing me. I found myself missing her touch instantly, even though she was right there, just a few steps away. It was like some invisible force pulling me towards her, a magnetic attraction I couldn’t resist.
Dressing quickly, I watched as Adriana moved purposefully throughout the house, collecting her things. The sight of her in my shirt sent my heartbeat thundering in my chest. Despite everything happening around us, I couldn’t help but admire the way it hung loosely off her shoulders, revealing a tantalizing glimpse of her neck and collarbone.
We left the house quietly, sneaking out like teenagers on their first date. We didn’t want to run into any staff as they were arriving for the day.
As I drove away from the house, I tapped my fingers on the wheel. “Ade,” I said. “I need to talk to you about your mom.”
“I told her to stop being so nosey.”
I sighed. “No,” I replied. “I misspoke. Something about the close eye they’re keeping on us is making me uneasy. And after finding out that your sister might be embezzling money…”
She stiffened beside me. “What are you saying, Tristan?”
I let out a slow breath, maneuvering the car through the busy morning streets. “I’m saying that we need to be careful, love. I don’t trust Carmen. And after everything that happened...” My voice trailed off.
“I know you don’t trust Carmen. But you don’t trust my mom?”
I wondered what the best way to answer this was. Whatever I said, I knew I was going to piss her off. “You’re the only Orsini I trust.”
Her silence was deafening as she stared at me, her eyes round with shock. It was as though I had slapped her, and I instantly regretted my harsh words.
“Adriana,” I began, my voice softening. “I didn’t mean it like that...”
“No,” she interrupted, holding up her hand to stop me. “I get it, Tristan.” Her voice was steady, but I could see the hurt in her eyes. “You’re right. You can never be too careful.”
“I’m not being crazy. We found evidence of her embezzlement. And she was acting real sketchy,” I said.
“Well, forgive me for not having time to look into her by being too busy growing two fucking humans,” she said. “I apologize I haven’t had the energy to look into my sister’s potential betrayal.”
“I wasn’t calling you out or anything,” I said. “I’m just saying that it’s something we needed to discuss. Your mom setting an alarm…I don’t know. All of that stuff. It adds up to being pretty weird.”
She took a deep breath, her eyes reflecting the morning sun as they bored into me. “Okay,” she said, her voice carrying an edge of steel I had never heard before. She straightened up in her seat, her jaw set firmly. “Then let’s investigate.”
I felt a small sense of relief wash over me at her response. There was no anger or resentment in her voice, just determination. “Alright,” I said, squeezing her hand in mine as we pulled up to the diner. “Let’s look into who broke into the Callahan estate first. Whoever did that had to be ballsy.”
“You don’t think it was an Orsini man, do you?” Adriana asked.
“Maybe a Rossi one,” I told her. “Nick is itching to get his hands on you again after I got you out. If he gets you, he doesn’t just get the Orsinis. Now, he gets the Callahans too.”
“Maybe your brother will know something about this,” Adriana played with the buckle on her handbag as she spoke.
“That’s what I’m hoping,” I responded, glancing over at Adriana. Her brows knitted together in a furrow of worry, and I reached out to take her hand, giving it a comforting squeeze.
We entered the diner hand in hand, the chime of the doorbell ringing our arrival. The place was comfortably familiar - worn-in vinyl seats, the smell of coffee and bacon wafting from the kitchen, and the sound of low chatter creating a soothing hum.
As we settled into our booth, a waitress came over with a friendly smile. “What can I get you two this morning?” she asked.
Adriana ordered for both us – coffee and pancakes for her, eggs and bacon for me. The second the waitress left, Adriana turned to me again. “Tristan,” she started tentatively, her fingers playing with the edge of the tablecloth. “Can we hold off on telling Kieran about Carmen?”
“Yeah,” I told her. “I don’t think anyone should know anything until we confirm.”
“Good,” she breathed out, sliding her hand back into mine. “One crisis at a time.”
I reached across the table to take her hands, my thumb gently rubbing over her knuckles. “I’m sorry if I upset you earlier.”
“It’s okay,” she said, her voice barely above a whisper. “This is a lot to handle.”
Before we could talk any more, Kieran had walked up to our table.
His dark eyes scanned over us, the usual aloofness in his gaze replaced by something akin to concern. “You guys okay?” he asked, pulling up a chair.
Adriana nodded, giving him a small smile. “Just discussing some things,” she said. Her gaze flicked briefly to mine before returning to Kieran.
He eyed us suspiciously for a moment before waving over the waitress. “Coffee, black,” he ordered brusquely before turning back to us. “What exactly are we discussing?”
“Someone broke into dad’s house this morning,” I started.
Kieran’s eyebrows shot up as he took in the news. “Who?” was all he said, his gaze piercing as he looked between us.
“That’s what we’re trying to figure out,” I replied gruffly, feeling my muscles tense in anticipation of the conversation that was about to follow.
The waitress placed a steaming cup of coffee in front of Kieran. He nodded his thanks, his hand closing around the warm ceramic mug as he kept his eyes locked on us.
I took a deep breath, holding Adriana’s hand tighter under the table. I could feel the tension radiating off her, her usual sharp wit replaced with a quiet seriousness that matched the gravity of the situation.
“Thought you scared away the Rossis, lad,” Kieran said.
“Aye,” I replied after I swallowed a sip of my own coffee. “They’re running scared. So it might not be them.”
“Then who?” Kieran asked, his gaze flicking between Adriana and me. “And why?”
“I’m not sure,” I admitted, feeling a knot of frustration tighten in my gut. We were dealing with an unknown enemy, and the uncertainty was grating on my nerves. “Who, I mean. The why seems simple.”
I glanced at Adriana, who set her jaw in annoyance.
“They would have never dared come after you when my dad was alive,” I explained. “Everyone is testing my mettle now. Becoming the head of a family as powerful as mine is a transition period fraught with danger. I’m sorry you’re caught in the crossfire.”
She shook her head. “No, fuck them.”
Kieran chuckled, and I was grateful for the break in tension. “That’s the spirit, Ade,” he said, his eyes crinkling at the corners as he smiled at her.
“Do you have any information?” I asked him.
“Nothing off the top of my head, but let me ask around. If someone is messing around with the Callahans, they need to find out soon. Because if we give them an inch…”
“Right. They’re going to come after us with everything they’ve got,” I finished for him.