Total pages in book: 58
Estimated words: 55750 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 279(@200wpm)___ 223(@250wpm)___ 186(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 55750 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 279(@200wpm)___ 223(@250wpm)___ 186(@300wpm)
“I’ll send somebody for them,” Matt says, gesturing at the door. “Please …”
I almost take his hand. It feels like far too much time has passed since last night night. We’ve gone from a secretive, exciting romance to … something else— something more profound. Be careful. I need to make sure I don’t let myself get carried away.
He’s protecting me. We kissed. We got hot and heavy. Okay, but that doesn’t mean that this is anything more than him doing what he does best—playing the Good Samaritan.
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
MATTEO
I’m in my home office, about to make a call, when the door suddenly bursts open, and Sofia storms in. She looks wild and ready for a fight. Her sharp cheekbones and the anger in her expression have never looked more Mom-like. She races to the desk.
“What the hell is Bella doing in the guesthouse? And her mom? And her roommate? What the fuck?” She slams her tiny hand on the desk, causing stationary and other odds and ends to leap around. “You promised we wouldn’t let her know this part of our life.”
“I’m sorry,” I say, feeling like the world’s shittiest big brother. With all the mayhem, I didn’t even think to keep Sofia in the loop. “But this was out of my control. Bella was attacked. Somebody was outside her apartment. If I didn’t bring her here—”
“God’s sake,” Sofia cuts in. “I knew it was going to be something like this. Something I can’t even be angry about.” She dashes to the window, her body trembling like she’s ready to scream. “Just once, I’d love if this Mafia crap didn’t have to get involved in every single aspect of our lives. Don’t you?” She spins to me. “Ever?”
“The mob is my life,” I tell her. “When Dad passed, I promised I’d take care of the Family—of the city. What other choice do I have? Let any evil bastard take control instead? Let the city burn? I’m doing my best.”
She frowns at me like she’s thinking of saying, Well, your best isn’t good enough. If that is what she’s thinking, she doesn’t let it show. Instead, she sighs and slumps in the chair opposite mine.
“How much does she know?”
“I’m not sure,” I mutter. “Probably more than she’s letting on. She’s an intelligent person. Insightful. Humane.”
Sofia narrows her eyes at me. “Is there something you need to confess?”
“What are you talking about?” I grunt.
“I’m talking about the fact your voice just got all dreamy like I’ve never heard it before. I’m talking about you having the H-O-Ts for my violin teacher …”
“You think I uprooted her family and brought her here, exposing her to the mob because of a crush?”
“That isn’t an answer,” Sofia says, reminding me that, while she seems young, she’s twenty-four and not blind to what we do here.
“A Gallo threatened her. He tried to kill me.” When Sofia’s expression turns scared and vulnerable, I almost regret telling her so bluntly. But I have to be honest with her, for once. “She’s here because if I let her go, they’ll try it again. This time, they won’t just threaten her. They’ll realize their mistake and finish the job.”
“Jesus,” Sofia whispers, shaking her head. “It’s all falling apart, isn’t it?”
I stand and walk around the table, leaning down and pulling her into my arms. She lets me pull her into a deep hug, wrapping her arms around me and laying her cheek against my chest.
“No,” I tell her firmly. “Nothing is falling apart. I’m going to fix all of this. One day—wait—you and Bella will play the world’s most beautiful duet together.”
“Really?” She leans back in my arms, looking up at me hopefully.
A nasty feeling hits me for a moment, but it’s there all the same. It’s the vulnerability in my sister’s face. It’s the childishness. Part of me wishes she had to face the full force of this life, see the blood, and feel the responsibility.
Then, it goes just as quickly as it appeared. I’d die before I’d let that happen.
“Really,” I tell her.
“Is there anything I can do to help?” she asks.
“Maybe make sure they get dinner and anything else they need,” I say. “I have a feeling Mrs. Rossi won’t be too keen to see me.”
“Do we think they’ve made the connection between their missing man and the TNT shipment?” Marco says. His face is even paler than usual as if he’s contemplating what would’ve happened if the assassin had been successful.
“Not as far as we know,” Enzo says quietly, The Whisper keeping true to his name.
“How much do we know?” Elio says, arms folded as he leans against my office wall, his hair seeming wilder as he bobs his head as if to a tune only he can hear.
“Chatter,” Vito grunts, the big man looking ready for a fight. “Street is buzzing with talk of the shipment.”