The following half hour was spent catching up with the both of them. It was almost dinner time when Melania came in to ask me if guests were staying for dinner.
I threw the question back to Angelo and Sienna. “Do you guys want to have dinner in the house or head out?”
Angelo looked to Sienna who rested in his arms. “I’m easy. What do you want to do?”
“Let’s go out to the city,” she said. “I’ve hardly seen anything of Boston.”
I looked at Melania. “No food for us.” Then I pulled out my phone and rose to my feet. “I’ll get Matteo to call ahead.”
We left the study immediately and were approaching the front door when it suddenly opened.
My breath caught in my throat when I saw Skye.
For a moment we all froze, as neither of us had expected to see the other. The last time I had seen her was in the greenhouse. When I had asked her if she was all right. She had shaken her golden head and my heart, that I thought was dead forever, began to hurt again.
I was well aware of my brother and his fiancée’s eyes on me. They were both expecting an introduction, but I didn’t want to introduce her to them. She was my glorious secret. As if she knew I didn’t want to introduce her, she stepped aside to allow us to pass, as if she was one of the staff or someone unworthy of being introduced. Her action sent a jolt of unease through me. She was not my staff and she was not unworthy of being introduced to anyone. I had selfishly not wanted to introduce her because I wanted to keep her to myself, not because I was ashamed of her.
“Well, well,” I heard Angelo murmur under his breath.
I cursed underneath my breath. He understood me well, and he knew he was on to something. He walked ahead of us with his hand outstretched.
“I’m Angelo, Luca’s brother,” he said with a charming smile.
“Oh,” she exclaimed and glanced uncertainly at me.
“Don’t mind him. He’s a grumpy old bear,” my brother said encouragingly.
Her eyes widened. “Oh. Well, I’m Skye.”
“And this is Sienna, my fiancée.”
“It’s nice to meet both of you,” Skye replied shyly.
“We were just going out to dinner. Why don’t you join us?” Angelo asked, his voice sly and cajoling.
Her eyes slightly widened at the invitation. “Uh… I don’t think…” Her gaze found mine. She was looking to me for guidance.
Again, that strange feeling of protectiveness filled my chest.
Before I could answer though, she touched her hair self-consciously, and said, “I was out walking so I’m not exactly dressed for a night out.”
“Don’t worry, we’re not going anywhere fancy. If they’ll allow my brother in, they’ll allow you,” Angelo said.
“Yes, do come with us,” Sienna added, and went over to lightly touch her arm.
“Yes, come with us,” I heard myself say.
Skye came forward then and with my hand on the small of her back I walked out of the house and towards the waiting Rolls. Cullinan’s old body moved fluidly and gracefully to open the door closest to Skye. Ahead, I could see my men jumping into their SUVs. One of the vehicles began to move while the other waited to follow us from behind.
Skye hesitated at the doorway, her gaze on the polished leather seat as though she was being sent into a snake’s hole.
“Well, are you coming or not?” I whispered in her ear.
“Yes,” she said, and climbed into the vehicle. The rest of us joined her inside, Cullinan put the car into motion and we were off.
There was no time for the atmosphere in the car to get awkward.
“What do you do, Skye?” Angelo asked Skye.
“I’m a waitress.”
“Really?” Sienna said. “I used to be a waitress when I lived in London. It was okay, but I wanted to kick some of my customers.”
I was surprised at her revelation. Being the only daughter of one of the biggest Mafia families in the states, she most certainly would never have needed to have a job while she studied abroad.
Skye smiled. “Well, it pays the bills.”
Sienna laughed softly and the talk turned to how they had met.
Knowing Angelo to be an extremely quiet and reserved person, I’d expected the person he chose would be as quiet as he naturally was, but I was discovering that that was not the case.
As soon as we arrived at the exclusive country club, we were whisked off to a secluded table in one of their restaurants. We settled, and a waiter arrived to ask for our drinks orders.
“I can’t drink right now,” Sienna said gaily, “so it’s going to be cranberry juice for me all the way.”
Angelo smiled and stroked her arm, and I knew immediately she was pregnant. I felt a sharp pain. He would have been seven years old now. I dropped my head and pretended to study the menu until the moment passed. It always did.