Why didn’t he kill her?
Why was Gia held captive for over a week before I received the first text message indicating she was alive?
I’d searched for answers over the last year and came up empty handed every time.
“Can we talk about this later?”
She nodded, still not satisfied with my usual response.
I kissed Gia on the lips and pushed myself up from the mattress. It was time to finish my father’s bidding.
Chapter Twenty-Four
Gia
I glanced down at Faith, who was fast asleep in the bassinet I kept in my office next to my desk. My baby girl was a tiny miracle. Somehow, I made it out of that hellhole so I could deliver the most precious gift Angelo and I had ever been given. We weren’t ready to become parents. Our lives were full of too much turmoil and pain to bring a child into this world, but fate had other plans.
I was convinced we had Faith for a reason. My mother was abruptly taken from me. Part of me wondered if my mom had a hand in sending Faith to us. I wondered if she was watching over me, helping me get through the tough spots.
Sonny strolled into my office, careful not to make a sound when he shut the door behind him. He sat in the chair across from me and slid a slip of paper in my direction with his finger.
I picked it up and scanned the list Sonny helped me prepare for the wedding. With all the negative vibes between the families, I wasn’t sure who to invite to our wedding. It was customary to invite the heads of the families from here to New York. A Made man, especially the son of a boss, would draw a lot of attention from the media, the Feds, and the other families. In our world, it was considered poor form not to include everyone in our big day.
“I can’t believe we have to invite these people?” I dropped the paper to the desk and sighed.
“Mr. Morelli smoothed over his beef with Dante,” Sonny informed me.
“Yes, I know. But it still doesn’t sit well with me. The man held me as his prisoner, made me watch him fuck Lucky, and then sold me on a private online auction. And I’m supposed to shake his hand and eat dinner with him. This must be a joke, Sonny.”
“I’m sorry, G. It’s not. The list came from Paulie, who got it from Mr. Morelli.”
“But this is my wedding.” I lowered my voice to a whisper, trying not to wake Faith. “Is this what Angelo has been hiding from me?”
Sonny looked at me, confused. “Who said Angelo is hiding something from you?”
“He’s been acting strange for months.”
“He’s under a lot of stress with the old man.” Sonny didn’t offer anything else. His gaze slowly fell from mine, and he checked his pocket to glance at the time on his cell phone. “I have to make my rounds. I’ll be back in a few minutes.”
Before he left, Sonny came over to Faith’s bassinet and leaned over, smiling down at her. Being asked to be the godfather of our child was a big deal that carried a huge responsibility, one Sonny took seriously. He loved Faith as much as he loved Angelo and me, if not more. Angelo and I knew if something happened to either of us Sonny would take good care of our baby girl.
“Faith looks like you,” Sonny said under his breath. “She has your curls.”
“But she has Angelo’s blue eyes.”
He nodded.
Faith had the best parts of each of us. She was an adorable baby, and I loved her more each passing day. Angelo was an incredible father, but I wished he were around more. He spent so much time apart from us. I knew it had to do with the debt he owed his father for bringing me back safely. I hated Don Morelli for taking Angelo away from us, even if he was the one who had brought us back together.
“Uncle Sonny will be back soon,” he whispered to Faith, clutching the top of her bassinet.
He was so cute with Faith it made my heart melt. It pained me to think that at one time I thought Sonny was responsible for my kidnapping. Sonny was a lot of things—a Wiseguy, a murderer, a pervert, and a thief—but he was a decent man. Like Angelo, he had a lot of good in him, even if the bad sometimes outweighed the good.
After Sonny left my office, Faith woke up, crying for me to feed her. I’d just finished tucking myself back into my shirt and cleaning up after Faith when my phone rang. Holding her on my right shoulder, I leaned forward to grab the phone on my desk. The Caller ID read Philadelphia City Hall.
“Hey, Dad,” I said, answering after the second ring.
“Hey, sweetie. How’s our baby girl doing?”