I can hear her voice clear as day when we draw closer.
“You will let me see my daughter!” I enter the room to see two guards holding a woman dressed in a formal black gown that’s form-fitting and tight, more suitable for Vegas than her daughter’s wedding. Her dark brown hair’s in a loose bun at the nape of her neck. She has her daughter’s same amber-colored eyes, but they’re colder and wild with thick, black lashes underscored with vivid eye makeup. She was beautiful once.
“Ah,” she says in a haughty tone. “And here comes the groom. How nice to meet you, Ottavio.” She yanks at her arms, but the guards don’t budge. “Please tell these behemoths to release your mother-in-law.”
“Wow,” Orlando mutters under his breath. “That’s one fuckin’ wedding present, bro, eh?”
Mario snickers. I ignore him.
Oddly, Santo’s not here.
“Anna,” I say as politely as I can. I bow my head to her. “So pleased to meet you.” She is, after all, my wife’s mother. “Please understand, we didn’t expect you here. We run a full background check on any guest who visits our property, and you weren’t on the list, so we have to take precautions.”
She simmers down a bit, a cold, calculating look in her eyes. Goddamn it, why can’t my wife have one good parent? I saw her father lose his life in this very room. But Anna won’t, not today anyway. Not here. Not on my watch.
“Please,” I say, gesturing to a chair. “Let her sit down.”
The guards look to Romeo, who nods his consent. They release her as she yanks her arms from their grip and sits angrily on the edge of a chair.
“I demand to see my daughter.”
I sit across from her, and tally the weapons I have on my person. Gun in a holster at my waist, knife in my pocket, two hands that will do anything to anyone who tries to threaten my wife.
You can’t trust these people.
“I’m afraid I can’t allow that. Not yet, anyway.”
I’m not surprised when she bares her teeth at me. “Is that right?”
I nod and sit forward, my forearms resting on my legs. “That’s right. Tell me, Anna. Your daughter’s been here now for a little while, and you chose today as the day you show up on our doorstep? Why haven’t you tried to contact us before now?”
“My husband,” she says tearfully, wringing her hands. I don’t buy it for a second. Elise has been clear about her parents’ marriage, and I know Anna didn’t care about her husband in the least.
“He forbade me from coming to see her. But it was kept quiet that he died, and I didn’t know.” She wipes at her eyes, but I see no tears. “Not until I heard about Piero.”
My blood runs cold. Piero. If she was estranged from Elise, how did she know him? And why do I hate that she did?
“Ah. I see. And what can we help you with?”
“What can you help me with?” Her face grows serious again, and her eyes flash at me. “I want to see my daughter.”
This is nothing about her daughter and everything to do with her claiming something that may or may not belong to her. I’ll get to the bottom of this. I always do. I get to the bottom of everything.
“I want to know why, Anna. This is a happy day for Elise. I’d rather not make things any harder than they need to be.”
In a flash, she drops any semblance of playing nice. “Sure you would. Right. As if I believe that for a minute.”
Romeo clears his throat and signals to one of our guards. “You got a car ready to escort her off this property?”
She looks wildly to him. He shrugs. “Elise is my sister-in-law now. And I take care of my own, too.”
“I’m not going,” she says, shaking her head wildly from side to side. “No. I came here for a reason, and I’m not leaving until I see my daughter.”
“I don’t think so.” I’ve had enough of this bullshit. “What you’re gonna do is give us your contact information, and I’ll talk to Elise by myself. Privately. Alone. I’ll see what she has to say, for her wishes are the only ones that matter to me. And then if she feels up to seeing you, we’ll be in touch.”
I expect her to scream or rail against me, but she only laughs. “Oh, that’s cute.” She rolls her eyes. “I love how you think you’ve got all the answers. High and mighty, are you?”
“Careful, Anna,” Orlando warns, his eyes snapping.
“Oh, I should be scared,” she says with mock fear. “Such a big, strong man like you threatening me?”
Orlando uncrosses his arms. He’s beaten the shit out of men for less than this.
“Tavi,” Romeo says, warning me. She’s overstayed her welcome.