“It’s her mother, isn’t it?”
“What?” Moreno glances at me as we pull up at the park.
“The reason that she doesn’t speak anymore. Her mother died and she misses her.”
He shuts off the engine of the car. “Yes.” He’s a little too quick to answer. Moreno climbs out of the car and opens the back door, unbuckling Nova as he helps her out of her car seat. He grabs a blanket, and she runs off toward the jungle gym.
“Be careful!” Moreno shouts at Nova.
She waves him off dismissively.
I try not to laugh. The smirk is impossible to remove from my face while I grab the picnic lunch in the backseat and follow Moreno onto the grass under a tree for shade.
We’re well within eyeshot of Nova with a good view of her playing, and we also have three guards spreading out, making sure we’re safe along with Nova.
It was weird to have Leone accompany Nova and me to the park when I met Ariella, but this feels even more obtrusive.
Although we don’t have privacy visually, none of the guards are hovering or lingering over us. We can talk amongst each other without anyone eavesdropping.
Moreno lays out the blanket while I unpack our lunch and have a seat. With Nova playing and giving us a little time alone, it’s now or never if I’m going to question him about his mafia dealings.
“So, you’re a mafia prince.”
He glances up at me, unamused. “You’re not going to let it go.”
“Well, no. Honestly, I don’t think I can.”
It’s a big ball that he dropped last night, along with wanting me. However, I’m not sure if that was the alcohol talking or him.
Does he still want to be with me?
“It doesn’t come with a crown,” Moreno says. He points to the top of his head.
“Is that a joke?” I ask. I’m not laughing. I take a bite of the sandwich that we brought. Right now, I’d gladly do anything to cut the tension brewing between us.
I know that it’s not just me. He feels it too, and acknowledging that feels almost like too much.
“Mafia gets such a bad rap. We’re not bad guys. Well, most of us,” Moreno says.
I don’t believe him. I feel like he’s trying to convince me to trust him because I live with him, work for him, and there’s no way out.
I don’t know why I ask it, but the words come out quicker than I intend. “So, you’ve never killed anyone?”