“It will be okay.”
“No, it won’t. I’m young, I don’t want to die.”
“I’ll do everything in my power to fix this.”
“I thought you said he would back off now that we’ve announced our engagement. What happened to that being the fix? Why isn’t that enough for him?”
“I don’t know. But he’s relentless. And he has no regard for human life, less than most men in our business,” I whisper.
She doesn’t answer me, just stares out the window.
Our driver speeds out of the city, and Riccardo suggests that we stay on the move, which I agree with. So, when we get home, we need to pack and take the jet somewhere and keep moving until Conti is neutralized . . . in an acceptable fashion. Whacking another don will only start another blood bath. I’m already forming a plan of where to go, and we’ll use a different jet in order to cover our tracks as much as possible.
Juliet stops my train of thought. “We have the university event tomorrow,” she reminds me.
“Fuck me, so we do,” I groan, stroking a finger along my chin. “Well, we’ll go, get in and get out quickly, then take off from there.”
Riccardo doesn’t look happy about that. “You sure, boss?”
“I think it will be fine. The press will be there and that would be too public for him to bring that kind of heat on himself.” I’m trying to convince myself as much as convince him.
“Okay, boss, I’ll have men everywhere.”
“But keep it discreet. We don’t want to let Conti know we’re on to him.”
He nods in comprehension. “Capisco.”
We arrive at the house and wait in the car until Riccardo and Lucca head in and clear it, then they come out and open our doors.
“We’re good, for now.”
I take Juliet’s hands in mine and address her seriously before we get out of the car. Tears are forming in her eyes. “We need to be careful. I assumed your father would be happy to find you after all these years, but apparently, he has decided you’re a liability. But don’t worry,” I lean over and wipe a tear away with my thumb, “it will be okay. I’ll figure it out.”
24
Juliet
We return to the mansion very late. I hate Dante for pulling me into this world, but even though it’s hard to admit it, I love him. As dark and brooding and fucked-up as he is, when he gives me the look that tells me he wants me, now, on my knees or bent over a table, I like it.
I slide off the jacket Sal loaned me. His family is sweet, not at all the monsters I was expecting.
Dante takes the jacket from me. “Go up, it’s late,” he says softly, cupping my face and chin with this right hand, making me look at him. “I’ll make this right. Please don’t hate me. I can’t bear it if you hate me.”
I nod as another tear escapes my eye. He wipes it away and kisses my lips tenderly.
“I’ll be up in a minute.”
I walk slowly up the staircase and realize how tired I am. The stairs might as well be a mountain.
Dante talks to his capo, a tall man in his late twenties who I’ve never been able to figure out. His face never changes, and he never pays any attention to me or anyone else in the room except to know what our position is and to determine if we’re a friend or foe in a split second. He’s calm under pressure, unwavering, never distracted.
I make my way to a window on the top floor that overlooks the large driveway with dozens of black vehicles pulling up. There must be a meeting.
I don’t know what to do in this situation. Dante may be up all night with the men, but he said he’d be up. Do I go to bed or sit vigil? There’s no how-to manual on what’s appropriate under the circumstances and it’s not exactly something you can look up on Google.
I take a quick shower in case something happens and nervously towel off while keeping an ear out. I have a towel around me when Dante walks in.
“How are you, babe?”