He smirked at his grandniece, holding his arms open to her.
“Emma, sweetheart,” he said boldly.
Emma had only met the Don a few years ago when her unfortunate accident occurred. Her entire relationship with him was based around the idea of using her loft for stashing product, giving her the occasional casual pop-in. Despite his outward friendliness, Emma was smart enough to know it was his way of making sure she didn’t get any smart ideas.
Like, going to the cops or even sleeping with a member of the enemy family?
“Don,” Emma said, concealing her trembling voice. “To what do I owe the pleasure of a visit from you?”
The two men pushed past the door, making Emma stumble a bit. They stomped into the living room, where they moved around a few blankets and piles of clothing she had made when Ace got her to clean up.
He stepped inside, still holding his arms out. Emma went in for the embrace, feeling more like a snake was slithering down her back than anything warm and inviting.
“I like to make sure my niece is doing well,” he said, lightly tapping her back. “Isn’t that what uncles are for?”
Emma nodded against him and delicately pulled away. The Don took her face in his hands and squeezed her cheeks like she was five years old. Emma didn’t dare to look away. She feared that she might betray the truth.
“Didn’t you miss your uncle Don?” he said, voice gritty and harsh from the three-plus decades of cigarette smoke.
“Oh, of course!” Emma exclaimed. “I simply would have made breakfast for you all if I had known you were coming.”
The Don smiled. It showed off the yellow disintegration of his teeth and breath that reeked from recent cigar use. There was something behind that smile that looked suspicious, but to Emma, everyone involved in a mob family looked apprehensive twenty-four seven.
She tried not to let his look get to her, and he eventually let go of her cheeks. His hands came down to her wrists, and Emma’s heart jolted when he raised it in the air.
“What happened to you, sweet darling?” he asked.
He fingers the outlines of the imprint from the cords on her wrist with a look of extreme concern. Emma simply laughed, which made the Don scowl.
“Oh, this?” she asked, still smiling. “I was carrying a shopping bag in earlier. I suppose it was heavier than I thought.”
While the Don stared her down, Emma could feel the men scrounging around her loft like rats investigating every nook and cranny. It was only a matter of time before they jerked the curtain, and there they would find the ultimate source of her betrayal.
The Don eventually nodded, then planted a light kiss on her wrist. It sent shivers down her spine.
“You must be more careful, sweetheart,” he said, letting her arm go.
He placed his hands in front of his belly again, then walked around her living room like it was a museum.
“Your neighbors reported some disturbing sounds the other night,” the Don said. “We are here to make sure everything is fine with my great-niece.”
Emma felt her face redden, then proceeded to rub her cheeks to cover up the glow.
“Oh,” she tried to sound aloof. “Well, I had some friends over, and we were watching a loud movie. An action thriller. That might have been it.”
The Don looked over his shoulder at her. One barely present eyebrow cocked itself in the air. The man had been around, acting as a human lie detector for decades before she was even born. What made her think such a lame lie would work on him?
“I see,” he said, turning away.
The men had tossed the cushions off her couch and ransacked the kitchen. Emma stood there, crossing her arms and trying to hold in her fear. Soon enough, the two men made it across the room and grabbed the curtain, sending her heart running like a racehorse.
“Wait, don’t!” she cried out.
Everyone, including the Don, gave Emma an angry, knowing look. Emma stepped hard across the room, then stood in front of the curtain. She wasn’t sure where the confidence was coming from, but it was pushing at her heels like a jet engine. She felt her life purpose was to protect Ace at that moment.
“This is my bedroom,” she said loud and firmly. “It is the only private place I have left; please leave it alone.”
Her heart slammed against her chest as the Don moved as slow as molasses across the room, stopping in front of her. She was shorter than him, so she had to look up to make eye contact. He watched her for a moment, then gave her that signature smirk.