“Tootsie’s tied up right now. Take Aldo and Mickey but keep them on a leash. I want the fuckers scared and roughed up, not dead.”
There was the sound of chairs moving, and Marco let out a humorless laugh. “And to think you wanted to run Moretti’s. You’re a butcher of a different kind now.”
“I was a chef, not a butcher. Get the fuck out of here.”
Expensive shoes squeaked on the hardwood, and I sprang into action, reaching the door as it swung all the way open. Marco stopped in the doorway, a frown on his face.
“Rosa thought you guys might need some coffee. You’re leaving already?” I asked, keeping my face neutral.
Marco eyed me. Ever since he escorted me out of the hotel room covered in his uncle’s blood, he’d paid closer attention to me, which was fair considering . . . “Yeah, but Luca will need that. It’s going to be a long night.” He patted my shoulder as he passed, and I inched into the study.
“Knock. Knock.”
Luca looked up from his phone, and for a split second, I saw the fierce mob boss that forced a man like Marco to yield. With a blink, Luca’s face softened, but the heat in his eyes stayed. “Coffee? Perfection.”
I placed the tray on the desk and poured him a cup. “Do you need anything else?”
“No. The coffee will do.” He took a sip, sucking in a breath when it scalded his mouth. Setting the cup down, he rounded the desk, catching me in a hug. “You should probably go settle in for the night. There’s no point in both of us being exhausted tomorrow.”
“Wake me up if you need me, okay?”
“You got it.” He leaned down, his lips ghosting over mine before pulling back. “This is not the way I wanted to spend the night of our engagement party.” He looked around the richly decorated room. “In my parents' house, up all night overseeing a fucking manhunt.”
I caressed his face, my thumb running over a small scar on his cheek. “I understand. Just make sure you take care of yourself. I need you healthy and safe.”
“Always.” His phone rang, and he pecked my lips before heading back to the desk. “Luca,” he answered, dismissing me with a tight-lipped smile.
On the way back to the kitchen, I twisted my hands. I needed a moment alone to digest everything I’d heard.
“There you are. I heard the front door close. Are the boys gone?” Rosa nibbled a cookie.
“Just Marco. Luca is still taking calls. He told me I could head to bed, but I don’t think I can sleep after all this.”
“Understandable. I could never sleep when Dante was handling business.” Sipping her tea, she kept her eyes on me as I sat. The family had a habit of watching me like a hawk.
“How did you do it?” I didn’t have the right to ask Rosa for guidance, but I had no one else unless I wanted to watch movies and tv shows, and we all know those are full of shit.
“What’s that, honey?”
“This. Being the wife of a Moretti. The Moretti.”
“Ah. I was born and bred to be the wife of a made man.”
I set my teacup down in shock. “Like an arranged marriage.”
She nodded with a serene smile. “Yes. It’s how it was done, at least in my family and in Dante’s.” She shrugged. “I never knew another life. My momma and papa were an arranged marriage, my sisters were all married off to made men, and I got Dante.” She chuckled and broke off a piece of cookie, popping it into her mouth.
“Wow.”
“Don’t look at me like that. You saw Dante. I was happy as any twenty-one-year-old could be.” She sighed dreamily. Her eyes were unfocused, like she was reliving a memory. “All my sisters worried about me marrying the heir to a family, especially the Morettis.”
“What do you mean?”
Her smile dimmed, and she took a sip of tea as she collected her thoughts. “Dante was the boss's eldest son, but that didn’t mean he was just handed the head of the family. He had to earn it, and we fought tooth and nail to secure our place.”
“Oh.”
“You shouldn’t have any problems. Luca’s left no question as to who’s in charge. But that doesn’t mean there won’t be challenges for you.”