Suddenly I was back in that hotel room with Dante’s hands wrapped around my throat, fighting for my life.
“Now that you’re engaged, you’ll be on the radar of every family in the country. I know my son will protect you with his life, but you need to be able to take care of yourself.” She shoved the plate of cookies toward me. “Take a bite. You look pale.”
Of course I looked pale. Rosa was putting words to all my fears, but her no-nonsense tone snapped me from spiraling. “Thanks.”
“I’m not trying to scare you, just trying to make sure you’re going in, eyes wide open.”
“I appreciate that. It’s . . . a lot.”
“And it doesn’t let up. There will always be someone gunning for Luca and, by extension, you. You don’t have the benefit of being raised in the life, so your learning curve is huge, but I’m here to help you.” She leaned over the table and placed her hand over mine, the warmth of her soft palm soothing away some of my nerves. “I offer you the same thing I offered Adriana when she joined the family. I’m here to help you grow into your role in any way I can. You’re family now, and we take care of family.” She squeezed my hand, let it go, and picked up her teacup.
“Were Adrianna and Dante?”
“Arranged?” She bobbled her head back and forth. “Yes, and no.”
I lifted an eyebrow and waited to see if she would spill.
“You’ll have to ask her. Her father arranged for her to marry into the family, but Dante saw her, and the rest was history.”
As much as I wanted to know more, I had enough on my plate without adding past dramas. Yawning, I covered my mouth, trying to stifle the sound.
“You should probably head on up to bed. You're dead on your feet.”
I nodded, knowing she was right but hating that I was fading. “What about you?” I asked as I stood, stretching my arms out.
“I think I’ll stay up a little bit longer. Make sure Luca doesn’t need anything else.”
“I should probably—”
“Nope. Off to bed with you. You’ve had a big night, and you’re not a wife yet.”
I frowned, but she just laughed.
“Don’t worry. You’ll have decades to stay up all night with Luca. Let me do it this one last time.” She rounded the table and gave me another hug. I held her to me, trying to impart a silent apology and give her thanks for taking me under her wing. Without her and Adriana’s knowledge and experience, I wouldn’t last long in this life. “Good night. We’ll catch up in the morning.”
“Thank you.”
I left her alone, shuffling around the kitchen. Was that what a typical night looked like for her? Ever-present guilt stabbed at my already raw feelings. I had to find some way to ease my conscience. There was no way I’d be able to live with the constant spiraling.
Luca’s old bedroom was the same as it was the day of the funeral. My chest ached for all the loss she’d experienced. Rosa had never changed the boys’ rooms and was only now considering changes to her own after Dante’s death.
Two sets of pajamas sat on the end of the bed, along with towels and a small toiletries bag. I was able to get makeup-free and in bed in no time.
Laying in the dark bedroom, I couldn’t turn my brain off even though my body was thoroughly exhausted. More than anything, I wished I was in my own bed, being held by Luca. That’s what normal couples do after getting engaged—not have homes burned down and overhear death threats on missing women.
If Luca did have something to do with Zoe Chronis going missing, wouldn’t he have told Marco? Of course he would. He trusted Marco enough to cover up my murder of Dante Sr. You don’t yank a stiletto from an eye socket, help arrange a dead body in a car crash for someone, just to fuck them over later. Luca had to trust Marco.
But talking to Rosa made me doubt some of what I’d taken for granted when it came to Luca and his family. My understanding of a crime family was obviously airbrushed by pop culture and had little to do with the real ins and outs of the life.
I tried to wait up for Luca, but at some point, I fell asleep, and when I woke up, it was clear Luca had never come to bed. I went downstairs, and Rosa was in the kitchen in a cute, casual outfit, ready for the day.
“Good morning. Want some coffee?”
I nodded and plopped down in a chair. Morning and I didn’t get along, and after the night we’d had, I was exhausted despite getting the recommended eight hours. “Is Luca in the study?”
She shook her head, poured me a cup of coffee, and put a piece of coffee cake on a small plate. “Marco came back around five, and the two left. He told me to let you sleep and tell you to stay here until he comes and picks you up.”
Taking a bite of the cinnamon piece of heaven, I nodded.