“I’m sorry to hear about your father,” she said softly.
“Thank you,” he replied. “But my father is a tough old bird. I have a feeling he’s going to be around for a while yet.”
“I hope so. For your sake. Grief and loss are never easy to deal with.”
“No, but they are a part of life. All I can do is prepare the best I can for the eventuality that my father dies… and for everything that comes after.”
“When you’re the Boss.”
He nodded. “When I’m the Boss,” he said quietly. “But right now, I need to find a way to deal with the Vittores.”
“I see. I understand.”
“Do you?”
She nodded. “I do. I think I do anyway.”
Nico looked at her, offering River a soft, warm smile. “Come. Let’s go to dinner. There’s a place I want to show you.”
“I don’t—”
“You have to eat,” he replied softly but firmly. “Let’s go.”
She turned those blue eyes to him and seemed to be considering. But she finally nodded and got to her feet.
“All right. Let’s go.”
11
By the time they got back to Nico’s place after dinner, things seemed to be back to normal. Or at least, a lot closer to normal anyway. The bumps in the road between them had been smoothed over for the most part and River was laughing with him again. The fear in her eyes and the anger she’d unleashed on him earlier were gone. Nico noticed there was still a little tentativeness between them but for the most part, her trepidation had ebbed.
Even still, he’d been surprised when she agreed to come home with him. Nico’s intent wasn’t to bring her back to his place to sleep with her again—though, that was a hope in the back of his mind—he just didn’t want her alone while Emiliano was still running around. The situation on the canal earlier showed the younger Vittore that he cared for River and that made her his weakness. That made her a liability. And he knew Emiliano would seek to exploit that. Which meant Nico wasn’t going to let River out of his sight until they’d dealt with Emiliano.
“This is a really nice place,” she said.
“Thanks,” he replied lightly. “I like it.”
Nico had purchased a two-story house that overlooked the lagoon. He’d had it refurbished and certain improvements made to it—like bulletproof glass windows, steel-reinforced doors, hidden panic rooms on both floors with enough supplies to last a couple of weeks, and a secret armory stocked with enough weapons to declare war on a small nation. Though they kept the peace in Venice and didn’t often have challengers, it was always wise to be prepared, just in case. That was a lesson he’d learned from his father that he’d taken to heart.
The exterior was constructed of red brick and white stucco designed to look aged and distressed. The interior was done in light oak and light colors. The floor was covered in marbled tile and every doorway and window was a rounded arch. The furniture was all stylish but still functional. Nico believed in comfort rather than the outlandishly garish, bordering on obscene, displays of wealth some people had in their homes. Although he liked going out and enjoying the nightlife, there were evenings when Nico didn’t want to be around people. On those nights, he preferred sitting at home watching TV.
“Would you like a glass of wine?” he asked.
River nodded. “Yeah, sure. That would be great.”
Nico opened the French doors that led out onto the deck and flipped on the light switch. Strings of small globes hanging from the ceiling lit up, emitting a soft glow over the deck. He followed River outside and then walked over to the sideboard. The deck was covered and private and offered a breathtaking view of the Grand Canal and the Rialto Bridge. He’d always thought it was beautiful—especially at night—and judging by the rapturous look on River’s face, she thought so too. She stepped to the railing at the end of the deck and looked out into the gloom and shadows of the evening.
“I love the way they light the Rialto at night,” she said.
"Me too," he said. "And you, of course, have seen the Bridge of Sighs, haven't you?"
River nodded. “The stories about it are so sad. But they’re also kind of romantic.”
Nico chuckled. “You’ve got a twisted notion of romance.”
She grinned at him. The Bridge of Sighs spanned the Rio di Palazzo, a waterway that, like many of the canals, separated a pair of neighborhoods in Venice. The bridge though, connected the interrogation rooms in the Doge’s Palace to the New Prison and it was said that lovers of the convicted would wait on the walkway along the canal to get their last glimpse of their loved one before they were sealed inside the prison forever. Many said, their tears were accompanied by a pained sigh—hence the name of the bridge.
“Tell me honestly, have you ever killed anybody, Nico?” she asked as she stood at the railing with her back to him.