“So Hailey’s the one?” Marco slapped me on the back. “Nico’s the only single guy left?”
“Tony too,” Max said.
Marco flinched. I’d forgotten about him too. Tony didn’t hang with us much anymore, even though he was Max’s brother. “Guess you’re not the last man standing, Nic.”
Nico chuckled then slapped me on the back before taking a seat on one of the island chairs.
“Yeah,” I answered Marco. “Hailey’s the one. So let’s get this meeting going so I can get back to her.”
Enzo grinned but refrained from a smartass comment, which I appreciated. The fact that I still owed him from the misdirection of my brother’s focus when he kissed my sister bothered me. I barely suppressed a shudder at that image.
There was coffee on the island, and I helped myself to a cup. “Is Guido still in New York?” That weasel needed to stay the hell away from Hailey.
“From what Dante said, he is.” Stefano grabbed coffee, too, then leaned a hip against the counter. The rest of the guys were crowded around the oversized marble island, sitting or standing. “Guido’s on lockdown by his father’s orders.”
“He’s at the Amato estate?” Enzo asked.
“From what I understand,” Stefano responded. “He’s been stripped of his position.”
“No longer the underboss.” I was only partially satisfied. It was a start. And from the granite cast of Luc’s jaw, he felt the same.
“But he’s crafty,” Marco warned. “We need to watch out in case he slips under the radar without Dante or anyone else knowing. It happened last time, and Leo Amato doesn’t know who else in his employ is on Guido’s side.”
“It’s possible that Leo is playing a game of his own,” Enzo offered.
“You think he’s orchestrating his son’s moves?” It wasn’t an outlandish thought, but there were holes in his theory.
“Let’s see how this plays out,” Max said.
“If Guido returns, nothing is stopping me from killing him,” Luc growled, daring Stefano to say otherwise.
“Agreed.” Stefano shoved his dark-blond hair off his forehead then pushed off the counter. “We have one more concern.”
“Mia?” Nico’s brows rose.
I thought I’d detected a hint of interest, but that couldn’t have been. None of us but Summer had met her.
“Yes,” Marco answered. “From what Dante told Stefano, her father is on the warpath to get her back. Dante doesn’t like how the Tucci boss is handling things, and if we get wind of where Mia is, he wants us to share the information with him or his brothers only. He’s worried about her safety.”
Speaking of safety, I could barely contain the urge to race back to Hailey’s side. Marco caught Nico and me up on a few other business issues, and when we were done, I got ready to leave. But then Mom called from Italy, and I lost track of time as she regaled me with Vincenzo and Katherine's drama. Katherine was thriving under Vincenzo’s attention. We finished the conversation with Mom’s update about how Katherine was feeling. I’d gotten a few medical updates, and the treatment was working. Everything was going as I’d hoped it would for Katherine.
By the time I got off the phone, Allen’s funeral was over. Emiliana, my sister, and the others would be with Hailey. It was nearing lunch, and Luc was rummaging around in Stefano’s fridge. Nico dropped onto the couch next to me, and I knew I wasn’t going to be able to leave for a while longer.
I kept telling myself that Hailey was okay and to relax, but my gut said otherwise.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
HAILEY
“Ineed to talk to you.” I entered the parlor where Mom had coffee mixed with a mystery liquor. She would have denied it if asked, but I was sure her drink was laced.
She turned her head in my direction, and I caught a minuscule flinch when her gaze landed on my face. A stranger wouldn’t have noticed, but I had.
We didn’t resemble one another. She had honey-blond hair and brown eyes. Kasey had looked more like Mom, especially her hair and eyes. Mine were the exact shade as Dad’s, though Kasey and I had always looked like sisters. When Mom looked at me, she sawthem, which was why she rarely did anymore.
I couldn’t blame her. Their absences left a hole in my heart, too, but I chose to go on, to let myself love and be loved. She hadn’t. She’d never cared deeply for Allen. He was a plus one to go to events with and nothing more.
Good thing I’d kept the black Armani dress on rather than changing into a pair of jeans and a long-sleeved shirt. Dressing appropriately was important to her, which set me apart from my family. I was a yoga-pants-loving, jeans-and-T-shirt kind of girl, whether I came from money or not. And I did. One would just never have known it.