They all shook hands and kissed each other on both cheeks. “Thank you, Don Vincenzo!” Leo exclaimed.
“It’s our pleasure, Consigliere,” my father replied. “Come along, Cesare.”
My father and uncle went back out to the car. That left me alone with Leo. I held out my hand, but he pulled me into a hug instead. “Thank you for everything you’ve done,” he told me. “I’m really going to miss having you around.”
I blushed when he kissed me on both cheeks just as though we might be equals. “It was an honor to be your guest. I… I really don’t want to leave.”
“Of course, you don’t.” He laughed and clapped me on the shoulder. “Let me know if you ever want to come back.”
I couldn’t stop blushing. “I want to come back.”
We both laughed. I couldn’t stop touching his arm and clasping his hand. He really was one of the best men I’d ever met—maybe eventhebest. I didn’t want to leave him any more than I wanted to leave Gia.
He finally gave me a subtle push and nodded toward the door. “You better go. You don’t want to keep Don Vincenzo waiting.”
“Yes, Consigliere.” I hugged him one more time, but one more time would never be enough.
I broke away and went out to the car. I got in with my father and a truckload of security people. My father, uncle, and I sat on one seat with our chief security manager next to my uncle.
I got smashed against the door and turned my attention to the night falling over Manhattan. The limo purred out of the driveway, and I lost sight of the estate.
Was I really driving away from one of the best times of my life? Would I ever get over the regret of leaving Gia—of leaving all of this?
I couldn’t imagine loving a woman more than her. If I married someone else, I would spend my life wondering what could have been.
Her words came back to me.I just wish we could all just keep doing this forever. I never want it to change.
Why did it have to end? Why couldn’t Leo and Romeo and I keep living with her and loving her and being like this forever? Why did it have to change—just because Italian tradition said so?
I’d rather live like that with her than to marry someone else.
LEO
“Spread your arms,” Nicky told me.
I spread my arms out to both sides, and he slipped the bulletproof vest over my T-shirt.
Gia walked into my office in the middle of this. She stood off to one side watching while Nicky started tightening the straps.
He yanked me in all directions and made it so fucking tight I couldn’t move. “Jesus!” I gasped. “I can’t breathe.”
He stood back and scrutinized the vest. “Take a deep breath.” I inhaled with difficulty, and he nodded. “You’re fine.”
He went back to jerking me around. “Christ!” I yelped. “You’re gonna break a rib!”
“You don’t want it too loose or it won’t do its job.” He stuck his fingers between the vest and my shirt. “You’re all right. You can finish getting dressed now.”
I limped over to the hanger in the corner and struggled to stick my arms in the sleeves of my tux shirt. Nicky went to the chair by my desk and started ripping open the Velcro on his own vest.
Gia watched him put it on and tighten the straps. “Do I have to wear one of those?”
“No.” He dipped his eyes to her bare shoulders and exposed cleavage. “It would be too obvious.”
She snorted, and he grinned at her. If she didn’t already tell me something was going on with them, that grin would have given it away by a mile. I had never seen him look at anyone like that—ever.
His eyes shone, and he didn’t look so much like a monster from a horror movie, but she didn’t smile back. She watched him with unwavering fascination while he buttoned his shirt, tied his tie, and slipped into his jacket.
Then he put on a shoulder holster with two handguns, one under each arm. He arranged more guns all over his body—behind his back, strapped to his lower leg, and even another holster on his forearm.