I pulled in a stuttering breath, trying to take everything he said in.
“We were meant to be, Luna. It was written in the stars the moment we took our first breaths.”
The air swirled around us, and I knew if the kids weren’t a few feet away I would have jumped on him and shown him exactly how I felt. But we had to keep it PG, so I lifted onto my tiptoes, trying to keep the happy tears at bay as I settled my lips against his, soaking him in, and promising him without words that he’d always be it for me.
* * *
MATEO
“Are you sure I look okay?” Luna asked for what felt like the thousandth time.
“You look like a goddamn movie star, baby.” I wrapped my arms around her from behind, settling my hand on her stomach, and staring in the mirror at us.
She gnawed on her bottom lip, her gaze floating down the dark-red dress fitted to her body. “I’m not sure…”
“Well, I am.” I winked, set a kiss on the side of her neck, then let her go. “They’re here. You know he won’t like being kept waiting.”
She flitted forward, breaking out of my hold as she gathered her purse and threw random items inside it. She’d been a nervous wreck all week since I’d told her we had to attend a charity function with Lorenzo and Aida.
“I’m ready,” she said, out of breath. “Let’s go.”
I chuckled as I followed her down the stairs. She hooked a right at the bottom and I sighed. I’d already said goodnight to the kids, but there was no way she’d leave without saying it too. Their murmurs echoed out to me as I opened the door, seeing the limousine Lorenzo had hired to take us there. He hated these events—always had—but they were even more necessary now that he was boss. The last one he’d gone to; his dad had died.
Maybe that was why he wanted me and Christian to come with him.
“Luna!” I shouted.
“I’m right here,” she said from behind me. “Jeez, calm down.” She pursed her lips, trying to hold in her smirk as she walked past me. She’d been…different since Cardo’s birthday. Lighter. Freer. Happier. More confident. And I liked it. I liked it a hell of a lot.
I shut the door and locked it then followed her down the driveway and to the limo. I made it there just in time to pull open the door for her.
“Thanks,” she whispered, her confidence from a second ago wavering.
She bent, her dress pulling across her ass. Fuck. Me. She was so hot in this thing, and I had no doubt I’d be ripping it off of her by the end of the night. If I could even wait that long.
I adjusted my growing erection as I dipped inside, sliding onto the seat that Luna had sat on, and closed the door behind me. I turned, raising a brow at the other people in the limo. Lorenzo and Aida were on the opposite end to us, near the partition that separated us from the driver. Christian and Romeo were on our left, and Sofia and Rafael were opposite them.
I reached for Luna’s hand and placed it in my lap. This was the first time she’d seen Romeo and Rafael since that night.
“Drive,” Lorenzo barked out at the driver, and two seconds later, we pulled away from the curb.
The silence stretched between all of us, so many things unsaid. Me and Luna had witnessed what happened between Christian and Sofia. Romeo was staring at us, his eyes narrowed, no doubt thinking about the fact Luna had stolen from his car. Lorenzo was watching us all with a raised brow, trying to read everyone. But Aida and Rafael were oblivious to it all.
“Luna,” Aida said, leaning forward in her seat. “Have you met Lorenzo’s sister, Sofia?”
Luna squeezed my hand tighter, a silent conversation happening without us even looking at each other. “I haven’t,” she said, her voice surprisingly clear. She turned to Sofia. “It’s nice to meet you.”
“You too.” Sofia grinned, tilting her head at us. “I’ve been dying to meet the girl who locked another Mafia guy down.” Her eyes sparkled, her lips twitching. I read between the lines, and if she wasn’t careful, Lorenzo would too. It took everything in me not to look at Christian to see what his reaction would be. There was no doubt Lorenzo would have seen the move, and then I wouldn’t have any choice but to tell him what we’d seen.
Luna chuckled quietly. “I don’t think I locked him down—”
“No,” Romeo said, his voice lashing out like a whip. “You just used him.”
I tensed, my nostrils flaring as I slowly turned to look at him. “What did you just say?” I growled.
Romeo shrugged. “Just saying it how it is. She’s a thief.” He raised his brows, daring me to deny it. And I couldn’t. He was right. But he didn’t know the full story.
“Enough,” Christian barked out, pushing his arm past Romeo and holding his hand out to Luna. “Nice to meet you, Luna.” He smiled, and it was the first time I hadn’t seen him pissed off in months. I had a feeling it was because Sofia was so close. “I’ve heard a lot about you.” My gaze snapped to Lorenzo, but he kept his face neutral. “I’m Christian.”
“Nice to meet you, Christian,” she whispered, placing her hand in his. I didn’t look away from Lorenzo, trying to get a read on him, but it was impossible.
“This is fuckin’ ridiculous,” Romeo grunted.
“Enough!” Aida shouted. “Jesus Christ, Romeo. Just drop it.”
The atmosphere tensed, even more than it already was.
“Drop it?” he asked, his narrowed eyes now turning on Aida. “You got no idea what she—”
“Yeah, I do.” She pushed her shoulders back, meeting him head on. I slid my gaze to Lorenzo, seeing the surprise on his face. When it came to Aida, he’d never been able to shutter off his emotions. “She stole the bag from you because her mom and dad had run up debt with Stan. It was either she stole the bag,” she held her finger up in the air, “which by the way, she didn’t know what was in it or whose it was.” She heaved a breath. “Or watch her parents get murdered.” She paused, crossing her legs slowly. “What would you do to save your parents from death, Romeo? Huh? Because I know I’d go to the ends of the fuckin’ earth for mine.”
“Well, damn, Aida.” Sofia held her hand up for a high five. “You tell him, girl.”
Aida’s cheeks blushed bright red, but she slapped her hand against Sofia’s accepting her praise.
“Who’s Stan?” Romeo asked, leaning back in his seat.
“The drug dealer my mom and dad use,’ Luna answered. “The latest one in a long line.”
Romeo pinched his lips together, staring at Luna differently. It wasn’t with hatred in his eyes, but interest. He was trying to work her out. I wanted to wish him luck with that because I didn’t think I’d ever fully work her out, but that was the fun in being with her. She wasn’t boring, but she wasn’t turning me upside down constantly. She was a perfect mixture of both.
“Your parents are addicts?” Romeo asked. Luna nodded, her hand still gripping mine tightly. “I hope they get clean,” he added.
My stomach rolled at his words. I hadn’t told Luna about her dad. I didn’t want to get her hopes up, not until he was truly clean and settled, away from her mom. He’d told me that they bounced off each other. Everyone knew that addicts could never be together for that very reason.
Luna snorted. “That’ll never happen. But I’m okay with that.” She turned her head as we pulled to a stop. “I have Mateo and the kids. That’s all I’ll ever need.”
I smiled at her, bringing her hand to my lips, and placing a kiss on her knuckles. “You’ve always got me, darlin’. No takebacks, remember?” She closed her eyes, soaking in my words, and when she opened them back up, they shone with unshed tears, but I knew they weren’t sad. She was happy, just like I was.
“Let’s get this over with,” Lorenzo barked out. “I fuckin’ hate these things.”
“We know,” Sofia said, rolling her eyes. “Just get drunk. That’s what I do.” She shuffled across the seat and pointed at the door while looking at me. “Let’s get out of this prison people like to call a l
imo.”
I snapped open the door and slid out, turning and expecting to see Luna behind me, but she’d gotten out of the other side. My gaze ricocheted across the top of the limo and spotted her standing with Romeo and Christian. I moved to go to her, but a hand on my arm stopped me.
“Find out who Stan is,” Lorenzo said, his voice low for only me to hear. “Get Mr. Blue on it if you need to.” A muscle in his jaw twitched. “I want the bastard in my basement.”
“I’m on it,” I told him, trying to keep my attention on him and not looking over at Luna. I didn’t trust Romeo with her, not when he’d flip flopped in the limo. Had what Aida said really opened his eyes up? Or was he putting on a front? I didn’t know. And I hated that I couldn’t work it out. I needed to be able to trust him. I needed to know he had my back one hundred percent.
“Good.” He slid his palm down his jaw. “Let’s get this night fuckin’ over with.” He sneered as a man wearing a headset rushed over to us. He growled his frustration, and I took that as my cue to leave.
I spun around, my gaze searching for Luna. She wasn’t where she’d just been. My pulse spiked. Where the hell was— Her red dress caught my attention and I breathed out a sigh. She was standing with Aida and Sofia, the three of them surrounded by Christian, Romeo, and Rafael.
She smiled at me as I got closer, and when she was within touching distance, I dragged her against me, needing to feel her. “You okay?” I murmured, following the rest of the group up the stairs to the grand building.
“Yeah.” She placed her hand on top of the one I had on her hip. “You?”
I swallowed, not sure if I should tell her that I needed to know exactly who Stan was. I needed information only she could give. Her blue eyes lit up as we made it to the top of the stairs. She’d never been to anything like this, and I realized this was the first time we’d been out together like this.
“I’m good,” I said, pushing my thoughts away. I’d talk to her tomorrow, get all of the facts I could from her, then get to work. But for tonight I’d just be with her.
The vast entrance was full of guests, with waiters carrying champagne flutes weaving in and out of them. Opulence filled the space, a distinct vibe drifting around the room and wrapping around the most elite in the state. This wasn’t just any function. No. It was one full to the brim with people who liked to portray that they were upstanding members of society, but we all knew their shady dealings were how they made their money.
Corrupt blood ran through the veins of at least half of the people in this room. People who all needed each other. They swapped favors like they were candy. A million dollars meant nothing to these people. It was a drop in the ocean to them.
They were the super-rich, some of them famous, but not one of them had what we had.
Loyalty.
A deep seeded allegiance to the organization we were part of.
We halted toward the left of the room, creating our own group. Even Sofia had stayed put, and she loved to come to things like this and meet new people. Tonight wasn’t about socializing though. It was about showing a united front and telling all those around us that the Beretta Mafia was stronger than ever.
I maneuvered Luna in front of me, keeping my hand on her hip, and whispered in her ear, “Don’t go far from me tonight.”
She tilted her head up, her hand clasped around a glass that she’d picked up from one of the silver trays. “Okay.” She didn’t ask why. She didn’t want an explanation. She read the room, understanding the silent undertones around us.
The music started, a string quartet filling the room with notes. “Want to dance?” I asked Luna.
Her lips pulled up oh so slowly, her smile hitting me right in the gut. “I thought you’d never ask.”
I chuckled, taking her champagne flute and handing it to the nearest person—Rafael. I wrapped my hand around hers, leading her toward an area that had been marked off for dancing. I’d only ever witnessed people on the dance floor at these things, but this time I would be the one being observed.
Her body slid against mine, her chest to my chest, her curled hair flowing off her shoulder and baring her neck. My hand twitched as I placed it on the bottom of her back, bringing her body completely flush with mine as I swayed us side-to-side. We weren’t really dancing, but that didn’t matter.
All that mattered was that she was in my arms, and that everyone saw it.
I was making a statement, not just to the men in my own organization, but to the men in The Enterprise that I knew were here somewhere. I was laying my claim officially, putting the rumors to rest with one simple move.
The touch of my lips to hers. The smile I flashed her way. And the closeness I held her with.
It said only one thing:
She was mine.
CHAPTER 16
LUNA
My cheeks hurt from grinning so much, but I couldn’t get the memory of Saturday night out of my head as I walked across campus for my second class of the day. Monday was always longer with four classes in one day, but I didn’t mind it so much because it meant I had an extra day off during the week.
I clenched my thighs together as the memory of Mateo drifted through my mind, reminding me of all the things he’d done and said to me when we’d gotten home from the party. My dress still laid in frayed pieces on the bedroom floor when I left this morning. I couldn’t bear to move it, wanting to hold on to the memory for as long as I could.
My heart hammered in my chest, my body reacting as if I was still laying on the bed with Mateo’s head between my legs and then his cock inside me. I bit down on my bottom lip, trying not to show how hot and bothered I was. Mateo never failed to make me feel like I was the only woman in the world who mattered to him.
I halted at the bottom of the stairs that led up to one of the buildings, trying to collect myself before I was stuck in a room full of people. The last thing I needed was for one of them to look at me like they knew what I was thinking.
“Luna.” I turned, frowning at the voice. I recognized it, but there was no way— “Luna.”
My heart hammered in my chest for a different reason now, and as I turned around in a half circle, I wasn’t sure what to think. What was she doing here?
“Mom?”
She smiled, the same smile she’d given me every time she’d gotten clean. But this version of her wasn’t clean. If her scratching at her arms and her greasy hair weren’t enough to tell me, then the way her eyes batted around did. She was coming down off her high, and her being here slammed me right back to high school when she’d turn up in the middle of my classes.
“What are you doing here?” I asked, trying to keep my voice even, but it was hard when people were walking by. It was busier because all of the classes started at the same time in this building, so an influx of students were making their way in.
“I need your help.” Her voice was rough, a clear sign that she was struggling.
I held my breath, staring at her. I should have walked away. Mateo had told me to break the chains, and I had, but the longer I stood here, the more I felt them clicking back around my wrists, pulling me back in.
“What kind of help?” I asked. I was setting myself up. I should have ignored her. I should have turned and gotten lost in the fray of students. I should have done a lot of things, but I didn’t. My feet stayed glued to the floor, my loyalty to the person who had brought me into this world running deep.
“I…I want to get clean.”
I inhaled a breath and let it go slowly. This wasn’t the first time she’d wanted to get clean, but it was the first time she’d come to me.
I tilted my head, frowning. “Why?” I paused. “Why now?”
“Because…” Her gaze moved from left to right, skittering across the campus. “Because I miss you. I want my daughter back.”
Tears burned at my eyelids, my body feeling like it was caving in on me. Everything in me told me to walk away. I had a good life. I had a man who loved me. Two
incredible kids who deserved so much more than what they’d been handed.
But that little voice inside my head—the one who reminded me of the little girl I used to be, full of hope that her parents would be just like everyone else’s—told me not to turn my back on her.
“Okay,” I whispered, realizing that all of the students had gone inside, and now we were the only two people standing outside of the building. “I can get you help.”
A breath whooshed out of her, her eyes flickering to life then going out again. “Finally,” she murmured, but I wasn’t sure what she meant. Finally she was going to get clean for good? Finally I’d said okay?
My legs wobbled as I moved toward her, my body not feeling like my own. Adrenaline pumped through me at the idea of getting my mom back for good. “Let’s get off campus.” My cell burned like a white hot flame in my pocket. I knew I had to call Mateo, but I needed to get her away from the college. I didn’t need people seeing her. I didn’t need the judgement in their eyes directed my way. I’d had enough of that to last two lifetimes.
She jerked her head in a nod, walking beside me down the pathway. I wasn’t sure what to say to her—if there was anything I could say. We’d been through this more times than I could count, and even though that small voice was full of hope, the rest of me knew the likelihood of it lasting would be slim to none.
But I had to try, right? What if that slim chance became a reality? I could get my mom back. The one she was when she was clean. The one who actually cared what I was doing.
“Wait,” she blurted, causing me to stop at the end of the road that led onto the campus.
I blinked. “What?”
“Where are we going to go?”
I reached into my pocket and pulled my cell out. “I know someone who will help—”
Nails scraped against my fingers as her hand smacked my cell out of my grip. It slammed to the ground, face down, and I was sure the screen would be shattered. “What the he—” My breath knocked out of me as arms banded around me from behind. I screamed, my legs kicking out as I was picked up. “Let me go!”
Mateo Caputo: Unseen Underground Page 18