by Bethany-Kris
“But maybe we should wait it out and see who comes out on top,” Dante said, falling back into the pew again.
“They could still come out of it, son. Better than before. Far better. All it takes is the right boss and the right men under him, Dante. You know this. I taught you this.”
Antony’s words were exactly why the Marcellos were as formidable of a crime family as they were. They were take-no-bullshit and cutthroat. Issues weren’t even a concern because they didn’t let one get whispered before they culled the problem.
“As for you, Theo,” Antony said, pushing up from the pew to stand.
Theo glanced up at the man. “What about me?”
“You somehow became a target. It makes me wonder where your loyalties are.”
Theo had to think about that for a second. The obvious answer was that his loyalties were to himself, to protect his territory and his crew from becoming another casualty in Chicago’s war. But a different answer came out instead.
“My sister, the family she’s trying to make, and her husband,” Theo said quietly. “Because they’re my family, and I care for them. It isn’t about having the most power for me, or the best seat in the family. I’ve never wanted that. I simply wanted to keep my family safe and happy in the life that I chose.”
Evelina, too.
Theo cared for her.
“Then what’s the problem?” Antony asked. “Because you talk like there is one.”
“I think I forgot what family was supposed to be for a while. I’m just now being reminded.”
Dante eyed Theo from the side. “You look like a guilty man.”
“That obvious?”
“Did you leave unfinished business behind?” Antony asked.
“Someone tried to kill me,” Theo stated simply. “Isn’t that unfinished enough?”
“But why did they do it?”
Theo already knew the answer. It wasn’t a good one. He had talked enough with Damian and got all the info he needed on Riley, Tommas, and Joel.
“In a roundabout way, one snake thought I would be the easiest way to get rid of another snake.”
Antony sighed. “Good men do their own work, Theo.”
Theo had always thought so.
“You’re welcome to stay in New York for as long as you need,” Dante said, standing from the pew as well. “But I’ll give you some friendly advice, Theo. From a Marcello, it means a little more than when it comes from others.”
“Yes,” Antony added, laughing under his breath, “I think he could use some Marcello-brand advice.”
“What is it?” Theo asked. “Anything is better than nothing, I suppose.”
“It is,” Dante agreed. “In this life, family is the most important thing, which I think you already know. But what you might not realize is that the family are also the people who make up the life you chose. Running from those people when they have no one who will stand for them means you are leaving them behind, and with it goes any honor you have left. If you feel like the people who are supposed to care for la famiglia are only hurting them …”
“… then correct the problem,” Antony finished for his son, “before someone else permanently corrects the problem they believe you are.”
“That is easier said than done,” Theo replied.
“Perhaps, but as you said, you chose this life,” Dante said frankly.
“So?”
Antony waved his arms wide and smiled. “That makes it yours, Theo. Keep it that way.”
“I’m a Capo, not a—”
“La famiglia has never been about the man holding the highest seat,” Dante interrupted. “It is every man, not just one. It is yours. You wanted it. Fight for it.”
Theo watched as the late January sun filtered in through the stained-glass windows of the church, sending spirals of colors throughout the floor and pews. This wasn’t home, and he’d been in knots about being gone since the moment the plane lifted off the tarmac.
Chicago was calling his name.
So was someone else.
Theo figured it was time to answer.
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
“How is the fish?” Tommas asked.
Evelina swallowed the bite of food in her mouth before saying, “It’s good. Better than I thought. I’m not a fan of things with scales and fins mostly.”
Tommas laughed. “When you put it that way, I understand.”
Dropping her napkin to her lap, Evelina shook off the restless feeling weighing her down. She’d felt like this for weeks with no end in sight.
“Riley must have forgiven you for the guest list mix up, huh?”
Tommas flashed a brief smile. “You could say that.”
“How would you say it?”
“You know how your father is, Eve. Do you need me to spell it out?”
“He’s paranoid and distrustful,” she said quietly.
“And Joel is on another one of his rampages now that he realizes some of the things Riley was doing,” Tommas added, shrugging. “Your father’s best bet is to keep the one man he believes will help him the most close to him. That, unfortunately, happens to be me. And even I’m not getting very far with Riley at the moment.”
“Well, the engagement is still on,” Evelina replied bitterly.
“We’ll never make it to the aisle, Eve.” Tommas cut another chunk off his salmon and stuck a fork in the meat as he said, “And with the belief that Theo is dead, Riley is getting what he wants.”
“Blame placed on Joel.”
“Exactly, but that doesn’t mean he isn’t pissed at me for going against his demands. For now, your father is under the belief that the safest spot for you to be is in a non-hostile territory. With Theo assumed dead, your brother has control of that end of Chicago. He has no issue with Damian and Lily having their home there and you will stay with them. Better for you to be out of the danger zone.”
Evelina scoffed rudely. “My father never gave a damn about my safety before.”
Tommas’ expression remained passive. “You are his last hope at the moment, Eve.”
“I don’t get it.”
“Adriano is married off to a Trentini. Riley knows that no matter what he says to his son, Adriano is not going to do something that might hurt his wife or her family regardless of how much he despises Joel.”
“So?” Evelina asked.
“So, I made sure Riley was under the impression that should he end the engagement between you and me, that he would lose all and any loyalty he has with me and my crew. He didn’t realize how much power he was giving up when he started playing games with me, Eve.”
Evelina felt cold all over. “But you don’t want to marry me.”
“I don’t.”
“I don’t understand.”
Why did that feel like the story of her damned life right now?
“I’m correcting my mistakes,” Tommas said quietly. “There are only so many ways I can do that and make sure we all come out unscathed.”
Evelina didn’t need Tommas to explain that one.
“By killing my father,” she whispered.
Tommas went back to his salmon like Evelina hadn’t said a thing. He didn’t confirm or deny her suspicions. Not knowing what to say or do, Evelina took another bite of her own fish.
Riley was her father, for Christ’s sake. Why didn’t she feel anything for him over this?
In her soul, she knew the truth. She’d grown up with a mother who loved her children, and father who put on a good show. Evelina had always been one of her father’s pawns and nothing more. She was simply an advantage for Riley from the day she was born until the time she was old enough that he could use her to make a move.
Evelina was the doll.
Riley moved her how he saw fit.
“He could have been a damn good boss,” Tommas murmured, wiping his mouth with a napkin. “He was a good one for a while, but he’s run his course.”
“Who would be the right fit for the title after h
e’s gone?”
Tommas’ hands froze when he moved to cut his fish again. “Whoever wants it bad enough, I suppose.”
“Seems like a dangerous job to have, given the lifespan of a boss lately.”
“Anything worth keeping is worth the risk and effort it takes to have it.”
“Are you talking about being the boss or having Abriella?”
Tommas chuckled. “You’re a smart girl, Eve. What do you think?”
“Wouldn’t you have to get one to have the other?”
“Yes,” Tommas said, “I would.”
“Have you spoken to Abriella yet?”
“No.” Tommas flicked his napkin to the table with a little more force than he had all through the dinner. “You?”
“No. She won’t answer anything from me. Lily tried, too. Nothing.”
“Well, I saw her but we didn’t talk.”
Evelina’s brow widened at the suggestive tone Tommas took on. “Excuse me? You just said—”
“I said I didn’t talk to Abriella. I never said I hadn’t seen her. She showed up at my club last Saturday just after closing. She always did know the hours of when the place cleared.” Tommas glanced up, meeting Evelina’s stare head-on and unashamed. “Of the people who would recognize her and report back, I mean.”
Evelina shifted in her seat. “And?”
“She didn’t talk. She wouldn’t listen when I tried to explain myself yet again. The night ended the way it usually does between us.”
“You had sex.”
“Yes. Except it doesn’t quite feel the same when the person you love fucks you like they despise you.”
Evelina dropped Tommas’ stare. “Oh.”
“Yes, oh. But she sought me out when she could have found someone else if all she wanted was to fuck out some anger, which means Abriella either doesn’t want to, or can’t, stay away.”
“Is that good or bad?”
Tommas laughed darkly. “It’s both. With us, it has always been both.”
“You’re not going to invite me in, I take it?”
Damian leaned on Tommas’ car. “Not tonight. Lily had a long day. I want her to rest.”
Evelina let the cousins talk and got out of Tommas’ car. The man didn’t say goodbye to her, but she didn’t exactly mind.
“That,” Tommas drawled, “or you’re still pissed at me, D.”
Damian chuckled lowly and smacked the roof of the car with his hand. “I’m not angry with you, anymore.”
“Not at all?”
“I understand, I don’t approve,” Damian said. “There is a difference.”
“Good to know.”
Evelina tightened her coat around her frame, ignoring the cold bite of the late January wind as she waited out the men’s conversation.
“How is the Joel situation?” Damian asked.
“You know how Joel is. He waits and plans for what he believes is the right moment.”
Evelina passed Tommas a look, knowing the truth. Tommas was more concerned about handling Riley than he was Joel. Why wasn’t he telling Damian that?
“Joel will find his way into a grave eventually,” Damian said.
“I’m sure. And Theo, what about him?”
Damian shrugged. “What about him?”
“Nothing, not a thing. Give me a call, all right?”
“Will do, Tommas.”
Once Tommas’ car disappeared beyond the gate, Damian turned to Evelina.
“We have a guest,” he said with a smile.
“Didn’t you just tell Tommas—”
“Yes, I lied about why he couldn’t come in. Anyway, our guest is tired, but he wouldn’t chill out until you got back. He had a long flight.”
Flight?
Evelina’s heart practically leapt out of her chest. “Theo?”
“Theo,” Damian confirmed.
She was already half way toward the house before Damian started to follow behind. Beyond the dark red door, Evelina kicked off her heels and dropped her bag to the floor. She shrugged off her coat and left it slung over a side table. Following the sounds of Lily’s laughter and another deeper, richer voice, Evelina found herself standing in the entryway to the large living room.
Theo was just five feet away with his back turned to her.
“Theo,” Evelina said quietly.
He turned slightly, just enough to shoot her a look over his shoulder. His brown gaze fell on her and a sexy grin bloomed over his features, making the sharp lines of his face all the more handsome.
“Hey,” Theo said.
Just like that, the knot of anxiety that had been plaguing Evelina for three weeks melted away. She had known he was okay, and that he was safer being out of the city. It hadn’t helped her much because she still worried.
Evelina hadn’t realized how much she cared for Theo until he was gone.
Dressed in dark-wash jeans slung low around his hips and a gray T-shirt, he seemed relaxed and content. The last time she’d seen him, the tension had practically radiated over him because of what was happening around them. Now, Theo seemed to have reverted back to his cool, unbothered attitude.
For some reason, Evelina couldn’t move or look away as Theo took a couple of steps forward. She felt frozen to the floor when he came to stand in front of her with his usual cocky smirk.
“I didn’t know you were coming back today,” Evelina said.
“None of us did,” Lily chimed from the couch. “He surprised us while you were out.”
“What changed?” Evelina asked Theo.
Damian walked past the couple to join his wife. “That’s what I would like to know, too. We had an agreement, Theo. You were supposed to stay away until we knew it was safe for you to come back. It isn’t safe yet. Things are tricky between Riley, Joel, and Tommas.”
Theo didn’t take his eyes off of Evelina for a second. “Someone gave me a bit of advice that I needed to hear. Coming home was just a part of that.”
Evelina’s worries couldn’t be ignored. What if Riley found out that Theo had come back, and he went after him again?
Theo glanced over his shoulder at Damian. “Dante sends his regards, by the way.”
Damian’s expression remained passive. “Thanks for passing along the memo.”
“Theo,” Evelina said, wanting his attention back on her.
She’d missed Theo. He was the only person who seemed to get her. He didn’t judge her and he challenged her. Most importantly, he affected her. Far more than anyone else ever had.
But as much as she missed him, she would rather he stay away until everything was good and calm again, so he could come back without fear of being someone’s target.
Theo’s stare cut to Evelina. The intensity of it hit her in the chest like a bullet meeting glass. For a moment, she felt like the most important thing in his space. How he did that, she didn’t understand.
“Yes, Eve?”
“What was so important here that you would risk your life again to come back before it was safe?”
Theo didn’t even blink. “Everything worth having.”
Carefully, Evelina undid the diamond necklace that she’d borrowed from Lily for her dinner with Tommas. She placed the delicate rope of diamonds into the waiting velvet case on the dresser before doing the same to the studs in her ears. Then, she went about pulling, or trying to pull, most of the pins holding her hair up.
“You were quiet earlier,” Theo said from the doorway.
Evelina damn near jumped out of her skin. “Christ, Theo.”
Theo stepped into the room, arms crossed and grinning. “What?”
She wrapped her arms around her frame, tightening the thin robe she wore to her body. The bedroom door had been closed. She was sure of it.
“How long were you standing there?”
Theo lifted a single shoulder. “A minute or so.”
“You could have knocked.”
“I don’t think you realize how interesting you are when you’
re doing simple things, Eve. I enjoy watching you do it.”
Evelina glanced down at the floor. “Really?”
“Sure. Especially when you think you’re alone.”
“I’ll remember that for the next time I think I am.”
“Do that. What was up with earlier?” he asked.
“Nothing. You surprised me being here. That was all.”
“And maybe because people were watching,” he suggested.
Evelina laughed and nodded. “That, too.”
Theo flashed his white teeth with one of his signature grins. “No one is watching now.”
“We’re in your sister’s home.”
“I don’t care, Eve.”
Theo didn’t give her a chance to argue. She hadn’t even taken a breath and he was on her. Evelina whined the moment his hands fisted her robe, his lips crashed down on hers, and he pulled her in close to his warm chest. The second his tongue swept her bottom lip, Evelina opened her mouth to allow him in. Theo took the offer she gave him without question, deepening the kiss until her breaths began to stutter and her legs felt weak. He didn’t let her go.
When he did finally pull away, Theo rested his forehead to hers and watched her silently. Evelina didn’t mind the attention. It never felt like he was searching for something, but rather, like he’d already found it.
Down at her side, Evelina felt the side of Theo’s hand graze hers. It was only a brief pause before his pinky finger hooked around hers without him saying a thing.
Intimate.
This felt so intimate to Evelina and she didn’t know why.
“What are you doing?” she asked.
“Trying something,” Theo replied at the same quiet level.
“Let me in on the secret, okay.”
“I realized when I was away that I missed you. And the longer I thought about it all, the more I missed you. It bothered me, because I wondered if I had somehow attached myself to a person who I couldn’t have.”
“And?”
“And I wanted to see if that’s what it was, Eve.”
She forced back the tightness in her throat that was threatening to keep her quiet.