Happiness.
She could taste it on the tip of her tongue.
“What are you dreaming about?” Lucian whispered in her ear, starling her.
She smiled for a moment, the daydream still so fresh and realistic. “Our life.” She whispered back.
He returned her smile. “Tell me about it.”
“What if,” she lingered, “We never went back?” she paused gauging Lucian’s reaction, which was cold. “Hear me out,” she continued. “What if we just stayed here? Or what if we ran away.” She rose from the chair turning to Lucian, grabbing both his hands in hers. “What if it was just us, and we left all this stuff, all this bullshit, behind.”
Her eyes sparkled as she posed the questions. She could imagine them, somewhere far from the Mafia’s grasp. Somewhere they could throw obligations out the window and just be Lucian and Adelina.
He gave her a slight smile. “Bella,” he whispered. “You know why we can’t do that.”
Her smile fell, her emotions plummeting with it.
“Yeah,” she mumbled. “It was stupid.”
“Hey,” he used his forefinger to lift her chin so she was looking at him. “I didn’t say that. You know I would love to, but we can’t.”
Before she could respond his phone started ringing and he quickly answered, leaving her and her wild dreams behind.
“Lucian.” He greeted the caller sharply.
He listened intently for a moment before snapping at them. ”What?” he asked, followed by, “When?”
Before she knew what was happening Lucian was packing their bags back into the Escalade.
“Where are we going?” she asked.
“Back to Providence. There’s been another shooting.”
Chapter Eighteen
“What the fuck, Luchese?” Being greeted by Vinny was the last thing Lucian wanted when he stepped off his private jet with Adelina in tow. He chose to ignore that comment, but it didn’t stop Vinny from continuing.
“You’re supposed to be handling this issue not off fucking my sister!”
That did it.
Lucian dropped the bag he was carrying to grab Vinny by the shirt collar. “I’d stop talking if I was you.”
Some men couldn’t learn respect but Lucian would be damned if he let Vinny continue like that.
Vinny huffed. “One of my men died.”
“Well you’re damn lucky you’re not dead right now.” He dropped his hold on Vinny. “Get out of my face, DeMarco.”
Adelina looked worried when he turned back to face her. She had looked worried ever since he got the phone call at the Adirondack house.
“You’re safe.” He said again, he’d been telling her that since they left the house but her face still gave the impression she didn’t believe him.
“Yeah,” Vinny spun around to face them. “Yeah, well too bad Maria DelGado can’t say the same.”
Adelina froze at Vinny’s words. “What?” she stammered.
Vinny walked towards them with a puffed chest, almost proud to disappoint his sister. “Yeah, Gemma’s mom is dead.”
◆◆◆
If he didn’t believe it before, Lucian now knew that Vinny DeMarco was a sardonic asshole. The one man who had died was a soldier that was driving Maria DelGado. The running assumption was that whoever hit them probably thought Guiseppe, consilerge to Massimo, was in the car. Instead, they hit his wife.
They drove straight to the DelGado house, that was filled with made men and the grieving family. Gemma met them at the door. Her face was bare of makeup and streaked red from crying. Her whole body shook as she hugged Adelina. The two went upstairs and Lucian hadn’t seen them since.
“Dad,” Gio’s irritated voice rang out. “You need to rest.”
“I’ll rest when I’m dead!” Guiseppe retorted. Guiseppe was quite the character in or out of grief. He had been a lawyer for most of his life now. Mostly for the mob, but every once and a while he fought a non-mafia related case, though those were mostly just for the money. And because he was damn good at it.
The man was verging on 60, but still look good in a three-piece-suit. His age was evident though, though the crepey skin on his neck and face, the salt and peppered hair, and the large bifocals he wore. His brain was sharp though. He was notorious around here for his ease in a courtroom or police station. His was the number that every man had memorized.
“I’m fine.” Guiseppe shouted irritably.
One bullet and this man was reduced to a grumbling old guy.
Crazy how that works.
“What?” Lucian snarled into his ringing phone.
“Geez, who pissed in your coffee?” Enzo responded on the line.
“No one.” He growled to Enzo. “What do you need?”
“No bro, the question is what do you need? I hear your Providence issue is getting worse.”
“Yeah.” Lucian groaned, looking around. It was getting worse, the body toll was rising.
“So, do you know what you’re going to do?” Enzo asked.
“No.” Lucian sighed, entering what looked to be a spare room and closing the door behind him to have some privacy with his brother.
“What are you going to do?”
“Well, there’s a problem. Nobody actually knows what happened. Looks like Massimo fed them all this line of bullshit and now they’re at war but no one really knows why.”
“Huh.” Enzo nodded. “Why would he do that?”
“I think he’s hiding something and Adelina claims nothing happened that night.”
Enzo snorted. “She was beat up.” He’d seen the pictures. It wasn’t a secret, most men in their world had. It wasn’t an everyday occurrence for the daughter of one of the Underbosses to get beat up, let alone the same night two men are killed.
She was bruised and bloody with a jagged cut down her side. Her face was swollen in every photo, and she showed up to her father’s funeral a week later limping with a cane. Someone had hurt her badly, and yet, she claimed nothing happened.
Lucian didn’t see Adelina as a woman who took kindly to be hit, so why lie? Who was she protecting?
“Yeah. I think she’s afraid of someone.”
“The Irish?” Enzo asked.
“I don’t think so. I think it might be Maranzano.”
Enzo’s gasped on the line. “You think he hit her?”
“I think he did something. You should see the way she looks at him, En, she’s terrified.”
“That video he played…”
“She said it was something Theo asked he to record. He said it was just for him. She has no idea why Massimo had it.”
“Probably went through the kid’s phone.” Enzo suggested.
“Yeah.”
“You worried about her?”
“Yeah,” Lucian told his brother. “I don’t know what his issue is with her and don’t get me started on her brother.”
“He’s scum.” Enzo snorted. “Wouldn’t leave me alone at the party, kept insisting we were all brothers now.”
Lucian scowled. “I don’t trust him.”
“Me either, bro.”
“I think it’s time I have a chat with our friends in Boston.”
“Need backup?” Enzo asked.
“Not yet.”
◆◆◆
Today was the day. Lucian decided begrudgingly that today he was going to head to Boston and try to put the pieces together on this puzzle. His gut told him that Providence was using him. If it was anyone else Lucian would have left them to fend for themselves, but he knew if he did that Adelina would be screwed. And not in the sexy way.
He drove his Mercedes north toward Boston. Today, he was going to make a visit to the O’Conner family, Boston’s most notable Irish.
Niall O’Conner had been running the streets of Boston since he was 17 and his father was shot. He ran his territory through fear and intimidation, no one fucked with him.
But today, Lucian was probably going to.
> He had a hard time controlling his emotions when it came to Adelina.
Lucian wasn’t surprised to see a wall of muscle when he made it to Niall’s house in Cambridge.
“Italians.” One of the linebackers spat when Lucian exited the Mercedes.
“I’m here to see your boss.” Lucian smirked.
All bravado.
“He’s busy.” A slightly smaller linebacker told him from behind thick black sunglasses.
“Tell him Lucian Luchese is here. I think he can clear his schedule for an old friend.” Lucian leaned against the Mercedes. He was lying through his teeth. Niall was no old friend of his.
The smaller linebacker shrugged his shoulders and headed into the house. When he returned a few minutes later, he was waving Lucian in.
Niall sat behind a wide oak desk in his office when Lucian entered. The place was pretty nice. The desk was flanked by a set of matching bookcases, there was a dark leather couch in the corner, and several matching chairs. Above the desk there was painting with what Lucian assumed to be an Irish blessing.
“So, St. Patrick’s Day is coming up?” Lucian smiled.
“Hah!” Niall laughed. “I had no idea Italians had a sense of humor. Sit,” he gestured to the chair in front of the desk. “Liam, see if our friend here want’s drink.” Niall shook a glass of amber liquid when he gave the order.
Lucian checked his watch, 10 AM. The Irish started early.
Liam, Niall’s second oldest, set a matching glass of whiskey in front of Lucian.
“Thanks.”
Lucian could hear children singing in the background, he assumed Niall’s kids, the man had a handful of them. Lucian was only familiar with the boys of the family. Niall Jr, who was killed by the Providence Italians. Declan, the one most involved in the family’s illegal business since his brother’s death. And Liam, who managed the legal side of business. The rest of the kids - all women as far as he knew - were a complete mystery to Lucian.
“So, what can I do for you, Luchese?” Niall asked throwing his feet up on the desk.
“Well,” Lucian swirled the liquid around in his glass. “This thing, with the Maranzanos…” Lucian trailed off.
This seemed to aggravate the man, who was just laughing a few minutes ago. “What about it?” Niall spat.
“What will it take for it to stop?” Lucian asked, not beating around it.
Declan hissed. “Really, Luchese? You work for them now?”
“Declan.” Niall silenced him. “Tell me Luchese, I hear your marrying Angelo’s girl. Is that true?”
Lucian took a sip of the whiskey, letting it burn its way down his throat. “It is.”
Niall nodded. “So that’s why you want this to end then?”
“Yes.”
Niall thought for a moment. “You know what she did, Luchese?”
Lucian stayed silent.
“Didn’t think so.” Niall shook his head. “She’s a liar, that bitch of yours.”
Lucian felt his hands curl into fists. The last thing he wanted to do was punch this man and makes things worse, but he also hated to hear anyone call Adelina a bitch.
Niall shot the rest of his liquor down his throat. “No one touched that girl.” He spat. “And she runs around telling them that my boy beat her. That he ordered the hit on the Maranzano boy and Angelo.”
“Niall, I’m not ignoring your loss here, but both sides have lost enough, don’t you think?”
His eyes shot up to meet Lucians. “I’ll tell you what Luchese. I’ll end this war once you deliver me the girls head on a silver platter.”
Lucian felt sick to his stomach.
Niall O’Connor was clearly insane.
Lucian had been told as much, but still, he had higher expectations. He had no idea what he was going to do, but he knew he needed to keep Adelina safe.
He pulled up Enzo’s contact on his phone as soon as he was out of the crazed man’s house, texting him to send additional men. Adelina wasn’t going to be alone until this was over.
◆◆◆
Lucian could watch Adelina sleep all night.
She was beautiful.
Lately, he’d been working while she slept for most of the night. Stumbling in later and passing out. But tonight, he just wanted to enjoy her presence.
“Theo,” his eyes jerked to her. She was still asleep. He had never heard her talk in her sleep before, and if he was being honest with himself, her saying that name was like a knife to his chest.
“Don’t, stop, please.” She cried out.
He wasn’t sure if he should wake her. She was still for another moment and then, “Theo, no!” she cried.
“Adelina,” he rocked her gently. “Baby, wake up, you’re okay.”
He eyes fluttered open taking in her surroundings. “Lucian?”
“Yeah, baby. You were having a bad dream.”
She nodded.
“Do you want to talk about it?” He asked, brushing a stray piece of hair behind her ear.
“No,” she murmured.
“You were crying, Adelina.”
“I’m sorry.” she whispered.
He tilted her head to look at him. “You don’t need to be sorry, I just want to know what happened.”
“It was just a bad dream.”
“Tell me about it then.”
She rolled away with him, dragging the comforter up and curling into herself. “I can’t.”
Chapter Nineteen
Gemma had been Adelina’s rock since they were kids. Every problem she ever had, Gemma helped her figure it out. The first time she ever had a panic attack, Gemma was there practicing deep breathing with her. Gemma had never once let her down.
Adelina felt guilt and shame at a level she had never experienced before.
This was all her fault.
After a week of mourning, Gemma came back to school. Her brothers wanted her to drop out and take a break this semester, but she said she hated being there without their mom. She said she felt more comfortable in their dorm room, but her tears at night made Adelina feel differently.
Gemma was there every day after Adelina’s dad died, so Adelina did the same. She bought more ice cream and cookies then they needed, keep a steady stream of movies playing, and almost every night they spent cuddled into each other.
She was going to make sure Gemma got through this.
It was the least she could do.
“Hey,” Max barged through their door.
Currently Adelina was at her desk and Gemma was curled up in a sweatshirt and fleece blanket watching Gilmore Girls, again.
“Hey, what’s up.”
Max invited himself in, and jumped up on Adelina’s bed to get comfortable. “So, I was thinking we go to open mic tonight, get out of here.”
Gemma didn’t redirect her focus from the t.v.
“Gem,” Adelina prodded, want to get out for a minute?
She looked at them like they were aliens, but ultimately muttered sure.
◆◆◆
The Blue Door Café was possibly one of Adelina’s favorite places. She loved the atmosphere and listening to all the different artist. Not everyone sang. Sometime there were comedians, poetry readings, skits. There were tons of people with different instruments and every genre of music was played there.
She couldn’t get enough.
This place was like home to her.
This was where she let it all out. Everything that had every built up in her came out when she stepped on to that stage.
The Blue Door was home.
Gemma came out with them, still in her baggy Brown University sweatshirt, leggings, and brown boots. She nursed a margarita, but her head bobbed to the music which Adelina noted as improvement.
“Sing with me tonight, Addy?” Max asked, sipping his beer. “We haven’t done a duet in ages.”
That was true, they hadn’t. Lucian tended to arrive in the city on Thursdays night and though he didn’t say anything, Adelina coul
d tell he wasn’t a fan of Max. His eyes sent daggers every time he saw him.
“Sure.” Adelina sipped her own Long Island Ice Tea.
“That one with Camilla Cabello?” he asked, referencing the new Shawn Mendes and Camilla Cabello duet they had been playing with.
“Yeah.” She smiled. They hadn’t sung that one in a while.
The thought of singing to a bunch of people had always made Adelina sick, but actually singing on stage had always felt right. Once she got up there she was able to block everyone out, and in her mind, it was just her and Max.
They sang to each other. Max sat strumming the guitar, and Adelina stood both hands wrapped around the microphone. She hit the last note and her music high began to fade, slowly showing her all the faces in the crowd until her eyes landed on Lucian.
He stood there in a sleek black suit, with a black dress shirt and tie. Matching that much shouldn’t have been so hot, but on him, it was.
The scowl on his face, however, that made her shudder.
His eyes were locked on Max and he looked like he wanted to rip him apart.
Max stepped down from the stage smiling, not even paying attention to the monster who was quickly approaching.
It all happened so fast. Adelina could see it coming, but couldn’t get her lips to move.
Lucian smashed Max right in the face with his fist. Taken aback Max fell into one of the black club tables.
“What the fuck?” he screeched.
Lucian waltz toward him, ready to strike again.
“Wait!” Adelina finally found her voice. “Lucian, stop!” she jumped off the stage, rushing to protect her friend.
“Move,” Lucian told her. There was a look in his eyes that Adelina had never seen before. He was crazed.
“Stop.” She whispered. “Please.”
His eyes softened as he looked her over. He leaned closer to Max, who was holding his broken nose with his hand. “Stay the fuck away from her, yeah?”
“Fuck you!” his shout was muted by his hand that was staunching the flow of blood.
“Wrong answer.”
“Lucian, no!” Adelina shouted. Now the manager was heading in their direction and everyone was stating. “Please let’s go.”
Velvet Lullabies Page 10