The Forbidden Prince

by Bonnie R. Paulson

Not so much anger at Sofia, but more at myself. Why had I expected more from her? I didn’t expect more from anyone. I didn’t trust anyone. I knew what happened when you trusted others and being betrayed was just the start of it.

  Another part had to do with the unbearable agony deep in the heart that stopped you from breathing normally and made it impossible to do anything ordinary again. Would I ever recover from discovering Sofia in the dark?

  About a week after the destruction of my hopes and dreams, I sat in my office chair and pushed the chair back and forth with my foot on the floor. I stared out the wall-length window at the view of late-night Little Italy. Not many people were out since we were close to a holiday. I couldn’t even remember which one, and probably wouldn’t celebrate it. I had nothing to celebrate now.

  Only one light was on in the office and I didn’t bother turning more on. I was only there because my place was too empty. I had no one to go home to. I couldn’t even admit to my father what was wrong with me when he’d asked because he’d demanded that I stay away from Sofia and I hadn’t done what he said. I didn’t need to be bombarded with I told you so while I could barely function on a basic level.

  A soft knock on the office door made me raise my eyebrows as I swiveled the chair around to face the interior of the room. “Yeah, come in.” Up that late were only soldiers. Capos would be home with their families where they were encouraged to put off an image of unity and as family men.

  The door pushed open and Morrison peeked into the room. “Angelo, this gentleman asked to see you. I’d love to tell him to go away, so if you want me to send him out, I can.” Derision set the features of my right-hand man in such a way I hadn’t seen in a long time. Usually Morrison was stoic and unaffected, one of the reasons I kept him around. You didn’t know what was going to happen with him around.

  Someone wanted to see me at… I glanced at the clock on the desk, furrowing my brow at the digital display reading one AM. Okay, I thought it was about eleven at night. I waved my hand as if ushering him into the room. “Yeah, Morrison, let him in and you go home and get some sleep. I can handle this. Thanks.”

  “You got it.” Morrison pushed the door open the rest of the way and then disappeared as if chased by The Rossi himself.

  Standing, I rounded the desk to welcome my guest. “Hello?” I wasn’t sure how else to coax the visitor inside. He didn’t move far from the shadows for the hallway. “You can come in.” I stopped in front of my desk, leaning my rear against its solid surface.

  A tall man with a service-style haircut stepped through the door. He wore a pastel blue button-up shirt and a dark blue tie. Black pants and a shoulder holster completed the look. He carried a manila folder and a briefcase at his side.

  I folded my arms and tilted my head to the side. Government. The only agencies working that late at night were CIA and FBI. I wasn’t special enough for the CIA to be there and the FBI had only one reason to visit me. Sofia had turned in all the information she had on me.

  Setting my jaw to the side, I waited impatiently for the man to speak. He stopped his approach when he was about ten feet from me. The gun at his side loud in its presence.

  We both stared at each other. If he thought I was going to speak first, he was a fool. I’d had the best nonnina in the world and she’d taught me that you didn’t break the silence, if you wanted to keep the power. I would stand there until I fell over dead before I would speak first.

  After a moment, the man sighed and reached into his back pocket. He pulled out a wallet-like item and opened it, displaying an ID badge with his picture on it. “I’m James Thompson, Sofia’s boss and… her father. Even if she doesn’t want anything to do with me now.”

  The mention of Sofia punched me in the gut as if I hadn’t expected it. I should have expected it. Why else would Agent Thompson be there at my place at one in the morning? I clenched the muscles of my core and blinked. Why hadn’t he just arrested me already?

  “Agent Thompson, I’m Angelo Rossi, as you know. What can I do for you?” I didn’t acknowledge the mention of Sofia. I had to ignore it. I had to distance myself from any thoughts or emotions about her. She was a traitor and what she’d said about loyalty being the most important thing had been a lie. So much about her was a lie.

  Without an invitation, the man adjusted one of the chairs in front of the desk and sank into it. Setting the case down at his feet, he rubbed his eyes with his free hand and sighed. “I’ll tell you what, I’m not as young as I once was. These last few weeks have taken their toll.”

  I stared at him. What was this? Why was he sitting down in my office like I was his therapist? I slowly pushed from the desk and rounded the side to claim my own seat. If I was going to have a discussion with an FBI agent and Sofia’s father, I needed to sit down for the duration.

  The silence stretched between us again and I blinked at the man who hadn’t opened his eyes yet as he leaned his elbow on the armrest of the seat. “Mr. Thompson, are you here to arrest me?” I wasn’t the type to beat around the bush.

  James laughed, the sound derisive and full of longing. “I want to.” He lifted his head and pierced me with eyes the same dark brown as Sofia’s. “Do you know my team and I – Sofia included – worked this case for almost a year? Do you know how much money that is? How many man-hours?” He chuckled without humor as he shook his head. “Sofia knew. She understood what was at stake. Not only did we have a bead on one crime family but two. Two. You and the Capones. Since the union we thought for sure we had a solid case.” He half-stood, throwing the file on the desk in front of me before sinking back into the chair. He pointed at the papers. “That case was solid, Angelo. I could still arrest you and take you in with Leonardo and half a dozen Rossis and Capones.”

  I tensed at his words, my breath steady while my pulse sped up. Steepling my fingers much like my father did when he wasn’t intimidated and more amused than anything, I cocked my head to the side. “Then why don’t you?” None of it made sense. He wasn’t even threatening me as he matter-of-factly let me know he could do all kinds of things to disrupt my life and others.

  He leaned forward, bracing his elbows on his thighs as he stared at me. “The problem is Sofia delivered a bigger case on the Bianchis. The file she turned in had more information and proof that they were involved in a lot more than just fiddling around with your shipments, homes, and businesses. She turned in the worst of the three families. The kind of evidence she gave the US Attorney trumps anything I could turn in about the Rossis or the Capones. In fact, I tried. The attorney laughed at me. Laughed. Can you believe it?” He huffed as he shook his head.

  “I’m confused. Why are you here, then?” Why else would he come in, if not to arrest me? The entire situation wasn’t only frustrating, but bewildering.

  “The thing is, Angelo, I’m not here as an agent. I might be dressed as one, but I’m here as a father.” He pressed his lips together and stared at the edge of my desk a moment, then he raised his gaze to mine. “The information she gathered about the Bianchis dates back further than the day she first met you. She wasn’t trying to protect you until the very end and even then, she didn’t betray you or me. I thought that if she didn’t do exactly what I said, then she would be letting me down.” He swallowed and leaned back in the chair again. “Instead, she did a better job than I could have hoped.”

  She would be Sofia and I didn’t need him to spell it out. I shook my head, thrumming my fingers on the edge of my desk. “Her job contradicts my lifestyle. Even if I could forgive her or overlook the betrayal, I would still be where I am and she would still be where she is. FBI agents and underbosses don’t have much of a future together. It’s not like I could go to her office Christmas party or she could come to my cousin’s Tupperware parties, you know?”

  He had to understand. He was an agent. We didn’t mix.

  “That’s part of the problem, Angelo. She’s no longer an agent.” His expression turned sad and he lowered his gaze to the flo
or.

  “You fired her?” I wasn’t sure what type of an agent Sofia had been, but to be fired by your father was as harsh as it got.

  He shook his head, swallowing. “Actually, she quit last week right after the raid. I was kind of hoping you’d seen her, to be honest. I wanted to apologize and give her this.” James tapped the top of the leather briefcase at his feet. “She can have a new life, I just don’t want her to think it has to be without me in it.”

  Sofia had left her career at the Bureau behind?

  I took a deep breath. “I don’t understand. What does this have to do with me? Why would you think she would be here? She betrayed me.”

  “But she didn’t. You’re not in any of the reports. Even on days she was with you, she would toss her trackers and the bugs she was ordered to wear. That’s what I’m trying to tell you. She didn’t betray either of us and she did it in such a way that the Rossis and Capones will be left alone on this matter on our end as well as got me a commendation for a job well done and a promotion. The truth is, Sofia did us both favors while screwing herself over.” He studied me and then spoke softly. “She loves both of us and saved both of us. I can’t repay that.”

  If that were true, she’d saved me. She’d turned in the Bianchis instead of me and my family and that was a display of true loyalty. She’d put her own job on the line. Because according to her own father she loved us. She loved him. She loved me.

  What kind of a love allowed someone to lie? The same one that had her working for her father? Because it made sense. There were things I did for my father. There were things I did to protect the ones I loved.

  Loyalty. Wasn’t that what we both agreed was more important than anything else?

  Losing Sofia had taken on a whole new flavor and I wasn’t impressed with the bitter taste.

  After another moment of drawn out silence, Agent Thompson sighed and pushed himself from the seat. “If you do see her, let her know I love her. I don’t want to lose her. And… I’m sorry.” He was beaten and I could see it in the downturned edges of his mouth and the slight stoop to his shoulders.

  “Yeah, I’ll do that.” And maybe I would get a chance to say my piece as well.

  The only question was, if the FBI couldn’t find her, how was I supposed to know where she was?

  Chapter 18

  Sofia

  I’d laid low for the better part of two weeks before I realized I didn’t want to stay in Seattle or anywhere near my father or Angelo. The cheap motel I’d stayed at had at least had cable and I’d spent the better part of my days laying in bed, watching soap operas by day and reality shows by night.

  There was nothing to be done while I nursed a broken heart. That morning, though, I woke up with a renewed sense of purpose.

  Sitting around waiting for life to pass me by wasn’t like me. I didn’t need Angelo or my father to complete me. I just needed to get out of that bed and get going with my life. I could do that. I’d played a savvy businesswoman for the better part of a year. I could continue playing that role and make it a reality.

  Dressed in a pantsuit and flat shoes, I checked out of the motel and rolled my minimal luggage to the waiting Uber in front of the motel. After giving him my destination, I settled back into the seat for the drive. We left Little Italy behind and I wanted to say out loud good riddance. Nothing but heartache could be found in the buildings and restaurants of the Italian community. I was turning my back on pain.

  I could do that.

  At the airport, I paid the driver using my phone app and climbed from the sedan. I had a couple hours before my flight which I’d booked just before checking out. Maybe I should grab something better for me to eat than Hostess snacks and chips. My stomach growled at the thought of a panini or Philly cheesesteak sandwich.

  Beelining for the food court, I stopped at the options before me. Italian, Chinese, Bar-b-que, chain-style fast food, and Mexican greeted me and I kind of wanted some of everything. Instead, I found myself standing at the Italian food, staring at the lasagna and the spaghetti. Wrinkling my nose, I wasn’t sure what I wanted but I knew it had to be soon.

  “If you get anything at this place, you’re not the woman I thought you were.” His voice curled around me and stretched down to my toes.

  I closed my eyes for a split second, certain I was going crazy. Was I hallucinating? That would be a first since I’d sent him away from two weeks ago. I took a breath and turned around, grateful I’d taken a shower and did my hair that morning.

  There he was in all of his intimidating masculinity. He wore a well-tailored white sleeve shirt that buttoned up the front and was tucked into a pair of charcoal gray slacks creased beneath the knee. His sleeves were unbuttoned and rolled to just below his elbows, showcasing the muscles in his arms that I knew he got from the intense workouts he did at insane hours of the night.

  “Ma’am? Are you going to order?” The voice of a young man broke through my stupor and I glanced over my shoulder and then back to Angelo. I couldn’t even remember where I was.

  Angelo’s gaze on me didn’t flicker as he shook his head and stepped further from the line. “No, she’s not.”

  “Please, leave the line then, ma’am.” The kid’s bored tone made me want to giggle and ask him if he’d ever seen a powerful crime boss before? I’m not a giggler, but the urge was there.

  Angelo might not be the actual dom of the Rossis, but he was moving into that position and I couldn’t help but be in awe of him now that I wasn’t hiding behind the role of the all-powerful Sofia Thompson. Now, I was just me, plain Sofia Thompson and I had nothing to offer anyone.

  I stepped out of line, closer to Angelo and with a death grip on the handle of my luggage. I hiked the strap of my small purse up my shoulder more and tried gathering my wits about me. It was hard with a man like Angelo only a few feet away.

  Clearing my throat, I finally let myself look at him. “What are you doing here, Angelo?” I glanced around. Had he come after me for revenge? It wouldn’t be hard for him or some of his soldiers to off me in the airport. He could lead me down a hallway and kill me without anyone knowing for a few hours.

  But seeing him, I didn’t care what he wanted to do to me. I was just glad I could get one last glimpse of him. My heart rate pushed higher and my heart tugged me closer to him, but I couldn’t. I had to hold onto some remnants of pride.

  “I’m here because someone had to stop you from eating that plastic knockoff Italian food. You could thank me. I mean, I just saved your life.” The humor in his tone and words didn’t reach his eyes.

  I couldn’t speak as he studied me and then reached out, flipping a curled chunk of my dark hair back over my shoulder. His fingertips grazed the soft skin above my collarbone which was bared by the collar of my shirt. “Oh, mi amore, why do you leave?”

  Blinking at his soft question, I glanced down and closed my eyes for a brief moment and then opened them again. I could ignore everyone in that building with Angelo so near. He consumed my very existence. “There’s nothing left for me here, Angelo. My father… and you…” I shrugged. “I need to find something new.” Something I could carve out for myself without memories of them everywhere.

  “We’re here. Your father and I. We’re here and you’re leaving. Family is important, Sofia. More important than anything else. Your father…” He glanced away from me and then returned his gaze to my face. “Your father came to visit me, not as an agent but as your dad. He loves you.”

  I caught my breath. Why would my father go to see Angelo? It didn’t make sense. “Are you sure he wasn’t trying to get information from you?” That sounded more like my father. The job came before everything else.

  “Actually, he gave me a file of information on the Rossis and Capones and said he didn’t need it since you’d turned in the Bianchis with better evidence.” He studied me as if he couldn’t believe I would do that. The dark of his eyes caught me off guard as they softened.

  “They were the bett
er criminals.” I didn’t tell him that I’d seen more legal activity from the Rossis and the Capones than the Bianchis had done in the last five years. While the Rossis and Capones had their illegal escapades, they continued thriving in the construction industry as well as the production of their own items.

  “Are you challenging me to be a better criminal than the Bianchis?” Angelo’s teasing tone unnerved me.

  I couldn’t figure out why he was there or why he wasn’t yelling at me. “Why aren’t you yelling at me?” Shouldn’t he be more upset? Why wasn’t he just losing it and demanding some kind of recompense?

  “I want to know why you’re leaving. Your reasons aren’t strong enough. What are you running from?” Worry knit his eyebrows together as he studied me further.

  “The truth is, I don’t have you or my father and the Bianchis know I set them up. I’ve stayed low for the last two weeks and figured I would be okay to leave now.” I cleared my throat. He could say my father loved me all he wanted, but I knew my dad. There was something he wasn’t divulging to Angelo and I had no idea what it could be.

  Dad didn’t do things without a goal.

  “Sofia, you have me.” He reached out and trailed his fingers up and down my arm as he stared into my eyes.

  I had him? I never had him and now that I was leaving, he wanted me to think I had him? The only thing I could think to say was, “What do you want from me?” I had to protect my heart from more pain and to do that, I had to think with my head and not my emotions. Before I started to cry, I had to get myself in hand.

  I could do that. I had to do that.

  Chapter 19

  Angelo

  “What do I want?” I didn’t begrudge her the suspicion so blatant on her delicate features. I wasn’t stupid enough to think she should jump for joy because I was there, but I couldn’t deny my pain that she wasn’t more accepting of what I said.