by Zavi James
“Excuse me,” I said to Gabe, but he didn’t move. Instead, he settled his cool gaze on me.
“Where are you rushing off to?” he asked.
“I want to speak to Dante.”
“We don’t have time for that.”
The anger at being cornered into this whole charade still ran through me, forced through my system with every beat of my heart. “Why not?” I spat through gritted teeth.
“We’ll see you back at the house, Gabriel,” Emilia cut across our conversation. Xavier’s wife was a mousy woman. The last time I’d seen her was New Year’s Eve. Without all the finery she looked less impressive. She was a Moretti by name, not by blood. Maybe that spark came down to genetics. Gabe straightened his jacket and nodded, watching as his parents cleared the aisle.
“I’m not coming with you,” I said to him when they were out of earshot. “I’ll go back to yours.”
“That’s not an option.”
“Why not?”
“Because I said so, Mia.” There it was. I saw it more often these days: the flicker in the façade that assured me that Gabe had Xavier’s DNA coiled in every cell. Calm and composed until something didn’t go their way, according to their plans. “It wouldn’t be a smart move to make an enemy out of me right now.”
I clamped my mouth shut, knowing he was correct for a multitude of reasons. Pleased with my silence, Gabe turned and walked out of the row while I stood seething at the impossible position I was in.
“Do you still remember how to walk?” Franco asked from behind me, and I bit back on a response before following after Gabe.
∞∞∞
Stark white surfaces accented in gold gleamed in the sunlight that came through the windows as we walked through the entrance hall. The Moretti manor was as grand as I remembered it, although slightly less glamorous without the glitzy decorations that had covered the interiors at New Year.
Gabriel walked with confidence, not once glancing over his shoulder to check if I was following. It was hard to be disobedient with Franco right behind me ensuring I kept moving. We stepped out into the backyard, the sun so harsh that I shielded my eyes with my hand, to join what must have been at least a third of the congregation who milled around with sweating glasses in hand.
“Why are you doing this?” I asked, picking up my pace so I was beside rather than behind Gabe.
“You can’t hide forever.”
Even if that was the truth, I didn’t appreciate the way Gabe kept trying to create opportunities for himself by using me as a pawn. He had brought Xavier to the house, outed me to the family, and all I could do was grit my teeth and go along with each play because there was no alternative.
In the unforgiving heat of the day, I trailed Gabriel as he spoke to some familiar faces. The men he greeted took little interest in me beyond a curious glance. I wasn’t important, only a problem that was being sorted behind closed doors and didn’t need their assistance. Not yet anyway. They wouldn’t think twice if Xavier called them in to help get rid of me, but for now, they’d keep their hands clean. The assumption was clear; I was attached to Gabe in some way and Xavier hadn’t breathed a word against me, so whatever they thought had to be kept behind locked lips.
I huffed a breath and gazed over the yard before seeing Dante standing near the doors, watching me. As I caught his eye, he gave the smallest jerk of his chin, gesturing for me to follow him as he walked inside.
“Gabe,” I cut in during a break in the conversation. He looked down at me and I coated my tongue in as much sugar as I could muster. “I’m going to grab a glass of water. It’s so warm out here.” The expression on his face told me that he was about to decline the request. “It’s probably not best to be out in midday heat in my condition.” I brought a hand to my bump. “I’ll be two minutes.”
He wasn’t about to start snapping with Mauro Costa standing in front of us. That wouldn’t fit in with the fairytale narrative that Gabe wanted to spin for everyone. If he wanted to play games, I’d let him, but I could do the same. I might be pushing my luck, but it was better than being a sitting duck.
“Thank you.” I smiled brightly, showing gratitude to the permission he hadn’t even granted. Turning to Franco, I said, “No need for you to come with me. There’s nowhere safer than the Moretti household, surely?”
The muscles in Franco’s face tightened as I backed him into the corner, but I didn’t stay to enjoy the moment. Instead, I left as quickly as possible, making my way across the yard and into the house. Instantly, the coolness hit me, and I was grateful to be out of the sun and away from eyes. All I needed to do now was figure out where Dante had gotten to.
My steps were light as I walked through the empty space of the house toward the kitchen, which would be my first guess as to his location. A pair of voices floated from the room and I listened to women in the middle of a conversation.
“She’s been stuck to him all day.” Katia’s heavily accented voice was the one I recognized first. “You should have seen them in church. It was shameful. All over each other.”
The other person snorted. “Shameful seems to be her forte.”
“Clever move, if you ask me. Even if it’s a little risky.”
“What do you mean?”
“Sleeping her way to the top.”
For the second time that day, the humiliation swallowed me. Gabe had latched onto an idea to launch him to the top and apparently it didn’t matter what my answer was, because he had already set the wheels in motion. He barely needed to lift a finger to set the rumor mill into overdrive.
“Mia.”
A hand on the small of my back made me jump and I clutched my chest where my heart hammered. “Shh,” I hissed, and pulled Dante away from the kitchen. I didn’t need to hear anymore unsavory opinions on my life, and no one needed to hear us talking. “Is everything okay?” I asked. We entered the room that had held the ball all those months ago.
“Yeah, I wanted to check up on you,” he said to me. “And let you know that Luc knows about the baby.”
I closed my eyes and digested that information. It would have only been a matter of time after this morning, but Luc had already heard the news and I hadn’t heard a word from him. It wasn’t reasonable for me to be upset. I’d left, I’d chosen to stay away, and I was planning to drop off the face of the Earth, but somewhere inside there was a flicker of hope that Luc would be pleased by the news.
“Gabe must have told him.”
I opened my eyes and corrected Dante. “Xavier must have told him.”
“What?”
“Gabe let him know that I was back and brought him around for an unexpected visit.”
“What the fuck is he playing at?” Dante exclaimed, brows knitting together. We’d both banked on Gabe wanting to help us, but we’d misjudged him.
“You wouldn’t believe me,” I said, letting out a breath.
“Try me.”
“Did you lose your way to the kitchen?” Franco stood in the doorway, taking in the both of us.
“I…” I started, hoping he hadn’t heard anything we’d said.
“Save it,” he told me sharply. “Gabe’s ready to leave.”
“Well, we’ll have to appease his royal highness, won’t we?” Dante grinned. “After you, Mia.”
And I trudged out of the room with Franco reattached as my shadow, making sure to break my vow of silence with Dante and fill him in on everything when I got home.
Chapter Eighteen
Dante
“You’re away with the fairies,” Tori said, pushing a hand through my hair as she came around the sofa. “What’s on your mind, love?”
“Nothing.”
“Do you want to try that again?” She stood in front of me with her hands planted firmly on her hips, and I looked up at the woman who looked less than impressed with the unconvincing lie that I’d told her. Letting out a sigh, I grabbed her hips and pulled her into me. Tori came willingly, perching herself on my la
p, and I buried my head into the crook of her neck, taking in the cinnamon scent that belonged to her. Tori reminded me of Christmas at all times of the year.
“Dante,” she murmured against my temple. “You’re starting to worry me.”
“You don’t need to worry,” I told her, rubbing the outside of her thigh with my hand. “I’m just thinking about Mia and Luc.”
Tori leaned back to look at me properly. “You can’t fix everything for them. They need to decide if they want to talk. She’s safe with Gabe for now.”
I wished that were true. I had counted on Mia being safe with Gabe but that no longer appeared to be the case. Mia had divulged what she’d wanted to tell me Sunday afternoon through text, breaking the vow of silence we held between us. All of my plans had been derailed and I struggled trying to figure out what the next step would be.
“She’s being looked after. Her and the baby,” Tori assured me. Gabe was her twin and she’d trust him with her last breath. I hadn’t shared a womb with him and my faith in him was severely lacking.
“If you say so.”
“You think Gabe won’t take care of her?” Tori asked, a bite in her tone. It would have been easier to tell her the truth but that would have meant the risk of losing her. “He put a lot on the line to do you both a favor and take her in.”
I sat up straight, Tori still on my lap, and swallowed back the response I wanted to fire at her. Gabriel, despite his namesake, was no angel that was doing us a favor. Gabe was as power hungry as his father. Last night, lying in bed, the pieces had slotted together. Mia’s admission of his plan explained perfectly why Gabe had been so icy toward us all, especially Luc. He was panicking over his position in the family and he had every right to.
“I know he did and I’m grateful,” I said in a steady tone. “I just know she must be under a lot of stress right now.” My phone started to buzz, and Tori got off my lap, not looking pleased at my response. “We’ll talk about this later,” I told her distractedly, seeing Luc’s name across the screen and answering the call. “Boss? I’ll be right there.”
Luc had been MIA since he’d stormed into the house and demanded answers from me. At first, I thought he’d been avoiding me, but a quick round of the rest of the staff brought my ego back down to size. Even Dom had shared that Luc was rarely home as of late, and when he was, he locked himself in his office. Hearing from him for help with a job was a small speck of normality that I needed in the madness that was unfolding around me.
∞∞∞
“Clean it up,” Luc demanded. “I want the entire place spotless.” He dropped the bat on the floor and the clatter echoed through the warehouse. The entire space smelled of a foul mixture of blood and urine. Any scrap of life left in the man in front of us would soon drain away.
Michael and Theo moved in to start the clean-up and I peeled the gloves off my hands, tossing them to the ground alongside Luc’s before we stepped out into the cold night air. I heaved in a deep breath, trying to rid myself of the strong scents that lingered. Out of all the senses it was always the smells that stuck with me. I could push away the memories, but every now and then I swore I could smell gunpowder or blood even when we were out in the open, far away from the horrors of business.
“Don’t worry about coming in early tomorrow,” Luc said as we slipped into the car. “I can manage.”
“Are you sure?” I asked as he pulled away and headed toward my house.
“Yeah. I have a meeting scheduled for the morning but it’s quiet otherwise.”
“What meeting?” As far as I knew there was nothing that needed to be sorted. Any meetings, business or otherwise, I knew about, even if Luc didn’t expect me to turn up.
“It’s no concern of yours,” he told me sharply. The silence in the car sat heavy between us, only the sound of the air conditioner blasting cool air around us could be heard.
“Okay,” I said eventually, as he turned onto my street. “Probably works out for the best.”
“Why is that?”
“I need to visit the hospital tomorrow.”
“What for?” Luc asked, eyes narrowed as he glanced over at me.
I rolled my neck to one side and heard the crack before straightening up. “It’s for a doctor’s appointment.”
Luc turned his attention back to the road, not interested in my possible health concerns. I was the boy who cried wolf, so faith in my medical issues was a little shaky. “Obviously. Do whatever you want.”
“Mia’s doctor’s appointment,” I clarified eventually. She had told me about her check-up and I’d volunteered myself to attend the hospital with her, in hopes of being able to talk more freely. This was rocky territory. Luc hadn’t said a word about her pregnancy since the day he’d barged into the house. Something was going on up top, but he wasn’t ready to share, and I wasn’t ready to start poking around at the risk of losing my life.
The tension flooded his muscles and his grip on the steering wheel grew tighter, poker face in place. “Is everything alright?” he asked, calmly.
This was the most interest he’d shown, and I needed to tread lightly. “As far as I know, it’s just routine.”
“Right.”
“I guess now she’s back home she’ll have a new set of doctors to get used to before she actually gives birth.”
“Yeah.”
Luc was never a man of many words, but this was the shortest he had been with me. And whereas I was usually pretty good at reading him, I struggled when I had so little to go on. When he pulled up outside the house, I made the decision to take a stab in the dark. “Maybe you should come with us.”
“And why would I want to do that, Dante?” Luc asked, looking at me. “She’s made it crystal clear she doesn’t think I’m fit to be a father.”
“Wait, what? When?” As far as I knew, they hadn’t spoken again.
“If she thought I was good enough, she would have come back when she found out.”
Running a hand down my face, I wondered if Charlie felt like this when Luc used to turn to him for help. Frustrated and wanting to smack some sense into him. “How was she meant to do that when you were ready to put her six feet under?”
“You said she was with Carmen,” he pointed out. “She had people to speak on her behalf and she still chose not to. She was planning to keep my child from me. She had no intention of ever telling me.” There was the answer as to what he was doing during his self-imposed isolation. Overthinking himself into oblivion.
“If that’s what you think she’s thinking, then prove her wrong, Luc. Come to the appointment. Be a part of that kid’s life. Your bambino.”
He looked ahead of him as if the answer would be out on the road somewhere ahead of us both. “I’m not sure that’s what she wants,” Luc said to the abyss.
“You’ve got no clue what she wants,” I told him bluntly. “You don’t have a clue what you want. You’ve been lost since the moment Mia left, but she’s back now and you need to have a conversation with her, Luc.”
“What am I meant to say to her?”
“Whatever is running through your head. Swallow your pride and be honest with her. If you want your family, Luc, then you need to get them back before this is too far gone.” Luc opened his mouth, but I didn’t give him a chance to respond. “Don’t bother lying to me. I know you. I’ve known you most of your life. If you wanted to kill her—really, truly wanted to end her life—you’d have done it by now. You’d have done it in my home without a care for the mess you left on my floor. And that was before you knew she was pregnant, so don’t hide behind your bambino as an excuse.”
Over the years Luc had lost it over the smallest things and when he was in a true blackout rage, nothing could stop him. Something inside him had stuttered when he’d seen Mia. He might have been angry, but not enough to end her life the way he had planned.
“Let me know if there’s any problems tomorrow,” Luc said, disregarding everything I’d said to him. “I’ll see y
ou at work.”
I huffed out a sigh and opened the door and stepped out into the night once more. My hand gripped the handle as I leaned down and said, “10 a.m. at Claremont. In case you change your mind.”
Chapter Nineteen
Mia
“I told you, you could have stayed at home,” I said to Franco as he zipped down the streets toward the hospital. “Dante could have picked me up.”
“I’m not sure Gabriel would have been too happy about that,” he replied, glancing at me. Neither of us was happy about the arrangement. With Gabe at work, I’d hoped that Dante and I would be able to chat privately, but Gabe had given strict instructions before he left. Franco would accompany me to my appointment and nothing I said could persuade him away from that order. Everything Franco did was to appease Gabe, which was no surprise, considering his life probably depended on it.
“I suppose not,” I muttered in agreement.
Franco parked up and helped me out of the car. I tugged at my shirt, a new nervous habit, and felt him at my heels as we made our way up to the entrance. With each step we took, my eyes darted around the area in search of Luc. Dante had mentioned that he’d extended the invite. There were plenty of people around but no sign of Luc, and then my eyes landed on a familiar figure. Dante beamed as he caught sight of us, and the anxious knot in my stomach eased. Walking into his outstretched arms, I hugged him around the middle as he dropped a kiss on the top of my head.
“Hey, sweetheart,” he greeted, letting me go and nodding at Franco. “Lurch,” he addressed my security and I held back a laugh. “Let’s get inside and check everything’s alright with your little gremlin.”
“Are you ever going to refer to this baby as a baby?”
“I’ll make that decision once you’ve pushed it out and I can make clear judgement that it is indeed a baby. Can’t be too sure, considering its parentage.”