“Why, may I ask?”
“You’re so… young. Probably the youngest don we’ve ever had.”
He grunts, though he doesn’t seem irritated, just confirming my assumption. “That may be true. But I have prepared to be don all my life. My father raised me and my brothers to take on this responsibility. I assure you, I’m ready even though I am younger than most expect.”
I’d wish him luck, but that seems inappropriate. I just hope the other dons don’t eat him for lunch. It’s a tough city and the families don’t often welcome outsiders into positions of power, even if they are blood relatives. To them, this man hasn’t proven himself at all. He’s a wild card. He’s going to have an uphillbattle carving out a reputation for himself while holding on to the power he’s been handed on a gold platter.
“Well, welcome to New York,” I finally say. “I’m sure we’ll cross paths again.”
“It was nice to make your acquaintance.” He wanders off, speaking to others in the room.
“Who is he?” Cian’s deep voice rumbles behind me.
“The new don Pontrelli.” I face him. “Which means he’s your newest ally.”
Cian’s gaze follows Maximo around the room. “Do you think he’s even thirty years old?”
“Barely. But he seems serious and mature enough.”
Hopefully he’s not hiding some psychotic or deranged behaviors under that handsome façade. Everyone thought Matteo was a charming young man, because they never saw beneath the surface to his rotten soul. I pray to god that Maximo is nothing like my brother. Our family wouldn’t survive it.
Keeping true to the whirlwind that is my life these days, my boss calls that weekend, confirming that Devlin did put in a good word for me.
“Mrs. O’Rourke, I’d like to hire you into a new position at the agency. If it’s agreeable to you.”
“Yes, I’d love it. I accept!”
“If only all of my employees were as happy to come to work as you.” Ms. Ryan chuckles. “I haven’t told you what the position entails yet.”
“Oh. Go ahead.” Honestly, it doesn’t matter. I’d mop floors on my hands and knees if that’s the job, and do it without complaint. I just need a sense of purpose.
“Apart from… that incident, you’re a diligent worker. I’d like to offer you the position of my personal assistant. Heather’s on maternity leave and doesn’t know if she’ll be rejoining the workforce, so I’m hiring her replacement. Does it interest you?”
“Yes. Just send me a list of my duties and I’ll be there Monday morning.”
“I’ll email you the details. I look forward to working more closely with you, Ravenna.” She hangs up, leaving me grinning at the wall like I’ve lost my mind.
I have a job! I’m even being promoted. Didn’t see that coming.
Cian steps into the room. He takes one look at me and his features soften. “Good news?”
“Yes! My old boss offered me a job as her personal assistant. I’m heading back into the office on Monday.”
“That’s excellent. I’m so proud of you.” He seems sincere.
I beam up at him. “How about we go for a celebratory dinner tonight?”
“I’ll book us a reservation.”
After all this time, I think I’d be immune to how people stare at my husband’s scars. News flash: I’m not. The way people openly gape at him as we make our way throughSpadesto our private table fills me with fury. It’s so rude.
More importantly, I notice the tinge of pink crawling up Cian’s neck. He’s still affected by it, too.
Gritting my teeth and glaring, I’m grateful when we finally sit down at a secluded table with a wonderful view of the city. We’re back in our little bubble again, where it’s just us and we can ignore the rest of society.
As soon as I sit down, I notice the purple tulip centerpiece. I don’t recall my favorite flower on any of the other tables we passed.
“They’re a custom request,” Cian explains, studying the menu. “I wanted to make tonight special.”
