“Are you in danger, Mom?” I asked.
Ian shook his head, but his assurances offered little in fact. He’d told me my brother had been hunting me. Now, at least two of our cousins, members of the family business had traveled all the way to Seattle to ‘see me.’ How far would they go to find me?
“Oh, I don’t worry about her,” my mom said. “She’s a big girl now, knows how to handle herself, and men. I taught her well.”
“Thanks, Mom,” I replied.
She’d been talking about herself, telling me not to worry, but the rest rang true. She’d taught me well. Even now, with Ian having all the cards, those lessons could help put me on top in the end, no matter what I decided.
“It is a long way for a surprise visit,” she said. “Yeah, her father is in a bad way, they think he’s going to pass soon. If we don’t hear from Emma soon, they want me to go to Scotland for the will reading. I guess I can represent her, or something. All I know about English law is they wear wigs.”
“Scottish law!” called a male voice in the background, one of the cousins no doubt.
“I might just see you there,” I said.
“Florida in August!” My mom’s voice squeaked. “Now why in the world would you want to go there? I’d stay out of that heat.”
“We should keep the line clear,” said the same male voice as before.
“Stay safe, Mom,” I said with a sniff.
“Oh, don’t worry about me, Daisy,” she said and the line went dead.
I stared at the phone in my hand. She’d said she was safe. Sal might not have been my favorite person. I didn’t respect him, but he did run the De Rossi family. Small compared the other Mafia families back east, but protected. Any unsanctioned attack on him or his blood risked retaliations by the other families. She was safe.
“They won’t hurt her,” Ian said. His hand covered the phone in mine, squeezing around it. “There’s no profit in it unless it can lead them to you. Thanks to her little performance, they still think you are incommunicado.”
Ian hadn’t known me at all before we’d met, despite his research. We’d spent two days together now, but he’d already learned enough to comfort me. I couldn’t argue with him. There was no profit in hurting her, not yet.
“What about when they come here?” I asked.
“I’ve got allies,” he replied with no hesitation. “I can have them shadowed. If your brother tries anything, I can protect her.”
He didn’t have to do that. As far as his plans went, my mom didn’t matter at all, but she mattered to me. Was he trying to win me over more, keep me on his side? Did he actually care about me?
I tried to decipher the answer from his expression. Steady eyes, firm with conviction, set flat lips; it all could have gone either way. It didn’t matter, in the end. I knew the best response was to let him think it was working.
My feet shuffled forward. I wrapped my arms around him and hugged tightly. He hesitated before his hands stroked my back. If only I had an onion, I could have cried and really sealed the deal.
10
Unexpected Advances
Ian
Emma’s inviting warm body pressed against mine. She latched around me like a lifeline. Once again, I worried I’d read her wrong. These weren’t the actions of the calculating mercenary I’d thought her to be, but the actions of a girl scared for her mother. I hadn’t expected any physical contact –not unless it was violent.
I had kidnapped her, after all, lied to her about almost everything. The check I’d cut to earn her forgiveness grew with each one. People were transactional animals, as she was fond of saying. Once I took control of the families, I’d have the resources to buy her loyalty and forgiveness.
The abrupt hug came before I’d even entered negotiations. Her warm breath billowed against my neck. I wanted nothing more than to give in, to enjoy whatever time she granted me. Our encounter a year ago remained fresh in my mind. It had distracted me on many a lonely night.
Emma was the key to everything. Her lips brushed against my neck. I sucked a breath in my mouth. A throaty giggle burst from hers. She wanted me to react that way; it pleased her. Was it all for distraction? She shifted and her breath warmed my cheek.
“You don’t have to do this,” I said, celebrating when my voice didn’t wobble.
She chuckled and nuzzled close to my neck. Her hair batted against my cheek as she shook her head. After she recovered, she pulled back and almost started laughing.
“You said that the first time we kissed,” she said, “it made me wonder if you were gay. The whole thing would have made more sense if you were.”
