Every vow I swore that night carved something into me. I became Family in a way most people never could.
He turned to look at me fully now – the great Don DeMone, staring at his daughter like she was both his heir and his legacy.
“I have never been more proud.”
The words hit me harder than I expected.
“I trust you will do everything in your power to make the marriage with Di’Ablo work.”
My heart thudded once against my ribs.
“I need you to become Underboss. And soon.”
“I will get it done.”
He nodded once, satisfied. “For now, I want you away from Bratva dealings. Focus on this for now. Yes?”
“Yes, father.”
An approving smile. “Good daughter.”
He stood slowly, coat shifting around him like a cloak. His silhouette passed beneath the vaulted arches, then vanished into the daylight spilling through the doors.
I was alone.
The cathedral was quiet again. Incense. Candle smoke curling upward in slow ribbons. Shafts of cold light cutting across the pews.
I sat there, with the memory of Matteo’s kiss.
And the heartbreak of knowing it would eventually end.
Chapter 24
Present
Upper-East Side, New York City
I CAME BACK HOME IN the early afternoon, the elevator opening into the penthouse with its usual soft chime. My heels clicked against the polished floor as I stepped inside, shrugging off my fur coat.
Matteo was stretched across the massive couch like he owned it, one arm thrown over the back cushion, still in his sweats. A glass of tequila on the table next to him. He didn’t even look like he was trying to look good, which was somehow worse.
The TV played in Spanish; Mexico City N+ Foro news, and the sound filled the otherwise quiet apartment.
I stood there for a moment, watching him. Too comfortable. Too at home. Too…Him.
“I’m home,” I said finally.
He muted the TV and turned his head toward me. “I noticed. How did it go?”
I took a breath, set my Chanel bag down on the table a little harder than I meant to, and walked further in.
“I’ve been thinking about what we said this morning,” I said.
His expression didn’t change, but the TV remote went fully still in his hand.
“And?” His voice was low, steady. Waiting.
I crossed my arms, suddenly unsure of my own voice. “I don’t know if it’s a good idea. The whole… Benefits thing.”
