I sure as hell know that going forward, it’s going to be a bumpy ride at Dante’s side. But I’m alive. He’s alive. We’re doing this together, and that’s all that matters.
A doctor appears in the doorway, removing her mask and offering a smile. “The Armanis are ready to see you now.”
“Dante,” I whisper, but he’s already awkwardly rolling up to sit. I warily watch him, letting him lean his weight against me as we stumble behind Lily and Lorenzo to one of the guest rooms.
Luca and Ara have their own house where she could have given birth, but I wonder if it was because of all of this—the empire, the legacy, the expectation—that Luca’s heir was born here, in the Armani family home, that had been their safe haven for so many years.
As I watch Lily and Lorenzo in front of us, I can’t help but wonder what will happen between them. Will they have children? How many? My gaze drifts to Dante. Will we have children?
A warm flutter trickles to my core at the thought of a future with Dante. One day, I’ll see him grow old, most likely still acting like a shit-stirring delinquent, and it has my lips curving in a smile. Because as much as I enjoy yelling at him, I know I’ll never be bored. That’s for sure.
When the guest room door opens, the first person I see is Ara. She's lying in bed, pale but seemingly stable, as she holds her bundled baby close to her chest. She’s tucked under Luca’s arm, and there's a lethal edge in his gaze as he looks up at our entrance, until he realizes who it is.
I still have trouble seeing Luca as the head of the Italian mafia. I’ve only ever seen him as a businessman. To think, all these years, he was a man with a deadly secret. And my friend fell for him.
We instinctively know to keep our distance as we take a few steps closer, and my heart fills with joy when I see the baby in Ara’s arms.
“Isn’t she the cutest,” Ara asks.
“She?” Lily and I say in unison.
“She kind of looks like an alien,” Dante says matter-of-factly, then immediately takes a step back from Luca’s scornful gaze. “A cute one,” he quickly adds.
I shake my head, past the point of apologizing for this idiot.
“What’s her name?” Lily asks gently.
Ara and Luca look at one another and smile before Ara says, “Elizabeth Armani. It’s my mother’s name.” She looks at Elizabeth lovingly, and my heart fills for Ara. I don’t know all of the finer details, but after discovering her secret and the original reasons behind her fixation on the Armani family—seeking revenge for her mother’s death—I realize that even in death, there are happy moments. Where there is death, there is always life.
Luca clears his throat. “Lorenzo, the reason why I called you here was because Ara said I should ask in person. We’d like you to be the godfather.”
“And, Lily, we’d like you to be the godmother,” Ara adds.
Lily’s jaw drops, and she looks at me, unsure. I smile, rubbing her arm supportively, because this is precisely how it should be. Lily and Ara became friends, and Lily is just that person to a lot of us—a subtle and calm presence. The type of glue people like Ara and I need.
I do look at Dante, however, a small part of me is saddened that he might, yet again, feel second to Lorenzo. But he’s smiling, and it softens me further.
“We’d be honored,” Lorenzo says proudly, and holds Lily closer.
Luca then looks to Dante. “You need to stop getting shot at, even with a bulletproof vest on, so you can keep her safe.”
Dante's eyebrows shoot up. “I can stay here as your second?” He appears confused as he looks between Lorenzo and Luca.
“Of course,” Luca says. “Lorenzo is still to manage business in Italy. I need you to attend to matters here. Don’t fuck it up.”
“Luca,” Ara chastises, and I try not to laugh at how easily she can put a man as powerful as Luca in his place.
When I glance back up at Dante, I hope he sees the pride in my gaze. Whatever he was hoping to find here in Manhattan, besides pissing off his brother, I hope it’s enough for him to feel accepted and included.
I hope he works hard at being the best version of himself. Well, the best a deranged lunatic can be, that is. And I’ll be sure to keep him in check.
When I glance in Lily’s direction, she’s looking at Lorenzo in the same light. I wonder if it’s hard for them to be of service to the Armani name, but also having a blurred line between subordinate and friend. I hope this makes it clear that they’re valued beyond simply shields for the Armanis; that they are, in fact, part of the family.
It might not be the same one they buried, but they have something to truly build on here.
I rest my head into the crook of Dante’s shoulder, relief washing through me that I, too, have found another place to call home.
43
