“Sorry, Gabe.” Franco burst into the room, red in the face. Cerb had served as a perfect distraction for my head start. “We’ll let you get back to work.” He turned to me, looking livid. “Move.”
“No,” I shot back. “I need to speak to Gabe, so get out.” Franco looked ready to berate me for my insolence, but I was just as prepared to fight back. In the hierarchy, Franco answered to Gabe, but he was assigned to me and that put me marginally above him in standings.
“Franco,” Gabe said before the argument could begin. “Leave us.”
He took a deep breath through his nose and left the room, slamming the door behind him. I was certain Franco hoped Gabe would get rid of me and restore some peace in their lives.
“Invite?” Gabe asked again, pulling my attention to him.
“Invite, Gabe. To the Diaz christening. I know you have it and I want it,” I told him, walking up to the desk.
He watched me with a glint in his eye and I saw the corner of his mouth tug into a smirk. “There she is. There’s that sharpness that you’ve been hiding. I was wondering if motherhood had softened you.” I bit the insides of my cheeks hard enough to taste the tang of blood. “You’ve been so docile, Mia. Not at all how I remembered you. Not how Luc spoke about you. This,” he said gesturing to me. “This is the woman I’ve been waiting for.”
“Well, she’s right here. Now give me what I want.”
He got up from his seat and came around the desk to join me. “Have you thought any more on my offer?”
I could have screamed. I could have launched myself at him and felt the satisfaction of letting my nails dig into his flesh and cause him pain, but I did neither of those things. Both of those reactions wouldn’t get me what I wanted.
“I’ve been thinking a lot, Gabriel. If this is how it would be, you making every decision and hiding things from me, then I have no interest in tying myself to you for the rest of my life.”
There was a twitch of his eye, a ripple in an otherwise calm façade. “I told you, you’d want for nothing. You’d have my protection.” He knew how desperate I was to keep my life after I’d walked away from them. “What else do you want?”
“I don’t want to play pretend,” I told him carefully. “You can’t promise me power and then not give me any. I want the invitation that was addressed to me.”
“Unfortunately, it no longer exists,” he told me, folding his arms across his chest.
“Fine.” I was struggling to meet his calmness with my own. “I’m attending the christening on Sunday.”
“No, you won’t,” he told me. “We have church to attend and the brunch at my parents.”
“You’re acting like I’ve agreed when I haven’t,” I reminded him. I was about to play a risky game and doubt almost made me falter but I kept going strong. “I am attending that christening because if I don’t, I will make sure Sunday will have everyone questioning why you’ve chosen to keep me close.”
That got to him. The tension sat clearly in his jaw and shoulders. Gabe may have made the first move but I was learning how to play, and I was learning quick. “Franco will go with you,” he told me.
“Franco will come with me,” I agreed, not pushing my luck any further.
“And I want an answer when you return, Mia. No more thinking it over. You either agree, or you fend for yourself. I’m growing tired of you living off my generosity.”
Generosity was not what I would call it. “You’ll have my answer when I get back.”
Gabe walked back around the table and sat down again, lifting the lid of his laptop to resume work. “Think carefully, Mia. We could make a powerful team.”
Chapter Twenty One
Lucas
It was a bright September afternoon when everyone arrived at St. Peter’s cathedral for the Diaz christening. The sun was high in the sky and guests were gathered outside, dressed in their Sunday best as ordered by Carmen. This was sure to be the event of the year. A shame for Marcus De Salvo and Eliza Parisi, who were due to get married next month. They’d never be able to outdo Carmen’s handiwork.
“And they call us vultures,” Dante said, clapping a hand on my shoulder and pointing out a small group of people with professional cameras, with lenses large enough you’d think they’d topple over from the weight. My lip curled up in disgust. Paparazzi were part and parcel of Carmen’s life. Although they appreciated her privacy most of the time, they weren’t going to miss out on a big life event like this, which meant we all had to be on our best behavior.
“Let’s get inside,” I told him. We took the steps up to the doors two at a time and nodded to some of guests. Inside the cathedral, the pews were already filled with people ready to see Santiago and Javier become part of the church.
“Luc!” A tiny body dressed in a dapper suit came running down the aisle at me and I couldn’t help but grin. Santiago was a barrel of energy and I stooped down to pick him up.
“Iago,” I greeted him as he balanced on my hip. His hair had been swept to the side and his tiny bow tie sat wonky at his neck. “Are you ready for today?” He nodded vigorously as I continued up the aisle. “Nervous?”
“No.” The confidence on this kid was astounding but it’d serve him well as he grew older.
