“Through and through,” I agreed confidently, placing a hand over his heart. Despite what DNA might dictate, we’d carry Charlie and his name with us for the rest of our lives.
Those were the last words we exchanged privately before the rest of the evening was spent fielding congratulations from the guests and watering down Dante’s drinks at the bar.
Chapter Thirty Five
Lucas
It had been a risk to propose for a second time and in front of all of the guests. She had every right to decline, every right to put her foot on the brakes. All I had done since we’d reunited was to ask her to go along with my plans, and Mia continued to prove her loyalty by agreeing. Whatever doubts she had, and knowing Mia there were bound to be plenty, she soldiered on without complaint. That alone made her deserving of my devotion for the rest of our lives.
Xavier had declined my invite to Mia’s birthday party. I’d wanted him to be there, wanted to see the look on his face when I got down on one knee and asked her to marry me again, but it wasn’t meant to be. And now, at my Godfather’s request, I found myself on the doorstep of the Moretti residence because it would be unacceptable for me to decline. I’d kept this piece of information from Mia. Stress was something she needed to avoid, and telling her that a meeting with Xavier was on my agenda would only serve to make her worry.
“Luc!” Emilia greeted me at the door. “We weren’t certain you’d turn up. Come in. We’re about to sit down.”
I stepped over the threshold and kissed her cheek. “Sit down?”
“Dinner. Xavier did tell you, didn’t he?” she asked, leading us through the house.
“No. I thought this was a casual visit, or I’d have brought wine.” The only saving grace as I walked into the dining room was the fact that Dante sat there, next to Vittoria, looking like he’d rather be anywhere but at this dinner from Hell.
“Cutting it close today, Luc,” Xavier said as he saw me.
The icy anger washed over me again. This was the first time I’d seen him since the truth had been broken to me. Every inch of my body hummed with the killer instinct that lay in me. Maybe I could have let it go if I’d known the truth and no one else had been involved, but I’d seen Dad, Hector, and Mia all suffer because of his secret. I could pull my gun, take the shot, and watch him bleed out, and my soul would find peace. The only problem was if I did that, the family would be thrown into disarray and then we’d be in more danger than we were now.
He gestured to the chair beside Gabriel. Biting the insides of my cheek, I took the seat and said, “If you’d mentioned it was dinner, I would have made sure I was punctual.”
“Must have slipped my mind.” No apology. Nothing to show that it was his mistake and not mine. This was how these things always played out. Dante shot me a fleeting look from across the table and I knew he wondered how and why I’d been suckered into this. And with that, dinner was brought to the table for us to play out the charade of a normal, happy family who did this regularly.
“I’m surprised that you didn’t bring Mia along with you,” Xavier said, looking at me from over the top of his glass.
“Pregnancy’s been an experience,” I replied calmly. “She needs to rest. Plus, I don’t make a habit of bringing Mia to a job.”
“Of course. Next time I’ll be clearer about the invite.” He placed his glass down and leaned back in his chair. “I’m sure all the excitement from your engagement has worn her out. Gabriel did mention the spectacle you made of yourself at her birthday.”
The news would have reached Xavier through the grapevine, but it had taken a more direct route through Gabe. If he couldn’t win favor with everyone else with Mia by his side, then he’d try to win favor with Xavier by making us look bad. It would have made for an easier life to let Gabe tie himself into knots and eventually try to take out his father,ourfather, but I couldn’t rely on him knowing his left from his right most days. Execution wasn’t Gabriel’s forte.
“Good thing she agreed.” It was clipped and I reminded myself that I needed to relax.
“Honestly, I’m surprised you’ve let her back into your life after everything she did.”
“Dad,” Tori said through gritted teeth. “Why are you interrogating him? I’m not sure this is an appropriate topic of conversation for dinner.”
“Why not? I want to make sure the family is safe, Vittoria. That you’re all set in your future, and that includes having a suitable partner.” A not so subtle dig at Dante who did well to hold still in his chair. “Did you find out why she left?”
I dropped my gaze onto the plate in front of me. I prayed that my face gave nothing away as I said, “Hector. She couldn’t cope with the grief. I should have known better than anyone just how much it would affect her. I should have understood.”
“She’s back now,” Dante said, and I looked up at him, grateful that he was playing along. His words were quiet and solemn. “There’s no point dwelling on the past when you have so much to look forward to.” I almost choked on the sip I’d taken from my glass. He’d get the fridge magnet he requested, and I would stick it straight up his ass for playing games right now.
“How profound,” Xavier said, sounding unimpressed. “I would advise you to stay cautious, Lucas. You’ve embarrassed this family enough.”
“Xavier,” Emilia said. His name was not a warning but a plea. My Godmother had always been timid when it came to her husband.
He sniffed and relented. “I suppose you’ll want to find out who was responsible for Hector’s death.”
“Dad!” Vittoria slapped a hand on the table. “That is definitely not appropriate for dinner. Business can wait until after we’re done. I’m sorry, Luc.”
Dante placed a hand over hers and the look Tori shot him would have made a weaker man wince. “It’s not business; it’s family. He’s just making sure we’re all safe. There’s no guarantee that whoever went for Hector might not go for someone else who’s close to us.” He was going all out to keep our cover.
“It’s fine, Tori,” I assured her before returning my attention back to Xavier. “I think it would give Mia some much needed closure to find out who did it. I’m holding off though. As I said, I don’t want anything upsetting her during the last months of her pregnancy. Speaking of which,” I looked to Gabe, “Katia Schultz seems to be taking great joy in telling everyone that my son may be yours. I know you’ll put her right on that misunderstanding.”
