“I’ll be there,” I gritted out again.
“On what side of the church, Dante?” Emilio asked, lifting an eyebrow and looking slightly smug.
“That’s not fair,” I told him. News of my engagement hadn’t flown under the radar and there were more than some questioning glances being thrown my way. I’d made a choice that most deemed rash and unreasonable, but I’d yet to have anyone say anything to my face because they knew it happened with Luc’s blessing.
“Considering everything that’s happened, I think there’s a reason to be questioning everyone and their motives. Luc should be trusting no one but his family.”
“Enough, Emilio,” Luc barked out sharply. “Dante is family. You don’t question that again.”
Emilio held his stare for a long moment before giving a curt nod. “I was out of line.” It was the closest I’d get to an apology.
We’d known Emilio for years, but he didn’t understand the bond of a found family. The Diaz clan were all about blood. Horatio had trusted his sons implicitly, never playing them off against each other, and Emilio and Eduardo worked effectively together. A beautiful life that all of us dreamed of but couldn’t afford.
“It doesn’t matter where you’re sitting at the service,” Luc informed me. “Mia will need to go.”
“Mia will need to go where?”
Even Emilio jumped at Mia’s soundless appearance at the door, fingers twitching instinctively towards his weapon until he realised who had intruded on us.
“I didn’t mean to scare you, Emil,” Mia said softly. She was the only other woman that could get away with calling him that because Carmen would skin her husband alive if he ever thought about upsetting Mia.
“Where’s Dom?” Luc asked her.
“Comfort break. Where will I need to go?” she repeated.
Luc held his arm out and Mia dutifully joined his side. It was painful to look at them both. Better than when they had first been admitted to the hospital but a far cry from when I’d first realised Luc would be completely whipped by this woman, at Dom’s wedding. Battered and bruised and looking exhausted. Luc hid it better, but his patience was thin, giving away how frustrated he was feeling.
With Carmen’s guidance, Mia’s long locks had been chopped short, getting rid of the scorched ends until it stopped at her chin, making her look more mature. I didn’t realise hair could change someone so drastically, but the cut transformed my baby sister into a woman who looked like the world owed her and she would rip apart anyone that stopped her from getting it. I knew the truth, though. She was still soft at heart and healing in her own way.
“Xavier’s funeral,” Luc said, and I watched Mia. Her body tensed and the smile she wore for seeing Luc alive and up and talking in bed, tightened. “It’s important that we attend.”
“You’re planning on going?” Mia asked, not looking at him.
“That’s not exactly a viable option now, is it?” The funeral had been scheduled for the day after the surgery. Luc would be in no fit state to turn up at the church.
“You’d need to be the one to attend and represent the family,” Emilio pointed out, having recovered from his earlier scare.
Mia lifted her chin to look at him. “I’m not sure the invitation is being extended to us.”
“You don’t need an invitation.” Emilio took a step towards her and I shifted closer to her side. With Luc down and out, I’d stepped up to the protector role. “You head this family, Mia. Their business is your business whether they like it or not. Plus, they all know it was you who did the dirty deed. I doubt anyone will be willing to tell you what to do for quite some time.”
There wasn’t a single person in our family, or beyond, who didn’t know that Mia had taken the shot that landed Xavier in his grave. Mia had sat at home and batted away questions from the likes of Katia and Rosalie and so many others. People invited themselves to the house and she turned no one away. Mia welcomed each of them with a smile and didn’t rush them out the door. Some pledged their loyalty quite willingly and others watched cautiously from a distance, but the fact of the matter was, whether out of fear or adoration, Mia was revered.
She’d been dealing with it all so methodically that I’d grown curious over what she and Luc had discussed when I was kicked out of the room that afternoon.
When all the guests left, she grew quiet. The smile wasn’t as dazzling, and bravado packed away for another day. Alone, in the safety of those she trusted, Mia became mother before boss. Link was in every room with her and there were bottles of pregnancy vitamins stashed away in the cupboards. I was sure everyone who had temporarily moved into the house had seen them, but they had the sense to not make a comment. When she dashed towards the bathroom and went to her scheduled appointments, Carmen took up her place by Mia’s side. They’d been through this together before and Carmen would help her again without complaint.
“Watch your mouth,” Luc warned Emilio, but Mia silenced him with a hand on his arm. He hadn’t seen the full effect of her work yet. Visitors had been kept to a minimum with the bulk of the work landing on my plate until Luc was discharged and back in the office.
“Vittoria,” she said quietly, casting her glance my way.
“Will understand protocol,” I returned. “She won’t say a word against you being there.” The funeral, in Vittoria’s eyes, was a formality. The last thing she was required to do for her father before she could forget about him and move on with her life.
Tori had barely said a word to me about the ordeal. Neither of us mentioned it. My loyalties were clearly displayed to the world and although Tori fell alongside us, the Morettis were still her family. It was more complicated for her and I wasn’t going to try and rub salt in that particular wound. If she wanted to talk about it, I’d be there to listen but until then we muddled along like everyone else.
“You’ll be there?” Mia asked, looking at me. I should have realised that Mia would air towards agreeing with Luc. Neither of them could say no to each other, which meant that I’d end up splitting myself on the day.
“I won’t be able to be with you constantly. Vittoria asked—”
