“It’s always the quiet ones,” Charlotte mutters under her breath.
“Did you know?” Antonia asks Charlotte.
“Not the slightest clue,” she replies, looking at me. I shake my head. I had no idea either.
I find a bottle of white wine in an ice bucket on the table. Four glasses around it. There’s also a charcuterie board filled with cheeses and meats. I pick up the bottleof wine.
“We’re going to need more than one,” I grumble to myself.
“I’m good with water. My stomach still isn’t a hundred percent,” Antonia says, as she gets Jazzy settled in front of a plate of pancakes.
“I’m good with wine,” Charlotte says, holding out an empty glass to me.
Once we’re topped off, I sit down.
Charlotte sits right next to me. She reaches over and holds my hand. “You doing okay?” she whispers.
“No. But I will be,” I whisper back.
My friend gives me a concerning look. “This really is good wine,” she says. “Just how does Emmanuel’s housekeeper know you love it?”
“Is that the front door?” I ask, knowing we are nowhere near the front door. I swallow the cold, sugary liquid in my glass. “I’m going to the restroom.”
I’m lying. I need space. I know Charlotte means well, but right now, I need time to think, time to process what the fuck just happened.
As I’m walking back towards the front of the house, Carlo comes running in. I pass Maria, who gives me a polite smile. As soon as my feet touch the foyer, I’m taken back to that day when Emmanuel’s mother was here. Emmanuel is in the doorway. He’stalking to a few of his men in Spanish. But his eyes are on me.
Without a word, I walk past him and head upstairs. There’s one room in this house that I feel peace. His bedroom. We spent most of our time there during my brief stay. That’s where I want to be right now.
Chapter Forty-Two
I’m ready to burn this fucking city to the ground. Some asshole with a hard-on for my friends put Evie in the line of fire. That will not go unpunished. Louie wants me to let Carlo get his revenge on Antonia’s father. I don’t disagree. Doesn’t mean I have to like the idea.
I’m in the doorway of my foyer with my men. I know Joey Marciano doesn’t have the resources to breach the boundaries here, but I don’t ever make themistake of underestimating anyone. Which is why I’ve instructed my men to increase security, making sure they know Evie is their only priority when she’s in this house. I don’t give a fuck if anyone else makes it out alive, as long as she does. Okay, EvieandJazzy—that little girl isn’t going anywhere either.
I never would have thought that one of my best friends having an instant family would mean I would too. When I heard Jazzy was dropped off to Carlo without him having any prior knowledge of her, I didn’t think too much of it. Until I met her and knew I would do anything for my niece. She’s Carlo’s, which makes her mine.
Once my men disperse, I head into my office and pick up my laptop. I open it and do a quick Google search for the best bridal stores in Milan. The first thought that popped into my head when Lailani told me they were hit was that I didn’t marry Evie yet. I need to marry that woman. I was a fucking idiot to tell her we should wait.
I know Evie, though, and a wedding dress is more than just an outfit to her. It’s why I want her to have the fucking dress of her dreams. Finding a few listings, I save the tabs and head upstairs with the laptop.
Evie is sitting on the edge of the bed when I walk in. We stare at each other, neither saying a singleword. I close the door behind me and walk over, stopping a few steps away from her.
“Let me have it,” I tell her.
“Have what?” she asks, clearly confused.
“Yell at me, tell me how much you despise me and this life. Whatever it is you want to say, do it. Because I have something to say also, but you’re going first,” I clarify.
“I’m not going to yell at you,” Evie says. Then she stands. “Actually, I am. Are you fucking her?”
My eyebrows jump up in surprise. That is not what I was expecting.
“Fucking who?” I ask. “Actually, don’t bother telling me. Either way, the answer is no. I’m not fucking anyone who isn’t you, Evie. You should know that.”
“Lailani? Or Lai?” she says sarcastically. “Why hide that you know her if you’re not fucking her?”
“Because she’s a contractor, Evie. A hired gun. A hitwoman. Whatever the fuck you want to call it. I have a job. She takes it on. That’s all there is to it.” I shrug. “I had her here keeping an eye on Louie, Sammie, and Carlo. To protect them from a threat they had no fucking idea was lurking in their backyard.”
