“Is everyone begging to be stabbed today?” I threw my hands in the air. “I made an error in judgment. I’m a little out of my depth here, all right?”
“You should come live with me.”
“Achilles, I barely agreed toonedrink with you,” I groaned, aghast. “Anyway, did you bring me what I asked for?”
“Wine, yes, cigarettes, no.”
“Why not?”
“It’s unhealthy.”
“Yousmoke.”
“No shit. And I don’t care about my life nearly as much as I do yours.”
Deciding we had plenty of time to bicker, I stepped aside and let him in. Our first stop was upstairs, in Nero’s room. Achilles always took a moment to nuzzle his nephew and speak to him in Italian.
“Gennarino, you rascal. Look how big you are!”
I stood at the door, hugging myself as Imma watched the scene from the nursing chair while Achilles blew raspberries on Nero’s tummy. My nephew cooed happily, throwing clenched fists in the air and trying to bite Achilles’s nose with his mostly toothless mouth. A deep, bone-crushing agony tore through me.
Family was important to him. This had always been true.
He’d be a good father one day.
If he doesn’t end up with you.
Clearing my throat, I stepped back. “I’ll go open that wine downstairs.”
“Now behave,piccolino.” Achilles handed Nero back to the nanny and followed me silently down the stairs and through the patio doors. A server had already spread different cheeses, olives, and prosciutto on a charcuterie board. The wine waited for us with two tall glasses. Achilles opened and poured it, his silence buzzing in my ears.
“How’s the war with Coppola going?” I asked, wanting to steer the conversation into a more neutral subject.
“In full swing.” He took a sip of his wine. “He’s been taking over our territory while we chip at his manpower, taking out his soldiers one at a time. Luca thinks we should give him concessions after what happened and eat the loss. I think we should off him.”
“It’s unlike you to listen to Luca.” I popped a garlic-stuffed olive into my mouth, chewing slowly. “You usually do what you want and deal with the consequences later.”If at all.
“Usually,” he agreed blandly. “But everyone’s riding my ass after I detonated the two-century Camorra Alliance structure to get my dick wet.”
“I can imagine Vello’s going to make you jump through hoops now to make you don.”
“Nah, I blew my chance for the crown.” He waved me off. “Got demoted. It’s done.”
My heart ceased to beat. A shot of pain zipped through it. Being the don was what Achilles had worked for ever since he was twelve. He sought his father’s approval in a fierce, obsessive way. It was why I’d almost killed myself when we were young. I knew he’d regret the decision to marry me forever if he knew I couldn’t give him heirs.
“I’d say I’m sorry, but none of it was my making.” I fiddled with the stem of my wineglass.
“All right, Tier. Let’s cut the crap. I love you. You love me. Everything else can be sorted. Get off your metaphorical high horse. Say the word, and I’ll announce our engagement in tomorrow’s newspapers.”
I choked on an olive, coughing it out into my fist. “That’s the lousiest love declaration?—”
“It’s not a love declaration.” He crossed his arms over his chest. “To declare is to announce new information. This is old news. I’ve loved you since that first night I found you bundled up in your bed like a little mouse when we were kids.”
New or not, the information brought me to my knees. No matter how hard I tried to fight it, his affection and approval always mattered to me. But admitting it terrified me. He’d hurt me so much over the years, putting my trust in him felt like suicide. Putting my trust inanyman felt like a colossal mistake.
“Well, I don’t lov?—”
“You do.” His eyes were locked on mine. “Stop fucking lying, Tierney.”
