“You’re late,” Drake said unnecessarily.
Silas responded with a nod. “Something came up.”
Drake lifted an eyebrow in question. “Anything wrong?”
“Nothing business related,” Silas said vaguely, knowing Drake wouldn’t pry even if his curiosity had been aroused.
“Any problems last night?” Drake asked, moving the conversation to the matter at hand.
Silas relaxed, easily shifting gears, effectively ridding himself of thoughts of a raven-haired young innocent and the fact that he’d acted on impulse, something he never, ever did. And he didn’t want to delve into the reasons why, when his life had been a study of remaining in a state of complete control over every aspect of his life.
“Everything went according to plan. The Vanuccis are spooked and have fallen back to regroup. They’re not happy about the alliance between you and the Luconis.”
“That makes two of us,” Drake said grimly.
Drake had always had a policy of not aligning himself with anyone, preferring to reserve his loyalty for his men, his brothers, and they for him. But his hand had been forced when Evangeline had been abducted and he’d had no choice but to ally himself with the Luconis in order to save her. His original plan had been to pit the two crime families against one another and watch them both fall. Now his focus was on keeping the Vanuccis in check while maintaining a civil relationship with the Luconis but at the same time keeping a very close eye on their dealings.
“They’ll want revenge,” Silas warned softly. “We can’t afford to stand down or assume they’re cowed by our alliance with the Luconis. They’ll do what they can to pit us against the Luconis and vice versa, hoping for an eventual war, but while they aren’t the sharpest tools inthe shed, they’re smart enough not to plant all their hopes on that eventuality. Nor are they that patient. They’ll try to arrange partnerships with other smaller syndicates to build their power, and they’ll bide their time, looking for an opportunity to strike when we least expect it. Which is why we have to expect it at all times and never relax our guard.”
Drake’s lips tightened, his expression going cold. Left unsaid was that Evangeline would most assuredly be a target given that she was Drake’s greatest and only weakness. And now that she was pregnant, she was more vulnerable than ever.
To distract Drake from the paralyzing fear of losing his new wife, Silas leaned back with a smile and said, “So how is she doing? Still throwing up around the clock?”
Drake sighed, suddenly looking haggard, a different kind of worry darkening his gaze.
“Pretty much. It’s driving me crazy. I’ve never felt so fucking helpless in my life. That shit’s supposed to stop after the first trimester, but someone apparently needs to tell her that because I swear it’s worse now than it was.”
“Think she’ll be up for our takeout date tomorrow?”
Evangeline was assigned one or more of Drake’s men any time Drake wasn’t with her. And when she and Drake went out, at least two of his men accompanied them. Her security measures were tight, but necessary given the inherent risk to her. She’d already been abducted once, and Drake was determined that no harm would ever come to her again.
Early on in Drake and Evangeline’s relationship, Silas had formed a friendship with her, and he genuinely liked and respected her. They had a weekly takeout date where he would get her favorite takeout foods and bring them to Drake’s apartment, and they’d eat together. Tomorrow was their scheduled date, but with Evangeline’s sickness,Silas wanted to make sure he wouldn’t make things worse for her by choosing foods she couldn’t eat.
“Even if she didn’t feel like eating, she would want your company,” Drake said with an indulgent smile. “She likes you and enjoys your time together. But here’s a tip. Her current cravings are anything Thai, pickles, cookies-and-cream ice cream, and I swear she eats Wagyu steak every other day. A monster has been created.”
“I thought pickles and ice cream was just a pregnancy cliché,” Silas muttered. “Pregnant women actually do crave that shit?”
“Apparently so,” Drake said ruefully. “I keep a stock in the apartment. Crazy woman gets up when she should be sleeping and has both. At the same time.”
He emitted a shudder and Silas had to work to contain his own.
“Okay, then. Thai, pickles, ice cream and Wagyu steak it is,” Silas said with a grin. “Surely that will earn me brownie points and at least one home-cooked meal.”
Evangeline’s cooking was off the charts and Drake’s men, Silas included, employed any means to extort a meal from her.
“You show with all four and she’ll likely be your culinary slave for a year at least,” Drake said with a chuckle.
“I’m definitely bringing her enough, not only for our date tomorrow, but for leftovers several days after.”
Drake rolled his eyes. “Don’t overwork my woman just because you’re addicted to her cooking. She has no business slaving over a hot stove when she’s been feeling like shit.” His face formed a scowl. “Damn woman needs to be off her feet and rest more, but she’s declared war against sickness and fatigue and refuses to stay off her feet for any length of time.”
“I’ll make sure she sits her ass down and puts her feet up while I feed her tomorrow,” Silas said with a scowl of his own.
Drake snorted. “Good luck with that.”
“It’s too fucking quiet,” Silas said in an abrupt change of subject.
It had been burning in his gut for weeks, but now it was a steady fire, a sense of foreboding he couldn’t ignore.
