I can hear his smile. Some people say it’s creepy, that it never reaches his pale eyes, but I don’t feel that way. “We’d love to help take care of the little man. And, honestly, I’m relieved you’ll be here. We’ll need your eye.”
“Okay, great. Thank you!”
I stand and study myself in the mirror. I’m wearing a blouse, a blazer, and loose-fitting pants, chosen to hide my post-pregnancy figure. I adjust my hair, tied up in a bun, and practice a smile. Showtime.
Theo gurgles when I pick him up from his bassinet and cradle him to my chest. “Are you going to be a good boy for Auntie Cassie?”
He gurgles and blows a spit bubble, looking at me with amber-gold eyes. He tilts his head as if to say,Are you kidding, Mommy? I’malwaysa good boy!
And he’s right.
Carrying him to the car, I put him in his car seat, checking everything about a dozen times, then get behind the wheel and drive to work.
CHAPTER 2
RAFEAL
“Let me know if you need any help with anything, cousin,” Tony says, in his usual jumpy way. Tony can never sit still, which is a contrast to his immaculate appearance. His shirts are always pressed, teeth always bleached white, and hair combed to within an inch of its life. “I’m not much of anartiste, but you know, anything at all.”
“I know,” I say, staring at the city as it rises out of the fog.
Nico drives. My most trusted muscle. A scarred man with a twice-broken nose and a smile almost tugging at the corner of his lips. He wears his hair longer than most mafiosi, fluttering as he scans the road.
This city…
It’s been almost a year since I was last here. Almost a year since I looked across the bar and saw a woman in a form-hugging black dress, probably twenty years younger than me, her hair wild and gorgeous around her shoulders. Her smile lit up the whole damn room.
I’m not some hopeless romantic. In my line of business, I can’t afford to be. But when I saw her, everything stopped. I wasn’t struck by lightning or hit by Cupid’s arrow or anything like that. It was tangible. Like solid foundations rising from some primal mist and suddenly making me feel steady.
All my life, my thoughts have fallen and clattered chaotically. The mob. The violence. The business. Staying afloat. Burying the bodies. But the moment I laid eyes on her, everything stopped moving. I didn’t even know that was possible.
I offered her a drink, and she said she wasn’t drinking for the night.“I’m the designated driver. But my friend has disappeared.”
I smiled, and for the first time, in a long time, I meant it. My smile isn’t fake. It’s real.“Let me help you find her.”
We went from bar to bar, making a game of it, sharing secret looks that felt significant. At some point, I casually slide my hand over her back, as though guiding her. She shivered. Stared at me wide-eyed. Ava was so expressive with her eyes, seeming to be able to speak whole sentences without a single word.
Eventually, we learned that her friend had drunkenly gotten a cab home, sending Ava texts of apologies. Before Ava could say she was going to leave too, I leaned in, brushed the hair from her face, and savored the reaction my touch had over her curvy, perfect body.
“Why don’t you be my designated driver instead?”
“Do you need a ride, Michael?”
I said something cheesy. But with her, nothing seemed silly or out of character. It was like I’d been pretending to be someruthless mafia king my entire life, and she’d brought out the real me.“You’re already taking me for a ride…”
She laughed and slapped my chest.“Did you seriously just say that?”
“I’m afraid I did.”
“Oh, Michael…”
Yeah, Michael.
I gave her a false name. Because, of course, I did. Because I’m a bastard who lives in a dark world, and if she knew who I really was, she’d be in danger. It’s an old habit. One I’ve never even tried to shake. Lies and shadows and blood, that’s my world.
I had to take a call. After she asked what it was about. When I mentioned the art auction, she lit up. Her cheeks flushed, and she became so vivacious, I felt like metal to a magnet. She talked enthusiastically about the auction, saying she wanted to work in the art world one day.
My mind was already ticking. Figuring out ways to make her wish come true. Her passion alone convinced me she was worth a shot.
