“Good answer.”
When Cade didn’t follow us, I asked, “Where is he?”
“Going down the fire escape. Fastest way to reach his car.”
I held up a finger at Luigi, who was waiting for me. Unless… “Do you want a lift somewhere?”
“No, I’m fine. But thanks. I run to the park and back.” She beckoned me away from her building, two doors down, stating, “Ma can hear from her window if we talk out here.”
“Ah. What is it, Neev?”
“Kitty’s really strong, Stan?—”
“I know she is.” A fitting bride for a Valentini. ‘Strong’ didn’t begin to describe her. She was a warrior.
“I-I’m guessing she didn’t take being kidnapped lying down—” Her eyes flared. “Oh, my god, they didn’t rape her, did they?”
“No,” I immediately soothed. “There was an attempt but she stopped it.”
Her shoulders drooped. “Thank fuck. I … I feel like I’m going to see you around for the foreseeable future?—”
“You’d be right in thinking that, Neev,” I inserted.
“—and I don’t want you to believe her press.”
“Meaning?”
“She’ll regroup. That’s what she does. Then, she’ll process it far faster than is healthy and she’ll become mulish and her defenses will rocket up around her. I-I want you to stop that from happening.
“I’ve never seen her act the way she does when she’s around you and I like it on her. She’s always borne the burden of our family. She’s similar to Lucas in that sense. It’s why he pisses her off. She wants things her way and he has his own dictates. The rest of us are playing monkey in the damn middle between them.
“Make sure she knows you’re a safe space for her, Stan. Otherwise you’ll never breach those walls she’ll build.”
I studied her, this wild child who had caused her siblings such distress, utterly unaware of the lengths her sisters had gone to in her defense, and I smiled.
Because she was worthy of their protection.
“I won’t let her shut me out,” I promised her.
“Good. She doesn’t always have to be the one who shoulders the weight of the world. I want her to know that.” She faltered then shored herself up. “Okay, I have to go. I’ll be late for work otherwise. See you around, Stan.”
“It isn’t safe out here, Neev,” I warned.
Her throat bobbed. “Really?”
“Really.”
“But Kitty…”
“Is mine,” I proclaimed. “Which makes her family mine to protect too. I will have some guards stationed with you forthe time being. It’s imperative you don’t duck out from their protection. I cannot guarantee your safety if you rebel. Look what happened to Kitty…”
The constraints irked her, it was clear as day, but I saw the resignation of acceptance overtake her before she mumbled, “Fine.”
“I need your number. Here.” Once I passed her my phone, she input her contact details and then took off with a huff and no farewell.
Amused, I walked over to the car.
“To Dante,Capo?” was Luigi’s greeting.
