She’s quiet as I peel down the road, dust kicking up behind us. A part of me wants to take her to America, to a place that’s safe and away from all of this until it all blows over. The other part of me wants to arm myself to the teeth and start picking off would-be enemies one by one until there’s no one left to threaten us.
Neither is an option.
“Do you feel like that often?” Cosette asks. “Like someone’s watching you?”
I sigh. “I do.”
Anyone who’s looked down the barrel of a sniper’s rifle with the intent to kill as many times as I have develops that skill. Once you’ve been the predator enough times, you begin to imagine there’s a larger predator with even bigger teeth threatening your survival.
“What are you thinking?” I ask Cosette. She seems pensive and troubled.
“I liked that your mother was so excited. She’ll be an awesome grandmother.”
“Yes.”
“I’m happy I was able to make peace with Savannah. I like her a lot.”
“I agree.”
“And Mario seems pleasant enough, but Sergio… I don’t know about him.”
“He’s dangerous as fuck. I don’t want you near him unless you’re with me.”
She nods. I know Sergio Montavio and I know I don’t want her anywhere near him.
“Those kids were adorable.”
“Mmm.”
My responses are getting shorter because I feel like she’s leading up to something and I want her to get to it. She looks out the window at the passing hills and trees studded with vibrant green leaves. I think about what I’ll do with her when we’re alone later. How beautiful she was when we made love this morning, and how gorgeous she will be as her body accommodates our growing child.
I reach for her hand. She doesn’t take it at first, and I wonder why.
“I don’t know,” she says softly. “You guys are all so… charming and suave. You turn the heads of every woman you pass.”
“Eh,” I say with a shrug. “They know we’re filthy rich.”
I love the sound of her soft laugh. “It isn’t just that. Not every woman is into money.”
I shrug. “Maybe notall.”
“I just… well, men like you are known for taking mistresses. Of not being faithful. They consider infidelity an acceptable part of their code.”
“Men like me?” I ask, my voice harsh.
“Yeah, Lyam.Mobsters.Men in the mafia. Made men. Do your friends the Rossis cheat on their wives?”
“No.”
“What about the Montavios? I know for a fact that some of them do, the girls talked about it.”
“I don’t know about Sergio or Timeo, and those are the only ones I know.”
“So with all those gorgeous women ready to do whatever you tell them, how do you plan on staying exclusive? When it gets hard. When the baby wakes up at night wanting to be fed or when someone says something to one of our children, or one of our staff disrespects me.”
“You know exactly what I’ll do,” I respond through gritted teeth. “If we need help, I’ll hire them. I’ll buy you what you need.”
“But ourchild,Lyam.”
