“Hi, Papa!”
“Hey, buddy. I miss you.”
Papa, a voice in my head sneers.Soft. Weak.
The voice is my father’s, cold and vindictive, and I clench my teeth so hard my jaw aches.
Mina ends the call, slipping her phone into her purse. “How’s everything going here?”
When she notices my tight expression, her gaze sharpens with concern.
“Cristiano? What’s wrong?”
“Nothing.” I school my expression into something neutral. “I’m fine. Here, this is for you.”
She doesn’t believe me, I can see it in the way her brow furrows, but she lets it go for now and lets me settle the hard hat onto her head.
“So.” She looks past me to the demolition site. “This is it?”
“This is it. Come on. I’ll show you what we’re building.”
As the workers continue to clear rubble, I describe the lobby design, the gaming floor layout, and the restaurant spaces. Mina asks intelligent questions, one hand still resting on her belly, completely focused. This is the woman who makes everything better and who takes my obsessive, narrow focus and turns it into reality.
“The penthouse will have a view of the entire city,” Mina observes, glancing around. She keeps turning until she faces the southwest.
The border with Sokoli territory, which used to be Lucania territory.
The contrast between my streets and theirs is stark. I’ve taken a covert drive through the area, and many of the shops are now graffiti-tagged with boarded-up windows. Businesses that used to thrive under Lucania protection now sit empty. Even from here, what little we can see looks ominous and deserted.
“Is it safe?” Mina asks. Her hand finds mine. “Building here, I mean. The Sokolis are right there.”
I look at the border, at the territory they’ve claimed, and rage simmers in my chest. They burned my casino. Drove the Lucanias into the ground. Moved into the vacuum like vultures picking at a carcass.
“They won’t come northeast,” I say, and my voice comes out harder than I intended. “I’m making sure of that. Security on this site is tighter than it’s ever been before.”
“If you’re sure,” Mina says.
“I’m not giving up one inch of ground to them.” I turn to face her fully. “The Diamond Grand was testing the waters. If I don’t rebuild, they’ll think they can take more from me. The hotel goes up. The casino reopens. I’m not letting them win.”
Mina studies my face, and I see her weighing my words. Trying to decide if this is pride talking or strategy.
“Okay,” she says finally. “I trust you.”
I pull her closer, pressing a kiss to her temple, breathing in the scent of her shampoo. She trusts me. After everything that’s happened between us, she trusts me to keep our family safe.
I will kill everyone in Malus before I let the Sokolis touch what’s mine.
Mina pulls back slightly and reaches into her purse. “I almost forgot.” She extracts a cream-colored envelope, embossed with elegant script. “This came for us this morning. I only recognize the last name. Friends of yours, I think?”
I take the envelope and turn it over. The return address is Barone, and my mouth quirks with amusement. I slide my finger under the flap and pull out the card.Lucy Barone and Damiano Barone request the honor of your presence…
“It’s a wedding invitation. The brother and sister are finally getting married.”
Mina’s eyes widen. “I’m sorry, what?”
“Damiano and Lucy Barone. Adopted siblings who’ve been obsessed with each other for years.” I hand her the invitation. “The Barones are one of the big Malus families. Territory in southeast Malus. Damiano’s the current don after their father died.”
“Adopted.” Mina’s voice is laced with surprise. “And now they’re getting married.”
