Page 35 of Tailored for You

The streets were lined with shady trees, each house boasting an immaculate front yard and driveway, the architecture varying wildly in style. Some were mini castles, others gaudy monstrosities, and a few offered genuine character and charm.

It was quiet, despite being close to the ever-busy Whitestone Bridge.

I pulled to the curb in front of one of the tasteful houses, character and style evident in its vibrant flowers, brownstones of varying shades across the front, and a circular driveway

The front door opened before I got out of the car. A woman in her late forties stood in the doorway, hands on her hips, a hand towel thrown over her shoulder, in sweats, and her hair up.

I went to the trunk, grabbed two heavy tin cans, and carried them to the front door.

Martina Vinci, Adrienne’s mother, watched me like a hawk, completely unimpressed, and for a second, I thought she was going to order me to leave the cans and be on my way.

She waved me inside with a resigned sigh and headed to the kitchen.

Martina went straight to the cans, opened them, and pulled out the pistachio nuts. She rolled them in her hands, cracked a few open, smelled them, and ate a few when she was satisfied.

“These are so good,” she said, her eyes closed as she chewed more. “I’m in a mood, so good thing you bought presents, or I would’ve slammed the door in your face.”

I smirked, knowing she told the truth. There was nothing better than recently harvested pistachios. A timer went off, the aroma of whatever she had cooking filled the air, making my stomach grumble. The house was always filled with the smell of food. She turned, grabbed a plate, and went to the stove.

She loaded it with seafood risotto, glanced at me, added another spoonful, and pushed the plate toward me. “Eat. You’re skin and bone.”

If there was one thing I wasn’t, it was skin and bone. I worked out with a single-minded focus, and it showed.

I took a few bites while Martina watched and waited. “Amazing as always.”

“Why did you show up here and not one of my restaurants?” Martina asked as she began wiping down the counter.

“Something happened with Serena, and I needed to let you know,” I began. “On Friday night, Serena’s home was broken into and ransacked. I got there before they made it into the apartment, but her studio,” I shook my head, anger welling up every time the image of what was left flashed in my mind. “It’s gone. They’ll be staying with me until the threat against them is eliminated, and they can safely go back to the studio.”

“How long do you think that will take?” she asked.

“Well, I’m hoping she likes living with me, and they never leave, but she might want something else.” Martina was the first person to clock that I had a thing for Serena.

She was perceptive in a way that reminded me of my mother. My mother had been gone for years, but in moments when I needed guidance I couldn’t find elsewhere, I came to Martina.

Without me having to explain it, she became a second mother—never replacing mine, but offering the same comfort and listening ear I’d grown up with.

“This is a unique opportunity you have,” she said, pulling out a lemon cake. “She’s done everything by herself. Even with her divorce, she wouldn’t let me help. Not in any significant way. Her ex-mother-in-law stepped in only when she realized what an ass her son was being, and Serena was at her wits’ end.”

I knew all this, but I still listened.

“Do not try to deceive her with pretty words and promises you’ll never keep. The more upfront you are, the better.” Martina moved around her kitchen. She never stood still. “She has to think of her and Harper, and that idiot ex of hers.”

“What do you mean?” I asked.

Martina gave me a long, exasperated look. “They have a legal agreement, custody stuff.” She waved her hand. “He might not abide by it, but if I remember correctly, there are clauses and rules about living situations that she has to abide by.”

I smiled a little. “I know.” I raised an eyebrow. “Did you think I’d be so underprepared for all possibilities? For the moment, she’s content to stay with me because it’s the safest option.”

“You caught them?” Martina asked, but it sounded more like a demand.

“Yes. They work for a security firm, Millennium Securities. It was a contract hit. Adreinne is looking into it more for me,” I said. “From what Adrienne said, this isn’t a high-caliber team with exceptional skill.”

“You think you know who hired them?” Martina asked.

I shrugged, not willing to put into the universe that I thought Charles Clearwart put a hit out on his ex-wife and would put his own child’s life in danger because he was jealous. The idea was too vile for me to contemplate fully, but I wasn’t ruling it out.

The only thing I could do was mitigate the fallout and be there for Serena and Harper. There were some things, even with all my power and influence, that I couldn’t stop or control.