Page 25 of Under His Watch

“I wouldn’t have hurt you,” I said anyway.

“I know. I know.”

“But Iwasshocked as hell to see you show up here. What’s going on? Why’s Dante here and…” I shook my head as we both still peered out the window. “Why are you here with Romeo?” It had been one shock after another. Seeing the Devil’s Brothers. Then Nina showing up. The worry that I could’ve hurt her in my fear.

“Did Romeo tell you who he is?” she asked carefully, giving up her post to glance at me.

“No. Just that his name is Romeo. He works for an organization and he…” I dragged in a deep breath, determined to plow ahead and really catch her up since I’d lost touch with her. That meant coming out with the full truth. “And he killed the three men who raped me last night.”

She lost all focus on staring out the window. Her worry about Dante couldn’t have disappeared, but she turned her full, anxious attention to me. “What?” She gaped at me and shook her head. “No. You didn’t just say…”

I nodded, showing her my bandaged hands. “I was waitressing late, and after my shift, these men chased me down the alley and…”

Her arms clenched around me so tightly, I choked for air. I hugged her back, sniffling at the familiar burn of tears threatening to spill. I’d missed her, so damn much. Being near her again, regardless of the confusing details I still wanted to piece together, felt good. It felt right to be reunited with my best friend, the sister I’d always wanted. When no one else would ever stand up for me, Nina was there, supporting me however she could with her equally limited power and resources.

“Okay.” I reared back as she wiped at her cheeks, crying for what I’d shared. “Whatis going on?”

First, I’d noticed her boobs practically spilling out. But now, with that hug, I knew I wasn’t imagining the bump in her belly. “Are youpregnant?” It was my turn to gape at her.

She nodded, trading in the teary frown at the news that I’d been raped for a slight smile. “Yes. Dante and I are expecting our baby in the spring.”

“Oh, my God!” I hauled her in for another hug. “We have so much to catch up on.”

“We do. And we definitely will. Because you’re not going anywhere.”

I huffed a laugh. I wasn’t prepared to make any predictions or plans for myself. She was pregnant! I was still so stunned that I didn’t know what to say.

“Because Romeo is Dante’s son, Tess. That’s why I’m here. He said he found a woman and helped her out of a situation last night.”

I pointed at myself. “That’d be me.” I was impressed—and pleased—that he hadn’t told them I was raped.

“I was eavesdropping on what he was telling Dante and Franco.” At my confused look, she added, “Franco is the man with them out there. I was in the house and heard bits and pieces of what Romeo was talking about, that a woman needed help, and he rushed to help her. Then when he said this woman was afraid of some guy named Elliot Hines, I knew he had to be talking about you!”

I nodded. “Romeo brought me here and had a ‘friend’ named Danicia check me over.”

She grinned. “Danicia is so helpful. She was on vacation when I learned I was pregnant, but she’s been so helpful and comforting.”

“When he brought me here, I was, um, struggling with processing what happened. I guess I blurted out that no one—that Elliot—wouldn’t want me since I was damaged goods…”

I swallowed hard. It was still so hard to say it.

“Well, Romeo was curious about who he was. It seems like Romeo and the others might know a little about Elliot and some of his cases.”

“But whoarethey, Nina? Who does Romeo work for?” As soon as the words left me, her earlier comment replayed in my mind. It was so much to catch up with that I failed to react sooner.

“Because Romeo is Dante’s son.”

“TheMafia?” I hissed. Romeo was involved with the Constella Family, one of the cornerstone organizations of the syndicated crime world. Not only was he included in their ranks, but he also had to be high up if he was the son of Dante—the boss.

Now that she was in front of me, present and communicating after the month of no contact, more and more clicked. She’d mentioned Romeo in her calls before I lost touch with her. Or she’d hinted at Dante having a son. Never in a million years, though, did I think we’d meet like this. That my best friend was dating the father of the man who’d rescued me, who’d killed for me.

“Wow.” I blinked quickly, shaking my head with this stupefied sense of surprise.

“He’s Dante’s son,” she repeated. “Romeo is like a prince of the Mafia.”

I shot her a look. “Jesus. Mafia royalty? That’s a thing?”

“I don’t know. But Dante more or less declared that war would be coming when his old friend Stefan teamed up with the Devil’s Brothers to kidnap me.”

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