Page 38 of Little Deer
“I’m sorry that that was so chaotic. I want to say that’s not normally us, but we’re Italian.” He shrugs and gives me a wry smile. “We tend to get loud and passionate about things. Especially when it comes to things like this.” He looks at Soren and smiles. “He seems alright now.”
“He’s nosy and happy to get out of the sling.” Soren makes a small grunting sound, his legs kicking a little more, and his arms jerking my fingers around. “He’ll want to eat and sleep again here soon.”
Massimo nods, but his smile fades. “About what Nico was saying?—”
“It’s fine,” I interrupt. “It doesn’t mean I like him, and that I’m not scared of him, but I also understand why he did it if what Gia said was true.”
“It is.” His gaze searches mine. “Nico’s an asshole on a good day. The only person who sees the good side of him is Gia. He also likes to remind people that he’s big and scary, and he was already annoyed that I told you he kidnapped Gia before they fell in love. He won’t do that again.”
Something tells me that Nico will definitely do something like that again, but I doubt Massimo wants to hear that. Instead, I ask, “What did they mean about the office or whatever it was that Nico’s mother hid?”
Massimo launches into a quick explanation, and my eyes widen with each new detail. When he finishes he adds, “Everything we figured out has turned all of this on its head. This city was always divided up with four families, and everyone kept to their corners. To know that a bunch of them were working together, and sleeping with Nico’s mother, is changing how we look at things.”
“What kind of purpose does all of this serve Nico’s mother? Well, other than money and power I guess.”
“That’s exactly what it is. Or at least that’s what we think it is. We already know she slept with both your father and uncle, the head of the Irish mob, and who knows who else. The only one we think she loved was Seamus. Though who the fuck knows why. That Irish asshole is small potatoes compared to the empire that Nico’s father built.”
“So you’re sure that she never slept with the Russian ones? That’s the final family right?”
“Not that we can see, but we’re still going through her records and the journals she kept.”
“Makes you wonder why she didn’t. If she wanted to expand her empire, wouldn’t she want to go to each one? I mean, why avoid one? Unless he’s mean and horribly ugly I guess.”
Massimo chuckles. “I haven’t met him, but he’s Russian. They have nothing on us Italians.” He waves at himself with a wicked grin.
I smile, unable to help myself. “That ego really is getting larger by the minute. I’m still surprised your head can stay on your shoulders.”
“Lots of practice,dolcezza.” I scoff quietly, but his grin widens. Guess he heard that. “You can’t tell me that you’re not charmed, Lucy Taylor.”
“Oh, so charmed.” Sarcasm drips from my words, making him laugh. “Can I ask you a question?” I keep my tone calm, but make sure he senses the seriousness in my words.
His smile whisps away. “Of course,cerbiatta.”
I really need to ask him what that means. Instead, I ask, “Do you really think that when this is all over, I’m going to get to go back to my regular life? Or am I always going to have to be under lock and key from things like this happening again?”
He holds my stare, but I can see the wheels working in his head. How to tell me the truth without freaking me out. That’s answer enough for me, but I want to hear what he says. Is he going to lie to me?
Joey used to do that. He’d try to tell me things in a way he thought I wanted to hear, but he could never hide the truth in his eyes. It got to the point that I just stopped talking to him or asking him things if I wasn’t ready to hear the truth. Not the healthiest thing, but at the time, I thought it was for the best. Protecting myself.
Still, there were so many questions that didn’t matter, but that last one. The one that mattered the most he failed.
I might be a heartless bitch for it, holding a grudge against a dead man, but I’ll never forgive him for that day. Or for his answer. I wonder if Massimo will be the same?
After a long, stilted silence, he finally sighs. “I won’t lie to you, Lucy. Your life isn’t going to be the same. I’m not saying you can’t do the things you normally do, but there is always going to be a small amount of danger that you’ll have to be on the lookout for. For decades, no one knew you existed. Now, here you and your sisters and cousin are, popping up and giving people something to talk about. Because there isn’t a family in this country, or even around the world, that isn’t paying attention to how this is unfolding. It’s going to make people question their own organizations, the people in their lives. The secrets long forgotten. You will now have people wanting to know more about you, about your son. Most will leave you alone, but if anyone wants to get back at Nico for something, but can’t get to Gia, you’re the next closest one.”
My heart clenches with fear. “You mean that someone could try to kidnap or murder me to prove a point to Nico? Just because I’m his, what, sister-in-law?” Okay, maybe I wasn’t ready for this answer after all.
Soren picks up on my stress and lets out a mewl, and I quickly jiggle him with my knees and coo at him until he calms down.
Massimo leans forward, hand outstretched until it connects with my bicep. It’s gentle, trying to comfort. “Don’t panic. I’m not saying that’s going to happen, Lucy, and Nico won’t leave you unprotected. I won’t leave you unprotected. Either of you. You asked me, and I’m determined to give you the truth so you can work through it. Nothing may ever happen, especially when this is all over, and you can live your life as normal. The only issue may be that people will get wind that you’re the sister of the Don’s wife, and you might have some issues with work, friends, or family, but it can’t be helped.”
I wince. Yeah, my parents are not going to handle this news well. They’re terrified of the cartel from things their family members experienced, and now I’m connected to the Italian mafia? Yeah, my mother is going to lose her shit. My father, too, but in a quieter way. “I’m going to probably have to get Kida to break that news to them,” I admit. “She has a way to keep them a bit calmer.”
“All of that is a problem for later, though. Right now, the only thing that matters is you staying safe here while we handle this mess.”
“The mess that is growing into a much bigger mess from the sounds of it.”
He gives a low chuckle. “Pretty much. It’s keeping us on our toes. Still, the one good thing out of all of this, is finding you all. There is one more to find, but we’re working on that, and we’ll find her. We just have to try and be faster than the others. So far, none of them seem to have located her.”
