Eleni
I unpack the suitcase I packed so hastily when I left Dante’s house into my closet, then pause. This is Dante’s house, still, in my mind. And yet this room, this closet, is mine. I shared this bed with Mama. I’ve cried here, and been furious, and smiled for so long my face hurt. I run my fingers over the pillowcase and look around. Maybe Dante will let me paint this something other than drab tan. Or at least get new sheets.
For now, though, I need to study. I lost three days of study-time to learning everything I could about Dante. Sometime during my absence, someone installed a desk in the previously featureless guest room, which brings another smile to my face. Already, I’m making my mark on this place. I could even be happy here, a ferry ride away from the city. I put my laptop, now thankfully with the Wi-Fi back, on the desk and sit. Daydreaming later. Focusing… now.
* * *
“—do you mean yo
DanteEleni turns on her heel and marches up the stairs. My chest squeezes, and I race after her. What the fuck was Uncle John thinking? Even if she wasn’t here, even if she hadn’t overheard, he can’t just walk into my goddamn house and talk like I’m still the kid he had to drive to the hospital once because I threw a tennis ball at his garage door so hard that when it bounced back and hit me in the head, I got a concussion. I’ve been fine on my own for years.She turns into her room, but she doesn’t close the door. A good sign, I think. I follow her in and close it behind me.A weird feeling tightens my chest further. A couple weeks ago, this was one of many guest rooms. Now the sheets are rumpled, her books are on the desk, and her clothes are in the closet.Before I can think too much about that, I say, “How much did you overhear?”She glances at me, and I see tear
EleniThe morning of my final, I pad downstairs in a whirlwind of excitement and nerves. I haven’t seen anyone other than Staten Island Saints in weeks, other than the diner. I might be about to pass my first semester of college.My face is on the dark web with a bounty. I might be about to fail my first semester of college. Around and around again. Hopefully I can block it out long enough to actually pass the test.I freeze as I round the bend in the stairs. Seb stands there, in casual jeans and a T-shirt for the first time, which I expected. I didn’t expect the two other guys in normal, severe suits.“Did something change?” I ask.Seb loops his arm through mine. “The big boss figured I’d do better undercover, just another student, so he wanted a set of distant eyes.”I frown. “So something happened.”“Yeah, I finally talked Dante into putting me in a position
Dante“You’re fucking with me, right?” I run a hand through my still sleep-rumpled hair and stare at the foreman of this section of the warehouse.“N-no, sir.” His wide face turns red with the effort of either not yelling at me or not pissing himself.“Fine. Go away,” I spit.As soon as the foreman disappears, I slam my foot into the nearest crate of goods.“Goddammit!”Tony snorts. “I’m glad you’re taking the news that we haven't been robbed well.”“Am I supposed to be thrilled someone snuck into one of my most secure warehouses just to knock over a couple boxes of shit and leave?” I demand. “He’s fucking taunting me, Tone.”“No shit, Sherlock.” My caporegime crosses his arms and leans against a high, metal shelf. “But getting pissed like this just gives him exactly what he wants.”
EleniI sit on the floor outside Dante’s office, listening to Tony bellow inside. Dante warned me this was going to happen. After his call with Thano Coppola, who turned out to be the head of a New Jersey outfit he’d been working with, he took my hands and told me he heard me, he understood, but he needed to tell Tony what happened first. At the time, that made sense to me. Seb is his brother. I feel sick to my stomach, thinking about his smile in whatever nightmare of a place they’ve got him in, just because I wanted to take my finals. But I didn’t expect the “telling Tony” stage to involve me sitting outside while the two of them figured out what to do, loud enough that I could hear them shouting but not loud enough to make out any specific words. I drop my head back against the wall and try not to groan.Gianna pokes her head into the hallway and looks from me to the door. “What’s going on?”“They’re…Seb…I….” I shake my head, feeling helpless.“Right.” Gianna sits next to me, sipp
EleniSean leers at us through the whole ferry ride and the taxi to the massive club in the city. If I thought Piacere was loud, that’s only because I didn’t know how loud things could get. I can almost taste the music in here, and people are packed in so tightly I can’t remember the last time I took a breath that wasn’t mostly someone else’s hair. At least it makes walking in the heels easier. There’s nowhere to fall.Gianna clings onto my hand, my only anchor in the storm. I squeeze her and try to seem ditzy when I’m also just trying to think around the crowd.“So.” Sean puts a hand on the small of my back. “Drink first? Bad boyfriend, right? I could treat you better.”I’m about to force myself to laugh when Gianna plucks his hand off.“She’s looking for help, Sean, not a quick fuck.”He grumbles but doesn’t seem that mad. I shoot
DanteTony and I drive back from the city in silence. No sign of Seb yet. We crossed paths with a couple Coppola soldiers, so Thano seems to have finally decided to get his shit together, but that hasn’t changed Tony’s mood. He sits in the passenger seat next to me, seething. I let him. Now that we’re through yelling, he’ll start breaking things when it’s time to talk again. Right now, all I’ll get is sarcasm.We pull into the driveway, and Tony slams out of the car, but his seatbelt catches in the latch. He rips the door back open, snaps out a knife, and slices the belt to throw it back inside.“That’s going to cost me,” I say mildly.“Seb’s funeral is going to fucking cost you.” He slams the door again.I climb out. Tony kicks my garbage can, spilling rotting food onto the lawn I pay handsomely to keep maintained within HOA parameters. An energy drink, one of th
EleniI tug the hem of my dress a little farther down my legs and feel the tiny straps strain to hold my chest in. Doll, in the back seat next to me, chuckles.“Don’t bother,” he says. “I doubt you’ll be needing that dress much soon.”I grit my teeth. He’s been saying ominous things like that for the last forty-five minutes, and every time I try to ask him where we’re going, he just laughs. I do wish I’d insisted on a longer dress when Gianna and I were getting ready, but nobody’s discovered the pistol in my purse yet, so I’m not too worried. Since I’m supposed to be Luca’s bride, I think backward mafia logic might save me from sleeping with anybody but him, and if I can get close enough with this gun, I don’t even have to worry about that.Now, I just have to repeat that to myself often enough that I don’t panic. Which is a lot, since I’m in this
EleniOnce Dante and his men cleared the whole warehouse, finding the other two guys Luca kidnapped in equally bad shape, he pulled me aside and told me in no uncertain terms that we were going to the safe house. Apparently we were nearby. I started to argue that I should be patched up at the warehouse with the rest of the men, but the look in Dante’s eyes told me it wasn’t the time to argue.So I perch on the edge of the master bathtub we made plentiful use of during our last stay here while Dante rifles through a first-aid kit spread out on the counter.“Are you injured anywhere other than the scratches?” he asks in the same short, sharp tone he’s been using since he found me crouched over Seb.I can feel the beginnings of a bruise along my side where I hit the ground, but I shake my head. He soaks a cotton pad in isopropyl alcohol and turns to me. Anger still simmers in his gaze. He doesn’t warn me befo
CalThe Basilica of St. Patrick’s Old Cathedral hums with excitement. Murmurs from the intimate crowd waiting in the pews whisper through the air, rising to the impressive ceilings as sunlight fans through the stained glass. I’m sweating balls in the tuxedo Tony insisted I wear. It fits like a glove–perfectly tailored–which Tony said was because his tailor is Italian, and they always know best. In fact, Tony’s wife, Chloe, and her mob wife minions put this wedding together for us down to the smallest detail. I don’t know half of the gathered crowd, but judging by the cheetah print and hair gel, most of these people are Saints in some way. The Irish Kings stand out, however, because they’re lining every exit–armed to the teeth. Tony stalks over to where I’m standing near the altar waiting for the ceremony to begin. He glances around, leaning in to say, “I’ve got guys outside.”“Thanks,” I grumble, tugging at my tie. He looks toward the crowd. I know he feels the same way I do abou
*Heidi*Cal drives us through the city, but I don’t recognize the path he’s taking until he stops in front of the exact same store in Greenwich Village that I had my eyes on for weeks when I was searching for a place to rebuild Sullivan’s Bookstore. At first, I frown, wondering what we’re doing here. It’s a tease, honestly. My heart beats fast when I look at the front window and realize it is no longer for sale. I don’t want to assume anything, so I turn to look at Cal, who has the biggest grin on his face. “What is this?” I ask, just to make sure I’m not crazy.After Cal was shot, I kind of set the idea of having a new bookstore aside. I focused on helping him recover, then having my things moved to his apartment, and after all of that was settled, I turned my attention to learning his businesses instead of going back to my own profession. I was frustrated and disappointed at everything failing in that department, so I simply ignored it.Until now.Seeing this store brings back all t
*Heidi*Two months later…Cal’s recovery wasn’t fast, but he did heal faster than the doctor thought he would. A couple of days after he was shot, he was allowed to be moved back to his apartment, which made it easier for me to take care of him. His place is close to everything, and I could come and go to grab groceries and also visit my grandparents every once in a while.Eventually, I had to tell them about Cal and that we were not only in love, but getting married, and they made me promise I’d take Cal to visit them. But Cal offered something else instead, and we all ended up going on a small trip so they could get to know each other.Needless to say, Grandma and Grandpa love him. They couldn’t stop smiling and were elated that I finally had someone to share my life with. I guess this is what they wanted the most for me.Adjusting to Cal’s apartment was also a struggle at first. I had few things to take with me since I didn’t buy a lot after the fire, but he basically forced me to
*Cal*Hearing those words from Heidi makes me wonder if I have truly died. Maybe all of this is a figment of my imagination. Maybe God is allowing me to live one last happy moment before I get to suffer for eternity in Hell.But there’s no way this perfect woman in front of me is an illusion. She looks so real. Her eyes–her beautiful eyes that I love so much–are staring at me so intently and expectantly that I couldn’t look away even if I wanted to.And she loves me.She’s willing to turn her back on everything she believes in to be with me. This is much more than I deserve. So much more.I realize I don’t want a day to go by that I don’t get to hear those words come out of her mouth.I want to spend every day telling her how much I love her, too. I don’t deserve her, but it will become my life’s mission to make sure she doesn’t regret her choice, that I shower her with love and attention, and that she knows how much she means to me. I am far from perfect, but I’ll try my best to be f
*Cal*My ears pick up murmurs around me, but I can’t force myself to open my eyes. My entire body is sore, and the pain in my abdomen feels like someone is pressing and squeezing all of my organs together. It’s hard to breathe, but I force my lungs to receive as much air as I can inhale. My back hurts, so I try to adjust myself on what feels like a bed, or maybe a couch, but the smallest movement makes me grunt with pain.“Easy there, boss. You have a hole in your stomach,” someone warns, their voice distant but somewhat playful. I groan again, frustrated at not being able to move. My eyelids seem to weigh a ton, but I need to see what’s happening around me. I need to know where I am and why. Images of the confrontation in my bar come back to me in snippets. I don’t remember the details about what happened, especially how I got shot, but I do remember seeing Milo. I have no idea how much time has passed, and I also don’t know the outcome of the fight, so I need to make sure my men a
*Heidi*I step out of the shower and put on a set of comfortable sweats. The weather in New York City has been merciless lately, and even inside the apartment, I can still feel the cold wind blowing against the windows outside, seeping through cracks in the apartment I can’t see.I blow dry my hair in an attempt to warm myself, and that’s why I don’t hear my phone ringing the first two times. It’s only when I decide to order something to eat since I don’t feel like cooking anything that I notice I missed two calls.Before I grab the phone to check who it is that called me, I can’t stop myself from hoping it was Cal. But when I spot the unknown number, I roll my eyes. Of course he wouldn’t call me. I ended that. He made it pretty clear that he doesn’t intend to change his lifestyle, and since I’m not willing to give up on my principles either, I won’t hear from him again. I should make peace with that instead of keeping my hopes up.I’m about to put my phone down again, not really int
*Cal*Leaving the basement and making sure at least one of my men stays behind to watch the cartel assholes we have tied inside, I rush upstairs with Tony, Sam, and Hunter with the rest of my men on my tail.Even though the noises upstairs are muffed by closed doors and thick walls, I don’t like what I hear as I approach the bar. Frantic screams and intermittent gunfire can never be a good thing.“Fuck,” I hiss to myself. “They seem to be heavily armed,” I inform my men over my shoulder. “Are you guys loaded?”“I have a couple of guns with me. Armando is outside with my men,” Tony informs me. I don’t want to think about the possible scenarios we’re about to encounter. The rest of my men are also upstairs, but if they were caught off guard–even though I had them keeping a close eye out for any strange movement–things might be ugly.“I’ll grab a shotgun from the safe,” Hunter tells me. “Do you need me to get you anything, Boss?”“No, I have my pistol on me,” I reply through gritted tee
*Heidi*Going after Cal was a mistake. I knew it would be, but I still did it anyway.What was I thinking? What was I even expecting to happen? That if I came and asked him to drop his entire life and career for me and he’d do it?Ha! What a joke.Even if I mean as much to him as he says I do, giving up something you’ve been building your whole life is hard. I should know better than that. I wouldn’t give up on my life and dreams either if he asked me to. So, why am I feeling so heartbroken? Why do I feel so sad, so left out?I storm out of his office with tears blurring my vision. His scent is all over me, and my lips are still tingling from our kisses. No matter how much I want to turn back and run into his arms, I know I can’t do it. This is it. This was the last straw, the confirmation I needed that we’re indeed over.For good.“Miss Heidi, is everything okay?” someone asked from behind me as I walked out of the bar. It was rude on my part to ignore whoever it was, but I couldn’
*Cal*Tony takes a little longer than I’d like with the cartel bastards the Saints captured. By the time his men haul in two guys who are, I’d say, unrecognizable, I’m basically digging a hole in the floor with all my anticipation and agitation, having spent the last hour pacing.The guy I cuffed in the basement looks up from his spot in the corner, and his eyes widen when he sees two more of his people have also been taken by us. He doesn’t have any strength in him to say anything, but he’s been pretty quiet anyway compared to some of the smart-mouthed assholes I’ve beaten the shit out before.“Hey,” Tony greets me, walking behind his guys who are now restraining the newly kidnapped men to chairs, away from the first one. “Brought you a little present.”I grunt. “After the day I just had, you have no idea how glad I am to see them,” I tell him, darting a deathly glance to the newcomers and cracking my knuckles.“I owe you already. I’m glad I could return the favor for once,” Tony say