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
*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
*Cal*I consider going after Heidi. Following her upstairs, grabbing her by the arm, turning her to me and crashing my lips into hers, hoping she can feel how much I love her and how much I’m willing to fight for us.But that’d be a lie.And also unfair to her.Because if I truly was willing to do anything for her, I’d accept turning my back on the mafia and the Irish Kings without a question. I wouldn’t hesitate. I wouldn’t consider anything other than having her by my side.But I can’t.I can’t give her what she wants. I can’t promise her something I’m not ready to do. Therefore, I’d rather she hates me now, while she still has any feelings for me, then watch her fall out of love with me while we are together. That’d hurt me more than anything.Realization begins to sink in. We’re truly over now. There’s no turning back, no saving this relationship that’s barely even started. I try to convince myself that this is for the best. Heidi will finally be safe away from me. She can return
*Cal*“What does this mean?” I want to know. I need to know. “What did you come here to talk to me about?”Heidi stares at me for a bit until she inhales sharply and turns her gaze to the ceiling. She is clearly uncomfortable with my questions, but I can’t move on not knowing what’s going through her mind.Does the fact that she came here to have sex with me in my office mean that she forgives me? That she’s willing to put everything behind us and start anew? That she belongs to me completely, no questions asked?Knowing her, I doubt that's what it means.But I need to hear her say it. I need to understand what she’s thinking. Otherwise, I might misinterpret all of it and ruin everything–again.“Heidi?” I call softly when she doesn’t answer me.She looks at me again, her beautiful, big eyes watching me intently. I push her hair out of her face, and lean forward to kiss her lips. It’s a soft kiss, but I try to convey all of my feelings for her through it.“I don’t know what this means,
*Cal*I spent most of the night and the morning trying to get something out of the cartel’s man I found lurking outside Heidi’s building. Anything useful at all that will help me put an end to all of this nonsense. The interrogation took several hours, and I was so fucking mad that I didn’t let any of my men deal with him even though I was exhausted. It was ugly, to say the least, and I split my knuckles multiple times as I tried to force some words out of his mouth. But in the end, I didn’t get much. The guy eventually murmured some addresses to me, but so far, my men only hit dead ends with the investigation on the De La Cruz cartel.At some point during the night, Tony showed up and helped me a little bit with the interrogation, and then he left, saying he would ask his men to start investigating as well.So far, I haven’t heard from him.The sun was rising in the sky by the time I came to my office. I sat down in my chair to clear my mind, hoping I could think about what I heard
*Heidi*“Are you sure you don’t need me to come with you to talk to this guy?” my grandfather offers for the millionth time in the past hour. “I’m positive I can convince him to sell me the shop at half the price he’s demanding.”I chuckle, shaking my head.“I’m good, Grandpa. If he doesn’t accept my offer, I’m sure I can find another great place somewhere else. As much as I love this one, I’m not willing to pay more than it is worth.”Grandpa nods, finally conceding.“Well, I have to get going,” I say, getting up from the chair. “You guys have to get ready for dinner, and I stayed for too long already. I don’t want them to forbid me to come visit you next time.”“They wouldn’t dare,” Grandma murmurs, standing and pulling me into a tight hug. It instantly makes me feel like I can fight the entire world. Her embrace charges my battery, and I feel renewed. Determined. Ready for whatever the world throws my way.“Thanks, Granny. I love you,” I tell her. Then I pull away from her to hug m
*Heidi*Despite my hopes that I would drop into a deep slumber and not wake at all during the night, my dreams were haunted by faceless men following Cal and I around town. Inevitably, one or the both of us got shot in each of my nightmares. In one of those dreams, these men get to my grandparents. That’s when I wake up sweating and unable to fall asleep again.I get up from bed and make some coffee before the sun is even up. After that, I grab my laptop and start searching for shops to buy again since my meeting with the owner of the Greenwich Village store yesterday wasn’t successful. The guy wasn’t willing to budge on lowering the price, and since I don’t even have the insurance money yet, I couldn’t commit to something I couldn’t afford.I spend the entire morning on real estate websites. However, none of them really stick out to me. I don’t particularly love anything I see, and by the time the clock strikes eleven in the morning, I’m tired of looking at the computer screen, my ey
*Heidi*As soon as Cal’s out the door, I’m left desolated, as if I’m drifting. My mind is numb, and I’m momentarily frozen in place, unsure of what to do. Nothing makes sense and, for a moment, I think I might be dreaming that all of this is just a weird fantasy, some sort of illusion I created in my head. How can Cal–this sweet, sexy, and kind human being–be a criminal?It’s absurd…Lifting up from the floor where I’ve been static for a couple of minutes, I walk toward the window, eager for some fresh air. I pull it open, breathing in the cold evening air. It feels like a wake up call, the wind brushing against my face, drying up the tears streaming down my cheeks.The night is so beautiful, the moon shining so bright up in the sky. It contrasts sharply with the chaos and the destruction that I feel within my heart. I’ve never felt this broken before in my life.Maybe when my parents died, yes, but I was too young to remember exactly what it felt like. But now that I’m mature enough,
*Cal*“Fuck!” I hiss, punching the wall next to the elevator outside Heidi’s apartment. Thankfully, there’s no one with me as I head downstairs after being told to leave her home, so I’m left alone with my anger and frustration.I should’ve seen this coming. It was bound to happen from the beginning. Of course, she would find out. How did I ever think I could keep it hidden from her forever?I could’ve treaded more carefully, but as soon as I heard her saying over the phone that she thought she was being followed, I saw red. I rushed to her apartment, not even trying to control my feelings and emotions. I was all over the place, all sorts of scenarios running through my mind until I could make sure that she was all right.She immediately picked up that I was hiding something from her. Once I decided to come clean with her, everything just poured out of me, and everything I’d been struggling to keep from her was completely exposed.As soon as I get to the building exit, I hesitate, hal
*Heidi*I blink once, twice, my brain struggling to make sense of the words that just came out of Cal’s mouth.Irish Kings? What the fuck is that?Why do I recognize this name from somewhere?But where…?Then it occurs to me, like a meteor hitting me straight in the face.Irish Kings… That’s the name of the Irish mafia gang in New York. I have no idea why or where I remember it from, but I might have read about them at some point in the past, or heard about them on TV or in the news.“The Irish Kings…as in, the mafia?” I ask, hoping that saying it out loud will convince me that that isn't what he meant because that would be utterly ridiculous.The whole idea is stupid. Even repeating the name sounds idiotic to me. There’s no way I fell in love with a mafia boss. Is there? This is not a fucking movie. This is real life.I remember joking about it once with him in the car right after we met. He slammed on the brakes so hard that we were almost rear ended. I had no idea how close to ho