“Technically, it’s mostly nonfiction,” she’d told me. “In part, a real-life love story. But no one needs to know that.” I never did have a chance to ask her whose love story it’d been, because she was murdered.
I closed my eyes at the last memory. Her gravestone. REST IN PEACE. My brothers and I knew she’d never have peace if her killer walked the earth. Since the justice system failed to do its part, we’d had no choice but to handle it ourselves.
“You okay?” Maria asked from behind, catching me by surprise.
I opened my eyes, glanced over my shoulder to quietly nod my lie, then left.
Once at my place, I quickly showered and changed. I put on gray sweats, slipped into a pair of kicks, then snatched a white tee from the dryer, since I’d yet to put away my laundry. Hiding my wet hair with a backward ball cap, I returned to Maria’s so she could go on her date. Kill me now.
Maria was waiting in the living room with Chiara on her lap. Her eyes went to my crotch, and her lips flatlined.
“What?” I looked down, checking to ensure I wasn’t hard, and the fact she was going on a date had me about as limp as possible, so no, that wasn’t it.
“Gray sweats. Backward hat.” She wedged her lip between her teeth and stood. “You do that on purpose?”
“Do what on purpose?” I had no clue what she was talking about, but if my pants and hat were the cause of her doing that sexy thing with her lip, sign me the fuck up, I’d do it every damn day.
“She’s been having trouble falling asleep lately,” Maria said instead while handing over Chiara.
“I know, you’ve barely slept in weeks.”
“No rocking her to sleep. Just put her in the crib with Stuffy, her favorite bear, and leave the door cracked. I know it’ll be hard, but she’ll fall asleep after crying a bit.”
Watch Chiara beg for me and not pick her up? Ha. No chance. “Sure.” Another lie. I was on a roll tonight. “Can I at least know where you’re going to dinner? Time you think you’ll be home?”
Maria leaned in and kissed Chiara while gently giving her a small squeeze. “Do you plan to come spy on us? You do have a car seat in your Tahoe, so you can’t blame me for worrying.”
I’d traded my Porsche last year to help Natalia keep the restaurant afloat. I could’ve easily accessed the millions in my savings account or the money stashed in my safe, but part of my promise to myself to try and change when moving to Charlotte was making it on my own without my family’s money.
“I’m not taking your daughter out at night to spy on you, no,” I said, trying to reassure her, though it wasn’t that crazy of an idea. “So, restaurant name? Time?”
“He didn’t tell me where he was taking me. He knows I love sushi, though. And the time? I don’t know. I guess it depends on if . . .”
Yeah, I didn’t need her to finish that sentence, and she must’ve noticed I wasn’t capable of hearing more.
“Listen, I appreciate you doing this, and I know it’s awkward, but maybe this is what we need to happen so we can be certain living next door to one another is something we can keep doing.” She paused. “I’m sure you’ve had women over, but you’ve been good at—”
“No.” I shook my head, and Chiara was the only separation between us now as I stared at her. “And you won’t see it, Maria.” That was a promise I could easily uphold.
She swallowed at my clipped confession, then looked at Chiara, and I’d swear her eyes were glossy. “Have fun, baby girl.”
“Be safe,” I forced out, trying to maintain my cool. Having Chiara in my arms was all that was saving me from going downstairs and yanking this new guy from his car to ask him fifty questions.
“Okay,” she whispered, then pinched Chiara’s cheek.
Then that dark part of me I couldn’t contain snapped out. “If I find out he touched you”—I wanted to leave it at that, but I reluctantly growled out—“without your permission . . .”
“I know, I know.” Her brows tightened. “A broken something-or-other.”
“And, Maria,” I added as she turned, so she stole a look back from over her shoulder. “You look beautiful.”
She frowned at that for whatever reason, then crushed me as she walked out the door.
I looked at Chiara. “I shouldn’t have let her go, right?”
“Mmmm.” She smiled and said, “Love you,” which sounded more like, “Wuv u.”
Fuck. I drew her closer, situating her at my side, and walked us over to the window.
Chiara set her hand on the glass and tapped when she saw her mom exiting the building, heading for a BMW out front waiting.
Maria must’ve sensed us, because she hesitated outside his car door and looked up.
The prick didn’t even get out to open the door. What in God’s name was wrong with him?
Maria waved, presumably at Chiara, then slid inside the passenger door.
My stomach dropped as I watched the car pull away. “Let’s go see who this guy is, okay?” I carried Chiara over to my apartment and headed straight for my office.
Maria had said he’d been one of our clients last weekend, which would narrow my search to one. I set Chiara on a blanket at the center of my office so I could find the information from the catering event on my laptop.
After locating the owner’s name, I went to the painting of our family home in the Hamptons behind my desk. Swallowing hard at the memories connected to it, I removed it from the wall to access an electronic keypad.
After punching in the code, I stepped back and waited for the bookshelf on the other wall to automatically open, revealing a hidden room.
I picked up Chiara and we went inside. “This will just be our little secret, okay?” She smiled and nodded as if she understood me. “But we need to make sure Mama’s really safe.”
THREE
Maria
The last sight I’d expected to come home to was Enzo in my bed. The light was still on, so I could make out every adorable detail of the moment. Chiara’s feet were near his face because she always twisted every which way in her sleep. Enzo’s one hand was draped over her abdomen, and his other arm was bent and behind his head. He must’ve accidentally passed out while waiting for her to fall asleep so he could carry her to the crib.
I slipped off my heels and padded in, trying not to wake either of them. Once in the bathroom with the door shut, I got rid of my clothes and jewelry and went into the walk-in closet.
I contemplated my options for nightwear. Do I go with cute PJs or sexy ones? As much as I wanted to slip into something that’d catch Enzo’s eye, I went with the safer option. A soft pink cotton nightshirt that went midthigh and read, COFFEE BEFORE TALKIE, which Natalia had given me for one of my recent birthday gifts.
After tossing my hair into a messy bun and scrubbing the makeup from my face, I quietly turned the knob, finding the two of them peacefully where I’d left them. Part of me wanted it to be me there instead. Get on Enzo’s other side and snuggle up next to him, have his big, strong arm over my stomach, holding me for safekeeping.
One cruel minute of watching this picture-perfect moment had my heart beating hard. I finally went to the bed and carefully lifted his heavy arm and laid his hand across his chest.
He stirred. His long, dark lashes fluttered, which had me going still. He brought his hand over the scruff on his jawline and scratched before his arm fell back to his other side.
I gave it a few more seconds to ensure he was still out, then scooped Chiara into my arms. You wore each other out, huh?
Once she was back in her crib, and thankfully, she’d remained asleep, I forced myself to do the inevitable, let Enzo know I’d returned, and he could leave us. Leave me.
I climbed onto the other side of the bed and shifted the pillows he’d set up as a barrier for Chiara, then lightly touched his arm. He jerked awake as if stunned. It was like a flash of muscle and ink flying over me, and I found myself pinned beneath his hard frame.
Enzo was breathing hard as he continued to brace himself over me. “Maria,” he murmured, shaking his head as if still rousing himself from a deep sleep. “Where’s Chiara?” His eyes widened in panic.