‘A Falcone switchblade,’ I whispered. ‘My own switchblade.’ I glanced up at him, a smirk twisting my lips as a flurry of giddy energy rushed through me. ‘Val, you simply must stop giving me weapons like this, you’re absolutely spoiling me.’
He gaped at me for half a second, and I instantly regretted the levity of my response.
Then he laughed, and the sound was open and honest. ‘I was trying to think of an appropriate time to give it to you. This seemed like a good diversion.’
I fingered the engraving. ‘You got me this even though you know I didn’t go through with killing Libero Marino. Why?’
‘I need allies,’ Valentino told me plainly. ‘I know you’re loyal. I trust everything you just told me. Luca fought hard to have you accepted here, and I trust his judgement too. I wouldn’t deny him that. I wouldn’t deny him anything, in fact. But I want you on my side, Sophie.’
I nodded, probably a bit too enthusiastically. ‘Of course I’m on your side.’
‘Good.’ Valentino’s smile was fleeting this time. ‘Because I need you to stay here, with us.’ There was an unexpected intensity to his words. I glanced up at him. ‘I’m afraid I might be losing him,’ he said.
‘Who?’
‘You know who,’ he said. ‘You’re not losing Luca. He loves you. You’re loyal to each other.’
‘I am losing him,’ Valentino insisted. ‘To you.’
‘It’s not a competition, Valentino.’
His eyes creased, sadness brimming at the surface. ‘Don’t make him choose.’
‘I won’t.’ I pressed my hand to my heart, without quite knowing why.
We fell into silence then, Valentino’s thoughts turning to somewhere beyond that room, the switchblade heavy and sure in my hand.
CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE
NOTES
Paulie and Luca were on their way into the city by the time I was done in Valentino’s office. Nic had tried to attack Luca again, and then a call had come through about a logistics meeting with a Marino emissary ahead of next week’s peace talk. I wandered upstairs feeling incomplete, and a little anxious. Luca had said he loved me and I didn’t get to say it back.
I paced back and forth in my room, and ate an entire bag of Cheetos. I didn’t want to go downstairs – Nic was there, and I wasn’t ready to have that talk with him, and it was more than obvious he wasn’t ready to have that talk with me. Luca wasn’t due home until much later.
I decided to go back to basics.
I was going to leave him a note.
A poem.
But I was going to out-gesture him and make my own.
I opened my notepad and started scribbling, and before I could talk myself out of it, I slid the note under his door and scurried back to bed.
Luca, I think it’s time I told you something true,
Like how your eyes are the most amazing sapphire blue,
Or how your smile makes me giddy and silly and shy,
How I love your voice and the way that you sigh.
I swear my heart jumps whenever I’m with you,
Because you are my favourite, and I love you, too.
P.S. I almost forgot this last message from me,
I will still never respect your authority ?
CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
DORK
When I rolled out of bed in the morning, a piece of paper had been shoved under my door. I unfolded it, glee quickly replacing exhaustion.
Sophie, You are such a dork.
I’m keeping that in my wallet for ever.
Come get me when you wake up.
Luca x
CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE
ALL SOULS
Unfortunately for me and my intended Sunday morning cuddle session with Luca, Valentino had other plans. It was All Souls’ Day, and since we were entering into peace negotiations with the Marino family, that meant we could all go out together on a family outing.
To church.
Kill me.
I was told we were to assemble at 10 a.m. in the foyer, which afforded me exactly twenty-nine minutes to spruce myself up. Dire. I caught a glimpse of Gino bounding down the hallway on my way back from the shower and noted with some degree of horror that he was wearing a suit. I hastily straightened my hair, wound it into a high ponytail and then swiped on some mascara, lip gloss and blusher.
There were more of us than usual today – a few of Luca’s great-uncles and -aunts, some errant cousins, Paulie and his three girls, Cecilia, Pia and Greta. There was Sal, Aldo and CJ, and of course, among them all, Nic. He wouldn’t look at me, and he made sure to stand as far away from Luca as possible. I was thankful at least for the crowd that pushed us apart from one another.
It was tradition, the others told me, to attend church in the city on All Souls’ Day to remember their dead. Today was no different, only this time Valentino had cautioned Nic and Luca to use the outing and the confessional afterwards to bury their problems with each other. A family divided was weak, and we needed to be strong.
I had already gathered that the Falcones were Catholic. Like, super-Catholic. I wasn’t, but the excursion fell under the heading of ‘family business’, and that meant I was a part of it.
I hadn’t spent very much time in churches, but I was pretty sure Holy Name Cathedral in Chicago was one of the most decadent in existence. It was huge – this majestic structure with tall, bright ceilings, vaulted archways and marble pillars that probably cost more than I would ever earn in a lifetime. I remembered the outside facade from the article about Angelo Falcone’s funeral Mass, but inside was even more impressive.
We arrived early and shuffled up the aisle, lulled by the faint sounds of hymnal music floating down on us. It was peaceful, and the tension that had been boiling among the family seemed to quell just a little, replaced by soft melody and candlelight.
‘You’re like a kid in a candy store,’ Luca murmured as we made our way up the centre aisle.
I had been staring open-mouthed at the altar. ‘It’s cool,’ I breathed.
‘Is it?’ he asked, amused.
I nodded. ‘Very Hunchback of Notre Dame.’
His laugh was low against my ear. ‘Why am I not surprised by that comparison?’
I winked at him over my shoulder. ‘I’m just a Disney princess stuck in a Mafia world.’
He trailed his fingers around my waist as we walked, planting a quick kiss below my ear before anyone could see. ‘Yes, you are.’
The Falcone family took up two entire pews. Luca and I sat in the second of the two rows, and Nic was, by awkward coincidence, just in front of us, his shoulders tensed. Elena was on one side of him and Gino on the other. Paulie’s girls were giggling down the far end of their pew, sandwiched between Sal and Aldo, who looked positively miserable.