He didn’t let her go; he pulled her closer and leaned down to whisper the lyrics into the curve of her neck. “Like a million miles away from me, you couldn’t see how I adored you.” He pulled at the top button to her scratchy red pajamas and breathed against her collarbone. “So close.” He undid the second one. “So close and yet so far.”
Brianna threaded her fingers into his hair, and she didn’t even try to hide the tears that rolled down her cheeks as he pulled her pajama shirt off and confessed, “My eyes adored you,” against her stomach like they were the most honest words that had left his mouth.
She didn’t know why she cried while he undressed her, singing that song to her, but it wasn’t just her. Tino was crying too as he pushed her against the mattress and crawled over her, unbuttoning his jeans as he went. Then he brushed her hair away from her forehead and held her face like he did, making her feel like she was the most precious thing in the world to him as he whispered, “My eyes adored you,” like he really needed her to hear it.
She nodded, and all she could say was, “I’m glad they did.”
“I’m gonna get to the other side of the board for you,” he promised with tears glimmering in his dark eyes. “If there’s a way, I’m gonna find it.”
“There’s always a way,” she reminded him with a smile.
Then the song switched, and Tino made love to her to the rest of the Jersey Boys sound track, telling her how much he adored her until she was moaning against his rough palm, because she couldn’t seem to keep it in despite their neighbors.
Tino buried his face in her hair when the pleasure became too much. Then he said, “Ti amo,” when he started to come down.
She didn’t recognize it, so she asked, “What does that mean?”
“I love you.” He stroked her sweaty hair away from her face. “I just love you, baby. That’s it.”
“Is that it?” she asked with a smile.
He nodded and smiled back. “That’s it.”
Epilogue
Somewhere in West Virginia
November 2014
And they lived happily ever after…
Brianna drew little swirly lines and hearts under it on the hotel stationery like she would’ve when she was eighteen. She’d been sitting in this room all day, hungry, with nothing to eat but the few snacks she and Carina bought at the Kentucky border.
No phone either.
She was just trapped with her thoughts for hours and hours.
Now she was left in that place with the lights and Tino adoring her to the sound track of Jersey Boys, wondering if that young, incredibly naive Brianna would believe for one second where she’d be six years later.
After all of them learned firsthand what love could destroy.
The kingdoms it could rip apart.
The lives it could ruin.
The hearts it could break.
Before the war that taught them there were no happy endings in Cosa Nostra, just the little collection of special memories they all had to learn how to survive with.
It had to be enough.
There was a knock on the door, and she nearly jumped out of her skin after being stuck in the room for so long. Then she sat there, staring at it, not moving, barely breathing before she heard, “It’s me.”
She still didn’t move, because that didn’t feel like enough.
“Brianna—” It was a bark of annoyance. “It’s fine.”
She very quietly got up, keeping her footsteps light as she reached for the gun on the nightstand. She turned toward the door and pointed it there. Even if she recognized Nova’s voice, they could have him hostage for all she knew.
If he were really okay, he’d know she’d need proof.
“Cazzo.” Nova groaned, sounding exhausted. “What the fuck do you want? Proof? You want proof? Fine. Um. I used to call you the BFF until Tino lost his shit on me and knocked me out with the shower door ’cause I wasn’t reverent enough.”
She frowned, because she honestly didn’t know that.
“Jesus, you’re more paranoid than I am.” He huffed when she didn’t respond. “The train ride in Harlem after the rave. The coffeehouse in the village where we met Lola. I don’t know what you’re looking for. It’s me. No one’s holding me hostage. I got you double the scholarship money when you first started college, and you’re leaving me out here spouting off shit when I haven’t slept in two days.”
She undid the locks. “I didn’t know you did that.”
Nova snorted in disbelief. “You thought they just hand out that much scholarship money for no reason?”
“Carina told me she did it,” Brianna mumbled.
“Okay.” Nova let out a harsh, cynical laugh. “But you’re still a smart girl, Brianna. Still very smart. Anyone else would’ve just opened the door. What dumbass thought they could get that cretino you married to ice you?” Nova looked away, seeming lost in thought. “You’ve been through a fucking war. The old man knows you’re smart. He knows you’re tough too.”
Brianna shrugged, because she didn’t have any more answers than Nova did.
“Anyway, let’s go get you something to eat. You gotta be friggin’ starving.” Nova walked into the room and picked up her bag that she’d already packed with the cash Tino left her, along with the other things she’d brought. “Is this it?”