Like every morning, Valerio drove me to work. Today, my spirits were particularly high as I hadn’t seen Nevio in the past two days. Maybe he’d really listened and returned to Las Vegas. Additionally, my internship with the Famiglia’s doctor was a lot of fun, even if I wasn’t allowed to be present during everything. Not so much because they worried that I couldn’t handle it, but because I could still feel weariness despite the fresh peace treaty between the Camorra and Famiglia.
And like every morning, we stopped at Valerio’s favorite coffee shop. I liked coffee, but Valerio was positively addicted to it. I doubted he needed it to wake up in the morning because he was one the most nauseatingly cheerful morning persons I’d ever encountered. His words about being grumpy in the mornings had never proven true. Or maybe he was just grumpy deep inside.
We got out of his red Porsche 911, which he’d parked at the curb right in front of the shop. The moment we entered the shop, I noticed that Marcos wasn’t behind the counter. This was the first time he didn’t take our orders. Valerio gave our usual orders to the girl behind the counter. Something in her face told me something was up. Her skin was blotchy, and eyes teary as if she’d recently cried.
“Where’s Marcos?” I asked casually, not wanting Valerio to draw the wrong conclusions. I wasn’t interested in the barista. I simply liked his flirting because it lifted my ego.
Valerio slanted a look at me, blue eyes narrowed in consideration. If I’d thought I would have more freedom away from home, I was thoroughly mistaken. The Famiglia had strict rules that even the easygoing Valerio paid attention to.
The girl blanched. She turned around to where her manager was talking to someone on the phone, looking upset. “He was found dead in an alley last night. That’s why he didn’t show up to work this morning. The police were here to question us before we even opened the store.”
I swallowed hard. Was this a coincidence? What if Nevio was still in New York? Maybe he’d decided Marcos had looked at me the wrong way, and suddenly, he was dead.
I felt sick. Even without any proof, my instincts told me Nevio had been involved in this. Because of me. I didn’t understand any of this. What was this for him? A sick game?
“Do they know what happened?” I asked, trying to sound sympathetic but not as freaked out as I was. Considering Valerio’s very intent expression, I probably wasn’t doing a very good job.
The girl glanced at her manager again, then whispered, “The police think it was a mugging. He was stabbed, and his wallet was on the ground beside him.”
“Stabbed? Just once, or did he have any other injuries?”
Knowing Nevio’s inability to control himself, a single stab wound seemed odd, but maybe that had been his intent. Maybe this controlled kill showed that he didn’t really care about me, wasn’t really deeply emotionally involved, but acted out of a sick sense of possessiveness.
The girl looked uncomfortable. It wasn’t normal to ask these kinds of questions as a bystander. Tomorrow, the police would probably want to question me because of my suspicious behavior, but I needed to find out more.
“I think he was stabbed once, but I didn’t ask for details.” The way she said it made it clear I shouldn’t have asked either.
“I should probably…uhhh…get your order before my manager notices the long line,” she said quickly, then turned on her heel and began to work on our beverages.
Valerio raised one blond brow. “What was that about?”
I gave a shrug. “Just curious. He seemed like such a nice guy. It’s horrible that he got killed.”
“Horrible,” Valerio repeated as if he couldn’t care less, which was probably true considering he was Luca Vitiello’s child and had killed his own fair share of people in his life.
The barista returned with our orders, and we left. When we got into the Porsche, Valerio didn’t start the engine.
I pretended to be busy with my Americano. Since Valerio had introduced me to it, I’d developed my own addiction to the concoction.
“I’ll ask again. What was that interrogation about?” His voice lacked his usual cheer and lightness and gave me a glimpse of another more serious and dangerous side of him.
I frowned. “I was just being compassionate. The girl must feel bad after such horrible news.”
“Horrible,” Valerio repeated with a hint of sarcasm. “Even I could tell the girl was freaked out by your questions. She certainly didn’t get compassionate vibes from you.”
“Maybe I had a crush on him,” I muttered, feeling defensive. My thoughts were a jumbled mess, and it was only a matter of time before I’d let something slip.
“I didn’t get the vibe that you had a crush on him. He had the hots for you, no doubt, but you weren’t into him. I have a feeling this isn’t just you being your caring self.”
I sipped my coffee, hoping Valerio would stop prodding. On the other hand, maybe getting him and, in consequence, Luca involved would make Nevio retreat.
Peace was still a fragile construct, though. What if Nevio’s actions caused a new rift that led to war? With Greta in New York, things would get even more complicated. Could I really risk this out of an unfounded suspicion?
Valerio angled his body my way, his back against the door and one elbow propped up on his steering wheel. “It’s strange. You get lost when a fire breaks out in the hospital, and Flavio finds you completely flustered. You keep checking our surroundings as if you know someone is after you. My instincts tell me someone has been watching us. Someone who’s really good at staying in the shadows, someone who’s used to creeping up on others, on hunting them. And now a guy who was into you is dead.”
“People get mugged and killed all the time.”
“Sure, they do,” he said. “Still, I find the string of events odd. Are you promised to someone in Las Vegas?”
“You know I’m not.”
“Does someone think you belong to him?”
“I’m not a pet. I don’t belong to anyone.”
Valerio just smiled as if I’d said something funny. I had underestimated him. His funny nature made you forget what he was at the core of his being. A Made Man and Luca Vitiello’s son. “Sure. If the lie makes you feel better.”
He finally started the car and pulled away from the curb. I really hoped he’d let the matter drop. I couldn’t do it. I needed to find out more about Marcos’s death. The problem was how to do it without making the police or the Vitiellos suspicious.
Luckily, Greta and Amo were invited over this evening again, and I used my chance to have a private chat with Greta right after dinner.
We settled on the Hollywood swing in the backyard, away from prying eyes and ears.
“Is Nevio still in New York?” I asked in a whisper.
“He hasn’t been in contact with me in over twenty-four hours, so I assume he has returned to Las Vegas.”
“Or he’s laying low in his own way,” I muttered, then told Greta what I’d found out today. My pulse spiked just talking about it, and my eyes burned as they had done every time I’d considered my role in an innocent’s brutal death.
She didn’t say anything, only looked thoughtful. Nobody knew Nevio better than Greta, even if I’d often wished it were me. Now I wasn’t so sure anymore. “Greta?”
She ran her elegant fingers over her skirt, dark brows curving in deep contemplation. “I told you he cares about you.”
“And that’s his way of showing it? He killed an innocent man because he didn’t like me talking to him.”
I still didn’t want to believe it. I wasn’t sure my conscience could take it. How could I ever risk talking to a man again if it meant risking his life? Wasn’t this fear exactly what Nevio wanted to evoke in me so he could control me? But revolting didn’t pose a risk to my safety. I was playing with other peoples’ lives, and I couldn’t do that.
“Can you please talk to him? He needs to stop this. We’re not an item. He’s never given me any indication that he wanted to be in a relationship with me. He doesn’t get to decide who I hang out with. I want him to return to Las Vegas and stay out of my life. We’re not dating. We’re nothing, not even friends after everything he did. I don’t want anything to do with him ever again.”
Greta sighed. “Aurora—”
“Don’t try to make me understand him or even feel sympathetic for him. He’s out of line. I’m done with him.”
Greta bit her lip. “I’ll see if I can contact him, and then I’ll let him know. But I can’t promise he’ll listen. Nevio is unpredictable.”
The sliding doors made us both go silent. Luca stood in the doorway, and my stomach tightened. Something in his face told me I was in trouble.
“I need to talk to you, Aurora.”
I got up from the Hollywood swing. Greta gave me a worried look. Did she worry I’d expose Nevio?
If war weren’t on the horizon if I did, I might have done it. He deserved punishment. All his life his actions had never been followed by consequences, and now an innocent had to pay the price.
I followed Luca into his office where Matteo, who’d also been at the dinner with Gianna and Isabella, and Valerio were waiting. I assumed Amo would try to get information out of Greta in the meantime.
I gave them a hesitant smile. “Did I do something?”
“Sit down,” Luca said, motioning at the armchair on the left across from them, as if I was facing an inquisition.
Nerves twisted my belly as I sank down. I wasn’t concerned for myself. The worst that could happen to me was that Luca would send me back to Las Vegas, and while I wasn’t ready for that yet, it wouldn’t be horrible.
“Valerio told us about the murder of a man you were in contact with.”
I flushed. “I bought my coffee in the coffee shop where he worked, and Valerio or Flavio were always there too.”
“I didn’t suggest you were involved with this man, but he seemed interested in you. Flavio and Valerio are good at hiding their nature, so it’s not surprising that he didn’t get the message that you were off-limits. It seems someone else conveyed the message to him in a very obvious way.”
“The police think it’s a mugging gone wrong.”
“Of course, they do,” Matteo said with a snort.
“What do you think happened?” I looked Luca in the eyes but quickly lowered my gaze, unable to stand his.
“He was killed with a sawtooth knife.”
Matteo cocked an eyebrow at me. “Who do you know who has a pet sawtooth knife?”
It was Nevio’s favorite knife. Everyone knew that. “Many people use sawtooth knives, right?” I tried to look as innocent as possible.
“Bullshit. Our favorite psychotic killer has that knife. Fuck, he probably even sleeps in a bed with it and uses it to fuck his own—”
“Matteo—” Luca’s voice whipped through the room, making me wince.
Matteo waved him off. “Living under a roof with the Falcones, she’s probably seen and heard worse.”
“She won’t under my roof, though. She’s barely of age and innocent. I want you to remember that.”
“Blond and blue eyes always make you believe in someone’s innocence, Luca.”
“I’m the epitome of innocence,” Valerio said with a chuckle.
“My point,” Matteo said.
I pressed my lips together, not sure what to say or do. If Nevio had really wanted to cover up his tracks, he would have done a better job. This kill probably served two purposes: control me and provoke the Famiglia.
I feared he’d succeed in doing both.
“I accepted that he came to New York to slaughter the people responsible for Greta’s attack, I even accepted him being here for the wedding, but I don’t want the fucker in our city whenever he damn well pleases. I’d still love to slice his throat open for what he did to Isa and Gianna, and if he crosses my path in the next few days, I sure as fuck will show him my favorite knife,” Matteo said.
Aria cleared her throat, and we all turned toward the open door. She looked furious. She was one of the few people I knew who still managed to look gorgeous as she did. Her fists were propped up on her hips. “We promised Fabiano to keep Aurora safe, but now you’re questioning her and saying all these inappropriate things to her. This is unacceptable.”
Luca sighed. “It’s also unacceptable to have Nevio running rampant in my city.”
“Do we know it’s him?” she asked.
“We suspect it.”
“Why would he even be here?”
All eyes turned to me once more.
“Why did you want to leave Las Vegas?” Luca asked.
“Maybe there was someone there who made her feel uncomfortable. I don’t want to be the poor woman Nevio puts his sights on,” Matteo said.
“Nevio hasn’t set his sights on me. Nevio only cares about the Camorra and violence.”
Matteo gave me a shark grin. “That’s what everyone said about his old man too, and then he kidnapped a poor woman, and now they live their happily ever after.”
The story of how Serafina and Remo became a couple still shocked me, though I’d known about it for a while. How could you fall in love with someone who kidnapped you to destroy your family?
“Like father like son. They both like blondes,” Matteo said.
I blushed. “We’re not—”
“Did he do something? Is he threatening you?” Aria asked in a motherly tone as she crossed the room and gently touched my shoulder. I appreciated her support, but at the same time, it made me feel even guiltier for having brought trouble to their doorstep. “We can protect you from everything, and Fabiano would stop at nothing to protect you too. He was willing to break with the Camorra for your mother.”
That was exactly what I feared. If Dad found out, his bond with the Falcones would suffer or even break.
Nevio had hurt me. I wasn’t even that concerned about the physical aspect, even if I hated how I’d lost my virginity to him, how he didn’t even remember. But Nevio hadn’t intended to hurt me, not physically at least, because he hadn’t realized it was me.
I still hated him for that night and for everything that came after. But I wouldn’t try to get revenge on him through my dad or Luca. I wouldn’t risk everyone’s safety because I had been stupid enough to fall for someone like Nevio.
I knew what kind of person he was.
“I don’t need protection,” I said firmly, and it wasn’t even a lie. Nevio wasn’t out to hurt me, only everyone else.
Valerio or Flavio and, on a few occasions, even Luca played my bodyguard since the latter’s presence was a bit disconcerting. It wasn’t that I wasn’t used to the intensity of a Capo—I’d grown up around Remo, after all—but I had never been alone with him. It felt awkward and also nerve-wracking because I knew why the Capo himself had decided to keep me safe. Though I wasn’t even sure this was about my safety. None of them could believe that Nevio was a danger to me. They wanted to capture him in their territory, and I was the bait.
I really hoped Nevio wasn’t cocky enough to risk contacting me again while I was under close watch. Maybe I was worrying for nothing, and he’d actually returned to Vegas. Greta had assured me she’d sent him a message, but she wasn’t sure if he’d followed her advice. She’d also mentioned that her dad, Remo, was seething since Luca had told him about the strange events in New York. Maybe he’d find a way to stop his son.
Nevio
“Listen, Nevio, I have no clue what’s going on in your head, but your father is ready to explode. Luca called to ask about you and your dad lied that you were here. You need to return,” Alessio muttered.
“I’ll be back tomorrow,” I said, then hung up. After a week in New York, my job here was done. Aurora understood that I was dead serious. I wouldn’t let some random asshole flirt with her without consequences.
Not to mention that Luca had upped his protection for Aurora. Tomorrow the whole Vitiello clan would go to the Hamptons for a few weeks.
Returning home would definitely lead to a big conflict with Dad. I’d ignored all of his messages, and the same went for the messages from pretty much everyone else.
When I left the airport the next day, Dad was already waiting for me. His expression made it clear he was ready to kill me. It wasn’t the first time, but I had a feeling he was closer to the end of his patience than ever before.
I got into his car without a word. Evading his explosion would only make it worse, though I had a feeling this would be pretty bad. Did I care? Not really.
“What the fuck is wrong with you?” Dad snarled the second my door was closed.
“We both know the list is long.”
Dad gripped the steering wheel in a death grip, his knuckles turning whiter than the cocaine the junkies ripped out of our hands. “You were in New York?”
I nodded because Dad knew and only wanted to test me further.
“I lied to Luca and told him you were here. Fuck, the second you went missing, I immediately had a feeling it was because of this nonsense. What the fuck is wrong with you?”
The answer was still the same, but I didn’t bother pointing that out. I also didn’t mention that he had been notorious for his crazy moves when he was younger, kidnapping a bride, for example, and had only calmed slightly since he had family.
“Did you kill that outsider? Because Luca thinks that was you, and I have to agree with his instinct.”
“He picked the wrong girl.”
“Aurora left Las Vegas because she wanted to get away from you. What about this message didn’t you get?”
“You kidnapped Mom. It’s not like you are a shining example of how to treat a woman.”
Dad gripped my throat. I was surprised it had taken this long for him to get violent because his anger must have accumulated over the past few days. Hell, the past few weeks. “This isn’t about your mother and me. She doesn’t know about your mess up, by the way. I lied to her, told her I had sent you away on a special mission, so she doesn’t worry. Fuck, and I had to lie to Fabiano too. I’m stacking up too many lies because of your bullshit.”
“I pissed Luca off. Isn’t that a mission you can get behind?” I asked, grinning despite my lack of oxygen. Dad’s fingers flexed, but he released me, turned away, and started the car as if he needed to busy himself with traffic to make sure he didn’t choke me to death.
“We need peace for Greta’s sake, Nevio. Isn’t that something even your brain should be able to understand?” he gritted out, every word shaky with anger.
I leaned back. This was a topic I had no interest in discussing. If I were keen on war with the Famiglia, my week there would have looked different. Luca hardly gave a fuck about that dead Outsider, and he definitely wouldn’t start a war over him.
“Just give me one reason for this major fuckup. One sane reason that maybe makes me want to send you away a little less.”
“I wanted to show Aurora that I wouldn’t give her up just because she ran away.”
Dad glanced at me, his lack of understanding as plain as day on his face. “What do you want from her? And if your answer is anything less than marry her, then don’t say anything, and for fuck’s sake, let that girl be. She’s Fabiano’s daughter. If you want to mess with a girl’s life, pick another. This is my last warning, Nevio. I won’t risk losing Fabiano because you got it in your head to give chase simply because she started running.”
I kept my mouth shut because fuck if I knew what I wanted with Aurora. I couldn’t let her go. I knew that, and the consequences? Fuck, they would hopefully be worth it.
