Mom took my hand. 揙nce he抣l get to know you better, he will. He抣l realize how wonderful you are, how could he not??
I laughed. 揑 think you抮e biased.?
揑 want you to be happy, Anna. Your dad and I chose Clifford because we think he could give you the kind of life you desire.?
揑f I was promised to a Made Man, I couldn抰 have studied in Paris, so you抳e made the right choice.?
For now, being engaged to Clifford gave me more freedom than I抎 ever dared to dream of. Whatever happened after I married Clifford?I would handle it then.
I couldn抰 sleep, so I settled on the balcony despite the cold.
Tomorrow Valentina would fly back home and leave me alone with Anna. The last few days in Paris and even before that, in the weeks leading up to our trip, Anna had kept her distance and been civilly polite. I didn抰 trust her sudden reserve.
The moment Valentina was gone, Anna would attack. I could practically smell her eagerness to push my buttons.
The floorboards groaned under quiet steps. I was surprised when Valentina settled on the chair beside me, wrapped in a thick woolen coat and still shivering.
揑 see you can抰 sleep either,?she said pleasantly, but I didn抰 miss the underlying tension. She had come out with a purpose in mind. 揃efore I抦 returning home tomorrow, I抎 like to have a word with you.?
I leaned back with a sardonic smile. 揧our husband already gave me a very impressive warning before we left for Paris.?
揑抦 sure he did, but I抦 also sure that Dante, as most fathers, doesn抰 notice the little details like mothers do.?
I waited expectantly. I doubted Anna shared any of her excessive flirting or blackmailing with her mother. Anna was too clever for that and even if she trusted her mother, she wouldn抰 risk Paris for that.
揟en years become less and less relevant over time. Anna is of age. That抯 a fact that definitely will have changed things, not just in her mind but also in yours.?
揃eing of age isn抰 the main deterrence in our world. Anna is my Capo抯 daughter, that抯 what really matters.?
揗aybe. But you抮e also far from home and Anna knows this is her shot at freedom. You抮e the easiest option for her.?
Ouch. That was one way to look at it, and probably not far from the truth. Anna wanted fun without the risk of losing her good girl reputation. With me, she wouldn抰 have to worry about word getting out. I抎 chew my own dick off before spreading the news that I was banging her. 揑 have to say, I抦 surprised you抮e so invested in making sure Anna doesn抰 enjoy herself too much in Paris. I thought you were one of the strongest supporters of allowing girls to not be virgins until their wedding.?
揧ou misunderstand me. I抦 concerned for Anna抯 safety. I don抰 mind if she meets a boy her age and experiences the same things Clifford does as long as I know she抯 safe. But I don抰 want her to start anything with you. I know Anna has had a crush on you when she was younger. I抦 not sure about the current state of things because she抯 become better at masking her emotions, but like I said, you抮e a safe and easy option for her. I don抰 want you to take her up on any advances.?
So some random French guy was good enough? But I wasn抰？ What the fuck?
As if Valentina could read my thoughts, she continued unfazed. 揂ny boy she meets here, will be forgotten once she抯 back in Chicago, but you抣l be around and that抯 a catastrophe about to happen. I want your word that you won抰 touch Anna and that you抣l let me know if she tries anything so I can either send her a new bodyguard or bring her back home.?
I sighed. 揑 promise.?
Anna wasn抰 the only good liar because deep down I knew I wouldn抰 give Valentina that call no matter what happened.
Valentina disappeared in the security check area and Anna turned to me with a serene smile that set my alarm bells off.
揇on抰 try anything, or I抣l call your father even if it costs me my job.?
She smiled in that innocent way that didn抰 fool me anymore. 揑 don抰 know what you抮e talking about.?
The fuck she didn抰。 This girl had trouble written all over her. When she settled on the passenger seat in our rental car, I half expected her to try something as I drove us home, but she surprised me by glancing out the window almost contemplatively.
Maybe she had finally accepted that we couldn抰 happen. It was a little disconcerting that I didn抰 feel the elation that I should.
揥e should consider giving back the car and renting a Vespa instead. We could weave through traffic and not get stuck in it,?she said when we抎 been crawling through Parisian traffic for almost an hour.
I followed her gaze toward a mint-colored Vespa. The guy driving the thing wore a matching helmet and tight pants that accentuated long lean legs that would make most girls jealous. 揑抦 not metrosexual enough for that.?