I take a sip of my whiskey. Gino might be the only don in this city married to an outsider. I can see why he thought Vita was worth the trouble. Even now that she’s older, she is a strikingly beautiful woman. His affection for her is blatant. He doesn’t try to hide that he worships her.
How strange. Isn’t he afraid someone will use her against him one day?
“Cosimo was one. Vita was already pregnant with Alessio. She spent all evening with our baby, both of them waiting for me to return so that we could enjoy that moment with our little family. But I didn’t come back until the morning, and I brought bad news.” He sighs. “That lone guard was Vita’s cousin, Andy. Andy was ostracized by the rest of her family for being an addict. But Vita never gave up on him. She helped him get clean, and she even got him a job with me. She invited him to spend Christmas with us, but he wanted to work, wanted to be busy on the night when those with messed up families feel most alone. Imagine how it felt for me to tell her that he’d died.”
Fuck. My jaw clenches.
I wonder if my father knew the man’s identity. Probably. He was exceptionally good at finding other people’s weak spots.
“Vita struggled for a while. My boy seemed to act differently toward me too, even though he was far too young to understand what had happened. Seeing how I hurt them broke my heart.” He draws a loud breath through his nose and exhales with a shake of his head. “Not much gets to me like that.”
Emotions flicker across his face in quick succession. Disappointment, pain, grief…
I shift on my feet, uneasy. He’s opening up to me, leaving his feelings bare for me to see. His love for his family. His love for his wife. His need to protect them. Doesn’t he know doing this is a sign of weakness? You don’t reveal your soft spots to a rival. Even better, you don’t develop soft spots at all.
When he meets my eyes, there’s a clear warning in his, the kind that can’t be misunderstood. He’s telling me that if I ever hope to establish peace between us, I have to stay the fuck away from him and the people he loves.
I smooth my hand over my tie. I’m not a fan of apologizing for my father’s many sins, but the situation warrants it.
“I’m sorry. I know my father never apologized to you, and hearing it from me won’t carry the same weight, but I want you to know that I am sorry for the harm he caused you.”
It appears it’s the right thing to do. Gino’s gaze flashes with a hint of respect. “I can see you’re sincere, and I appreciate it.”
He brings his glass of whiskey to his lips and finishes it off. “Let’s keep this conversation going. We should touch base week to week. The threat of the Bratva isn’t one we should ignore, and it will serve everyone if the two big players in the city are a united front.”
Good. This is progress. “I agree.”
He pats me on the shoulder. “We should go back.”
I look toward the room, searching for Cleo on the other side of the glass. But I don’t see her anywhere.
CHAPTER 28
RAFAELE
I reenter through the sliding doors and glance around the room. Vita and two of her sons are by the bar cart having a heated discussion about something.
Where’s Garzolo? More importantly, where is my wife?
The staccato of her heels reaches my ears before she pops out of a random hallway. Cosimo is a few steps behind her. My eyes narrow. What were they doing there together? And why does she look so flustered?
I cross the room. Her steps slow when she sees me approach.
“What happened?”
“Nothing.” She says it too quickly, and her cheeks are flushed.
An ugly suspicion blooms inside me. “Where were you?”
“In the bathroom.”
“Why was Cosimo following behind you?”
She crosses her arms and huffs an annoyed breath. “Because I was sucking his cock.”
My vision darkens at the edges. What the—
“God, I’m joking,” she snaps. “Relax.”
“Bad joke,” I growl.
She shakes her head and looks around the room like she’s searching for someone. “How much longer until we can get out of here?”
What is going on with her? “We can leave now.”
We say our goodbyes and leave the condominium. Cleo won’t meet my eye on the elevator ride to the parking lot.
My jaw clenches. “Cleo.”
“What?” she asks the floor.
For fuck’s sake. I corner her against one of the mirrored walls and lift her chin. “What’s going on with you?”