Chapter 28

28

Zara

C reed has been gone for so long that I’ve worn down his carpet from pacing across his living room, looking out into the dark city and wondering what’s happening. It’s times like this I wish I had a phone, but I don’t because he still doesn’t trust me.

I thought he’d be home by now. It’s been over three hours since he left, telling me that the apartment was just down the street.

Something must have gone wrong. That’s the only thing that could be the holdup.

“Have you heard anything yet?” I ask Lorenzo, who seems tense on the sofa. Wearing a dark gray suit with a burgundy button-up underneath and a matching handkerchief in the suit pocket, the older man dresses even better than Creed. Although, I think Creed just asks his tailor for black everything.

“No, ma’am. Nothing since the last time you asked two minutes ago. ”

“Sorry,” I tell him. “It’s just...”

I hope he didn’t get caught or hurt. I shouldn’t have let him even attempt this. Emilio Rovina is an evil, ruthless man.

And while I know Creed is too, maybe even more so, I know for a fact that Creed still has a good heart deep inside that mafioso tattooed exterior.

“It’s just what?” Lorenzo asks when I pause. “A fool’s errand that may get him killed?”

“I didn’t ask him to do this,” I explain. “In fact, I asked Creed if he was sure his quickly hatched plan would even work. He seemed to think so, and then he went off to do it. Can anyone talk that man out of doing something when he sets his mind to it?”

“No, no they can’t,” he mutters. “If he succeeds, and that’s a big if, you’re leaving the city with her ASAP, right?”

“What?” I ask, since this is the first I’ve heard about leaving the city. “What do you mean, ‘am I leaving?’”

He blinks at me. “Creed hasn’t told you?”

“Told me what?”

He drops his gaze to his knee where his fingers drum along it. “You should ask him when he gets back. If he gets back alive.”

“I’m asking you, Lorenzo. What hasn’t Creed told me?”

He sighs. “Did you really think you could stay in New York once he takes your daughter from Emilio Rovina?”

“I…I guess I haven’t really thought about it.”

“Obviously not. You can’t stay.”

“Because Emilio would eventually find out Creed took Oriana?”

“And because Emilio knows you had something to do with Izaiah going missing. He’s been searching all over for you. He wants you dead, girl.”

“He does?” I say in surprise. “Creed…he hasn’t said anything about Emilio knowing…” Of course, Emilio knows I’m involved, since Izaiah’s car was near my apartment. An apartment Emilio has visited plenty of times after he kicked me out of his place. And Creed didn’t tell me because he didn’t want me to worry. “I have to leave the city.”

“Exactly. And I asked you if you were leaving as soon as you get your daughter, assuming Creed doesn’t die trying.”

“Yes. I’m…I’ll make plans to leave as soon as possible.”

“Good,” he says with what sounds like relief. “Because you’re not good for him.”

“I’m not good for Creed Ferraro? Really?”

“He’s been through a lot lately. I don’t know why he’s latched onto you, but he’s not thinking clearly, hasn’t been since the raid when Carmine died.”

“Creed feels guilty, like he should’ve died instead of his brother,” I say in understanding. “He has to work that out in his own time.”

“I’m well aware he needs time to come to terms with what happened. But Creed is responsible for hundreds of people. You know that, too, don’t you?”

“I didn’t know how many.”

“Hundreds of people depend on him to pay their bills and support their families.”

“And you depend on him as well to earn your big paydays for those fancy suits, right?”

“I would be just fine if Creed walked away from being the head of the Five Families or gets thrown in prison. Financially, I mean. I’ll be right there with him in prison. But he’s also my friend, first and foremost. Yes, he’s made me a very rich man, but I would trade every penny to keep him alive.”

“Then, you’re a good friend.”

“He’s the reason Dre went to law school after he got out of the military. Do you know why?”

“No?”

“Because Dre knew Creed would need a damn good attorney, not just for his business dealings, but to at least have someone with criminal defense attorney associates who could keep him out of prison. And for the past ten years, he’s done his part to keep him alive and free. Creed was always rational, which helped. But then you came along. Now Dre will lose his law license because of the charges from that raid you dragged them into. I just know that it’s only a matter of time before you bring about Creed’s downfall. That’s why you need to go.”

“I think you’re giving me way too much credit. Creed won’t even touch me anymore.”

“What?” Lorenzo asks, his brow furrowed.

“We’re not sleeping together,” I tell him. “We share the same bed every night, but he hasn’t touched me in weeks.”

“Why not?”

His question makes me cough out a laugh. “I wish I knew the answer to that question, but I’m afraid I’m at a complete loss. We’ve never even had sex.”

“Then, what the fuck?” Lorenzo asks. He rubs the back of his neck as he thinks it over. “Creed said you two hadn’t, and I thought he was full of shit. I could’ve sworn the man was so pussy whipped, he wasn’t thinking clearly, and now you say that’s not even happening...”

“He’s still upset about Carmine. He doesn’t think he deserves anything good in his life,” I explain. “Yes, he’s trying to get my daughter back to me, but as for the rest, it has nothing to do with me.”

“Oh, it definitely has something to do with you. The man risked everything when he killed his ally’s son for you, when he didn’t even know a damn thing about you, except that you were responsible for his brother’s death.”

“That was not my fault. I had no idea what Izaiah was planning to do. Am I glad that Creed killed him? Hell yes, but I never would’ve asked Creed to do that. His death doesn’t really solve any of my problems. Yes, I hated his visits and constant blackmail, but I was enduring it just fine. And now... now Emilio thinks I killed him. That’s why Creed won’t let me leave the apartment, isn’t it?”

“Well, the man’s car was found near your apartment in Queens. It wouldn’t take a genius to put two and two together.”

“Fuck,” I mutter, covering my face with my hands. “I should’ve realized. Creed hasn’t told me but, I should’ve known that Emilio would blame me. I hate that son of a bitch.”

“We all do, too, but he’s a useful ally. And his father’s best friend.” Lorenzo’s phone dings, and he pulls it out of his pocket. “They’re on the way up.”

“Thank god,” I sigh. “Did he…did he say anything else?”

“No. It was just Dre saying they’re back.”

Lorenzo and I both go out to the elevator to wait for them. “Thanks for the talk,” I tell him. “It was a nice distraction from going out of my mind worrying about them.”

“No problem.”

The doors open and Creed steps out first. There doesn’t appear to be any tears or blood on his black clothing, which is a relief.

Dre and Triston exit after him.

“You couldn’t...” I start, trying to swallow down my disappointment. At least he tried. That’s more than anyone else would ever do for me.

But then he turns around and says, “Paige and Bethany meet Zara, Oriana’s mother , just as I promised. That’s how you’ll refer to her from now on.”

A blonde woman I see once a month with Oriana steps up beside Creed, and on her shoulder is the most beautiful girl in the world.

I slap my palm over my mouth to keep from crying out. My daughter is dressed in bright pink fleece footie pajamas with little unicorns on them, her head resting on the woman’s shoulder, sound asleep. She looks so tiny and peaceful. I’ve never even seen her in pajamas before, since I was only allowed short visits during the day.

“H-how is she?” I quietly ask the woman, holding her when I place my hand on her back just to feel her warmth, to feel her breathing.

“She slept through most of it,” she replies, narrowing her eyes at the man behind me. “He never told us you were her mother.”

On playdates, I didn’t spend much time talking to the nannies who would sit and glare at me the entire time. Oriana’s only ever called me Zara, never Mommy. I should’ve insisted, but having them badmouth the woman she sometimes sees isn’t as terrible as them telling her how awful the woman who gave birth to her is.

“What the fu-hell?” Creed asks. “They look just alike!”

“We assumed but knew better than to ask Mr. Rovina any questions.” The woman cups the back of Oriana’s head, her fingers trailing through her curls just like mine. She hefts her up higher as if she’s getting heavy.

“Could we... why don’t we find a room to tuck her into bed?” I suggest.

“Do you have a toddler bed? Or a bed with rails? You can’t put her in a normal bed, or she’ll roll off,” the woman explains in a quiet rush.

“Don’t,” Creed warns her. “You’re free to offer suggestions, but you won’t tell Zara how to care for her daughter, or I’ll throw your ass out.”

The blonde woman, Paige, lowers her eyes. The brunette, Bethany, is relatively new. She steps forward and says, “How about you show us to a room, and we can work on setting it up to keep Ori safe?”

“Ori?” I repeat. “You call her Ori?”

“Yes.”

“How long have you two been caring for her? I know Paige has been with her for a long time… ”

“I’ve only been her nanny for four months, but Paige has been with her every day for almost a year,” the brunette, Bethany, says.

No wonder the blonde seems more protective of her.

“Thank you both for taking care of her. I wish it could’ve been me, but I’m glad she had two people who love her so much.”

Creed’s arm comes around my chest, hugging me to the front of his body before kissing the top of my head. “Feel free to choose any room you think she’ll like best,” he says quietly in my ear. “And tomorrow, I promised her a princess crown.”

I cover his hand on my shoulder and kiss it to thank him. I’ll have to show him my full appreciation later.

For now, though, I have to put my daughter to bed for the very first time.

After she woke up and we decided she needed a bath, the nannies and I picked one of the guest rooms with a king bed for Oriana. Paige reluctantly hands her over while she and Bethany build a wall of pillows around the center of the mattress.

My sweet girl doesn’t make a sound after that. Her little breaths warm my neck as she dozes.

After the pillows are in place, Paige props her hands on her hips and studies me in the glow of the soft bedside lamp. “You know he’s going to kill the guards, right?” she grumbles.

I nod in understanding but not approval.

“He would’ve killed us, too, if we had refused to come with her.”

“I’m sorry. Really,” I say as I rub circles over Oriana’s back. “But it was the only way. I’m not sure if you know much about your employer. Emilio Rovina is not a good man.”

“We know,” Paige replies. “But Ori deserved someone kind to take care of her. And it was a complicated process to get hired for the position of nanny. Mr. Rovina ran background checks on us, called almost everyone we knew, demanded we turn over passports if we had one — that sort of thing. He’s very protective of her.”

“No kidding,” I mutter. “All he had to do was let me stay with her too. At least at night, when I wasn’t working. He didn’t think I would be a good mother to her.”

“He once mentioned that Oriana’s mother was a drug addicted w-h-o-r-e.”

“That’s not true. I failed one drug test, the first one when I went to the doctor after I realized I was pregnant. Pills I got from Emilio. I haven’t touched any since then. And I’ve never taken money for s-e-x.”

“What are you to Mr. Ferraro?” she asks.

“It’s complicated.”

“He said he’s your husband,” Bethany chimes in. “Before he even told us his name.”

“Like I said, it’s complicated. Creed’s just trying to help me out. Despite all the rumors about him, he’s a good man.”

“A man who probably just put four men in the ground tonight,” Paige remarks.

“Were they good men? The guards who worked for Rovina?”

Paige shrugs. “I don’t know. But it isn’t up to Creed Ferraro to judge them.”

“I hate that. I do. I never wanted anyone to get hurt. But there was no other way for me to get Oriana back. I couldn’t fight Emilio in court, not with all the money he has. Please, just stay here, and don’t try to tell him what happened. That’s all you both need to do to be safe. Creed won’t hurt you. I promise.”

Paige’s lips purse. “We should put Ori to bed before she wakes up and starts running laps around this whole place.”

“We should...it might be best if Paige and I stay in here with her tonight,” Bethany suggests. “We can sleep on either side of her, and if she wakes up, we’ll make sure she knows she’s safe before she worries about where she’s at.”

“Okay,” I agree, even if I wanted to be the one to sleep beside her tonight.

“Tomorrow, after she spends the day with you, you can take one of our spots,” Bethany offers.

“That sounds like a good plan. I don’t want her to wake up and get upset. As you already know, we haven’t spent much time together. And the things I had to do for that time...well, I would do anything for her, just so you know. Despite what Emilio may have told you about me, I would never let anything happen to her. I love her so much and have missed her every second.”

Blinking back the tears, I kiss the side of her head and lower her to the mattress. I pull the sheets around her, tucking them in tight, so she feels safe, like someone is holding her. Then, I leave her with the two nannies.

It’s easier this time because I know they’re not urging me to leave out of spite, but because it’s really what’s best for Oriana, letting her sleep with the women she’s spent every second of the day with for months.