17. Lana

17

LANA

I 'm doomed. I'm either going to lead to my own heartache or my family's destruction. Maybe both. All because I'm falling for the one man I shouldn't fall for. Here I am, Lana D'Amato, ice princess of a crime family, kissing the very detective who's hell-bent on bringing us down.

"See you later?" Henry asks, his eyes twinkling with hope, even as I can see that he, too, recognizes how doomed all this is.

I muster a smile. "Maybe. If you're lucky."

I leave his apartment, stepping into the elevator to return home. What am I doing? The smart action would be to cut everything off with Henry. Even the search for Lazaro. I can't develop feelings for Henry. Not without risking everything and everyone around me.

I drive home, my mind reeling, my heart cracking. I enter our estate grounds and park Lazaro's car in the garage. I walk to the house, entering from the back and making my way to the foyer to take the stairs up to my room to change my clothes. It occurs to me that if my brother is observant, he'll notice I'm in the same clothes I wore yesterday. I'm making the proverbial walk of shame. Great. Just what I need.

As I near Elio's office, he and Matteo step out. Both stare at me with an arched brow and arms crossed. Their faces are etched with frustration and concern that immediately puts me on edge.

"Where the hell have you been?" Elio demands, his voice sharp with anger.

I make a face. "You're not my father."

Matteo doesn't look pissed, but he is concerned, which is unusual for him. "We've been trying to reach you all night, Lana. What gives?"

A flush of embarrassment creeps up my neck, but I force it down, summoning every ounce of my ice princess persona. "I was out."

"Out?" Elio scoffs. "That's all you have to say? Your phone was off, and you didn't come home. We thought something might have happened to you."

"I'm a big girl, Elio. I can take care of myself." I try to sidestep them.

Matteo blocks my path, his blue eyes searching mine. "That's not the point, and you know it. We're family. We look out for each other."

As they press me for answers, I feel the weight of my double life crushing down on me. How can I tell them I spent the night with Henry Lutz, the very detective who's been hounding our family? The shame and guilt threaten to overwhelm me, but I bury them beneath layers of practiced indifference.

"I needed some time alone. I turned off my phone and went for a drive. Lost track of time."

"All of a sudden, you need to drive and stay out all night?" Elio's tone tells me he doesn't believe me. "What are you hiding?"

"I'm a grown woman, Elio. I'm capable of making my own decisions and taking care of myself. I don't need you or anyone else breathing down my neck every time I decide to take a night off."

Matteo steps back, hands raised in surrender. "We're just worried about you."

"Well, don't be. I've been working hard, and I think I've earned a night out without you breathing down my neck."

"I'm the head of this family," Elio snaps.

"But you're not my keeper."

Elio blows out a breath and looks away for a moment. When he looks at me again, his expression is softer. "We were worried. It's not like you to drop off the radar… to disappear."

The word disappear is synonymous with Lazaro, and now I understand where this is coming from. A wave of guilt washes through me that I'd make them worry I'd fallen victim to something nefarious. And the truth is, they have a right to be worried, considering what I've been doing.

"I'm sorry," I say softly, my anger deflating. "I didn't mean to make you worry. It's just… I thought I had a lead on Lazaro."

Matteo's eyes widen. "What? Why didn't you tell us?"

I shake my head, fabricating a story on the spot. "It was probably nothing. I got a tip about someone who matched his description hanging around the docks. I went to check it out, but it was a dead end."

Elio's expression softens further. "You should have told us. We could have helped."

"I know," I lie, hating myself for the deception. "I just… I didn't want to get anyone's hopes up. Especially not after all this time."

Elio's eyes narrow, his suspicion clearly not satisfied by my vague explanation. He takes a step closer, his voice low and intense. "Why do I feel like you're not telling us everything?"

The scrutiny of his gaze makes me want to squirm. But I hold my ground, meeting his gaze with as much steadiness as I can muster. "I told you, it was just a lead that didn't pan out."

Matteo chimes in, his tone gentler but no less probing. "And it took all night? What aren't you telling us?"

My carefully constructed lie is crumbling under their combined pressure. I take a deep breath, knowing I need to give them something more substantial or risk losing their trust completely.

"Okay, fine," I say, my voice barely above a whisper. "I've been… working with someone. Someone who might have a real lead on Lazaro."

Elio's expression darkens. "Working with who?"

I close my eyes for a moment, steeling myself for their reaction. "Detective Lutz."

The silence that follows is deafening. When I open my eyes, I see shock and disbelief written across both their faces.

"Are you out of your mind?" Elio hisses. "The same fucker who's been harassing our family? The one who wants to bring us down?"

"I know, I know," I say quickly, holding up my hands. "But he has resources we don't. He thinks he might have a lead on what happened to Lazaro."

As the words leave my mouth, I feel relief and anxiety wash over me. It feels good to finally tell them part of the truth. But at the same time, I'm terrified of what this revelation might mean for me, for Henry, for our family.

I watch their faces carefully, trying to gauge their reactions. Elio looks like he's about to explode, while Matteo seems more thoughtful, processing the information. There's even a part of him that seems impressed at the balls it took for me to engage the enemy. Or maybe the balls to admit it to Elio.

Elio's jaw clenches. "Are you insane? Detective Lutz is dangerous. It's probably a trap. He's using your obsession to find Lazaro as a way to put us all in prison."

I roll my eyes, feeling a surge of defiance. "I'm not stupid, Elio. I know exactly what I'm doing."

"Do you? Because from where I'm standing, it looks like you're playing with fire. That man is looking for any excuse to lock us all up. He could be trying to entrap you!"

I won't deny there are moments I worry about that. The moments when I want to give in and give myself over to Henry. But I can't let Elio know that.

I cross my arms, meeting his gaze with steely determination. "I can handle Henry Lutz. He's not as clever as he thinks he is."

Matteo steps in, his tone more conciliatory. "We're just worried about you. This is a dangerous game you're playing."

"It's not a game," I snap. "It's about finding Lazaro. And if working with Lutz gives us a chance to do that, then it's worth the risk."

Elio opens his mouth to argue further, but I cut him off. "I know what I'm doing. Trust me."

"You spent an entire night with a cop, Lana. Is that what you're saying?" Elio asks.

God, I hope he can't see the flush of heat I feel. "I don't have to report every moment of my life to you, Elio."

Matteo laughs. "God, it's exactly something Lazaro would do."

Elio cuts him a look. Matteo shrugs. "It is and you know it."

"Why did you need me so urgently, anyway?" I ask, hoping to move on to a new topic.

"I arranged a meeting with Rinella. Considering how your panties were all in a bunch over your thinking I was fucking up with him, I thought you'd want to be there."

Damn. I would have liked to have been there. "I wouldn't be questioning your leadership if you stopped being led around by your dick."

"Okay. Time out." Matteo makes the time-out gesture in sports.

Elio's teeth grind. "The point is, we tried to reach you about it and you were MIA. All fucking night long."

"Surely, you had the meeting even without me. You are the leader of this family, as you like to remind me all the time."

"We met."

"And?"

"So now you're interested in family business again?" Elio sneers.

"Lazaro is family too, Elio," I remind him, hoping to make him feel like shit for abandoning our brother.

His jaw ticks, and I know my comment hit its mark.

"What came of the meeting?" I ask.

"Better than expected." Matteo jumps in, probably to prevent World War III in our foyer. "Elio managed to smooth things over, at least partially. They're in the process of renegotiating our alliance."

I nod, processing this information. "What about the anonymous tips to the police? Did he admit to anything?"

Elio shakes his head. "Of course not. Vincenzo played innocent, claiming he had no idea what we were talking about. But I think he'll let up now that negotiations are back on the table."

"What are the terms?" I ask, trying to refocus on the matter at hand.

Elio starts to explain the details of the potential new alliance, but my mind is racing. I've let my family down, let my own selfish desires cloud my judgment. And for what? A detective who, despite his promises, is still on the other side?

As Elio talks, I vow to be more careful, more focused. I can't let my feelings for Henry compromise my loyalty to my family. No matter how much I want to find Lazaro, I can't lose sight of who I am and what I owe the D'Amato name.

I watch Elio, seeing the man, the leader this family needs. Despite my recent doubts about his commitment, I see he's re-engaged and taking control.

"I'm glad you and Rinella are talking again. I know you'll do what's best for the family."

Elio's expression relaxes slightly, a hint of surprise in his eyes at my words. Maybe even relief. I know that I can be a thorn in his side.

"If you'll excuse me, I'm going to change and go to the office to manage the up and up parts of the family business."

Elio studies me for a moment but then steps out the way. I head upstairs knowing he and Matteo are having a conversation about me. But I can't think about that now. It's time for me to get my game face on and do my job.

I change into a dark green fitted business dress and put my hair up. I apply a bit of makeup and then ask my driver to bring a car around to take me to work. I'm going to be later than usual, but being the boss—not Mob boss like my brother, but head of this branch of the family business—I don't have to answer to anyone except Elio. And he's the reason I'm going to be late, so he can't really say anything.

When I go down to my car, Elio intercepts me again. I steel myself for whatever lecture he's planning to give me.

"This lead about Lazaro with Lutz?—"

I hold up my hand. "I don't need you to boss me around."

He shakes his head. "I know I can't boss you around. But Lana, you have to be careful."

It sounds like he believes I'm going to keep working on Lazaro's case. "You don't think I know that?"

"I know you do, but in some ways, you're like him. You let your passion overrule what's smart."

He's not wrong. And how perverse that I like being compared to Lazaro. "I'm being careful." The words taste bitter because I haven't been. I let Detective Lutz fuck my brains out. Several times.

I realize that he's right in that passion is overruling what's smart. When I'm around Henry, he makes me feel things I've never felt before. Seen. Heard. Desired.

Now, away from him and in my usual environment, I can see more clearly. I need to be stronger in resisting Henry. But by now, I know that's easier said than done. God, I hope I'm strong enough to prevent my passion from becoming our family's downfall.