18.

M ATTEO

“This is so exciting,” Bella said softly as she stared out the window at the traffic and buildings around the car. “Look, Dill! I’ve seen that on television!”

Dylan looked uncomfortable as he asked, “Is it always this crowded?”

When I nodded, he grimaced, and I said, “I’m sure it will take some time to get used to, but once we get inside The Castello, it will be much calmer.”

“You’re willing to deal with all of this traffic just to get to work everyday?” Dylan asked Bella.

“I will have to leave pretty early, won’t I?” Bella asked. Before I had a chance to answer her, she said, “How far away from the office is Bernadette’s house?”

“You don’t know?” Dylan asked her.

“Have I ever been here before? No, I have not.”

“You could have googled it,” Dylan muttered. “I can’t believe you don’t even know where you’re gonna be living.”

Their bickering reminded me of my siblings, and if I was being honest, it also reminded me of my relationship with Luca. I knew that if I didn’t jump in soon, it would turn into an all-out battle, so I said, “For now, she’ll be living at The Castello, and she’ll have a driver so she won’t have to worry about getting lost.”

“But when she moves into the house? Shit! I never even thought to ask. What are the laws here? Can she open carry? What does it take to get a concealed carry permit here?”

I grimaced because I knew Dylan, and most likely Bella, wouldn’t like my answer, so I hedged, “It’s very different from the laws in Texas.”

“And?” Dylan asked, not willing to be deterred.

“ Bella will have a constant guard so she won’t really . . .”

Dylan scoffed before he said, “She knows how to protect herself. What I want to know is will she be able to do that?”

“My handguns are packed in my crates,” Bella informed us. “I know which one they’re in so it won’t be a problem for me to find them.”

“But are you going to get arrested if you’re caught carrying?”

“I need to see if my permit will . . .”

“Your permit will not transfer to New York, and there are even more stringent laws in the city itself.”

“So, if she gets caught, she’s gonna be in trouble? That’s just fucking great.”

“I’ll have a guard with me, right, Matteo? I can just depend on him while I do whatever I need to do to get a permit,” Bella assured him. She looked over at me and asked, “Right? I can do that, can’t I?”

“You can always depend on my people to protect you, Bella,” I assured her. “I took the liberty of hiring a few new guards just for you, though. They’re very experienced women who . . .”

“You hired women for me?” Bella interrupted with a grin. “I didn’t know that the mafia boys club allowed women to join.”

I gave her a pointed look, and she laughed before I said, “They’re not part of my organization, but they will be my employees.”

“What sort of qualifications do they have?” Dylan asked.

“Each of them spent four years in the military . . .”

“What branch?” Dylan interrupted.

“The Marine Corps.” Dylan nodded slowly, so I continued, “When they got out of the military . . .”

“Together?”

“Within a few months of each other.”

“Honorably discharged?”

I nodded before I said, “They were recruited to work as personal bodyguards in California but weren’t happy, so one of them reached out and asked my associate, Ziggy, if he had any open positions. Since he knew I was trying to choose who would work best as your personal guard, he referred her to me.”

“What are their names?” Bella asked.

“Alazei . . .”

“Are you kidding me right now?” Salvatore interrupted angrily from the front. “You hired her?”

Rocco started chuckling, and Salvatore glowered, “It’s not funny.”

“It is funny,” I said with a grin as Savlatore glared at me over the seat.

“She’s pure evil,” Salvatore said angrily. “I’ve never met a woman as mean as Alazei Sanchez.”

“That’s a point in her favor, I guess,” Dylan pondered. He looked back over at me and asked, “But she knows what she’s doing?”

“Of course.”

“I’m not sure why you think I need a bodyguard anyway,” Bella chuckled. “It’s not like I’m famous. Yes, it might be nice to have some help finding my way around for a while at first, but after that, I don’t really think I need a sitter.”

“You need a guard,” I said firmly.

“But why?” Bella asked.

“Because he needs guards, and people will see you with him, meaning you’ll need guards too, just by association,” Dylan said angrily. “Reason number one for you to have them turn the fucking car around and take us back to the airport.”

“I don’t agree that you should go back to Texas, but the part about needing guards because of your association with me is completely true.”

“You mentioned that but . . .” Bella let her voice trail off and looked out the window before she asked, “How will I ever get used to that?”

“When you meet Tabby and Brett, that’s something you can ask them,” I assured her. “They were in the same position as you at one time and being guarded was something that both of them had to learn to live with.”

“Or you could just come home,” Dylan said with a nonchalant shrug. “Simple, really.”

Bella glared at her brother and said, “I’m staying.”

“For six months,” Dylan snapped.

Bella smiled at me before she said, “I guess we’ll see.”

I wasn’t sure how to interpret that, but I hoped that meant Bella understood that I was in it for the long haul, and from her reaction, I had to think that she was too.

I planned on doing everything in my power to make sure of it.

◆◆◆

BELLA

“Would you like to see your suites before we go upstairs for a late lunch?”

“What time is it?” Dylan asked as he looked down at his phone. “Does it automatically change or . . .”

“It’s two o’clock now,” Salvatore answered as Rocco pulled the car to a stop under the awning.

“Hmm. I guess it does,” Dylan said as he slipped his phone back into his pocket. “I’ll have to remember the time change when I call you, Belly.”

“And I’ll have to keep it in mind when I call Mom and Dad.” I leaned over and looked out the window before I asked, “This is where we’re staying?”

“This is The Castello,” Matteo said as we waited for Salvatore to get out and open the door. “I thought you might want to see the exterior and the lobby, but from now on, they’ll drive you into the parking garage where you can take the elevator straight up to my suite.” Dylan raised one eyebrow, and Matteo added, “Or yours, whichever the case may be.”

“You’re not really a mobster, are you?” Dylan asked.

“Of course I’m not,” I lied. “Why do you ask?”

“Because if you were, you wouldn’t be a little bitch who shrinks back when I look at him sideways.”

“Dylan!” I yelled as I swatted at my brother’s arm.

“Did you ever consider that maybe I’m not shrinking back because I’m afraid of you, which I am not, by the way, but because I’d like to try and get along with the most important person in Bella’s life, which just happens to be you.”

“Who is going to protect her from you?”

“He’s not a danger to me!” I argued.

“It’s not him that scares me, Belly, it’s his life.”

“And that’s a valid fear,” Matteo conceded. “But you have to understand that I’d kill for Bella.”

“Would you die for her?” Dylan asked.

“Do you suddenly think you’re the Joker, Dill? Cheese and rice, would you shut the hell up already?”

The door opened, and I jumped out and glared at Salvatore before I asked, “Can you tie him up and put him in the trunk until he behaves, please?”

“My answer depends on which man you’re talking about.”

“My brother.”

“Of course, Miss Conner.”

I could tell by the look on his face that he was serious, so I rushed to ask, “Would you really do that for me?” When he nodded, I quickly said, “No! Don’t do anything to my brother!”

“Like what?” Dylan growled as he stepped up behind me.

“I asked him for a favor, but when he agreed, I decided I didn’t want that favor at all.”

“What was the favor? Are you already abusing your power?”

“I don’t have any power, Dill.”

“He agreed, didn’t he? That sounds like power to me.”

I decided to ignore my brother’s question and tilted my head back to see the top of the building. It was so high up that I couldn’t see that far without tipping back against the car or falling on my ass. I straightened my head and shook it for a second before I asked, “What floor do you live on again?”

“My brother and I share the top floor of the southwest tower.”

“Where are we?” I asked.

“New York City?” I rolled my eyes and tried to mask my irritation, but Matteo must have caught my reaction. He laughed before he answered, “We’re on the east side of the building.”

Dylan burst out laughing and said, “I guess you’re smarter than you look, Russo. You’ve already figured out that you should pay attention to that look.”

“She’s a sweetheart,” Matteo argued good-naturedly.

“When she’s sleeping,” my brother grumbled. He looked toward the front door and said, “I’ll have one of your goo . . . ugh . . . one of your friends show me to my place so you can have some time alone.”

“Aww. Look at you, Dill Pickle. You were almost nice.”

“We’ll have plenty of time together soon. Come up to my place, and let me get you two something to eat. While you’re up there, you can make sure the suite is up to code and there aren’t any boogeymen lurking in the closets so you’ll know your sister is safe.”

I laughed before I took Matteo’s hand and then Dill’s hand with my other. “I’d love to spend time with my two very favorite people.”

Dylan gave me a bored look but smiled when I squeezed his hand. “Lead the way, Russo.”

When I looked over at Matteo, he was smiling, and then he leaned down and gave me a quick kiss before he whispered, “I’m slowly winning him over, aren’t I?”

I couldn’t help but laugh when I said honestly, “Absolutely not, but I appreciate your efforts.”

It took everything I had not to gawk at the elaborately-appointed hotel and even the guests walking here and there, almost all accompanied by a uniformed hotel employee who was pushing carts full of bags or even holding the leash of an expensive and well-groomed animal. I glimpsed an atrium that was full of plants and even a huge tree but didn’t have time to ask Matteo about it because we turned a corner and encountered a smiling man with a darkness in his eyes that reminded me of some of the men I knew back in Rojo.

“Sam!” Matteo said cheerfully. “I’m glad we ran into you. This is Bella Conner and her brother Dylan.”

“It’s a pleasure,” Sam said as he stuck his hand out to shake my brother’s. Dylan let my hand go, and after he shook Sam’s hand, the man extended his toward me. “Miss Conner, I’ve heard wonderful things about you.”

“You have?”

“Sam is a good friend of ours besides being the head of security here at The Castello. I’ve been telling him about you for weeks.”

“All good things, I hope,” I said with a smile before I looked at Matteo.

“Now that I’ve finally met you in person, I understand the light in his eyes every time your name comes up,” Sam said easily. Before I had a chance to respond, he said, “I was about to come up to your suite and see if I could find you or your brother.”

“He should be at his place,” Matteo said with a frown. “If you’ll give me a bit, I’ll make some time to come down and talk to you.”

“I’d appreciate that as soon as you get a chance.”

“Do you need to talk now? Dylan and I can . . .”

“Absolutely not, Miss Conner. Let Mr. Russo show you upstairs. What I need to talk to him about can stay on ice for a bit until he’s free.”

I saw Matteo’s eyebrows raise in question before he asked, “Are you sure?”

“Absolutely. I’ve already spoken to Rico, and he’ll be available whenever you are.”

By the time we finished talking to Sam, Salvatore had the elevator waiting for us, and then he and Rocco accompanied me, Matteo, and my brother into the car. We actually didn’t go all the way to the top. Instead, the doors opened on a large open area with couches and chairs set up in different areas and people mingling with one another or hurrying on their way somewhere.

“What’s this?”

“This is the floor that connects the four towers. It’s closed to the public, but your key cards will allow you anywhere in the building. If for some reason you lose your card, all you’ll need to do is talk to any of the employees. They’ll call Sam who will make sure you get where you’re going and replace your card immediately.”

“This is like a foyer for the private apartments,” Salvatore added.

“Your suite is actually a private apartment too,” Matteo said as he started walking across the large area. “You can always order room service, but there are also restaurants and cafes on this floor too. The bill will be put on your room account so there’s no reason for you to need cash or cards other than your keycard.”

“Shit. I don’t want to be impressed at all, but I have to admit I am. You’d never even have to leave the building if you didn’t want to,” Dylan marveled. “It would be the perfect place if there weren’t so many people.”

Matteo burst out laughing and asked, “So, it’s not just me you hate, but people in general?”

“Pretty much,” Dylan said with a shrug.

We stopped at another bank of elevators, and Matteo explained they were private access to the tower where we’d be staying. As we waited for the car, he motioned toward the other corners of the space and explained who lived in each tower, naming people I’d heard him talk about for the last few months and was very eager to meet.

“When will I meet all of them?”

“I thought you’d appreciate meeting everyone gradually, so I haven’t planned anything special. Rico invited us to join him and Bex for dinner at the end of the week, and I’m sure his brother will be there too. Of course, you’ll meet my brother and Zach sooner than that, and I planned to see if Cento and Tonio might be available for lunch sometime this week so I can introduce you to them.”

“Thank you,” I said sincerely. “I was hoping there wouldn’t be a big gathering where I had to remember everyone’s name.”

The elevator doors opened into a hallway with a door at each end and one almost directly ahead. Salvatore walked out of the elevator first and greeted a man who was standing next to a chair beside the door in front of us. With a quick glance, I could tell that he’d been sitting guard for quite some time. His phone was plugged into a charger and sitting on the small table beside an open textbook and a few notebooks. He had a pencil behind one ear, and I thought it was the most endearing thing I’d seen in a while. Obviously, the man was a college student, and luckily, Matteo didn’t seem to mind that he was studying while he was on the job.

“Are you smart yet?” Matteo asked.

“I’m still working on it,” the young man said with a grin. “Could take a while.”

“What are you studying?” Rocco asked as he bent forward so he could look down at the book. He grimaced and said, “There’s numbers on the page but they’re mixed with what are those things called? Oh! I’ve got it! That’s the alphabet.”

“He’s not too smart if he’s mixing up his letters and his numbers, Matteo. You better watch this guy.”

“Shut up,” the man grumbled at Salvatore with a shy smile.

“Bella, Dylan, this is Gabe. The poor guy is Salvatore’s younger brother. Gabe, this is Bella Conner and her brother Dylan.”

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Miss Conner, Mr. Conner,” Gabe said respectfully.

“They’ll have free access to my home for the duration of their stay,” Matteo informed him. “Please let the other men know.”

“Yes, sir.”

“That’s ballsy,” Dylan mumbled. When Matteo looked at him, my brother smiled and said, “Not that I’d ever come visit you for nefarious reasons or anything.”

Without thinking, I backhanded my brother in the gut while smiling at my new acquaintance. “It’s nice to meet you, Gabe.”

“Fuck! You ruptured my spleen,” Dylan gasped.

“Be glad it wasn’t your balls,” I hissed before I smiled at Matteo and said, “I can’t wait to see your home, Matteo.”

“God, I love you,” Matteo declared before he pulled me into his arms for a kiss. “You’re awesome.”

“I know,” I agreed sarcastically.

“I’ll give one of you a call when Dylan is ready to go down to his suite,” Matteo told Salvatore and Rocco as they walked toward the door at the end of the hall. Before they had a chance to answer him, he opened the door next to Gabe and motioned for me to walk in ahead of him. Once Dylan and I were inside, he said, “This is a meeting and office area that I share with my brother.” He motioned toward the left and said, “That’s his suite.” Matteo put his hand on my lower back and nudged me toward the right before he said, “Mine is this way.”

“They’re separate?”

“Yes. He has half the top floor and I have the . . . Fuck!”

The second Matteo opened the door, I heard women’s laughter and then a little girl giggling before another one let out an ear-piercing scream. Matteo and I jumped back when a bright pink jeep slid around the corner followed closely by a purple one. Two little girls, who were obviously racing, didn’t pay us any mind other than to call out, “Mattuca!” almost in unison as they drove by.

“They didn’t leave.”

“Are those your nieces?” I asked. “Which is which?”

“Ember is in the purple jeep, and Coco is driving the pink one,” Matteo explained. “I guess their parents didn’t quite understand me when I told them to get out before I brought you back.”

“They’re here!” a man yelled right before he came around the corner. “Surprise!”

I knew that this was Luca, Matteo’s twin. It was like looking at Matteo with just a few slight differences. Luca’s smile was more open and wider than Matteo’s, and his hair was just a tad bit longer on the top. Other than that, they were perfectly identical. I understood why their family had nicknamed them “Mattuca” sort of like we called my Uncle Royal and Uncle Ronan “Ro.” Anyone who didn’t know them well - and even some people who did - may have some issues on occasion.

“Che cazzo ci fai qui? Ti avevo detto di andare a casa!”

“Matteo said a bad word!” one of the young women tattled loudly before a grown-up hushed her. “Well, he did!”

“I’m not sure what he just said, but hopefully, it included something like, ‘This is Bella Conner and her brother Dylan.’” I said as I stuck my hand out to shake Luca’s.

“It wasn’t anything like that,” Luca admitted before he took my hand. Instead of shaking it and letting it go, he pulled me close for a hug and whispered, “He was right. You are perfect.”

“I know,” I murmured before I stepped back to stand beside Matteo. When Luca burst out laughing, I smiled and said, “Thank you.”

“What did he say?”

I looked at Matteo and lied, “He said that you have always been the most handsome twin.”

“The girls are going to love her,” Luca boasted before he shook Dylan’s hand. “From what I understand, the sarcasm runs deep with both of you, hence the reason Salvatore and Rocco aren’t sure whether you’re best friends or mortal enemies.”

“Probably because they’re stupid,” Dylan said without even a hint of a smile.

“Come! Let me introduce you to Zach. You’re gonna have so much fun with him!”

Dylan walked away with Luca, and even though I could tell that this was the last place he wanted to be, I smiled at Matteo and asked, “Aren’t you going to introduce me to your family?”

“They’re intruders.”

“But they’re not treating me like I’m one, so I think you should give them a pass, don’t you?”

Matteo pulled me into his arms and smiled down at me before he whispered, “I’m so glad you’re here, Bella. I’ve missed you.”

As Matteo started kissing his way down my jawline to my neck, I let my eyes flutter closed and murmured, “How much have you missed me?”

“Let’s sneak away so I can show you,” Matteo suggested.

“Where are we going to go? This is your house!”

“That’s in a hotel,” Matteo said as he started walking me backward toward the door. “There’s lots of places for us to go.”

“They’re gonna get germs,” I heard a little girl say.

“I have never wanted to be an only child more than I do right now.”

“Why are you kissing her if you’re my boyfriend?” an angry little voice asked. “That’s not right.”

“I’m your uncle, Ember, not your boyfriend.”

“You can be both!”

“Only if you’re from the same place where your Aunt Brett was raised,” Matteo argued.

“Hey! I heard that!” a woman yelled from another room.

“Run away with me, Bella,” Matteo urged as we got closer to the door.

“I can’t do that. I’ve spent the last few months doing whatever I could to get here. I’m not tucking my tail and running away now.”

“Please?” Matteo begged.

“Enough already! I can’t wait any longer! I have to meet her so I can finally hear someone that talks like me!” A woman appeared at the end of the hallway where Luca and Dylan had turned. Her smile was so bright and open that I couldn’t help but smile back when she said in an accent much like mine, “Girl, I’ve been waiting for someone like you to come into my life, and now that you’re here, I’m never gonna let you go.”

“Twang, please run away with me,” Matteo begged as he reached for the front door. “If they suck you in, you’ll never escape.”

I smiled at the woman who I just knew had to be Tabby, Luca’s fiancée, and then looked at Matteo before I said, “I can already tell I’ll never want to.”