CHAPTER L

N ico had been acting really strange and I’d been racking my brain to figure out why. He hadn’t shared a bed with me since the night of the shootout. Something must have shifted after he left me in his bed that night.

The guys had been off, too. They were cold and distant, and the thought made my skin crawl. It made me wonder if something toxic was in the water and if everyone had been drinking from the same cup.

I finally asked Enzo to drive me home today. I couldn’t bear the suffocating silence at Nico’s house anymore. He was hardly ever there, anyway.

When we pulled up to my apartment, Enzo quietly walked behind me. Fumbling with the lock before stepping inside, Enzo followed me, locking the door securely behind him.

“I’m just going to take a shower and pack some more things,” I told him, and he gave me a nod.

I pulled out an old duffle bag from my bedroom closet and started sorting through clothes, tossing them inside the bag. Just as I zipped it up, I heard an unexpected knock at the front door.

I tiptoed down the hall and peeked around the corner to see Enzo, tense and alert, aiming his gun at the door. He cautiously swung it open, and I heard muffled voices, then my name being mentioned.

My feet propelled me into the room, and my eyes landed on Dan, Liam’s father. His lips curved into a tentative smile. “Hi, Winter.”

“Hi, Dan,” I replied. “I’m surprised to see you here.”

“I actually came to see you because I have something for you.” He held out a package. “This is from your mother.”

My heart stuttered at the mention of her. “M-my mother? You knew my mother?”

“Yes. Can we talk for a minute, in private?” he asked me.

“Of course.” I stepped aside, allowing him to enter. Enzo's gaze pierced me with a warning, his expression saying, “I don’t think this is a good idea,” but I dismissed him with a friendly eye roll.

“Would you like to sit down?” I asked Dan, motioning toward the couch.

He nodded, but before I could settle beside him, Enzo’s hand wrapped around my upper arm, halting me. “This isn’t a good idea, Winter. He needs to leave,” he said in a no bullshit tone.

“That’s Liam's father. It’s fine,” I reassured him. “And can you please give us some privacy?”

Enzo’s gaze shifted between me and Dan, and I caught a flicker of apprehension in his eyes. But after a moment, he finally relented, releasing my arm. “I’ll be outside the door.”

He redirected his glare toward Dan. “If you hurt her, I’ll kill you,” he warned.

Enzo strode out of the apartment, leaving the door slightly ajar, without giving me a chance to interject.

“I am so sorry about that,” I said, flustered, as I took a seat across from Dan.

His deep chuckle reminded me so much of Uncle Malik’s. “That’s okay. He’s just doing his job, and I respect him more for threatening me. I would be more concerned if he didn’t.”

I smiled, thankful he understood. “So, what’s in the box?” I asked, gesturing toward the package cradled in his hands.

“It’s a collection of letters she wrote… to you. I was asked to bring them to you when the time was right.”

My breath hitched as I reached for the box, hesitating for a moment. “How did you know my mother?” I asked him.

“Read letter number eighteen first and I will explain everything," he replied.

After releasing a breath, I hesitantly opened the box. Tears sprang to my eyes when I saw what was inside. The box was filled with pastel envelopes, numbers written on them in numerical order, all wrapped in burlap string. There was one for each year since I was born. Underneath the letters were pictures of just me, Mom while she was pregnant with me, and Dad. I unwrapped the string and sucked in a breath while looking over my mother’s signature. The delicate strokes moved straight up and down with a slant, like a teacher’s handwriting. I wished Mom was still alive to give me pointers on how to deal with Nico and everything else. Pushing those thoughts aside, I began to read my mother’s words. When I reached letter eighteen, my heart sank to my stomach.

My dear loving daughter,

From the moment you entered my life, you became my reason to fight until the very end of my days. But it's time to tell you the truth about me, your father, and where you come from. Please find it in your heart to forgive me.

I want to tell you about your biological father.

I first met him at the flower shop where I worked part-time. A handsome man walked in one day to buy flowers for a funeral he was attending. After we met, I couldn’t get him out of my head. There was something about him that made me feel safe and secure.

As time went on, he began to visit frequently, bringing me coffee, bagels, and my favorite chocolate treat; chocolate-covered strawberries were my guilty pleasure, just like sweets are yours.

He warmed my soul with his love and attention, and that’s when I realized I had fallen in love with him. We shared an intimate moment the night we confessed our feelings to each other.

When I found out I was pregnant with you, I realized it wasn't long before I would tell my parents the truth about my relationship with your father. The day I my family confronted me, I could tell they had already suspected something.

My father threatened to end my pregnancy if I chose to keep you and continue my relationship with Alphonse.

I made the hardest decision of my life to ensure your safety, and though it has pained me to keep this from you, my love for you has always guided my choices.

To protect us both, your biological father helped with my escape, but he was not to be informed of my new identity or my whereabouts for my safety. He didn't even know about you.

Why am I telling you this?

Because, sweetheart, you are the mafia princess. Your birth father is Alphonse Gambino, the leader of the Italian mafia. But he was also a compassionate and loving man who would do anything to protect me.

I never wanted this life for you.

If you are just now getting this letter, that means your dad and I are dead, and you are in danger. It could also mean that Uncle Malik and Madison may also be compromised.

No. No, this couldn’t be happening. I turned my gaze from the letter, and tears spilled down my cheeks. I wiped my tears away and then continued reading the letter. That must have been the reason I hadn’t heard recently from Uncle Malik.

I still can't forgive myself for the loss of those people who sacrificed their lives to ensure my safety. However, without them, I wouldn't have you, Gigi. You are my precious gift. Please know that you were always cherished and loved. I wish we’d had more time. I'm sorry I couldn’t be there with you, but you are not alone. Find your father; he will protect you.

I love you, always and forever.

Love,

Mom xo

PS: you can trust Dante with your life.

More tears clouded my eyes and dripped down my cheeks. I wiped them away, but they just kept coming. A small sob escaped me as I clutched the letter to my chest.

I shed tears for the woman who brought me into this world, the woman who gave up her life for me, the man who was a father to me, and for the broken little girl who died along with them.

"Winter." Dan's deep voice snapped me back to the present.

"She said I can trust Dante," I said in a whisper. "But who's Dante?"

He met my gaze, his expression steady. "I am."

“Wait, what? You’re Dante?”

He nodded slowly.

"But how do you fit into all of this?" I asked. And why didn’t he tell me who he was right away?

He looked at the door and then returned his gaze to me. "Your mother was Angelica D’Onofrio, and your father was Alphonso Gambino. Their love was forbidden. Although they were from rival families, they chose to see beyond their differences.”

My breath caught in my throat, shock rendering me speechless.

"When she admitted that she was in love with your father..." He paused for a moment. "And pregnant with you..."

I sensed I wouldn’t like what he would say next.

"Your grandfather..." He swallowed, rubbed his hands through his dark brown hair, and exhaled a breath. "He beat your mother until she was unconscious."

"Wh-what? How could he do that to his own daughter?"

"In the mafia, betrayal is a sin punishable by death no matter who you are," Dante continued. "My brother, Malik?—"

"Wait," I interrupted, my mind reeling. "Uncle Malik is your brother?"

Dante nodded.

“ My uncle Malik?”

He smiled. “Yes.”

Dante's expression grew somber as he continued to recall the events. "I was your grandfather's right-hand man. We sent your mother to your fathers for protection. However, your grandfather's men discovered my deceit and beat me. They set my cottage on fire, leaving me to die, but thankfully, Malik found me in time to save me."

“Why did you betray my grandfather?”

“Your grandfather had no boundaries. He took pleasure in inflicting pain on others without cause, including women and children. He viciously attacked your mother and threatened to kill you to teach her a valuable lesson. I couldn't stand by and do nothing."

A deep sigh escaped his lips as he continued. "After your mother was attacked, I brought her to your father’s to come up with a plan to help your mother disappear. We also made sure Malik would be there to look after you both.”

“My father trusted you even though you worked for my grandfather?”

He nodded. “Your father understood the consequences of going against a mafia king. But more importantly, he trusted me because your mother did. My loyalty was to your mother, not to your grandfather. And your father knew that.”

"So, if Uncle Malik was with us, where have you been?" I asked Dante, wrapping my arms around my body.

"Once your mother moved to Canada, she had a plan in place. If your grandfather ever caught wind of anything, Malik would stay behind with you and your mom while I relocated to Chicago. She ensured you would live in the same apartment building as me and Liam so we could look after you. When Liam got older, he took over the apartment.”

A genuine smile flickered across his face when he mentioned his son.

"Does that mean Liam knows who I am?"

"Yes, but only what he needed to know. He was instructed to keep an eye on you and report back to me," he replied.

My love for Liam felt much stronger now knowing that he had been keeping an eye on me.

"Did you stay in touch with my father?"

"No." His gaze darkened. "That was part of your father's directive. To keep you safe, we weren’t supposed to have any contact with him. He knew his enemies would be watching and it would lead them right to you."

But they found us anyway.

"So, where's Uncle Malik? He hasn’t checked in, and I've been worried about him." My chest tightened.

"Me too. That's why I'm here." Dante’s voice dropped. "I was given strict instructions not to have direct contact with you, only to watch from a distance. Of course, I fucked that up at Thanksgiving. When Malik failed to report back to me last week, I knew something was wrong. That was my signal to give you your mother's letters and to share the truth about your past and what you're facing."

My heart pounded painfully against my ribcage, my blood roaring in my ears like an oncoming storm. "Dante, am I in danger?" I asked.

"Yes, you are. I need some time to figure out my next move and to locate my brother in order to figure out how to protect you.”

"Oh, God. Do you think he's dead?" The thought was unbearable. The possibility of losing my only remaining family made it feel like part of my soul was dying.

"I don't know." His eyes softened. "But I’ll do everything in my power to find him and to keep you safe.”

I hastily wiped away my tears. "Liam was worried about my relationship with Nico. Am I safe with Nico? Is he part of this?”

"Yes, you are safe with Nico." He leaned forward, taking my hands in his, grounding me with his grip. "I know you’ve been hit with a lot of information, and you probably have more questions than answers right now. But my priority is keeping you safe. Your grandfather is still alive, and I need to do what I can to make sure he doesn’t find you.”

"What does he want with me?" My lips trembled as I spoke.

Dante gave my hand a reassuring squeeze. “He views you as a reminder of your mother’s betrayal.”

I shook my head slowly, overwhelmed and at a loss for words. This entire situation was insane.

“Your dad is the most powerful mafia leader in the world, but Nico is formidable here in the US,” he added. “Stay close to him until I can get in touch with you again." He pulled back, retrieving his phone from his pocket. "I'm going to send you a text."

A moment later, my phone dinged.

"Program my number into your phone as D. I’ll reach out to you when I have more information, but you can contact me anytime you need to. Understand?"

I nodded. "I understand."

He rose to his feet and extended his hand to me. "I have to go."

I took it, and he pulled me into an embrace. I closed my eyes, taking comfort in the moment.

"You’re going to be just fine, Winter. I promise I’ll get you out of this. You deserve to live a normal life—one without the constant fear of looking over your shoulder."

He stepped away, placing a gentle kiss on my head. "Stay safe and keep a low profile. I’ll stay in touch."

And with that, he left, the door clicking shut behind him.

But then realization hit me.

That meant I’d been found, and someone knew about me.

And I was a freaking mafia princess.

What the ever loving hell was I supposed to do now?