Chapter 10

Cory

“My sweet, Emilio. I’m so overjoyed that we finally found you.”

My nephew clung even harder, sobbing into my shoulder. We brought him into the hotel through the tunnels and up to the fourth floor where I’d set up a room for him right after my sister’s death. It contained everything from their house that I thought would bring him the most comfort. The rest of their things were in a storage unit.

“I knew you and Uncle Mac would find me,” he gasped out through his tears.

“And your father. He’s been searching for you as hard as I did.”

Frederic came up behind me and tapped my elbow. “I think Romeo needs you downstairs.”

I opened my mouth to protest, but he gave one sharp shake of his head. “And I need to speak with my son. There are a lot of things he needs to know.”

My own eyes flooded with fresh tears. Emilio had been so out of it after his rescue he hadn’t questioned why I brought to the gin Mill. He had asked for my sister, his mother, though. A big part of me thought I should be the one to tell him that we lost her and Mac, but Frederick had spent a lot of time in the last year discussing his failures as a father.

I didn’t think being the bearer of bad news was the best place for him to start, but I wanted to honor the fact he no longer wanted to shirk his parental duties. “I’ll be back in a few minutes.”

I pressed a kiss to the side of his head and eased back, letting Frederick slip in to take my place. When Emilio clung to him as hard as he’d been clutching me, I slipped out of the room to let the father and son reunite and grief together.

Dante waited outside the room door, rubbing his left knuckle. “Are you a lefty?” I asked flight tonight had been under normal everyday occasion.

“Yeah.” He gave me a lopsided grin. “Romeo wasn’t sure if you’d be out anytime soon, so he asked me to wait for you. The boss and his brothers are down in the tunnels.”

“My tunnels?” I squeaked.

Dante gave me a commiserating look as he tilted his head down the hall for me to follow him. What else could I do? Now that we found Emilio, Romeo’s Deal with the devil was over. It had taken weeks longer than he wanted, but without giving details, he told me that him and Rocco had accomplished a lot.

Romeo staying here in Takoda without his affiliation to this Family was risky business, but he didn’t think they’d try kicking him out of town or anything. It didn’t matter to me if they did, I packed up my nephew and follow Romeo wherever he had to go. I could fly back and forth for the hotel after Harlow completed his training. I didn’t even need to be here for the paperwork.

I’d met Rocco several times, but this was the first time I’d ever seen him look so quiet and dangerous. It didn’t help that h he was standing in line with his two brothers. My assumption that the boss, Nico Pacelli, was in the middle, flanked by his siblings, was confirmed when Romeo introduced me to them.

“It’s very nice to meet you all,” I said, nodding my head. I didn’t know if there was some kind of ceremony to greeting mob family, and as much as I didn’t want to offend, I also didn’t want to overstep.

Rocco gave me an up-nod, his other brother, then, stared at me with open hostility, but the Don smiled politely. “I’m sorry to meet you under these circumstances, Mr. Letterman. How is your nephew?”

I shrugged. “He’s upset, relieved, and about to get horrific news from his father. I think recovery from this whole ordeal will be quite a process.”

He nodded. “I’m sure it will, but he has you, yes?”

“He does.”

“And Romeo, he has you, too?” the Don asked, quirky one dark eyebrow.

The back of my neck heated, and I felt sweat bead along my forehead. This man hadn’t raised his voice, or been particularly rude, and I wanted to tell him whatever he wanted to know while also begging for his forgiveness. Was it his silky tone that made him feel so dangerous?

I gripped Romeo’s hand tightly. “Always.”

“No matter what?” Vin asked.

I met his cool stare with one of my own. “No matter what.”

“Okay, then,” Nico said. “Cory, I was just telling Romeo that things have been handled with Don Pasini for now.”

Out of the corner of my eyes, I saw Rocco mouth what looked like, “Penis,” and I bit back a hysterical giggle. Romeo had complained that Rocco could be irreverent but funny. I guess he was right.

“There is the matter of Frederic.”

My gaze snapped to Romeo. “They’re not going to kill him, or they?”

“Given the circumstances, I convinced Don Pasini to let him quietly leave town. Do you think he’ll do that?”

Again, it felt like being stabbed in the heart. Frederick would leave so Emilio wouldn’t lose another parent, but would my nephew go with him? I’d just gotten him back. Ultimately, I wanted what was best for Emilio, no matter what he decided. “I’m sure he will.”

Nico gave a sharp nod. He turned his body slightly toward his brother Vin, who stood up straighter and cleared his throat. “Romeo, all the families know you’ve been working with us. Given your history, I’m sure that you can play a middleman associate and stay in Takoda.”

Rocco picked up with, “The only problem with that is you won’t have the protection and backing of one family.”

“Unless you choose to join us. Formally.”

Applesauce. Discussions wrapped up quickly after that, and they gave Romeo twenty-four hours to let them know his decision. After stopping and checking on Emilio, finding him curled up asleep in his father’s arms, Romeo and I continued up to the belfry. “You didn’t look surprised by their offer,” I said as soon as the door closed.

He pulled me into his arms with a sigh. “It’s because I’m not. My uncle was their head enforcer for decades. Their grandfather always wanted me to assume the position after him.”

“But that isn’t the position you were offered, is it?”

He shook his head. “No, Nico wants me to be his bodyguard.”

“Is that more or less dangerous?”

Romeo stared into my eyes, then leaned forward and kissed me. “You’re really thinking about me taking this position, aren’t you?”

“I am. I think that if you don’t want that, then we should look at relocating.”

Romeo let me go and paced the length of my apartment, running one hand through the hair on top of his head. “I don’t want you to leave your family.”

I slumped onto my couch. “We could always look at going wherever Frederic and Emilio.”

Romeo stopped. “I meant your chosen family, boy. Everest, Charity, and Harlow. You can’t tell me you don’t feel the paternal pull toward those kids.”

Rubbing my hand on my chest over where my heart pounded inside, I admitted, “I do, Daddy. But the most important thing to me is your safety.”

He joined me on the couch and talked me into his side. “I love you, my quirky boy. The most important thing to me is your safety and happiness.”

“I don’t want to lose another Daddy. We have to do what you think is best.”

He rubbed a hand through the 5 o’clock shadow on his face and nodded. “Then tomorrow I’ll kiss the Buccelli ring.”

Rising up on my knees, I straddled his lap. “What do you think that says about me that I think being with a mafia Daddy is sexy?”

Romeo barked out a laugh and proceeded to show me just how much he loved me.