Chapter Thirteen

"So, it went well?" Enzo comes into my room as I'm unpacking.

"It did, Brother. It went great. Carlos is back on board. Raul will be our point of contact. The shipment should arrive within the next week. I've got Danny and Gus on warehouse duties, and Buddy is going to be distributing."

I've planned this down to the very last step. There's no way that Enzo is going to find any holes in my work.

"Okay," he says, rubbing his chin. "And you took Emelia with you?"

Shit. He"s a snoopy fucker.

"I did, but it was for the daughter's party. There was no danger, trust me. And she had a great time. Ask her."

"Did you fuck her?"

"What?"

"Luca, did you take her with you so that you could fuck her again?"

I run my hands through my hair and laugh in frustration. "No. I took her because Carlos demanded that I show up with a partner. She's the smartest girl I could think to take with me. And it was a good idea."

I can tell Enzo is about to say something else, but he's cut off when both of our phones ring simultaneously. We both turn to answer them, Enzo leaving the room.

"Hello?" I don't recognize this number. It could be anyone but both my brother and I getting a call at the same time is odd.

"Boss, I'm sorry. I'm not sure if you're back in the States but we"ve got a problem."

It's Danny, I can tell he"s driving, probably on his way to the warehouse. He"s got a lot to manage to get things ready for our upcoming deliveries.

Danny wouldn"t call for no reason. My stomach tightens. I've just brought the Mexicans on board and the last thing I need is a disaster with our distribution at home.

"What's wrong?" I ask him, already tapping on the window, anticipating the worst.

"It's Billy. He was dropping off an order and on his way back he got hit."

Fuck. Billy is just a kid still, with no known enemies, but he works hard and is smart and he's one of the best up and coming guys I have right now.

"Hit? Who shot him, Danny?" I can't hear what Enzo's phone call is about, but I wonder if it's connected to this.

"I dunno, Boss. He's okay, though. I got the doc to come over and he's patched him up good. But this feels targeted."

My men are smart enough, at least, not to involve hospitals. Luckily, we have a private doctor on constant call to handle these kinds of situations.

"It could have been. Or he was in the wrong place at the wrong time." I don't want to alarm the guys before we have facts. Targeted hits will make people paranoid and that makes them act out of fear, which leads to stupid mistakes.

"Or that." He sounds unconvinced, but he's loyal and will always take my word over anything else.

I think for a minute about the best way to move forward while we still don't know what is happening.

"Okay," I say. "Stop the drop-offs for today. Message the clients and let them know we're going to be switching up times for everyone from tomorrow forward."

"Will do."

Danny gets off the phone and I know he'll handle this in the best way he knows how, but I'm now stressed about the big shipment from the Mexicans.

As I put the phone down, Enzo walks in, a worried look on his face. "We had an attempted robbery at the big warehouse downtown last night."

That warehouse is on the opposite side of town from where Billy was shot. They could be related, or we could have some shitty luck happening right now.

"Oh shit, did they get in?"

"No, my guys stopped them, shot two of the gang that was trying to rob us. One got away and the other is in bad shape, Don is watching him and trying to get him to talk. My guys think they were sent by the Morellis."

My face falls. With this happening right after I managed to get the Mexicans to lock in on this deal, that theory makes the most sense.

"Billy got hit while he was delivering this morning. The Morellis wanted this Mexican deal. Do you think…?" I look out of the window, wondering how the Morellis would even have heard the news this fast. Unless they have an inside informant, which is not impossible.

"I don't know, but we're going to need to beef up security for a bit while we figure that out." Enzo is already sending out texts, no doubt covering his own home and family as well.

"Agreed." I message my guys to send a few more guards to the mansion, Grazia"s safety is a priority. I wouldn't put it past the Morellis to come here.

With Enzo sorting out the security stuff and heading home, I find myself alone in my room, mulling over what he said about Emelia. Our weekend together in Mexico really showcased her strengths, especially when it comes to handling important meetings in our world.

I had to admit, even to myself, that I was surprised at how much the wives liked Emelia, even with all the men drooling over her the whole night.

She"s got this way of charming people, making both men and women enjoy being around her. I was surprised that the Mexicans were so quick to forgive me, and I"m pretty sure it"s thanks to Emelia shining at my side.

I used to wonder if I could fully trust her. If she was here for good reasons, and not just to weasel her way into being a Baldini. But when I think about how much Nonna loved and trusted her, I know that my grandmother wouldn"t have let Emelia at the house every day if she thought there was any shady stuff going on.

Thinking about Nonna is like a warm hug of reassurance. Her judgment was always spot-on, and the love she had for Emelia was clear as day, I've now realized.

So, if Nonna saw Emelia as the real deal, then maybe I should too.

The weekend might"ve thrown some loyalty tests our way, but it also highlighted Emelia"s genuine dedication and charm.

As I sit in my room, I feel a renewed sense of connection and trust, grounded in Nonna"s love and Emelia"s rockstar moves in navigating the crazy dynamics of my world.

And while Emelia had helped the family with Nonna, and could be trusted to help smooth over business deals, she had now also proven multiple times that she was an incredible lover.

I quickly think about something else before I end up horny without Emelia's warm body to help me take care of the problem.

Instead, I pick up my phone and dial Carlos' number.

"Luca! Hola!" Carlos' voice booms into the phone. "Are you back in your filthy country?" He laughs.

"I am, Carlos, but missing yours." I laugh too, keeping the tone friendly. "I just wanted to thank you again for having us this weekend and letting us be a part of your daughter's special day."

"It was a pleasure to have you—especially your lovely lady. She almost stole the show, you know. My wife, she knows people, and she told me that she knows we can trust your family with such an honest woman by your side. You make sure you don't lose her, hey!" He laughs again, and I can hear voices of the other men in the background, laughing with him.

"Indeed, Carlos. And thank your wife again for both of us. I'll be in touch as soon as we receive the first shipment, and I look forward to doing business with your family for many years to come."

"So do we, Luca, so do we." I hear sincerity in his voice, and my stress levels lower a bit.

If I have the trust of Carlos and his men, I'm pretty sure I can handle things on our side and manage this deal for my family successfully.

We both hang up, and my thoughts go back to Emelia. As I'd suspected, she had played a huge part in the success of this deal. I have to be sure that if I need her again, she will be close by.

The worry about Grazia lingers in the back of my mind. I need to consider the best way to ensure that Emelia stays close by for this deal, without upsetting Grazia.

My sister, though understanding of business priorities, has a jealous streak, and I wouldn't put it past her to disown both Emelia and myself. I don't want to bring her any distress, especially in the wake of Nonna"s passing.

My sister has a way of acting strong, but I know that she feels her sadness more deeply than we could ever truly know.

In an attempt to show Emelia that she"s valued, I decide to surprise her with a delivery of flowers. The florist is one that the family has worked with for years, the very same one who filled the mansion with black lilies for Nonna. I know she"ll deliver something special and that whatever I chose to put in the note would be kept a secret.

She answers my call quickly, recognizing my number, "Ciao, Mr. Baldini."

"Ciao. I need your help with something a little unique." I go on to explain the delicate situation, requesting a beautiful arrangement and ensuring that the delivery is discreet.

After carefully dictating a card expressing my sentiments, I instruct the florist to ensure it arrives at Emelia"s house tomorrow morning, since I know she'll be there.

I hope the vibrant gift brings a smile to Emelia"s face and shows her that I do see how much she helped the family while in Mexico. The card should help to communicate my appreciation for her, something I"ve struggled to express openly in front of Emelia.

I've never been very good at expressing my feelings, and it's bitten me in the ass many times. I've had a few of ex-girlfriends complain because I was "too cold" and "emotionless".

Not that Emelia was my girlfriend, but I'm smart enough to know that women enjoy being told that they are appreciated and the easiest way for me to do that is through gifts.

As the afternoon approaches, I decide to retreat to my city apartment for the night and get it ready for my date with Emelia—if she accepts the invite. I hope she will, but there's no guarantee, since we hardly spoke on our way back from Mexico, I'm not really sure how she's currently feeling.

My little city flat is a hidden sanctuary that offers respite from the watchful eyes of my family. I purchased the apartment a few years ago, and even though I spend much of my time in the mansion, the apartment serves as a haven for moments like these when I need privacy away from the mansion.

It"s the perfect place for entertaining guests without the prying curiosity of my siblings.