AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“What a pity,” Uncle Vinny purrs. “I was so looking forward to getting to know her better.”
My mind races. I want to refuse, but I can’t without raising suspicions. Steeling myself, I agree to a lunch at Basil and Olive, making sure to bring Nat with me as backup.
As Nat and I approach the restaurant, I can feel the weight of my concealed weapons, the reassuring heft of the guns giving me a small measure of comfort. Edo and my best guards have been tasked with keeping a close eye on Alexis in my absence. I’ll be damned if my uncle gets his hands on her.
Walking through the doors of Basil and Olive, I immediately spot Uncle Vinny seated at a table, an unfamiliar woman beside him. Squaring my shoulders, I approach, Nat a silent shadow at my back.
“Ah! Damian! Natalia!” Uncle Vinny greets us, a faint smile playing on his lips. “Please meet my friend. This is Emma Carter, Alexis Hartley’s foster sister.”
27
ALEXIS
Ipace the room anxiously, glancing at the clock every few minutes. This meeting has me all twisted up inside, though I can’t put my finger on why. There’s something unsettling about Vincente Iacopelli. Something that awakens some primal part of me, wanting to flee when I’m in his presence.
“Quel uomo è pericoloso,” the guard had whispered to me.
He is a dangerous man.
All I know is that I need Damian back by my side. The distance between us is making me more on edge than usual. And with the secret I’m carrying—that I’m pregnant with Damian’s child—my nerves are frayed.
Deciding I need a distraction, I seek out Edo, hoping his calming presence might help soothe my anxiety. I find Damian’s consigliere in his study, absorbed in some papers.
“Edo, do you have a minute? I could really use some company right now.”
He looks up, pushing away some of his black hair off his face. He meets my gaze with a warm smile. “Sure, Alexis. Come, sit.” He gestures to the chair across from him.
I settle into the plush seat, fidgeting with my hands as the unease bubbles up inside me. “It’s this meeting with Vincente. I don’t know, there’s something off about him—something dangerous. And I’m so anxious for Damian to get back.”
Edo nods before dropping his gaze back to his paperwork and scrawling a signature across the page—Edoardo Bianchi.
Bianchi, not Iacopelli.
I furrow my brow. It is now hitting me that he doesn’t share the same last name as Damian and Nat.
“Your last name isn’t Iacopelli,” I blurt out.
Edo looks up, raising one eyebrow at me. “No, it’s not.”
“You aren’t related to Damian and Nat?” I ask, unsure how this all works. I thought all crime families were related somehow.
He shakes his head. “No, I’m not related to them. My connection to the Iacopelli family is a bit different.”
I lean forward, intrigued. “How did you come to be involved with them, then?”
He runs a hand through his hair, a pensive look on his face. “I’m the son of immigrants, Alexis. I grew up in Cabrini-Green. It’s not—it wasn’t the safest place to live.” He exhales. “When I was in high school, I got into a bit of trouble—nothing too serious, but enough to catch the attention of the local Iacopelli capo.”
Edo pauses, his eyes earnest. “Rather than turning me over to the authorities, he saw potential in me and offered me a chance to turn my life around. That’s how I ended up here, working for the Family. It’s not the life I would have chosen for myself, but it’s given me stability and opportunity I never would have had otherwise. And enough money to send to my parents so they can live in a safer area.”
“How did you end up meeting Damian?” I ask. “No offense, but you sounded like a low-ranking soldier. How did you cross paths?”
Edo smirks, his dark eyes lighting up with amusement. “In case you haven’t noticed, Damian is a bit too full of himself. Damian’s father placed him in a position of authority over my division and I… disagreed with Damian’s methods. I had to kick the shit out of him a few times when he got too mouthy.” He shrugs, looking quite pleased with himself.
“Damian’s dad didn’t try to kill you for beating up his heir?” I ask breathlessly. If someone beat up my baby, there would be hell to pay.
Edo tips his head back and laughs, a warm, rich sound. “Mio Dio, no. I think the Boss was pleased that someone actually took Damian to task. We’ve been friends ever since.”
The mental image of a younger Damian getting the shit kicked out of him amuses me. “It’s hard to imagine Damian getting his ass handed to him.”
