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What seems like an eternity passes by before he finally speaks. “I’m just waiting to see how long it takes before you crack and ask me about my conversation with your father.”
The passing city lights allow me to see the smile break out on his face as he keeps his stare straight ahead at the back of Rocco’s seat.He’s joking with me right now?
Slowly, he turns his head, and his teeth are on display as he beams at me.Oh my gosh, heisjoking with me right now.
“You think you’re funny?” I ask, swatting him on the shoulder.
Enclosing his hand around mine, he drags the pad of his thumb along the lines of my palm, never taking his eyes off me. It feels intimate. Like he’s searching my face for something.
“A genuine smile,” he says softly.
“I’m sorry?” I ask, confused by his comment, which he subtly brushes off with a shake of his head.
“Are you going to ask me how the conversation went with your father?”
“You have me on the edge of my seat,” I say deadpan.
He releases a long breath, which has my heart sinking into my gut. “He doesn’t have anything at the moment.”
Now it’s my turn to let out a long, languid breath.
“But we’re going to work together to figure out where she is. Between the two of us, we’ll find her,” he adds.
Tonight has turned out to be extremely unproductive. Just when I thought I might be able to help find my mom, I’ve proven to be useless. I have no idea why I was expecting to figure something out during this dinner, like I’mNancy Drewcracking the clues to some easy case.
Staring out the window, I take in the lights of the passingcars before Matteo squeezes my hand, gaining my attention again.
“I promise I’m going to come up with a plan. Wewillfind her, Little Lux. And I’ll go to the ends of the earth to dismantle the bodies of anyone involved in her disappearance.” He raises my hand and places a tender kiss on my knuckles. His soft lips cause my heart to flutter. Setting my hand back down on his thigh, he continues to hold it as he brings his attention back to his phone.
“Were you able to talk to him about taking over control of his port?” I’m not sure why Matteo wants control of the port so badly, but that’s the only reason he agreed to marry me. Knowing he used me to gain access to it doesn’t settle well with me, but isn’t that what I’m doing to him too? We’re using each other.
Without lifting his head from his phone, he says, “I told him we’ll talk about it after we find your mother.” Drawing his head up, he turns to look at me. “I want to focus on that first.Thatis my priority.”
His declaration takes my breath away. “Why are you suddenly making this your priority?” This feels like more than a business transaction. It feels like he could actually care about what happens to me and my mom.
“We’re married, Little Lux. It’s you and I, you got it? I know our vows were done under not so normal circumstances, but they’re vows, nonetheless. I plan on taking them seriously, and I hope you do too.” I swallow deeply and nod because my mouth can’t seem to form words.
Rocco pulls into the parking garage of the penthouse. As Matteo and I walk hand in hand into the elevator, thoughts of what’s going to happen once we get to our floor swirl in my mind. When we walk to our rooms, will Matteo come to mine? Am I expected to go to his? Am I overthinking this? Hewants to act as husband and wife, so what does that mean exactly?
The ding of the elevator pulls me out of my spiraling thoughts. Stepping onto our floor, we walk down the hall toward our rooms. The thud of my heartbeat is synced with our footsteps as we get closer. It’s as if it’s happening in slow motion. But before a decision is made, the loud, yet comforting voice of Enzo interrupts us from the living room.
“So, how was dinner with the in-laws?” he calls out from the couch. Matteo brings us to a stop, but before he can respond, I blurt out an answer.
“Unproductive.”
Enzo hops up to a seated position on the couch. “Mancini hasn’t been able to figure anything out either?”
Matteo shakes his head. “Nothing.”
“I had a few gang members shake up one of Silvestri’s soldiers down off thirtieth like you asked to see if getting one of his made men to talk would be possible, but no luck. He says he has some information, though. Information we’d find interesting.”
“What’s amade man?” I ask, suddenly feeling ignorant as I listen to the terms they toss around when they talk about their world.
“It’s a fully initiated member of the Mafia. They start as associates, but once they’ve been initiated, they become soldiers,” Matteo answers.
“But not all associates become made men. Only the fancy ones,” Enzo says with a wink.
I love his ability to lighten the mood.
