I stiffened. Having children was expected, especially now that I was in my thirties and my first marriage hadn’t produced any offspring. I fought against the flood of anger and sadness that bubbled up.
Father nodded grimly. “Whenever that is. But I’m sure Dante has everything planned out.” He didn’t say anything after that. Maybe he finally understood that his days of power were over. My word was law now. He’d still give me his opinion on the matter repeatedly no doubt.
After the meeting was over, I pulled Father aside. “I think it’s time for you to retire fully and stop attending my meetings with my men. Your presence undermines my authority and that’s something I can’t allow.”
“Allow?” Father repeated sharply. His old eyes met mine, trying to stare me down but as had been the result in the last few years, he eventually looked away. “Very well. If that’s what you want.”
“It is,” I said firmly.
I returned to the car but didn’t get the chance to start the engine before my phone rang. Mother. “What can I do for you?”
“I hear you’re allowing your wife to work?”
She heard it from Father of course. “Yes.”
“It’s going to cause a scandal, Dante. You’ve already offended many people by taking a widow, why do you insist on breaking my heart? Think of the Outfit!”
My mouth thinned at her theatrical performance. Her words brought my mind back to Valentina and our last night, tantalizing memories I didn’t want to replay while talking to my mother. “Mother, I’m leading the Outfit into the future. I have to hang up now. I’ve business to attend to.”
She let out a small sniff but I knew her fake cries. I ended the call. During my drive home, my phone binged again. Chancing a glance down, I caught the message from Ines.
I’m proud of you.
My mouth twitched.
* * *
Allowing Valentina to work was partly to my benefit of course. She was busy and had less time to seek my company. As I’d expected, the past wasn’t easily put to rest. I avoided Valentina’s closeness as much as possible during the day, but at night my desire always won out. I’d never been this unrestrained, this dominated by my needs. Valentina was unaware of her power over me, and not just by night. Even during the day, I caught myself thinking of her. Something about the way she insisted on pushing my limits intrigued me.
But while I kept Carla’s photo in my drawer, her memories lingered. They weren’t easily forgotten, nor did I want them to be.
In the next few weeks, Valentina proved to be a capable asset in the casino and a more and more daring lover in bed. We fell into a routine that suited me well but that obviously bothered Valentina. I pretended to be unaware of her dissatisfaction because it allowed me to ignore my own annoyance with myself. Part of me wanted to seek out Valentina for more than sex, but my stubborn nature kept me rooted to a promise I should have never given.
In an attempt to show Valentina in subtle ways that I appreciated her, I went to our family’s jeweler and asked him for a necklace with emeralds. He had several on display. Since almost every Made Man from the Outfit bought jewelry for their wives and sometimes mistresses there, he always had a wide selection to choose from.
I picked the one that had almost the same shade as Valentina’s eyes. Despite her breathtaking body, her eyes haunted me more than her curves.
On my way back home, my phone rang with a call from Tommaso. I picked up, my lips thinning. He was a remnant from my father’s reign, a disgusting waste of space and air. Unfortunately, he wasn’t involved in attacks because of his back, so he couldn’t find an unfortunate end through a Bratva bullet. “Yes?” I clipped.
“Sorry to disturb you, Dante. Is my wife at your house? Your wife picked her up without my permission.”
“My wife only needs my permission, not yours,” I said in a low voice.
Tommaso cleared his throat. “Of course. But Bibiana is my wife.”
“I’m sure Valentina is having coffee with her.”
“I’d appreciate it if you could give me a call if you know more.”
“I’ll see what I can do.” I hung up.
When I pulled up in the driveway, Enzo was already waiting for me.
“She took the car without you?” I guessed.
He nodded, looking unnerved. “She was gone before we could act.”
I walked into the house and as expected I found Bibiana and Valentina in the hallway. Valentina shifted, shielding her friend from my view as if she worried I’d hurt her. Bibiana was a poor woman. She certainly didn’t have to fear me.
“Good evening, Bibiana.”
She cowered, not meeting my eyes. “Evening.” Her face and arms were littered with bruises. It was a fate I’d protected Ines from. If she’d married Jacopo, she would have been a broken shadow of the woman she was now—like Bibiana. I had to consider options to dispose of Tommaso at some point.
After I’d informed Tommaso that his wife would spend some time here, I retreated to my office to give Valentina and Bibiana some time.
I sank down in my desk chair and twisted the small satin box in my hand. A Valentine’s day present always evoked emotions in women. It had been the case with Carla. She’d always gushed and cried when I’d given her something. Sighing, I set the box down on my desk. My eyes darted to the drawer where I kept the picture frame. I’d resisted looking at it today.
Instead of giving in to my need to drown in the past, I picked up my phone and called Pietro.
“Dante, what a pleasant surprise.”
“Hello Pietro.”
I opened the box and stared at the emerald pendant. Valentina’s eye color… God, those eyes.
“Is anything the matter?”
“How’s Ines?”
“Getting bigger every day,” he said with a small laugh so full of tenderness that my heart lurched in my chest. “Only two more months.” He fell silent. “How are things with Valentina?” His voice was careful. He knew how reluctantly I shared any private details.
“Things are going well,” I said evasively. “I assume word about her new job is already making the rounds.”
Pietro laughed. “Well, what did you expect? It’s the first time a Capo’s wife is working. So far even the wives of Underbosses always only stayed home.”
“Valentina is eager to work and she’s got leadership qualities.”
“You’ll have to do a lot of convincing in the Outfit, you realize that?”
“I do, but I also don’t have to explain my decisions. The Outfit is under my rule.” It wasn’t as easy as that. I needed the support from my Underbosses and Captains, so I’d have to tread carefully, especially about our traditions.
“How are things going in Minneapolis?”
Pietro easily followed my topic change. I’d never regretted my choice to support his quest to marry Ines, and he was one of the few men I trusted. I closed the box with the pendant, unsure if I should give it to Valentina.
* * *
Valentina was still asleep when I got up. As usual, her face was twisted toward me, gorgeous in sleep and without a touch of makeup. She deserved more than I gave her. It was a truth I knew without a flicker of doubt. I set the box with the necklace and a handwritten note down beside her then left.