“I know how much you love me.”
“No.” I shook my head, cupping the side of his face. “You couldn’t possibly know the full extent of my love and devotion for you.”
“Tell me.” His voice stroked my entire body like a physical caress, commanding me, seducing me.
“There are no words to give what I feel for you justice.” Shifting on his lap, I straddled his legs and pushed him back into the seat. “But one day soon, I’ll show you.”
“No, now.” He tossed my earlier words back at me.
“I wish I could.” Leaning in, I ghosted my lips over his, stopping when I felt his breath on my mouth, wishing he would break his promise—knowing it was a wasted wish. “But you made a promise neither of us can break.”
The limo stopped, and I realized the driver had only gone around the block. We were right back in front of my parents’ house. Pietro and the other guards were helping Vito and Bennie get the luggage out of the trunk, while everyone else was already inside the house. Like the MC gave each prospect grunt work to earn their patch and become a brother, the twins had to earn their way up in the ranks as well. Zayne, Ryan, and Garret had all had to do the same thing to advance. Cristiano and Ciro never once allowed them to use their last names to get to where they were.
“Two more days, and we’ll be home,” Ryan said as he followed my gaze. “Are you going to miss everyone here?”
I considered the question for a moment before answering. “Missing the people here is nothing compared to how much I miss you when we’re apart. Being without you is like being without my heart. There’s this huge, empty hole right in the center of my chest. It hurts constantly until you’re physically beside me.”
“Then you know what it’s like for me to be without you.”
33
Ryan
Nova was walking across the stage to accept her diploma when the first text hit my phone. Ignoring it, I lifted my hands to my mouth, yelling right along with the rest of our family at how proud of her I was. Everyone in the stands—fuck, this entire damn town—loved her and were cheering, causing their voices to echo around the football field where the graduation ceremony was taking place this year since the weather permitted it.
By the time she was off the stage and had joined her classmates once again, my phone had buzzed six more times. Muttering a curse, I pulled my phone from my suit jacket just as Garret did the same from a few seats over.
They were all from the head of security over at one of the warehouses on the docks where we kept the majority of the coke supply before it was transported to the dealers throughout not only New York, but the surrounding states as well. As I read each message, my jaw began to tighten more and more, my fingers clenching harder around the device as my rage boiled in my veins.
Garret lifted Ciana, causing her to squeal and smack at his chest as he switched places with her so we could talk. “I got this,” he muttered, leaning in close so no one on either side of us could hear. “You stay and make sure the rest of Nova’s weekend goes smoothly, and I’ll take care of Ramirez.”
“Be careful,” I cautioned. “The fucker obviously has a death wish, trying to screw with our supply. How did he have enough men to even attempt to steal that much blow?”
He scratched at the scruff on his jaw and chin, his green eyes narrowed as he considered the question. “He must have found out we were out of the state and figured it was the best time to make a move. We took over his fields when Matias died, and they are protected better than Fort Knox, so his only option would be to get the supply as it comes in. He has no supply of his own to sell on the streets. He’s a one-commodity tradesman. That’s all he knows, and he’s desperate.”
“If he knew we were away, then there is a leak somewhere. Find out who it is. I’ll deal with them when I get back tomorrow night.” My gaze went to Nova, who was glancing our way. When she noticed I was looking at her, she gave me a beaming smile and blew me a kiss. Some of my rage eased, and I returned the gesture before she focused on the mayor, who was now speaking onstage. “Wait to tell her and your parents goodbye before you head for the airport. I don’t want her to be disappointed that you left without congratulating her first.”
As soon as the ceremony was over, Garret went down to the field to tell his sister he had an emergency, while I pulled Pop and Zio aside to let them know what was going on back in New York. I ran several branches of the businesses on my own to make my father’s workload lighter, but I wasn’t fully in charge yet. I still answered to him and knew better than to keep something this important from him.
“Manuel should have been drowned at birth,” Pop muttered angrily. “He’s a piece of shit. Ten times worse than Matias ever claimed to be. Let’s end the motherfucker once and for all, save ourselves an even bigger headache down the road.”
“We will take care of him,” I promised. “I trust Garret to handle things until I get back tomorrow night.”
“Keep us updated,” Pop instructed. “But for now, go celebrate with Nova. She is more important than that scumbag.”
Ciana and Samara were already surrounding Nova when I reached my angel. She was laughing and bouncing from one to the other, accepting their loving embraces and praise before the rest of her local family began to demand her attention. I stood off to the side, allowing the others to dote on her, trying to curb my jealousy when those she wasn’t related to by blood lingered a little longer than I deemed necessary.
As the crowd began to thin, I finally did what I’d been aching to do all afternoon and lifted her into my arms. She wrapped her legs around my hips and kissed me until someone cleared their throat behind me.
Nova lifted her head and sighed heavily before unwrapping her legs from around me and dropping to her feet. I turned to find her dad standing a few feet away with her mom, both of them grinning. Felicity handed her a bouquet of flowers and a cute little brown teddy bear.
“Congratulations, princess,” Jet said, enveloping his only daughter in a tight hug. “We’re so proud of you.”
“Thanks, Dad,” she murmured softly.
“I know you have plans with everyone tonight,” Felicity said with a sniffle. “But we would like to have a huge family breakfast in the morning before you leave.”
“That would be perfect, Mom,” Nova assured her with a loving smile. “Are you two all packed for your trip to Mexico?”
“You would think we were going for a year and not two weeks,” her dad grumbled, his lips twitching as he fought a grin. “But yeah, we’re all packed. Our flight isn’t until tomorrow evening, so we have plenty of time to spend with you in the morning.”
Nova’s fingers laced through mine, tugging me closer. I tucked her against my side and listened to the three Hannigans talking about the trip to Mexico and Nova’s summer plans before she started NYU in the fall. There was no wedding talk, however, and that put me on edge. Why weren’t they talking about her parents coming to New York so Felicity could go with her daughter to buy a wedding dress?
Noticing I’d been quiet during their conversation, Nova looked up at me with concern. This was a special day for her, so I pushed the whole thing to the back of my mind for the moment and dropped a kiss on top of her head. “Are you hungry?”