Chapter 39 Mysterious Don
Merry
"I know," she agrees, making me laugh. With nothing else to do, I leave the building and head home.
As soon as I walk through the door, a small child waddles toward me. I immediately fall to the ground and pull her into my arms. Liza De Luca will be a year old in a month. She's growing so fast. It feels like I blinked and she started crawling. Then a walk. And now she's even talking.
"Zia," she says with a charming smile, mumbling a few more words.
"Hello, my dear," I say, kissing her cheeks.
Holding her in my arms, I rise to my feet. My eyes meet her mother's, who looks at us with a bright smile.
"Hi, Kate," I greet her, approaching her. She is my cousin’s wife who lose his life saving my dad’s life, we live together.
"Hey, how was your day?"
We walk into the living room and sit on the sofa. I tell her about our trip to the art gallery and the new deal I might be making with a company looking to buy some ceramic pieces. I don't tell her about the strange man who approached me.
Kate and I have known each other for a long time, since childhood. But she's my cousin's wife, and even though I trust her, there's a chance she'll tell him.
"So, where is everyone?" I ask, pinching Liza's cheeks.
She giggles, and my heart melts. I love her so much. Seeing Liza made me want to have children of my own. But it's not time yet.
"Roman and the boys are doing what they usually do. I texted him a few minutes ago, and he said they'll be home soon. Oh, and I talked to Maria and my dad. They'll be back just in time for Liza's birthday."
"That's nice," I say.
My mom went to Milan a couple of weeks ago, and I miss her. When she's here, she tries to dictate every aspect of my life, from what I wear to how I speak.
But I guess that's what mothers do. And while our relationship has its bumps, she's also my rock. Plus, she's the only parent I have left.
Kate tells me about the party she's planning for Liza's birthday. It took a lot of effort to convince Roman to throw the party. His main concern was the security risk. Besides, we're also planning their wedding.
My gaze glides over the diamond on her finger. It's simple, yet elegant. And honestly, it's so beautiful. It took a lot of effort for her and my cousin Charlie to get to the point where he got down on one knee and asked her for her hand in marriage. But they got there. And they're amazing together.
"We should have a theme for the party," Kate declares. "Liza loves playing with her pink doll. I thought we were having a pink party. Everyone wears pink, the decorations are pink."
It makes me chuckle. Kate and her crazy ideas. "I'm not saying I hate it, Kate. But can you imagine my brother in a pink suit? How would you even get him into it?"
"I'll talk him into it," she says, waving her hand dismissively.
"You won't," Roman replies decisively, entering the room.
He collapses onto the sofa next to Kate. Tony appears next, wrapping his arms around my neck and cutting off some of the air circulation.
"Oh, man!" I say, pushing his hand away.
He chuckles, reaches for the baby in my lap, and snatches her before I can protest. I look at him and let out a sigh of irritation. Tony may be Elena's older brother, but it's almost like he's mine, too.
I grew up with three impossible people. I'm sure the last one came home with them, but Michael is so antisocial and quiet that he doesn't like spending time with people unless it's necessary.
"I like the idea of a pink party," Tony muses, letting Liza squeeze his finger into a fist. He looks at us and grins. "Girls like guys in pink, right?"
I make a face. "Ugh, you're disgusting."
"You mean amazing, Rosie. Amazing." Tony rolled his eyes.
"Why does a party even have a theme?" Roman asks irritably.
We both turn to look at the quietly arguing couple. Kate sits next to him, one leg draped over his thigh, and there's a stubborn look in her eyes. Unfortunately, that look is reflected in my brother's eyes as well.
"Because that's how it is. Don't argue with me, Roman."
"I already agreed to this party, Kate. The pink theme sounds over the top. And I have a feeling you're going to do something that will drive me crazy. Like a masquerade."
Kate makes a face like it's a good idea, and Roman groans, throwing his head back. I laugh. He can complain all he wants, but I know he'll do whatever she asks.
"What are you even planning?" Kate asks him. "You said you'd be back early."
For a moment, I think he'll avoid the question. Especially if it has anything to do with death or illegal activity. I'm used to him having a vague idea of what his business entails. But to my surprise, he answers.
"We were getting ready to meet someone. It's in a week."
"What?" I ask immediately.
"The new Don Russo. He asked for an audience," my brother says.
"Why do you look so worried?" Kate asks.
Tony says. "Because this guy is fucking crazy."
"Crazy good or crazy bad?" I ask.
Tony pauses, considering the question.
"We don't know," my brother says. "We don't really know anything about him. He was the one who brought Liza back to us after she was kidnapped. After that, he became a don and has kept a low profile ever since. We have little information about him."
"He's a slippery idiot," Tony mutters. "On the surface, he seems as dangerous as the next mafia man. But he hasn't been in the mafia all these years. The guy showed up a couple of months ago, killed his uncle, and then claimed the title of don."
"And now he's asking for a meeting?" Kate asks.
"Yeah. I told him it would be on our turf. He might be able to..." Roman replied.
I'm only bringing one or two people. I'm curious to hear what he has to say.
Kate raises an eyebrow. "You like him."
My brother's eyes narrow. "No, I don't even know him."
"Please, you were just talking about him. At least you're intrigued by him," Kate teases.
"I'm curious," he corrects. "Although he seems like my type."
"A caveman with no sense of humor and control issues?" I interject with a smile.
His gaze slid over me. "Very funny, Sister."
I shrug.
"Just be careful, okay?" Kate asks, drawing his gaze back to her. "Your new best friend might actually want to fight."
"No, I doubt it," Roman says. "He's not an idiot."
"You just said he was crazy," I mutter.
"He is," Tony declares. "But you can be crazy and smart."