LUCA
I woke up the next morning with Veda sprawled across my chest and her hair tickling my nose. Even in sleep, I held her tight against me, my arms wrapped around her in a vice-like hold and one leg thrown over hers. Glancing over at my phone on the nightstand, I was surprised at the time. For the first time in weeks, I'd slept completely through the night.
She sighed when I loosened my hold and rubbed my palms against the soft skin of her back, but didn't wake. So I gently moved her off of me and pulled the blankets up around her waist before I got out of bed. She laid on her stomach with her arms bent out from her body, her hands shoved under the pillows and her face turned toward me. Her lips were parted in sleep, and her soft wheat-blonde hair was spread across her bare shoulders and her pillow. I stared down at her for a moment, then I picked up my phone and took a picture. I wanted to hold this image of her forever.
Veda was still asleep when I came out from my shower and got dressed. I pressed my lips to her temple and cheek, but she didn't stir. So I grabbed my jacket off the chair and then gently closed the bedroom door behind me and made my way downstairs to get some coffee and check in with Enzo and Tristan.
Three hours later, we were about to head out to do rounds at the clubs when I got a phone call. I frowned when I saw the name on the screen. "Rene? What's going on?" I wasn't expecting to hear from Maria's brother for a while. Not until he'd taken care of a little "problem" happening on his end of things that was putting a glitch in our usual shipment. "Did things get taken care of?"
"No, amigo. I wouldn't say that. As a matter of fact, my little issue has grown significantly larger and I'm not going to be able to get our usual shipment to you for a month. Maybe more."
"That's not going to work for me, Rene."
"Si, I am aware. And that's why I contacted one of my cousins to see if he could cover things for me this time around."
"And what did he say?"
"He said he would. But he would feel better if you were there personally to receive it from him. He's not familiar with your men, but he remembers you from Maria's funeral."
An unusual request, but not completely surprising, all things considered. Still... "I don't think I'll be able to make it. I have my own personal issues going on here. I can send Enzo or Tristan-"
"No. He wants you or no deal," Rene said. "Honestly, between you and me, my cousin is a little loco, and it makes him a little too suspicious sometimes. But as long as he knows you, he's cool. He'll make sure the job goes off without a hitch as long as you're the one who's there with the money."
Fucking hell. "It's really not a good time for me, my friend."
"Well, you better make it a good time, or this deal will have to be postponed."
That was not an option. Not with my father already up my ass, just waiting for a reason to call me out. I cursed softly and sighed. "When and where?"
"Can you be at the drop spot by tonight? The usual time."
"I can be there."
"Good. I'll tell him you're coming. His name is Jesus, and he looks like me. A few inches taller and a few pounds lighter."
"Easy enough."
"Call me if there are any issues at all. I'll have this shit straightened out on my end by next month, Luca. I promise you."
"I'll see you then." Hanging up the phone, I relayed the information to Enzo and Tristan.
"What of your guests?" Enzo asked. "Do you want me to stay here?"
I shook my head. "No. Even though Rene vouches for this guy, I don't know him. I want you both with me, just in case. We'll leave only the necessary amount of men to watch the house. It will only be for one night."
"And you're going to trust that Veda and her parents will still be here when we get back?"
I looked at Tristan. "No, I'm not. She's way too intelligent to leave alone. I'll leave Tony here to make sure they stay in the house."
"Tony?" Tristan asked. "I don't know if that's a good idea."
Enzo and I exchanged looks. "It would be one way to find out what he's up to," he said.
"Agreed. Perhaps I'm being too suspicious, but he's been acting strange lately. I would like to know for sure where his loyalties lie. Especially with Veda back in the house. We can keep an eye on him with the security cameras while we're driving. He'll be relaxed with just Vita and Lisa in the house. And if he says or does anything suspicious, I'll confront him when we get back."
"Do you trust him enough to leave him here alone?"
"No," I told Enzo. "Have two of the men outside on alert. If anything happens, they can hold Tony until we get back."
"I'll go let Tony know," Tristan said. "And the others."
I gave him a nod. "Don't let him see you. Be discreet. We'll need to leave in an hour. I'd like to get there early. Scope out the area before they arrive. Just in case this is a setup. Some way to get me out into the open." He gave me a nod and went to go find Tony.
Enzo took off his sunglasses and rubbed his eyes with his thumb and forefinger. "You think Mario would've gotten to Rene?"
The idea seemed ludicrous, even to me. Rene and I were almost like family. And if this was a trap, I knew without a shadow of a doubt Rene had been forced into it. But I wouldn't put anything past my brother. "It wouldn't surprise me. Despite our father's order, he must be feeling threatened right now. And as we know, my brother doesn't react well to being threatened."
"What's going on?"
We both turned to find Veda standing in the doorway. My eyes raked over her unconsciously, taking in every detail: her hair pulled back into a ponytail that fell over one shoulder, the too-big black T-shirt that was obviously mine, and the pair of loose, creamy shorts she must've found in our closet, left here from before. Her feet were bare. Toes painted a light peachy color that matched her nails.
Raising my eyes back to her face, I found the same hunger in hers that now burned deep within me. "How are your parents?" I asked her.
She quietly cleared her throat. "Pretty much the same as yesterday. My mother is crankier than usual, which is to be expected. Lisa's making her some soup that she'll be able to slurp up through a straw, although I don't know if that'll help. Dad won't leave her side, but I did coerce him into taking a shower just now. I gave him a pair of your sweatpants and a shirt to borrow." She frowned, as if just realizing something. "I hope that was alright."
"Of course," I assured her. "We can get them more of their things tomorrow after I make sure it's safe to go to their house."
"Thank you." She looked back and forth between us. "So, what's going on?" "I'm going to go get things ready," Enzo said.
Veda smiled at him and moved out of the way so he could walk past. "Ready for what?"
"I have to go out of town," I told her, watching her expression closely. "Just for tonight. There's something I need to take care of, and Tristan and Enzo are coming with me."
A flash of disappointment crossed her face. "Oh." She opened her mouth. Closed it. Then blurted out, "Can't someone else do it?"
"No, amore. Not this time."
Crossing her arms, she stared down at her toes.
I closed the distance between us and cupped her jaw, tilting her chin up until her eyes met mine. "You'll be alright here. I'm going to leave men outside, and Tony will be here in the house with you and Lisa. You met him that day in my office."
"The day you were shot."
"Yes. And there'll be guards outside the house as well." I brushed my thumb over the lines of worry between her brows. "It's only for one night. I'll be back before you wake up tomorrow."
"What if something goes wrong?"
"It won't," I said with more conviction than I felt. I pressed my forehead to hers for a few seconds. "Please don't do anything stupid while I'm gone. And when I get back, you and I will talk." I kissed her head, then her sweet lips.
She was suspiciously quiet as we walked back out to the kitchen together, where I told Lisa what was going on. She agreed that she and her husband, Kevin, would be there in the house that night with Veda and her family.
I gave Veda one last kiss, running my fingers through the soft strands of her hair before laying it back down over the curve of her breast. "I'll see you tomorrow."
"Be careful," she told me.
I left her in the kitchen with Lisa and went to join my men.