I smiled. “That’s nice, but Lily doesn’t want you to see her.”

Romero frowned. “Is she scared of me?”

“You sound like that isn’t a possibility,” I said with a laugh. “You are a soldier of the mafia. What’s not to be scared of?” I decided not to play with him anymore and lowered my voice. “But that’s not it. Lily has a major crush on you and doesn’t want you to see her like that.” That, and I didn’t want any of Luca’s men alone with Lily until I knew them better.

Luca grinned. “Romero, you still got it. Capturing the hearts of fourteen-year-old girls left and right.” Then he turned his attention to me. “But we have to return. The women will be mortally offended if you don’t give them all your attention.”

“I’ll take care of Lily,” Gianna said, appearing in the hall with Fabiano.

I smiled. “Thanks,” I said as I brushed her hand in passing. The moment I was back in the dining room, the women flocked around me again, trying to extract more details from me. I pretended to be too embarrassed to speak about it – which I would have been – and only gave them vague answers. Guests eventually started to leave, and I knew it would soon be time to say goodbye to my family and leave for my new life.

***

Fabiano pressed his face against my ribs almost painfully and I stroked his hair, feeling him tremble. Father was watching with a disapproving frown. He thought Fabiano was too old to show emotions like that, as if a boy couldn’t be sad. They would have to leave for the airport soon. Father needed to return to Chicago to conduct business as usual. I wished they could have stayed longer, but Luca and I would leave for New York today as well.

Fabiano sniffed, then pulled back, looking up at me. Tears pressed against my eyes but I held them back. If I started crying now, things would only get harder for everyone, especially Gianna and Lily. They both hovered a couple of steps behind Fabiano, waiting for their turn to say good-bye. Father stood already beside the black rental Mercedes, impatient to leave.

“I will see you again soon,” I promised, but I wasn’t sure when soon would be. Christmas? That was still four months away. The thought settled like a heavy stone in the pit of my stomach.

“When?” Fabiano jutted out his lower lip.

“Soon.”

“We don’t have forever. The plane will leave without us,” Father said sharply. “Come here, Fabiano.”

With a last longing look at me, Fabiano shuffled over to Father who immediately began scolding him. My heart felt so heavy, I wasn’t sure how it could stay in my chest without crushing my ribs. Luca pulled up behind the Mercedes in his steel-gray Aston Martin Vanquish and got out, but my attention shifted to Lily who threw her arms around me, and after a moment Gianna joined in the hug. My sisters, my best friends, my confidantes, my world.

I couldn’t hold back the tears anymore. I never wanted to let them go. I wanted to take them with me to New York. They could live in our apartment, or even get their own. At least, then I’d have someone whom I loved and who loved me back.

“I’m going to miss you so much,” Lily whispered between hiccupped sobs. Gianna didn’t say anything. She only pressed her face into the crook of my neck and cried. Gianna, who almost never cried. My strong, impulsive Gianna. I wasn’t sure how long we held onto each other, and I didn’t care who saw this open display of weakness. Let them all see what true love meant. Most of them would never experience it.

“We have to leave,” Father called. Gravel crunched.

I lifted my face. Mother walked up to us, briefly touched my cheek, then took Lily’s arm and led her away from me. Another piece of myself gone. Gianna didn’t loosen her iron grip on me.

“Gianna!” Father’s voice was like a whip.

She raised her head, eyes red, her freckles standing out even more. We locked gazes and for a moment neither of us said anything. “Call me every day. Every single day,” Gianna said fiercely. “Swear it.”

“I swear,” I choked out.

“Gianna, for Christ’s sake! Do I have to come get you?”

She backed away from me slowly, then she whirled around and practically fled into the car. I walked a few steps after them as their car drove down the long driveway. Neither of my sisters turned around. I was relieved when they finally turned a corner and were gone. I cried for myself for a while and nobody interrupted me. I knew I wasn’t alone. At least, not in the physical sense.

When I finally turned around, Luca and Matteo stood on the steps behind me. Luca stared at me with a look I didn’t have the energy to read. He probably thought me pathetic and weak. That was the second time I’d cried in front of him. But today hurt worse. He came down the steps while Matteo stayed behind.

“Chicago isn’t the end of the world,” Luca said calmly.

He couldn’t understand. “It might as well be. I’ve never been separated from my sisters and brother. They were my whole world.”

Luca didn’t say anything. He gestured at his car. “We should leave. I have a meeting tonight.”

I nodded. Nothing kept me here. Everyone I cared about was gone.

“I’ll be behind you,” Matteo said, then headed for a motorcycle.

I sank into the taupe colored leather seats of the Aston Martin. Luca closed the door, walked around the hood and settled behind the steering wheel.

“No bodyguard?” I asked tonelessly.

“I don’t need bodyguards. Romero is for you. And this car doesn’t exactly have room for additional passengers.” He started the engine, the deep rumbling filling the inside. I faced the window as we drew away from the Vitiello mansion. It felt surreal that my life could change so drastically because of a wedding. But it had, and would only change further.

CHAPTER NINE

The drive to New York passed in silence. I was glad Luca hadn’t tried to make conversation. I wanted to be alone with my thoughts and sadness. Soon skyscrapers rose up around the car as we crept through New York at a glacial pace. I didn’t care. The longer the drive took the longer I could pretend I didn’t have a new home, but eventually we pulled into an underground garage. We got out of the car without a word and Luca took our bags from the trunk. Most of my belongings had already been brought to Luca’s apartment a few days ago but this would be the first time I saw where he lived.

I lingered next to the car as Luca headed for the elevator doors. He glanced over his shoulder and stopped as well. “Thinking about running?”

Every single day.

I walked up to him. “You would find me,” I said simply.

“I would.” There was steel in his voice. He jabbed a card into a slot and the elevator doors glided open, revealing marble, mirrors and a small chandelier. The elevator made it clear that this wasn’t a normal apartment building. We stepped inside, and nerves twisted my stomach.

I’d been alone with Luca last night and during the ride here but the thought of being alone in his penthouse was somehow worse. This was his kingdom. Who was I kidding? Pretty much all of New York was his empire. He leaned against the mirrored wall and watched me as the elevator began its ascend. I wished he’d say something, anything really. It would distract me from the panic rising up my throat. My eyes flitted to the screen showing which floor we were on. We were already on floor twenty and hadn’t stopped yet.