Page 33 of Nikola

After a few moments, I shifted slightly and asked, “How do I know if it’s true love?”

She smiled sadly. “There’s no right or wrong way to know. When you know, you know.”

I nodded, deep down knowing already. The love I felt for Nikola didn’t happen overnight, it was years in the making. From the boy who tugged on my hair to the man who was always there for me. From the first accidental kiss to the last passionate one.

“But there’s one thing I can tell you, Skye,” Mama signed. “Don’t ever let anyone tell you how to feel or doubt what deep down in your soul you know to be true. I let someone do that to me, and it cost me dearly. Your papa too. Fight for the one you love. The road might be paved with obstacles, but if it’s true love, you’ll both overcome it. You’ll be stronger for it. Only you or the man you love can decide whether you should or shouldn’t be together.”

I tilted my head, watching my mom’s somber expression. She was talking from her own experience, and I couldn’t help but wonder what she and Papa had gone through.

“What happened with you and Papa in the beginning?” I asked, although it was something she always avoided talking about.

“It’s too much to go into tonight.”Mama waved her hand nonchalantly. “Life in the mob is hard, and there are enemies everywhere. Threats are often lurking at every corner, so it’s a life of constantly looking over your shoulder. That was the case twenty years ago, and it’s true today.”

“But Papa protects us and we have friends and family that would always stand beside us,” I reminded her, my fingers trembling as I signed.

“Dante’s and my families were part of the mob, but every person in it had an agenda. We ended up paying for it, and I don’t wish that for you. Because it’s always the innocent and young ones who end up paying the price. So whoever that boy is, I hope it’s someone outside our criminal world.”

My heart sank, but at the same time, determination rose within me.

Nikola was mine and I was his. Life without him wasn’t living, just existing. And I would never settle for that.

11

DANTE

Ifound myself attending an Omertá working meeting outside of Rome. It wasn’t the first time, and unfortunately, it wouldn’t be the last. It was just the way of running a criminal empire.

“They justhadto call this meeting today,” I grumbled to my brother, Amon, as Cesar pulled up in front of the restaurant where Omertà meetings were usually held. A row of black SUVs was parked around the restaurant with several soldiers patrolling the street.

“Don’t they know kids are back home from school? And it’s fucking midnight,” I added, but really, the fact that Skye was less than five hundred miles away while I was stuck in Rome is what had me on edge.

“Thanksgiving means next to nothing to these Italians.” Amon chuckled, shaking his head. “And since when do you have an issue with late-night meetings?”

“Since I entered the middle-aged stage of my life.”

He scoffed. “You’re delusional if you think you’re middle-aged. You’re practically an old man.”

“Fuck you.”

Enrico Marchetti and Luca DiMauro were already here, and judging by their body language, they were in the midst of an argument. They stood outsideRosa Spinosa, the English translation beingThorned Rose, which was owned by the Marchettis.

“Those two will kill each other one day,” I said, reaching for the door handle.

“If they haven’t in the twenty years they’ve known each other, I’m not so sure,” Amon reasoned.

We slid out of the car, their eyes shifting to us, and whatever they were arguing about instantly ceased. If I had to guess, I’d say the topic of contention was the arranged marriage of Luca’s firstborn to Enrico’s boy. It was the one thing they saw eye to eye on, but it was often the source of heated discussions.

Even under the moonlight, I could see they were both dressed impeccably in dark suits, looking more like respectable businessmen than the heads of Italian criminal families.

Adjusting my cuffs, I followed my brother as we made our way over.

“Are we the last ones?” Amon asked.

“Yes, Sasha Nikolaev just arrived.”

I tensed at the mention and gritted, “This was supposed to be strictly Omertà business. The Nikolaevs aren’t part of the Omertà.”

“Illias Konstantin couldn’t make it, so Sasha came in his stead,” Luca drawled, the unspoken challenge clearly aimed at Enrico. Luca’s connections to the Nikolaevs dated back decades, before any arrangement with the Marchettis.