Page 93 of Nikola

“How about we come to visit you in Italy once a month? Or you can come visit us?” I suggested. “My thesis is completedand my father wants me to take over the business. He’s been waiting a long time, and I owe him that much so he can enjoy his retirement. And if Skye is open to finishing her classes remotely, it’ll allow us longer weekends in Trieste.”

“Sì… sì,” he agreed, nodding profusely. “That will be good. Nix’ll be happy with that arrangement.”

“Good, I suspect so will Skye,” I murmured. “Now, let’s set that wedding date. I don’t want to risk anything getting in the way.”

Dante studied me like a hawk homing in on its prey.

“You love her, don’t you?” he finally said around a sigh. “You certainly went to great lengths to get me to agree, Nikola. Though your methods are less than admirable, I see you’re willing to do whatever it takes to make Skye happy. And God help me, marrying you seems like it’s going to make her happy.”

“Yes, sir. I am.”

He nodded approvingly, whether in response to my use of “sir” rather than “Papa Dante,” or to my commitment to making Skye happy.

“Good. So let’s not rush the wedding and do it the right way.”

I let out a grumble. “With all due respect, we can rush the weddinganddo it the right way.”

I didn’t want to prolong this shit.

“Skye will have a proper Italian wedding.”

“It can be Italian, Chinese, French, or all three combined for all I care, as long as it happens soon.”

His gaze narrowed. “What’s the rush?”

“Do you really want me to spell it out for you, P—”Papa Dantewas on my tongue, but I stopped myself and said instead, “Sir?”

“Spring wedding.”

“No, December wedding.”

He huffed a breath of hot air. “It’s the end of fucking November.”

I grinned. “Oh, is it? How convenient.”

“Spring.” He dug in stubbornly. “And the wedding will be at our castello. One day, it’ll go to your children, and I’d like to think they’ll keep the tradition going.”

Our children. Just the thought made me all mellow and mushy inside, something I wasn’t familiar with. And to prevent him from noticing, I would agree to anything.

37

SKYE

When Sasha returned to the manor, hand in hand with Branka, an unexplainable anguish tore through me. I counted on him being with Papa because I knew when it came down to it, Sasha would never allow Nikola to be hurt. Yes, he might rough him up a bit, but he wouldn’t allow it to go further than that.

But Papa…

There was nobody to hold him back.

So once again, I bolted out of the manor, jumped in the first car with keys on the dash, and drove off in the direction of the club. That place seemed to be the center of all our activities lately.

When I arrived, I parked and ran into the alley toward the private entrance. Papa and Nikola stood together, deep in conversation. They didn’t seem to be at each other’s throats, and I even spotted a hint of a smile on my papa’s face.

Hope sparked in my chest.

Everything would be all right. The people I loved the most were slowly but surely coming together, and I could already taste my happily ever after.

They hadn’t noticed me yet, and I approached them with a big smile on my face when a flicker of light caught in my periphery. I turned instinctively and my chest froze with terror at the sight.