Page 40 of Scorned Beauty

Luca clapped my shoulder. “When you have a kid, you’ll understand.” Then, addressing the trio, he said, “Give me a few minutes. I have something to say to Dom.”

I stiffened, wondering if he found out about who was behind the cam sightings. Matteo’s eyes briefly shifted to mine, and I figured he was thinking the same. Matteo was the head of the Archer Syndicate, so it washishead on the platter if Luca found out we’d been manipulating the information.

“Don’t take too long,” Sera said. “The penthouse is five minutes away, but traffic?—”

“I know,” Luca said. “Go on…”

When they disappeared, Luca faced me. “So, I was meaning to ask you, have you considered any of the arranged marriage contracts yet?”

“Did Ma get to you?” And why was he bringing it up now?

“She’s mentioned it, and I told her you will look into it when you’re ready.” His gaze bored into me. “But now I wonder if it’s because of that redhead you’ve been eye-fucking all evening.”

Goddammit.

I thought I’d been careful by not singling out Sloane for attention and I was sure I would have succeeded if Ma hadn’t planted the idea in Luca’s head. Presented with a problem, he became a truth-seeking missile with a nose for bullshit. He’d also become shrewder and more ruthless with each passing year. All my efforts were concentrated on avoiding detection that I was helping him find Natalya.

Our goals were different.

His end goal was Natalya. Full stop.

The Syndicate’s goal was to thwart human trafficking but it so happened that our goals intersected. Our latest intel indicated that the head of the most powerful mafia in Italy was connected to Natalya’s disappearance.

“I hear she cleans for the Zahkarov bratva,” he said.

Not to mention, I was also working on Grigori.

I nodded, my chest screwing tight. If Luca had suspicions, who else did?

“I’m the last person to lecture you about conflict of interest, especially with those villas involved that Lottie wants you to get back.”

“And do you want them back?” I challenged.

His phone buzzed and he looked at the message. “I got to go.” His eyes were somber when they met mine. “Do you love her?”

His question shocked me, and I was a little disconcerted. Luca was the last person I expected to ask me this. “Sloane andI are not like that.” Did I just admit to Luca that there was something going on between me and Sloane?

“She’s your mistress, then?”

If it were anyone but Luca, I would tell him to fuck off.

“No. She’s too independent to be anyone’s mistress. Look, I’m not comfortable discussing her.”

“Fair,” he replied and made a move to leave, but paused and turned back to me. “But let me be your cautionary tale, Dom. You’re my nephew. I don’t want you to end up stuck in purgatory like I am. In our world, you make a choice. You protect that choice with your life,capisce?”

For the first time, I saw the glistening regret in his eyes and it communicated the raw anguish he was experiencing tonight, the devastation Natalya’s disappearance had inflicted on him that he couldn’t move past, two years on. “Zio.”

“I gotta go.” His voice was gruff with emotion and I watched him go, shoulders drooped and defeated. A far cry from the proud Chicago boss I had known him to be. Luca would need a minute or two to collect himself before he faced the rest of the family.

I returned to the festivities. At least some of the De Luccis were still here. Cesar and Ava were standing beside Pop and Ma. Beside them stood my sister Lucy, who seemed bored. She arrived for Christmas and was staying until the New Year.

Nico and Ivy were in a huddle with Bianca, Sloane, and Divina, the wife of Sandro’s underboss, Tommy. I was glad Sloane could join us tonight. I’d been dropping hints to Bianca to invite her to the family gatherings.

This past Christmas, the De Luccis and McGraths went on a Christmas lights tour of Manhattan. Sera organized the event and rented limousines, mainly to cheer up Luca and Elias, but Sloane was invited, too. The tour ended up at the De Lucci mansion where Sloane and I snuck a hookup in the second-floorpowder room. We nearly got caught by my mother, but that was the thrill.

We’d been better about communicating. I texted her daily. She’d been busy with her nursing exams and I’d been fine with her one-word replies.

I wasn’t a texting guy. I lurked mostly in the family group chats. Sloane would send me a random meme. The queens of memes were Ivy and Bianca and they would send it to our family chat. Sometimes I’d forward one to Sloane, too.