Page 75 of The Empress

I nod, sadness welling in my chest. With everything that’s happened, it’s overshadowed Dad’s death. “He had a heart attack almost two months ago. It was a huge shock to us.”

Leo reaches across the round table and gives my hand a squeeze. “You haven’t even had time to mourn.”

“No, I haven’t.”

His eyes fill with guilt. “I’m sorry, Haven. Just tell me if there’s anything I can do to make things easier for you.”

“Seeing as freedom is off the table, getting my mom a place of her own is number one on my list.”

I can see he means it when he replies, “I’ll make it a priority.”

I enjoy another sip of wine, then say, “Tell me about your childhood.”

Leo’s face grows somber, and it looks like his thoughts drift off for a moment before he says, “My father was a cruel man.” He lets out a sad-sounding chuckle, and it makes me want to hug him. “Honestly, I’m a ray of sunshine compared to him. He loved to beat us when he was stressed out.”

“Why didn’t your Mom leave him?”

“There’s no such thing as divorce in the mafia. A wife overhears things she shouldn’t, so there’s no walking away.”

Compassion fills my heart. “I’m sorry.”

He taps his fingers on the white cloth, then glances over at where the musicians are playing. “It wasn’t all bad. I had a best friend. His family and home were my safe place.”

“Massimo?”

Leo shakes his head, then intense sorrow tightens his features. “No.” When he lifts his eyes to meet mine, I can’t hold back and reach for his hand. Our fingers intertwine, then he whispers, “I don’t talk about them. It hurts too much.”

“I understand,” I whisper, rubbing my thumb over his skin. “But I’m here if you ever change your mind and you want to talk about what happened.”

He nods, his eyes flicking to the server as she pushes a cart toward the table. “Enough with the heavy subjects. Let’s enjoy the meal and keep the topics lighthearted.”

“It’s a deal.”

Pulling my hand away from Leo’s, I stare at him while the server places the plates in front of us.

If things continue like this between us, I know without a doubt it’s only a matter of time before I learn to love him.

Chapter 19

LEO

While we enjoy the linguine with lobster risotto, I ask, “Have you told your best friend about us?”

Haven shakes her head. “No. I don’t want to put her in danger.”

“I won’t hurt her, and if she ever visits you, I’ll make sure she’s protected.”

“Kristen will lose her everloving mind if she finds out I married the head of the Italian mafia.”

“Because I’m a criminal?”

Haven lets out a chuckle. “No. Weirdly enough, I think she might actually be okay with that.” She shakes her head, then asks, “So, besides killing people, what other laws do you break on a daily basis?”

I let out a bark of laughter, loving her humor. “I create false information and situations.” When she gives me a confused look, I explain, “If there are two politicians in the run for the same position, I’ll bury the rival in scandals.”

“Ohhhh. Have you ever done that to someone I might have heard of?”

I nod. “I’ve helped presidents win elections.”