Page 7 of Protected By the Mafia

Cristiano reached out and gently pulled her hands from her face. His thumb stroked the back of her hand. “Did they hurt you, Felicity?” His voice was tighter, firmer. As if his temper were fraying. But his touch remained light and non-restrictive.

She hesitated. “There are some things I’m not comfortable talking about,” she said in a whisper. She swallowed. “But, no, they haven’t hurt me.” Why did I even tell him that?

He let his hand fall away. “So you don’t know anything about their infrastructure?”

She shook her head. “Definitely not. Tristán’s an asshole, but he’s not a complete idiot. If he’d shared something like that with me, I’d have reported him.” She dragged in another breath. “If you’re looking for inside information on his gang life, the only person he might have told is Manny. I’m useless to you.”

Cristiano met her gaze again. “No, sweet Felicity, you’re not useless at all.”

three

The First Day, pt II

He’d managed to confirm the most important detail during breakfast. Felicity had nothing to do with the Ink Blots’ scheming, against his family or otherwise. Dante would undoubtedly require more proof, but Cristiano believed her. So, for the time being, he had to leave her secured in the last place his cousins would think to look for an associate of their latest enemies—his home. Or, at least, the place he called home when he returned to Jersey.

He knew in his gut this decision would lead to a confrontation with his family. He only hoped it would be one settled with words, maybe fists, and not bullets or blowtorches.

For the time being, he pushed all those thoughts to the back of his mind and let himself into the house where he’d spent the latter part of his childhood. “Where’s the emergency?”

Excited footfalls gave his assailant’s location away before her squeal filled the hall. “Uncle Cris!”

Cristiano smiled and bent to catch Lucia as she launched her tiny body into the air. “Careful, Lucy. You could hurt yourself doing that inside.” He gave her a squeeze and settled her on his forearm. Lucia De Salvo was his niece once-removed, or however the hell that technically worked, and she was the apple of the entire family’s eye.

Lucia smiled wide at him; her big brown eyes sparkling. “Will you take me to the movies today?”

“Lucia, mind yourself, dear,” Eleonora scolded with a laugh from somewhere in the sitting room.

Cristiano adjusted to follow their matriarch’s voice and offered the little girl an apologetic look. “Sorry, Lucy,” he said. “I have work today.”

Lucia pouted. “Everyone’s been saying that!”

Cristiano poked the seven-year-old on the nose. “That’s because it’s a grown-up thing. Something you have to look forward to.”

She screwed up her face.

Eleonora laughed. “Lucia, honey, Uncle Cris didn’t come over to babysit you today. He needs to meet with your daddy.”

Lucia sighed dramatically and bat her eyes up at him. “What about tomorrow?”

“Also a work day, Lucy.” He set her down and pressed a kiss to her forehead. “I’ll see what I can do for this weekend, how’s that?” He wanted to spend what time he could with Felicity, but brushing off his family would raise suspicions. He was just fortunate that he’d never been overly social and they wouldn’t raise too many eyebrows if he simply didn’t spend all his non-working hours in family company. It would have to suffice.

Although Lucia didn’t seem to agree as she flopped back onto the sofa beside her grandmother. “That’s so far away, though. What if you forget?”

Cristiano leaned forward and ruffled her half-loose hair. “I’m not that old yet. Don’t worry.” He looked over to the woman who’d done as much to raise him as his own mother before her passing. “Usual room?”

Eleonora smiled. “Last I checked. But be sure you give me a hug before you leave.”

He nodded and turned toward the appropriate hall. They didn’t often talk business in Mother Eleonora’s home, but when for any reason they did, it was usually in the back office. The office that had once belonged to Eleonora’s late husband, Cristiano’s uncle, and the previous Boss of the De Salvo family. Cristiano rapped twice on the door before letting himself into the room and made sure to push it all the way closed behind him after he entered.

One of his three cousins, and Lucia’s father, Romeo De Salvo, was sitting on the edge of the chaise sofa, bent over a laptop. In itself, that was a strange sight. Romeo was not the tech guy of the family.

“Heard you wanted to see me about something?” Cristiano asked. He didn’t move forward, unsure if he should bother getting comfortable. Romeo was family, but he was also Dante’s second, which made him Cristiano’s superior.

Romeo glanced up and dipped his chin in a lazy nod. “Yeah, thanks for coming all the way out here. I know it’s a detour.”

Cristiano smirked. “You mean you think it’s a detour.”

Romeo blinked, then chuckled. “Yeah. That. Anyway, looks like we might finally have something. One of our tails says they made a consistent connection.”

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