Page 10 of His Tesoro

“I’m not sure.” I shrugged. “My sister and our bodyguard seemed to like my creations enough.” My parents never stepped foot in the kitchen so it had been a safe place for Mila and me to spend our time, surrounded by sympathetic staff. But my health had stolen even that from me as it became harder for me to go up and down the stairs. Would my new home have stairs?

“I don’t actually know what traditional Russian desserts are,” Romeo said.

“I do make some Russian baked goods, like piroshki, which are little hand pies, and blini, which are like crepes. But I mostly learned from watching American and British baking shows, so I make a lot of cookies and cupcakes and things like that,” I said.

“Any Italian desserts?” Angelo asked, an interested spark in his eyes. “Tiramisu is my favorite.”

“I’ve never made it, but I’d love to try,” I responded. I kept a notepad with all my favorite recipes, along with a list of ones I still wanted to make. My list had grown long this past year as I’d spent months on end stuck in bed.

“My favorite is cannoli,” Romeo said. “And I’m much more important than this guy, so you should definitely make my dessert first.”

Angelo snorted and crossed his arms. Warmth settled in my stomach at their playful banter. Maybe I wouldn’t have a loving husband, but there was already more kindness in these small interactions than I’d ever gotten at home. Mila and I had done our best to create our own world in our wing of the house, and our guard, Nikolai, had gone along with our antics. But with the rare exception of when Dimitri visited, we had been an island in the midst of cold, harsh men.

“I’ll have to make both,” I said. “What’s Matteo’s favorite?”

Romeo frowned. “You know, I’m not sure I’ve ever seen him eat a dessert.”

Just then, the man himself appeared. I hadn’t heard him coming, and I jumped a little.

“Ahh, perfect timing, Matteo,” Romeo said. “What’s your favorite dessert?”

Matteo’s icy expression fixed on me as if he knew I was the reason for the question. He quickly looked away, dismissing me, and my heart broke a little.

“I need you in the back,” he said, jerking his head. Romeo gave an exaggerated sigh before getting up and following the Don.

Angelo must have caught my crestfallen expression because he patted my hand. “The Boss has been dealing with a lot in his territory. It’s keeping him very busy.”

I nodded, turning back to the window. Night had fallen and the blinking lights over the wings of the plane joined the stars in illuminating the sky. My father didn’t believe that women should know anything about Bratva business, and I guessed it would be the same in my new home.

We had another hour or so of the flight and I decided I would let myself wallow in self-pity until we landed. Then I would be ready to face my new life and make the best of it.

7

MATTEO

The gentle ding of the elevator sounded before the doors slid open. I gestured for Sofiya to get on first, followed by Romeo and me. The doors closed, leaving Angelo waiting for the next one with Sofiya’s two suitcases and the large box she’d brought. I’d managed to stay away from her the entire plane ride, but now I was trapped in this tiny space. Unable to escape her.

The elevator ascended from the underground garage to the twenty-second floor, where my penthouse apartment waited. I’d bought this historic building on the west side of Central Park after becoming Don. Sienna and I couldn’t stand being in the home we’d grown up in, the walls groaning with memories of our parents, the floors stained with their blood.

The lower floors of the building included housing for Sienna and my inner circle, along with offices for my legitimate and illegitimate businesses. The building surrounded a large courtyard and garden. Sienna ate lunch out there when the weather was nice. It was one of the few spots outside she could be without a convoy of guards. But only I had access to the rooftop. Some nights, I would sit out there alone with a drink, the faint sounds of the city reaching me from the street below. In those moments, I felt like the king of this city.

The elevator door opened, revealing the large entryway and front door. Sofiya looked exhausted as we exited the elevator.

“There’s fingerprint access to get in,” I told her. “Romeo, Angelo, Enzo, my sister, and I are the only ones with access.”

She nodded as she chewed on her lower lip. I wanted to snap at her to cut it out. What did she have to look so nervous about? I was the one whose home was about to be invaded.

By the time I added her fingerprint to the lock, begrudgingly giving her access to my private space, the elevator doors had opened again to reveal Angelo and the suitcases. He smiled at Sofiya. “I’m the head of your security team and will be your personal bodyguard. I’m sure the Boss will tell you how to get in touch with me, but I’ll be stationed outside the apartment during the day if you need anything, and I’ll drive you if you need to go anywhere.”

“Thank you,” she said.

“It was nice meeting you, Sofiya,” Romeo said. “I’ll say goodnight now. Let you two get acquainted.” He cocked an eyebrow at me before getting back on the elevator with a chuckle. He lived a couple of floors below, and I had the urge to demand he stay. What was I supposed to do alone with this girl?

Angelo placed Sofiya’s two suitcases inside the apartment before giving me a nod and heading back out to the entryway. I gestured for Sofiya to enter and followed after her, the door shutting with a thud behind us.

The apartment was plenty big, but it had never felt as small as it did in this moment. Sofiya might be a tiny slip of a girl, but her presence filled the space. “It’s really pretty,” she said, glancing up at me.

I just grunted. Sienna had thrown herself into designing all the apartments in the building. I’d stayed out of it besides vetoing a few of her wilder ideas.

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