Page 59 of Assistant to the Mafia

Grace finally went still, satisfied that she’d carved out a proper snow angel form, as her mind spun. She had heard Lucia had a fascination with planes, flying, and heights. Lucia even had a model of an original plane hanging from her ceiling in her bedroom. “That’s really impressive, Lucy,” she said. “I hope you’ll let me come with you.”

Lucia popped up and hopped around her outline. “Of course!” She smiled down at Grace. “You’ll still be around, won’t you, Miss Grace?”

Grace felt her heart clench, in a strangely warm way. She found her feet and brushed herself off as best she could. “Yes,” she said, even though the response felt bold. “Yes, I will.”

An urgent male voice drew her attention, too late making Grace realize someone was shouting. The male voice blended with another, closer, unfamiliar female tone screaming Lucia’s name.

“Lucia! Lucia! Is that you? Lucia!”

Lucia twisted around, her hair flying out, and nearly stumbled to her butt.

Grace caught her under the arms, hauling her upright and close as she locked eyes with the other woman. And she knew immediately who the woman was. Though Romeo still hadn’t told her much about Lucia’s mother, she’d seen the photo from the school surveillance system. The woman at the gate was definitely her.

Amber Hester.

Lucia dodged behind Grace, clutching to her coat. “It’s the crazy lady!”

Grace reached down and rested an arm over Lucia’s shoulder, tucking her closer to her own body. “Don’t worry, Lucia,” she whispered. “She can’t hurt you.”

Amber’s already dilated eyes seemed to widen and she flailed an arm through the gate, as if trying to wedge herself between the bards. She was obviously thin, but even without her winter clothes, she wouldn’t fit. “Bitch, get off my daughter! Let her go! Give her back to me!”

Lucia’s breath hitched.

Grace held tighter as security scrambled from all angles, shouting at the woman to back off.

“Lucia!” Amber shrieked. “Lucia is my daughter, give her back—”

“Lucia is not your daughter,” Grace snapped, shouting over the other woman. “You’re a stranger to her and you’re scaring her.” The shouting seemed to have gone silent, Amber’s wild stare focused on her. “If you’re serious about seeing her, get a court order.”

Amber opened her mouth, visibly angered, and shrieked again when one of the men behind her hit her with taser prongs.

Grace turned carefully, so as to avoid allowing Lucia a full view. “Let’s go inside.”

Lucia ran ahead without argument, and Grace allowed Enrico to shut the door behind them. “Wh-why … why is the crazy lady here?” Lucia asked, gasping for breath through her tears. “Why was she saying those things?”

Grace helped Lucia out of her snow-covered winter gear, then shed her own. “Truthfully, Lucy, I can only answer some of your questions.” She pulled Lucia close and wiped the girl’s tears away as best she could. “Why don’t we call your dad home a little early and all talk about what happened?” She smoothed a hand down Lucia’s hair. “Everything will be okay. We’re safe in here.”

Lucia nodded, sniffling. “I want Daddy.”

Romeo was pissed. He was so fucking pissed. “I’ll fucking kill every single one of those morons who let her get up to that gate.”

“It might be advisable to look at the footage and see exactly how it happened before you start pulling the trigger, Rome,” Mo said.

Romeo felt his lip curl. “I can do both. They better fucking hope I calm down before I get to them.” He couldn’t believe Amber had not only gotten up to the gate—again—but had addressed Lucia, and Grace. What the pair were doing outside, he had no idea. But that was less of an issue. They’d been safely behind the perimeter. Amber was the problem.

The phone in his hand rang, drawing his attention. Thinking it might be Grace, he swiped the green button before his brain could process his mother’s name on the screen. A whole new fear gripped him and for a beat, his voice choked in his throat. “Mom?”

“Sweetheart,” Eleonora said, her tone almost hesitant. “I heard there was an incident…”

Sometimes he swore the gossip moved faster through the family than any information they were actually looking for. Romeo drew a breath. “I’m not even home yet, Mom. But she doesn’t seem to have gotten past the gate.”

“That’s a relief,” Eleonora said, “but I actually … well, I need to tell you something important.”

Romeo pulled the phone from his head in order to gape at it for a second, before finally saying, “I need to get home and be with my family, Mom. Lucia’s really upset.” He wasn’t looking forward to that conversation.

“I thought you said—”

“They were outside.”

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