Page 124 of Assassin's Obsession

"I'll be the hero for at least a week, won't I?" Mom adjusts the throw over her legs.

"You'll always be our hero, mom. Don't you know that?"

Mom opens her arms and for the first time in recent memory we share a hug that doesn't make her wince in pain. That's down to Angelo and if I didn't love him already, I would fall fully and forever in this moment.

Chapter 33

ANGELO

"That's a new look for you." Miceli leans back in his chair at the large circular table in the private backroom of Nonna Agata's.

The mafia-owned Italian restaurant that has been in New York as long as the Five Families is closer to Pitiful Princess than either Severu or Miceli's office. Since both of their wives are safely at home while Bianca and Candi are catching up at the club, they agreed to have our meeting here.

Salvatore and I would both rather be at the club, watching over our women, but we can't be with them twenty-four-seven.

At least that's what Severu tells me.

Considering the fact he moved his primary office to the penthouse months before he became the godfather so he could spend more time in Catalina's vicinity, I'm not sure his opinion is valid.

But Candi's is and she told me to get lost. She wanted girl time with Bianca.

Ignoring Miceli's comment, I turn to Salvatore. "Why didn't you install cameras in the office at Pitiful Princess?"

I'd feel better if I had a visual on Candi.

"Because I don't stalk my wife," Salvatore drawls.

Big Sal barks out a laugh at his son's words. "That's why you had Pietro install camerasinsideyour home, because youdon'tstalk your wife."

"What's the real reason there are no cameras in the manager's office at Pitiful Princess?" Miceli demands sardonically.

"She told me if I installed cameras in the office at the club, she was moving her stuff back into the guest room," Salvatoreadmits. "She doesn't want menosing into her time with Candiand that's where they get together."

"That tracks," I mutter, remembering Candi's adamant demand for time alone with Bianca.

They're safe, I remind myself. Both their security teams are at the club. Derian and Pietro are inside, and we have men at the front and back entrances as well.

There's only one access point to the office and their guards are watching it.

But something is making my instincts twitch.

"They'll have to get together at our homes now that Candi won't be dancing," Salvatore says with satisfaction.

"Don't count on it," I warn him. "Candi is going to talk to Bianca about helping her manage the talent."

"Good," Nerissa says from across the table. "I've told Bianca more than once she needs to get someone to help her."

Salvatore frowns. "She takes on too much."

Which torpedoes any hope I had that Bianca won't take Candi up on her offer.

The smell of garlic and basil precedes the soldier from Severu's security team bringing in our food for the lunch meeting. The food isn't from the restaurant kitchen either, but brought in by one of the De Luca cooks. All the tableware is freshly washed and handled only by our people.

This is the new protocol for Severu eating away from home since becoming godfather.

If we can think of using food to get to someone, so can his enemies.

"Seriously, I didn't know your face could make that expression," Miceli says around a bite of crab ravioli in white sauce.

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