Page 153 of Assassin's Obsession

"It's me, Bianca. I'm sorry I didn't call right away."

"Candi! I'm so glad to hear your voice. Salvatore told me you were okay, but sometimes he tries to protect me and I wasn't sure if I was getting the full story. His mom is my usual ally, but she didn't have any deets either."

"Well, after I woke up with a nasty headache, I escaped out a window." I gloss over some stuff as I tell my best friend and eager eavesdropper sister, but share enough so they both know I really am okay.

"What about you? Whatever was in the wine left me really woozy and that headache…"

"It was bad, but you know Salvatore. I had two different doctors running blood panels to try to figure it out."

"Bet they were both women," I tease.

Salvatore is like pathological about another man touching her. After her past, she doesn't like men touching her except him, so it works.

Kind of like with me and Angelo.

She about peed herself laughing when I told her Angelo said he wouldn't try to stop me dancing. Turns out he's got a possessive bone as deeply embedded as any of the De Luca men.

After the phone call with Bianca and tucking my sister in, I cross the hall and knock on mom's door.

"Come in," she calls.

I open the door to find her sitting in her lift recliner watching one of her shows.

"Since when do you knock on the door?" she asks with raised eyebrows.

"Well, this is your room."

"Which you are always welcome to come into. If the door to the bedroom is shut, you may want to knock just in case…" She winks at me.

What? "I know Boomer spent the time in the saferoom with you and Cookie. Are you saying a flirtation developed?"

I mean, I'm not against it, but really? This fast?

"Let's just say that you might have been right about me not being too old for a little romance in my life."

"Is that why you're taking all this so calmly? I thought you were going to demand I stop seeing Angelo and for us all to move back into the apartment." And I am so, so grateful that's not what is happening.

Is it? Maybe she's lulling me into a false sense of security to swoop in and get all logical on me. Moms are known to do that. At least mine is.

"Sweetheart, the identity of your sperm donor always meant that there was a risk you would get pulled into mafia politics. I admit I thought that if something like this happened, it would be because of Mr. Bianchi. At least with Angelo, I know you will be protected. He moved heaven and earth—"

"And rappelled out of a helicopter." After I gave him a hand job that we both thoroughly enjoyed, I made him tell me the details of his side of the night.

Mom smiles and finishes, "To get to you."

"There was never a moment when I didn't believe he would come for me."

"Maybe it's because I see him through your eyes, but I believe you will always be his priority. I never doubted he would bring you home safe."

I look around mom's living room that Angelo had designed specifically for her needs. "This is our home now, isn't it?"

"Yes," mom says firmly.

"Do you resent being pulled into the mafia world because of me?" I have to ask.

Mom shakes her head. "You are my daughter. Whatever world that means touches mine, that fact never changes."

I bite my lip, blinking back tears. "You're such a good mom, you know that?"

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