Page 53 of Mistletoe in the Mafia

I settle in and arch an eyebrow, waiting for him to explain the agenda for this meeting.

“I talked to Camila,” Nicholas starts. “She says you’re considering officially making an appearance at the table.”

“I’m not considering anything. I’m making an appearance at the next table meeting.”

“Really?” Nicholas asks dully. “And why is that?”

“My reasons are inconsequential,” I say, waving off his curiosity.

“I’ll decide whether they are or not,” he rebuts. “And I haven’t given my approval yet. What use do I have of a Shadow that won’t stay where he’s meant to be?”

My jaw clenches. I sit up, making sure to look him in the eyes as I speak.

“I’m sure you’ve done your due diligence on me, Don. Made your investigations into my true identity? If you don’t already know who I really am by now, I’d call it incompetence.”

Nicholas’s eyes narrow. “Good thing I’m very aware of your position, then. But what’s it got to do with anything?”

“Only everything,” I say, relaxing in my seat once again. “You and I both know I come from a powerful family. By stepping out of the shadows, I could have access to that power once again. Power the Cosa Nostra would greatly benefit from.”

“I wouldn’t be so sure. You could stop becoming a shadow and become a snake instead. One that bites me in the back.”

I shrug. “That’s not really my style.”

He frowns as he stares at me, studying my expression. “We’re going to have to go back to the why. I need to know what’s brought on this change.”

I sigh softly. I figured he wouldn’t let it go. There’s a certain kind of bull-headedness men in Nicholas’s position tend to attain. Plus, it’s highly likely he’s already suspicious and could come about the truth on his own.

“I found her,” I admit. “Sebestian’s daughter.”

Those words have both men in the room falling still. Adrian who had been tethering the edge of boredom immediately seems at alert.

“You did what?” Nicholas questions.

“I told you I was searching for her. And that I’d find her eventually. And now I’ve succeeded.”

His frown deepens. “You’re not one to quit, are you, Dominic? So what do you plan to do with her?”

“I’m not sure yet,” I answer honestly. “But she’s not the reason I’m stepping forward.”

She’s one of the reasons, though.

“So what is it?”

“I want to draw him out. The man who murdered my family,” I inform them.

Adrian cocks a head to the side while Nicholas sighs.

“Are we going on another quest for revenge?” Adrian asks, smiling wickedly.

It’s the first genuine emotion he’s shown since I stepped in here. He’s like a dog with a bone, sniffing out destruction.

“Sure,” I reply. “But it’s against one man.”

“A man who’s been able to evade capture for decades,” he points out, pulling a knife from his jacket pocket. He balances the tip on one of his fingers and shoots me a grin. “I’ll find him for you, Dom.”

“Thanks?” I say, unsure if I should be touched or worried.

Nicholas seems to be thinking the same thing. On one hand, I’m glad he seems to have something to look forward to again, but this is alsomyrevenge. I hate that Adrian lost the chance to exact pain on the man who caused him torment for so long, but no one’s taking that chance away from me.

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