Page 25 of Winter Love

“That, we don’t know. I’m guessing a fake passport. Because he wouldn’t be allowed back otherwise. And yes. He took my youngest daughter last year. He did it as a way to get back at me, because I wouldn’t let him just do whatever he wanted. He’s just one of those people who thinks he’s entitled to do what he wants, when he wants,” Giacomo says as he frowns.

We spend the next few hours talking and getting to know each other better. I make some of my more popular flavors ofpopcorn for everyone. Giacomo says that he wants everyone to be watching their surroundings. That T-Rex is the kind of guy that likes to hide out and use other people to do his dirty work. Then he shows up afterwards to take all the credit. That’s how they got his daughter, they tried to take out her sister and their bodyguards just to get to Luciana. That’s so fucking crazy.

Chapter Thirteen

Lukas

Emma’s family was able to stay with us for a few days. They own a hotel in Storyville, Colorado. Because they run the day-to-day operations, they can’t be away for too long. They brought up taking Emma back with them. But Giacomo told them these guys don’t care where she is, they’ll follow her. And unless they’re willing to have a bunch of their guys go back to Storyville with them…well it’s not going to make the situation better.

The air feels weird lately. Like something’s coming and it’s not a winter storm. I don’t like it—it’s making me grumpy and on edge.

“You okay, brother?” Rhett asks.

“No. I’m tired of waiting for this asshat to show up. He’s playing with us like we’re mice and he’s a cat. Fuck him! I want him to come out and fucking face me. What kind of coward threatens a woman just because he can’t have her?”

“I get how you’re feeling. And I have to agree, I wish they would make their move so we can deal with them and get on with our lives. It feels like we’re at a standstill.”

“That’s what I mean. We’re on the defense waiting for them to make a move and it’s infuriating. And who the fuck does he think he is? Emmanuelle is my girl. She’s always been mine and she always will be. But he thinks he can take her from me? I’ll kill him before he can do that.”

“Vengeance is a double edged sword,” we hear Enea say as he walks into the room.

I look at him and frown.

“I can’t just let him do this and not retaliate.”

“It depends on what you feel you need to do. If he hurts Emma, what won’t you do? And can you live with the consequences? In the old days, we killed with no remorse. If you wronged anyone in the family, you were going to be dead. And no one felt bad for killing. That’s what we did to protect our family. But it’s different now. There is some remorse when it comes down to retaliation and vengeance.”

I understand what Enea is saying. Could I really kill William or this T-Rex guy if they touched my Emmanuelle? I don’t truly know the answer to that. But I sure as hell am not opposed to finding out.

“I want to tell you a story. When my babies were three and two years old, my younger twins, Lorenzo and Giovanna were kidnapped. We suspected it was a rival mafia, the Laurents that took them. They went so far as to send us pictures—proof that they killed them. I had two choices. I could go after Dorian Laurent or I could make my family stronger and fight him in other ways. Because I had no proof he did it, I chose to fight him in other ways. Twenty-three years after they were taken and supposedly murdered, we found them. Alive. I guess what I’m trying to tell you is that as much as you want to hurt William and T-Rex, it might not be the vengeance you’re looking for. And letting that anger build up in you won’t help either.”

I want to yell back and say that if I do nothing, that makes me look like a fucking coward. But I don’t. The look in Enea’s eyes tells me that he’s gone through more than anyone I’ve ever met before. And he’s still standing. That’s what I need to do. Protect Emma the right way and if I have to, I will get revenge.

“If they hurt my Emma in any way and we know it’s them? Yes. I can live with my choices. But I understand what you’re saying if we don’t know for sure. I just hate living in limbo, the waiting to see what they do is killing me.”

“I get it. And that’s one of the worst parts. But you’ll get through it and it’ll be over. Until then, you have to try and trust us to handle it.”

“I do trust you. And I appreciate all that you’re doing. I hope you know that.”

Enea smiles at me.

“I do. You’re a good man, Lukas, what you’ve done for your siblings is incredible.”

“Thank you. It was never an option not to, when our parents died…I had to help them. I was the oldest.”

“You and Sebastiano’s Schuyler will get along well. She felt the same way about her younger sister. I also heard you’re a member of the Mancini family now.”

I nod vigorously as Enea laughs.

“Be ready for lots of crazy things to happen. And if you’re a Mancini, you’ll have to come if we need you.”

“You call and I’ll be there,” I say to Enea as he comes to me and hugs me.

“Family is everything to us, we don’t take that word lightly.”

“You came here with no hesitation to help us. A family you didn’t even know. We met some of you only once and yet you came. And you’ve stayed, I know you miss your wife and home. Yet here you are. I’ve never met anyone like that. Except my parents. They would’ve done the same. Thank you.”

Enea nods. “Now let’s find these assholes so I can go home to my wife.”

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