Page 97 of Lies like Rubies, Part One

“Absolutely not!” Luca protested. “What makes you think you have the right to determine where Sofia and Lizzie go?”

Dante rounded on my brother, every muscle in his body tense with fury. “What makes you thinkyouhave the right?” he snapped. “Theonlyperson who determines where Sofia and her daughter go is Sofia.”

I didn’t know what to say. Dante’s fierce defense of my independence warmed me from my head to my toes. Before I could examine his actions or the crazy beat of my heart that didn’t have a damn thing to do with the danger my daughter faced, Lizzie squirmed in my arms.

“Mamma! Uncle Luca!”

I kissed her temple. “We’re going home early, okay, Lizzie? Lots of people are going to stop by our apartment, so I want you to be on your best behavior. Can you do that for me?”

“Like a party?”

I laughed helplessly. “Yeah, sweetheart, like a party. We’ll order food and everything. Can you walk to the car with me?”

She nodded and slid down my body. I clutched at her hand, tighter than I probably should have, but I was still so damn scared.

“Give me your keys, kitten,” Dante said. “You’re not in any shape to drive.”

Luca watched us with narrowed eyes but didn’t say anything.

“Luca, please, come to the apartment with us,” I implored him.

He shook his head. “You need to come back to the compound, Sofia. The Costas blew up two of Oscuro’s clubs this morning. Sergio’s not acting alone, and you’re not safe.”

My smile didn’t reach my eyes. Did Luca think I’d been safe before? I turned to Lorenzo, who’d watched the entire exchange in silence, and took the bag of art and crafts he’d held for Lizzie. “Lorenzo, thank you. Thank you for coming so quickly.”

“Just doing my job, Miss Russo,” he said, pressing his lips into a tight line.

I put him in a terrible position, asking him to choose between Luca and me—between the family and me. I turned away, so I didn’t have to watch the frustration play out on his face.

“Let’s go,” I said to Dante.

“Give me your keys,” he repeated, when we reached the car. When I didn’t move to do so, he took my bag off my shoulder with more care and gentleness than I’d ever received from him. “You’re not in any shape to drive, kitten. Let me take you home.”

“Okay,” I whispered. I buckled Lizzie into her car seat and then dropped into the passenger seat. Dante’s massive frame dwarfed my tiny sedan.

One tear streaked down my face, and then another.

“Come here,” Dante ordered.

I hid my face in his shoulder, ignoring the awkwardness of trying to burrow into a hug over the gearbox. I took refuge in his arms, comforted by the warm heat of his body and his confidence that he was the most competent badass in any given room.

By the time he pulled out of my parking space, I’d fixed my makeup and recovered my composure.

“Thank you,” I whispered.

“Thank you, sir,” he answered. When I looked at him, a gleam of amusement glinted in his eyes.

I didn’t answer him. Instead, I leaned my head back and closed my eyes. As confident as I was that Dante could keep my daughter safe—Tommaso had, at the daycare—I would eventually have to face the music with my family.

When we arrived at my apartment building, I was shocked to discover my keycard didn’t let me into the elevator from the garage. Dante swore viciously and practically dragged Lizzie and me up the stairs to the reception.

“Hey, Eddie,” I said to the elderly gentleman who replaced the kid whose legs Dante and Lorenzo had broken a few weeks before. “My keycard’s not working. Do you know what’s going on?”

Eddie’s eyes rounded as his eyes ping-ponged frantically from my pleasant countenance to Dante’s glowering one. “Your father called and told me to deactivate the card.”

My heart dropped to my feet. I closed my eyes, once again desperate to hold back my tears. I don’t know why I bothered. I already looked like a hot mess from my earlier dash across campus.

I pulled my phone out of my tote and called my father, ignoring the quake in my hands. When my father picked up the phone, I begged him, “Papà, I need to get my textbooks and a few things for Lizzie. Please let me into my apartment.”

---