Page 137 of Blue Blood

“Why don’t you come and inspect for yourself?”

“I’m sure the Don’s doing enough inspections over there.”

Ana glanced fondly at her husband, who was gazing back at her with a tender expression. “It’s been a nice turnout tonight, Tony. I wish you were here,” she said wistfully.

He only hummed, noncommittal.

“Gabi didn’t show up either…”

The phone was silent for so long that Ana wondered if the call had dropped. When she double-checked that it was still connected, she fiddled with her dress, emotion heavy in her chest. In her periphery, she saw that Gio had stepped slightly away, still within earshot.

Touching the silky fabric, she asked tentatively, “Are you okay?”

“Yeah. Yeah, I–”

She waited.

“Don’t worry about me.”

“I do worry.” Ana frowned sadly. “You’ve moved away, left the Family.”

A long pause before he whispered, “I had to…How could I stay after–” The wind bellowed in his silence. Howling, almost in mourning.

“No one knows, Tony,” she said quietly. “They all think…well, you know what they think.”

Everyone in the Family had only heard one story: that Vitello was the one who had masterminded everything. He had been found guilty of multiple levels of treason. Payroll fraud. Hiring duplicitous staff. And worst of all, plotting and executing the assassination of the old Don and his wife.

As the rumors went, his last and final betrayal had been an attempt to kill Gio. It had spectacularly failed, resulting in multiple fatalities, including his own.

Marta Mancini’s involvement in it all had been erased, wiped away with her death. She was deemed a victim, an unfortunate and unintended casualty of Vitello’s attack.

The truth was hidden only in their memories.

“You still have a place here. Gio made sure to keep everything hushed up to protect your reputation.”

Tony snorted low. “Do you really believe that?”

“What?”

“Come on, Ana. You can’t be that oblivious. We both know there’s only one person Gio’s protecting–and it’s not me.” Her cheeks flushed at his meaning. “Gio had revenge right there in his hands; he could’ve told everyone about M-Mom, hung her out to dry. That’s what he wanted for so long, right?”

It was.

He had vowed it from the moment he’d discovered his parents’ deaths: to eviscerate their murderer and hang them from their doorstep, as a warning to all and sundry about crossing him and his family ever again.

“Gio gave it all up to protect you from the scandal.”

The tears that had been brimming rolled down her face. Hormones, grief, and worry mixed together. But most of all…love.

She had never had someone in her corner, so fully on her side as she had now.

After a few more trivial exchanges, Ana hung up. Her hand rubbed her stomach absently as she watched the stars above. Wondering if Tony could see the same view.

“He’s right, you know?” The warm embrace returned as Gio murmured in her ear, “I would give up everything for you. Revenge, power…my life.”

“Gio.” Her arms clenched around him reflexively. The muscles in her chest grew painfully tight, unable to bear the weight of his simple declaration.

She closed her eyes as she melted back into his chest. He rested his chin on her head.

As the wind billowed through her dress, her soft hair…carrying away all the pain in one simple sweep, she heard him whisper the words he so rarely uttered.

But the ones she felt in every breath with him.

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