Page 124 of Bad Men

“You are seriously overthinking this,” he said at last, only slightly sobering. “I can’t speak for Nero, but it wouldn’t matter to me as long as I had you and Nero, and a healthy kid. I would like not to be called uncle, if that’s all the same, but we can figure that out, too. We’d make it work.”

Hearing him rationalize my fears took the edge off some of them.

“You really want to do this?”

He shrugged. “We’d have to talk to Nero about it, but I’m ready.” His eyes darkened as they peered down into mine. “I want a family with you.”

My heart gave a leap in my chest at the gravelly murmur.

“It’s only been a year,” I reminded him. “A baby is a huge commitment leap. I wanted at least a couple more years of just us.”

He leaned in closer until our noses brushed. “Then we wait a couple more years. I’m not in any rush as long as we get to practice … a lot.”

I laughed and he kissed the corner of my mouth. “Let’s get through this party first,” I teased.

There was a lot more people than I’d expected. The apartment was a sea of moving bodies and faces. I recognized most of them, but there were a few I guessed were Nero and Davien’s guests. I made it a habit not to get involved in their business. It wasn’t plausible deniability, but it wasn’t lying if I didn’t know. What I did know, like starting a community project to clean up the streets and help families get back on their feet, and finding safe homes for kids, I was proud of and supported in every way I could. They had done so much for our neighborhood. Even my dad couldn’t deny it.

“Mr. Davien?” Puke appeared at our elbow, looking dashing in his suit and tie combo. I reached out and straightened the little, red sash. The kid grinned at me but addressed Davien. “There’s a guy at the door. Says he needs to talk to you and Mr. Nero.”

Davien turned his head in the direction of the closed door, his arms still around me. His expression was light and neutral, but I knew when to spot the tension along his jaw, or the way he always seemed to put himself between me and whatever was happening. I gave his arm a light squeeze.

“Go ahead.” I brushed my lips to his cheek. “I’m going to see about getting everyone on their way.”

Davien nodded. “We won’t be long.”

I assured him it was fine and left him to locate my parents. I wasn’t surprised to find them on the veranda. My mom had become as obsessed with the view as I was. She stood peering down at the carpet of glittering glass and concrete, my dad a silent figure next to her.

“I wish you would let me get you that apartment next door. It just became available,” I told them, stepping out into the balmy, summer evening. “Then you could visit all the time.”

“We don’t need anything this fancy,” my dad said immediately. “The apartment is fine. It’s brand new.”

“What your dad means to say is, we’re needed over there.” Mom turned to face me, a small grin on her face. “It would be too far to travel if something needs repairing.”

It wasn’t what he was saying, but I let the matter drop. It was an old argument and no matter how often I asked, he seemed against taking anything Nero or Dav paid for, even though, the apartment building he oversaw belonged to Nero and Nero signed his checks. But I guessed it made sense that he was working for one and the other would be handed to him. He had his pride still if nothing else.

“Can you at least stay the night?” I asked instead. “We could make pancakes in the morning and maybe—”

“I have a leaky pipe to fix in apartment 6B first thing in the morning,” Dad interrupted. He must have noticed the slump in my shoulders because he softened his tone. “Maybe next weekend. I don’t have anything scheduled.”

I gave him a small smile and planted a kiss to his soft cheek. “I would love that. I’m glad you both came. Thank you.”

Mom gave me a tight hug. I kissed them both before ducking back inside.

“Hey!” Liana pushed her way through the crowd and came to stand next to me. “Who’s the guy Nero and Davien are talking to?”

I followed the line of her pointing finger to the front door and the warmth of the evening, the happiness that had clung to me the entire day fizzled out of existence. My mood slipped into one of apprehension even while I fought my face not to show it.

“I’ll be right back,” I told my cousin before pushing my way to my husbands’s side. I plastered a bright smile on my face. “Alejandro. Have you come to join the party?”

Those dark, unfathomable eyes drifted away from Nero and focused on me. “Perhaps another time. I apologize for interrupting your celebration I won’t be much longer.”

“Not at all. Please. You’re welcome to stay. I insist. We have too much food.”

I still didn’t trust him. There was a chill about him, an absence of warmth that didn’t feel natural and he always knew too much. It was creepy.

“That’s very gracious of you, however, I must…”

I never did find out what he must do. The rest of his words faded beneath the tangle of music and chatter. His attention had abandoned me to fix on something just over my head, something that had his brows furrowing in puzzlement. It was the look of someone trying to decode a piece of art, mesmerized, yet baffled by its existence.

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