"There were no less than a dozen of Savino’s men inside and outside the club. Had I brought everyone on hand with me, they wouldn't have been enough to get us all out alive. Raina might have been shot during the standoff. I had no choice but to allow Savino to leave with her."
“I don’t believe that. You’re supposed to be a professional, Mateo, and you’re telling me that you couldn’t extricate one girl from Italy. Incompetent - ” Mateo tuned Vee out as she continued on her angry tirade.
Mateo was steadily losing patience with Vee. Only two things kept him from going on the offensive with her; his employer would have him killed and Mateo loved her daughter. He refused to do anything to harm Raina, even indirectly. She would never forgive Mateo if he went after her mother. Which left Mateo to suffer the woman's disrespect.
"You made the correct choice." Sotza interrupted his Vee.
He was used to stepping in between his wife and his second-in-command. From the moment Vee helped her daughter leave the Venezuelan mountains, helped her leave Mateo, she’d made an enemy of him. Sotza cared for them both and tried to keep the peace, though it tested his already thin patience.
Focusing on his boss, Mateo said, "I have people near Savino’s estate where the guards won't see them. Ready to storm the place if it seems like Raina might be in any danger, though I got the sense that Savino feels somewhat paternal toward her."
"Good enough for now," Sotza said.
"Not good enough!" Vee snarled into the phone. "I need to hear her voice, know that she’s alive and well."
"My word is good enough," Mateo snarled back. There was only so much he was willing to take from the woman and insulting him at every turn was unacceptable. She acted as though he wasn't just as invested in keeping Raina alive.
There was some unintelligible mumbling from the other side of the phone, then the slam of the door, loud enough that even Mateo’s phone jumped. He smirked. Señora Sotza had left the office.
"Between you and me, my wife will not be happy again until she sets eyes on her daughter. Get the girl and bring her home. Do not delay if you can help it." What he didn't say was that his marriage would not be a happy one until Vee got what she wanted.
Mateo didn't envy the other man his choice of wife, but he got it. Despite his better judgement, Mateo was hopelessly fucked up over the daughter. And the daughter was very like the mother. It was a mystery to him how he could love one and despise the other. But he wasn't the type of guy to look too deeply at himself and his motives. He lived his life the best way he knew how. And what he knew was that having Raina in his life would complete him.
"I’ll bring her home, you have my word," Mateo told his boss.
"I have full confidence," Sotza said calmly, and they both knew it was true. Mateo would not be Sotza’s second if Sotza didn't trust him completely and utterly.
A slight smirk curled the edge of Mateo's lip. "You can tell your wife to prepare for a wedding. A happy occasion should put her in a better mood, don't you think?"
"You enjoy testing my patience." There was humour in Sotza’s voice. "My wife would gut me with her new dagger if I so much as suggested her daughter might be marrying into the organization."
Mateo opened his eyes to stare at the ceiling. "It's a fact. Best she prepare herself. I will be marrying Raina."
As soon as he could get his hands on her.
Chapter Thirteen
Once again Raina slept well in Giovanni's mansion. She was growing more comfortable around Giovanni and his home. It was almost a shame that she had to leave. She suspected that spending more time with the proud Italian would give her a real glimpse of Italy. With that in mind, she decided to try to convince him to let her visit sometime in the future.
She pulled herself from the bed, wincing as her back muscles pulled on her stitches. The healing process was going to be long and painful, but she was grateful that no permanent damage had been done. It could've been much, much worse.
There was a pile of clothing for her on one of the chairs. She pulled them on one at a time, grateful that a dress had been chosen for her because it was so much easier on her injury. She could pull it over her head and tug it down, she didn't have to deal with a waistband pressing against her bandage.
She brushed her teeth and ran a comb through her blonde hair. She eyed it critically in the mirror. It was getting long again and she preferred to keep it around shoulder length. Her hair was fine and there was a lot of it. It tended towards the curly side and would get hopelessly tangled if she wasn't brushing it often. She placed the comb on the counter, gave her appearance one more critical look, and left the bathroom.
She meandered down the stairs slowly, lightly touching her fingers against the banister and looking around her as she descended. The house was definitely much less gloomy during the day. The darker furnishings, the austere pictures on the wall, there was a certain charm to them. Though she wouldn't want them in her own home, they suited Giovanni.
She found him at the dining room table, which had been uncovered and dusted off. On his placemat was a plate with toast, a glass of orange juice and a cup of coffee next to his elbow. Spread out in front of him was a newspaper. He looked up and caught sight of her, a smile stretching his lips.
"I’m going to miss you when you’re gone, bella." He folded the newspaper and set it aside. "You have brought life to my home. I’ve always been careful of who I allow inside, becoming guarded throughout the years. It was necessary, as I have many enemies, but still, you’re like a breeze of fresh air in this place."
Raina sank into the chair beside him and smiled. They had only known each other for two days, yet they seemed to have forged an unlikely friendship. The Italian Godfather and the young daughter of American mafia royalty. The child of farmers. She felt an appreciation for Giovanni. Though he was somewhat old-fashioned, quite arrogant, and liked to have his own way, he wasn't completely unreasonable. He’d helped her when she needed him. She was grateful and always would be.
"I've been thinking about that," she said, reaching for the pile of toast and taking one off the top. It was still warm to the touch, butter making it soft. She placed it on a plate in front of her and spread jam on it. "Maybe we could see each other again sometime."
She felt as though there were a connection between her and Giovanni. Completely platonic, but kindred spirits. The thought of never seeing him again was depressing.
"I would like that very much," Giovanni reassured her. "You’re welcome in my home anytime you want, my dear. Even if you bring a boatload of trouble with you."
Raina didn't bother to point out that it was Giovanni's own son that had started the boatload of trouble. She glanced down at the time on her phone. It was 9:28 AM. She was expected in Mateo's hotel suite soon. She would have to leave the house right away if she wanted to get there on time.
Giovanni seemed to sense her mood and reached out to squeeze her hand. He studied her thoughtfully. "I’m curious about your feelings towards the young man that professes himself your fiancé."
Raina's heart sped up as an image of Mateo flashed through her mind. As always, her feelings were conflicted. Part of her wanted him desperately, wanted the dark power that he possessed, that rock solid body, the devotion that he offered her. But the rest of her shied away from the idea of marriage to a man as entrenched in the mafia as Mateo was.