Empire (Eagle Elite Book 7) (17 page)

What if his wife was still alive?

Would he choose her or me? Who would he keep alive?

Her.

Every.

Single.

Time.

“Don’t fall in love with me,” he’d said.

Well, don’t worry, I can’t compete, I probably never could.

“Hey, Sergio?”

He turned off the lights and was rustling next to the couch. “What?”

“Tell me a story.”

Groaning, I heard a curse and then. “I’m exhausted, Val.”

“You were the one who said I was a child, and children get stories, I’ll wait…”

“Pain in my ass.”

“What was that?”

“So this grumpy prince…” He yawned. “Lived in a castle and was mean to everyone, including his royal subjects, what they didn’t know was that the beast thought that by being fierce he would earn respect. One day a fairy visited—”

“Are you re-writing beauty and the beast?” Familiarity washed over me, it was a coincidence, nothing more, that he was talking about Beauty and the Beast.

“Are you interrupting story time?”

“Sorry.”

“Nobody understands the beast,” Sergio murmured. “Beasts lash out because they are taught only violence, and yet it’s this huge shock to everyone when things go awry. Beasts are fierce because they protect what they love. Fierceness has nothing to do with being bad, and everything to do with honoring the good…”

He was convinced about it.

Like he was the beast.

“I don’t think you’re a beast, Sergio.”

“Some days… I think I’m both beast and prince… I just know how to hide it… but the tipping point is always there, and just because the beast protects, doesn’t mean
he’s
good. Don’t confuse my purpose with other emotions. You’ll only get hurt.”

“I’m well aware of your purpose.”

“Oh, yeah?”

“Sure.” It was my turn to yawn. “Protect the princess in the tower, give her a kiss, and lock her back in.”

He didn’t answer.

But maybe it was better that way, because at least then I could imagine a world where his answer was to break me out of the tower, carry me away, and profess his love.

That’s how stories were
supposed
to end.

I had a sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach that mine wasn’t going to be anywhere near a Happily Ever After ending. It was time to grow up.

Time to accept my fate.

As a woman.

…But I will wed thee in another key; with pomp, with triumph, and with reveling. –A Midsummer Night’s Dream

Sergio

I WAS IN
the clouds.

There was blood on my hands.

A gun in my right.

A knife in my left.

“Where am I?” I wondered aloud.

“Mafia heaven.” Andi appeared in front of me, dressed in white, just like on our wedding day.

I fell to my knees and hugged her body, burying my face against her full skirt, but tears wouldn’t come.

“All dried up? How DARE you!” She laughed and then pulled away and twirled a few times, only to stop and stare at me. “I’m happy.”

“Good.” I choked on the word. “I’m not.”

Her face fell. “And whose fault do you think that is?”

“I hate this dream.”

“Dreams are simply our brains’ way of processing emotions, life, stress.” She shrugged. “I’m in your dream because you’re still processing, that’s okay, but so is she…”

“She?” Confused, I looked to where she was pointing. The couch appeared in front of me where Val hugged her body, and a tear ran down her cheek. I reached for her but she disappeared.

“You know you’re doing a shitty job when her tears outnumber her smiles.”

“Hell.” I wiped my face with my hands. “She’s not you.”

“Right.” Andi nodded. “Because if she were, that would mean you were screwing a ghost. Gross, Italy”

I reached for Andi again but she stepped away and danced in front of me. I could watch her for days — years.

“I miss you,” I whispered.

But it was as if she didn’t hear me. She just kept dancing around in front of me, and then she paused and glanced over her shoulder. “I’m gone, Sergio.”

“I know but—”

“Ashes to ashes, dust to dust…” She started to disappear in front of my eyes. “I’m gone.”

And then when I couldn’t see her anymore the wind whispered.

“But I’m whole.”

I jerked awake in a cold sweat, tears running down my cheeks. I furiously wiped at them then caught a movement from the corner of my eye. Val sat up with a wide-eyed stare.

And then without saying anything, she slowly moved from the couch to the floor and held out her hand.

I stared at it.

With a huge sigh, she reached for my hand and picked it up, squeezed, and didn’t let go.

I was still staring at our hands pressed together when she tugged me down to a sleeping position, still beside me.

Too upset to sleep, I stared at the spot just above her forehead where her pretty hair parted to the side.

“Tell me about her,” Val whispered.

My eyes stung with unshed tears.

“She was… brave.” There was so much more, but the words wouldn’t get past my lips.

Val didn’t respond. I thought she was asleep, but when I glanced down, she was staring at me as if to encourage me to go on.

So I did.

“And beautiful, and irritating as hell, and freakishly loud, and extremely violent.” It was like once I started talking I couldn’t stop. “She held me at gun point more than I’d like to admit, kicked my ass twice, and liked to wake me up at six a.m. just to piss me off. She made me promise not to cry over her, and here I am waking up with tears. God, I hate weakness.”

“So she kicked your ass?” Val smiled. “And she irritated you?”

“You would fixate on those two things.”

“Well, the tears are depressing.”

“True.”

Somehow I’d pulled her closer, and it felt good, comforting. Damn, I’d been too long without comfort, like a man making his penance in the Sahara without food and water. I clung to her like a lifeline.

“I’m not her.” Val shrugged. “And just because I’m saying yes, doesn’t mean I’m taking her place.”

“I know.”

“No.” Val smiled sadly. “You don’t. But that’s okay. Just know that whenever you want to talk about her, I’ll listen.”

She tucked her head into my shoulder and closed her eyes.

And just like that, one of the broken pieces from two months ago floated up off the ground and found its rightful place in the corner of my heart.

One piece.

Out of a million.

But it was a start.

I WOKE UP
pressed against Val. Unlike Andi, she wasn’t a violent sleeper, but apparently, Andi had left that gift with me. My arms were sprawled all over Val, and somehow I was halfway on top of her, pressing my head between the valley of her breasts.

Like a teen trying to motorboat a stripper.

Shit.

I backed away slowly so I wouldn’t wake her up, only to see her eyes lock on mine.

Awkward didn’t even begin to cover it.

“You done?” she asked, her breathing a bit heavy.

I opened my mouth then closed it.

A pan, or something that sounded like one, dropped in the kitchen. Laughing commenced and the moment disappeared.

I scrambled off her and stood. “Thanks, Val.”

I didn’t want to add
for last night
because that made it sound sordid, like we’d done more than just slept together, and I was about five seconds away from doing the walk of shame back to my hotel room.

“Anytime…” Her pretty smile grew. She was beautiful, not just pretty but beautiful. I wanted to hate her beauty. Her beauty meant I had to stay away. Instead, I found myself staring at her, really staring.

“Sis!” Dante charged into the room. “Your hair looks like a bird took a shit in it.”

I fought back a smile as Val’s hands moved to her head and with a gasp she tried pulling the pieces of golden brown into a ponytail.

It just made it look worse.

I honestly hadn’t even noticed her hair.

Just her face.

Her gorgeous full lips and wide innocent eyes.

Damn me.

With a curse I turned around and called back, “I’ll see you guys at church.”

“Church!” Val yelled. “What time is it?”

“Late!” Dante answered, and running commenced right before I left and slammed the screen door behind me.

The New York City air was brisk, cold, the perfect chill to get rid of the fact that I’d been aroused when I’d awakened up with Val’s soft body pressed against me.

Which was the exact opposite of what we both needed.

To confuse our relationship more.

And her place in it.

Business arrangement — never a real marriage.

Hah, I’d said that before, and look where it had gotten me. Sobbing my eyes out in my dreams.

I decided against taking a taxi and walked.

Three blocks away from their house, I noticed a man tailing me, only he was being completely obvious about it, so obvious that it had to be on purpose.

Sighing, I ducked into a nearby Starbucks, ordered two black coffees, and grabbed the newspaper.

He arrived three minutes later and sat across from me.

I slid the coffee toward him without looking up from my paper and spoke. “I didn’t add cream but feel free.”

“You’re good.”

“I’m an ex-FBI informant and from one of the most powerful mafia families in the US. Of course I’m good. And you’re too obvious, so what do you want. Who has sent you?”

“Right down to business.” He chuckled.

I set the newspaper down and met his gaze. Dark brown eyes, wavy hair with threads of silver and, a gold cap on his right canine tooth. He appeared around six two, but not a muscular six two. “Yes, well, it is what I do best.”

“Xavier.” He took a long sip of his coffee. “Would like a meeting with the Cappo.”

Why the hell would the person Frank had left in charge want to meet with Tex? Only one reason. To either ask for protection or challenge the Cappo.

“That can be arranged, but riddle me this, what does a Russian want with the Cappo?”

“That question should be directed to him.” The man stood and offered his hand.

I didn’t shake it.

With a chuckle, he put it away. “We will be in touch, yes?”

“I’ll find you.” It was a veiled threat. “Either way.”

Paling, he took a step back and then narrowed his eyes. “You are not as tough as you think you are.”

God, save me from such idiots. If he even knew how many kills I had, what I’d done with the very hand he’d wanted to shake.

I stood, revealing that one hand had been in my pocket the whole time, and that pocket held a gun.

His eyes narrowed as he looked down.

“Don’t make me do my job today. I’m off the clock.” I smirked. “Then again, overtime pays—”

He held up his hands. Luckily, the Starbucks’ customers weren’t paying attention. “Sorry.”

“For?”

“My insult.”

“Do it again…” I took three steps toward him until we were chest to chest. “…And I’ll rip your throat out and put a mirror in front of your face so you can watch.”

He nodded.

“Like I said, I’ll find you either way, now run along. I’ve gotta get ready for church.” I slapped his face twice, dismissing him. With a glare that was probably supposed to intimidate, he turned on his heel and hurried out of the Starbucks, while I made a beeline for my hotel. Mass was in an hour, and I still smelled like Val.

And Andi.

But her scent, Val’s scent, was something… softer.

At first it had seemed the same.

Now it was separating.

It could be the actual perfume was different, or that the same scent was unique on each person.

Either way, it was another reminder.

“I’m not her,” she’d said.

No. She wasn’t. But maybe… that was good.

I’d been given the exact opposite of Andi, meaning, I couldn’t compare them, because they were nothing alike.

I turned around again to make sure dip shit wasn’t following me and took the long way to the hotel only leaving myself a half hour to shower and get changed.