Dante picked me up at a quarter to six as promised. Not a minute too late or too early. I did not expect anything else . My parents had already left a few minutes ago. As the future head of the Organization, Dante could not arrive too early to the party.
He was wearing another navy blue three-piece suit with blue pinstripes and a matching tie. I froze for a moment when I saw him. My suit was also navy blue. People would think we did it on purpose, but now there was nothing more we could do about it. I had been on a strict detox diet for three days to fit into the tight dress with the bare back; I wasn’t going to wear anything else. Despite the calf-length skirt, the thigh-high slit allowed me to take the stairs without too much trouble.
Dante’s eyes did a quick scan. “You look beautiful, Valentina.” He had been polite. There was absolutely no sign that he found me truly attractive.
“Thank you.” I smiled and moved closer to him. He touched my lower back to lead me toward his black Porsche parked at the curb and stiffened when his palm made contact with my bare skin. I wasn’t sure, but I thought I heard him let out a hurried breath, and the thought that he might be affected by me, combined with the feeling of his touch, sent a shiver of joy down my spine. He placed his hand lightly on my back and gave no further indication that I had taken him by surprise with my partial nudity as he guided me to the passenger door and held it open for me. I slid inside, almost stunned with triumph that I had managed to get a reaction from the man from the ice. Once we were married, I would try to do it more often.
*** The other guests had already arrived when we stopped in front of Scuderi Palace. We could have walked, if it hadn’t been for the ten inches of snow, safety concerns, and my high heels. Dante had not bothered to chat during our journey. His mind seemed far away anyway. When Dante put his hand on my bare back this time, there was no outward reaction.
Ludevica Scuderi opened the door for us. Her husband Rocco, Dante’s father’s current counselor, loomed behind her, his hands on her shoulders. Both smiled brightly as they ushered us into the pleasantly warm atrium.
An eight-foot-tall Christmas tree, decorated with red and silver balls , dominated the space.
“We are glad you made it,” Ludevica said warmly.
Rocco shook hands with Dante. “I must congratulate you on your excellent taste. Your future wife is wonderful, Dante.
It was obvious that they went out of their way to be nice. Although it was desirable for a new Chief to retain his predecessor’s Councilor, it was not tradition, so Dante could have appointed a new Councilor when he succeeded his father.
Dante inclined his head and brought his hand back to my back.
“It is,” he said simply as all I could do was smile.
Ludevica squeezed my hands. “We were pleased when we heard that Dante had chosen you. After all you’ve been through , it’s only fair that fate should forgive you.”
I wasn’t sure what to say about that. Maybe she was sincere. It was hard to say. After all, they had initially tried to marry Gianna to Dante. “Thank you. That’s very kind of you.”
“Come on in. The party will not be held in our foyer,” Rocco said, motioning us to the living room. Laughter and voices came from inside.
“Aria is very excited to see you again,” Ludovica said as we entered the living room. I didn’t have time to express my surprise at Aria’s presence because the moment we were seen by the crowd, people crowded around us to congratulate us on our engagement and upcoming wedding. Between handshakes, I scanned the room. Aria stood at the other end of the vast room next to another huge Christmas tree and her no less massive husband Luca who had a possessive hand on her waist. Gianna and her boyfriend Matteo were nowhere to be seen. If my mother’s gossip was to be believed, the Scuderi family feared that their middle daughter might cause a scene.
Dante ran his thumb over my back, making me wince. My eyes snapped to him, then to the couple in front of us, whom I had completely ignored because of my fixed gaze. I flashed my brightest smile and pulled Bibiana into a hug. “How are you ?” I whispered. She squeezed me briefly, then drew back with her forced smile. That was the response I would get in the presence of other people.
Her husband Thomas, who was 30 years older than her, balding and overweight, kissed my hand, which would have been fine if not for the look in her eyes. Leery was the best word to describe him. Dante’s fingers on my back tensed and I risked a peek, but his expression was the same detached mask as usual. He fixed Tommaso with his gaze and the man quickly left with Bibiana.
A waiter carrying a tray of drinks stopped beside us, and Dante picked up a glass of champagne for me and a scotch for himself. Now that the onslaught of supporters had finally subsided, Luca and Aria crossed the room toward us.
Dante’s demeanor changed slightly, like a tiger who has heard about another predator in its territory. Instead of stiffening, he relaxed as if to show that he was not worried, but his eyes were alert and calculating.
Luke and Dante shook hands, both with those eerie shark-like smiles on their faces. Ignoring them, I smiled at Aria, genuinely happy to see her again. Months had passed.
She seemed much more relaxed than at her wedding. “You look great,” I said as I hugged her. She was wearing a dark red dress that beautifully highlighted her blond hair and pale skin. No wonder Luca couldn’t stop looking in her direction.
“You too,” he said as he took a step back. “Can I see the back?”
I turned for her.
“Oh. Isn’t she great?”
That question was directed at Luca and led to an awkward pause in which tension skyrocketed. Dante wrapped his arm around my waist, his cold eyes on Luca, who took Aria’s hand, kissed it and said in a low voice. “I only have eyes for you.”
Aria gave me an embarrassed smile. “I have to look for Gianna, but I’d like to talk to you later?”
“Okay,” I said, happy when she and Luca left. With men around, Aria and I wouldn’t be able to talk anyway.
I turned to Dante. “You don’t like it.”
“It’s not about that kind of thing. It’s about self-preservation and a healthy dose of suspicion.”
“That’s the Christmas spirit,” I said, without trying to hide my sarcasm.
Once again a hint of amusement made the corners of Dante’s mouth twitch , then disappear. “Do you want to get something to eat?”
“Definitely.” After the last few days of torturous dieting, I was starving. As we made our way through the crowd, I noticed that the current team leader was not present. “Where is your father?”
“He didn’t want to steal our thunder. Now that he’s practically retired he prefers to stay out of the public eye,” Dante said wryly.
“Understandable.” These social functions were exhausting.
You had to watch what you said and did, even more so as the head of the Outfit. From the hard looks some women were giving me, I knew I was their favorite topic at the moment. I knew what they were saying in their hands: why had Dante Cavallaro chosen a widow instead of an innocent young bride?
I caught a glimpse of her emotionless face, the hard angles of her cheekbones, the calculation and vigilance in her eyes, and found myself wishing once again that the answer to that question was something other than pure logic.
The buffet was full of Italian delicacies. I got a slice of panettone for myself because I desperately needed some sugary treats. As usual it tasted like heaven. I had made it a few times but it had never been as good as Ludevica Scuderi’s.
“Dante,” said a pleasant female voice behind us.
Dante and I turned at the same time. In front of us was his sister Ines, with whom I had exchanged only a few words over the years since we were nine years apart.
She was pregnant, probably in her third trimester if my guess was correct.
Across the room, her twins, a boy and a girl, were busy playing with Fabiano Scuderi who was their age. Ines had the same blond hair as Dante and behaved with the same cold aloofness, but when her eyes rested on me, they were not necessarily warm, but friendly. “And Valentina.
It’s good to see you.”
“Ines,” I said with a smile. “You look radiant.”
She touched her belly. “Thank you. It’s been a challenge to find nice dresses that fit my belly. Maybe you can help me buy one for your wedding?”
“I would like that. And if you don’t mind, I would be happy if you would join me when I go looking for a wedding dress.
Her blue eyes widened. “You don’t have one yet?”
I shrugged. Of course I still had the one from my last wedding, but I had no intention of wearing it again. It would mean bad luck. “Not yet, but I’m going to look for one next week, so if you’re free?”
“Count me in,” she said. His eyes had become much warmer. She looked much younger than thirty-two, and although she was pregnant, she did not seem to have gained an ounce of weight. I wondered how she had done it.
Maybe good genes. Surely I had not been blessed with those. Without a day or a week of occasional detox and regular workouts, I would gain weight in no time.
“Wonderful.” Out of the corner of my eye I saw Dante watching us with mild interest. I hoped he was happy that his sister and I were getting along. I knew that his late wife and Ines were friends. I had often seen them laughing together at social events.
“Where is your husband?” he asked finally.
“Oh, Pietro went out for a smoke with Rocco Scuderi.
They didn’t want to disturb you and your future wife.
A muscle in Dante’s cheek twitched.
“You can go after them if you have business to settle,” I said quickly. “I’ll be fine on my own. I should probably talk to Aria. Maybe you’d like to join me, Ines?”
Ines shook her head, her eyes fixed on the twins who were arguing animatedly with each other. “I have to end this or there will be tears and bloody noses.” She gave me a quick smile, then rushed toward her squabbling sons.
Dante had not yet moved from my side. “Are you sure?”
“YES.”
He nodded, “I’ll be back soon.” I watched him head for the terrace door and disappear outside. Now that he was gone, I could see that several women were more openly directing their attention to me. I had to find Aria or Bibiana immediately before one of them engaged me in awkward conversation. I wandered among the other guests, sparing them only a brief smile. Eventually I found both Aria and Bibiana in the lobby in a quiet corner. “There you are,” I said, without trying to hide my relief.
“What’s wrong?” asked Aria, frowning.
“I feel like everyone is talking about me and Dante. Tell me I’m imagining things.
Bibiana shook her head. “You’re not. Most widows are not as lucky as you are.”
“I know, but still. I wish they wouldn’t act so shocked about my engagement.”
“It will pass,” Aria said, then grimaced. “Soon Gianna will be back in the center of daily gossip.”
“Sorry. I heard there was a scene at Gianna’s engagement party.
Aria nodded. “Yes. Gianna has a hard time hiding her reluctance to get married.
“Is that why Matteo Vitiello is not there?” asked Bibiana. I wondered that too, but I didn’t want to be nosy.
“NO. But after Salvatore Vitiello’s death, Matteo is second in charge and has to stay in New York when Luca is not there.” I searched his face for a sign of the tension I had heard in his voice, but he had learned to hide his emotions.
Was Luca having problems in New York? He was young for a Chief. Maybe some forces in New York were trying to mutiny. Once Aria might have told me, but now that I was the girlfriend of the future Chief of Chicago Outfit, she would have to be careful what she let slip. Maybe we were trying to work together, but New York and Chicago were definitely not friends.
“It makes sense,” I said. Bibiana gave me a look. She too must have caught the tension in Aria’s words.
Aria’s blue eyes widened. “You haven’t even shown me your engagement ring yet!”
I held out my hand.
“It’s beautiful,” Aria said.
“E. Dante picked it out for me.” My second engagement ring, and the second time it was not a token of love. “How long are you staying in Chicago? Do you have time to come for coffee?”
“We’re leaving tomorrow morning. Luca wants to go back to New York. But we’re coming to your wedding a few days before, so maybe we can meet for coffee then, unless you’re too busy?”
“No, it won’t be a big party, so I’ll have time to meet you for coffee. Call me when you know more.”
“I will.”
“What about you Bibiana, do you have time to come tomorrow? We also haven’t had a chance to talk in a while .”
Bibiana bit her lip. “I think I can. Now that you are as good as the Boss’s wife, Tommaso can hardly say no.”
“Exactly,” I said before turning to Aria again. “Where is Luca?”
Aria looked around. “He wanted to talk to my parents about Matteo’s marriage to Gianna. It’s taking longer than expected.”
Would they call off the engagement? It would be the gossip of the year. I couldn’t imagine that they would risk it, no matter how reluctant Gianna was.
Dante appeared in the doorway of the living room, and his eyes rested on me.
“I think I should leave,” I said. I hugged Aria and Bibiana before heading toward Dante. I stopped in front of him.
“Shall we leave?”
Dante looked incredibly tense. “YES. But if you want to stay, you can drive with your parents.”
This would lead to further gossip. You couldn’t show up at a party with your boyfriend and leave without him. “I don’t think that would be wise.”
Comprehension settled on Dante’s face. “Of course.”
*** Back in the car, I asked. “Is everything okay?” Now that we were engaged, I thought it was only fair to ask.
His fingers around the steering wheel tensed. “The Russians are giving us more trouble than usual, and it certainly doesn’t help that Salvatore Vitiello is dead at this critical time and New York has to deal with a new Chief.”
I stared at him, surprised. When I asked him, I did not expect a detailed answer. Most men didn’t like talking business with their wives, and I wasn’t even married to Dante yet.
Dante’s eyes snapped toward me. “You look surprised.”
“I am,” I admitted. “Thank you for giving me an honest answer.”
“I think honesty is the key to a functioning marriage.”
“Not in the marriages I know,” I said wryly.
Dante tilted his head. “TRUE.”
“So you don’t think Luca is a good Chief?”
“He is a good Chief, or will be once he eliminates his opponents.”
He had said it clinically. As if weeding out did not mean killing other people because they are inconvenient or put one’s power at risk.
“Is this what you will do once you become the leader of the outfit?” “Yes, if necessary, but in recent years I have proven my claim to leadership.
I am considerably older than Luca.”
But he still remains the youngest Boss in Outfit’s history.
Even people would test him.
Dante stopped in front of my parents’ house. He turned off the engine, got out and walked around the hood of the car before opening the door. I took his hand and stood up, bringing our bodies so close for a moment that it would be easy to kiss him. Then he stepped back, reestablishing the right distance between us before leading me toward the door. I turned to face him. “I never see you with a bodyguard. Isn’t it risky to be out alone?”
Dante smiled darkly. “I’m armed, and if someone wants to take me by surprise, go for it.”
“You are the best marksman in the outfit.”
“Among the best, yes.”
“Well, I suppose then I can feel safe.” It was meant to be a joke, but Dante sounded deadly serious. “You’re safe.”
I hesitated. Wouldn’t he try to kiss me? We would be married within four weeks. It wasn’t as if we needed to stay away from each other for the sake of decorum. When it became clear that Dante was not going to make the first move, I walked up to him and kissed him on the cheek. I dared not look him in the face; instead I opened the door, slipped inside, and let it close behind me.
I waited a few moments before peeking through the window next to the door. Dante’s car pulled away. I wondered why he had not tried to kiss me. Was it because we were not yet married? Maybe he thought it was not appropriate for us to get physically close before our wedding. Or maybe he was still in love with his wife? I hadn’t even looked at his hand to see if he had taken off his old wedding ring. Was that why people had been talking about me today?