The Family Secret Read online

  * * *

  While they had left the specter of Giuseppe behind for now, Nico was still concerned. Eve was naïve about his concerns — and Nico intended to keep her that way — but Giuseppe would never stop being a problem to him. What mattered now was maintaining that buffer and ensuring that Giuseppe stayed across the Atlantic while he built safety nets in his home country.

  * * *

  Nico rocked Matteo back and forth as he heard the kettle whistling in the kitchen.

  * * *

  “Green tea?” Eve called.

  * * *

  “Black!” Nico replied as he continued to rock his son.

  * * *

  Matteo’s smiling turned into giggling and Nico couldn’t help but crack a smile himself.

  * * *

  “Ti voglio bene,” He whispered to his son before kissing his forehead again.

  * * *

  Eve walked into the room and watched as Nico rocked their son. He made an excellent father — a far better father than she could have ever imagined. He’d settled into the role well. Eve thought about the first time she’d met Nico. Back then, she never would have guessed that the tall, foreboding man who had entered her Boston candy store would ever be the father of her child.

  * * *

  “I have our tea.”

  * * *

  She set the piping hot mugs on their coffee table and moved to the couch.

  * * *

  “I’ll set him in the crib. Think he’ll start crying?”

  * * *

  Eve shook her head. She’d been blessed with the rare instance of having a baby who wasn’t particularly fussy. Even as a tiny infant, Matteo seemed to possess his father’s cool demeanor. Funny how that worked. Even early on, Matteo seemed to possess bits and pieces of both of them. He had Eve’s hair texture, but Nico’s hair color. He had his mother’s face, but his father’s demeanor.

  * * *

  Nico set Matteo in his crib and then joined Eve on the couch. She settled in closer to him. Nico put his arm around Eve and allowed her to rest her head on his shoulder. Unwinding from the day was always a slow, ritual. A cool breeze wafted through the room and their breath synchronized with the soft breeze. Slowly, slowly, the day faded off of them.

  * * *

  The living room smelled like clean cotton and possessed an almost Scandinavian minimalism with teak woods and bleached whites. The room felt like how classical music sounds — sweet, peaceful and homey. Eve had never felt so relaxed in Boston. Back home, there was always noise, always some frenetic city buzz. Here, there was just quiet and maybe the sound of birds chirping as they sailed past the window.

  * * *

  Eve inhaled, taking in her husband’s scent. His cologne mixed in with his natural body odors from the day and that raw masculine scent wafted into her nostrils, causing her to feel more at home than before.

  * * *

  “It’s crazy isn’t it?”

  * * *

  “What’s crazy?” Nico said.

  * * *

  Since moving back here, his Italian accent had grown even stronger. His English was still good because that was what they spoke at home. But unlike while he was in the United States, Nico made no attempts to diminish his thick Italian accent.

  * * *

  “It’s crazy that we met in my candy store so long ago… It’s crazy that we have a son… It’s crazy how much life we have left to live together.”

  * * *

  “Crazy… but amazing.”

  * * *

  Nico kissed Eve’s forehead.

  * * *

  “Your hair smells delicious,” He whispered.

  * * *

  He took one of her two strand twists and twirled it around his finger. Eve presented her forehead to him and he planted another soothing kiss on her forehead. Being alone all day wasn’t so bad when she got to end the day with her loving fiancé. Husband. He’s going to be my husband. Eve thought to herself.

  * * *

  Eve could tell he was getting mischievous. There wasn’t as much time for lovemaking since they’d had a baby. However, their desires for each other hadn’t diminished. It was just that the available time to act on such desires had nearly vanished.

  * * *

  “Down boy,” Eve smirked.

  * * *

  She reached for her hot cup of tea and took a long sip. Nico followed suit.

  * * *

  “Tea is much better black,” He mused.

  * * *

  “I hope you’d say that about a few things…”

  * * *

  “Naughty girl,” Nico teased, kissing her neck.

  * * *

  Eve leaned away from him, “You still have something to tell me, don’t you?”

  * * *

  Nico nodded, “Yes. But you aren’t going to like it.”

  * * *

  Eve didn’t like the sound of what she was hearing. Nico never beat around the bush like this unless he was going to bring up something serious. She’d already suspected that Nico was growing more and more involved with some of his previous dealings.

  * * *

  “Well spit it out then.”

  * * *

  “I’ve been offered the chance to get in on a great deal with some business partners. Paolo believes that if this goes through, we will finally be able to make a connection to the Savellis.”

  * * *

  “The Savellis?”

  * * *

  “My mother’s family.”

  * * *

  “What kind of deal are you talking about?”

  * * *

  Now that he was facing her, Nico wasn’t sure he could really say it out loud. He knew that Eve perceived all these underhanded deals as unethical. And business matters that skated the tax laws were incomprehensible to her. She’d argue with him about doing things the “legal” way, forgetting that there were no real laws when it came to business. There were loopholes and ways to get around pretty much anything you didn’t like.

  * * *

  “Nico you can’t be serious. If you get back into that world…”

  * * *

  “It’s not about getting back into that world. It’s about my mother’s family.”

  * * *

  “Well why haven’t I heard a damned thing about your mother’s family until now?”

  * * *

  “You know I lost my mother prematurely…”

  * * *

  “And they blame Giuseppe.”

  * * *

  “Exactly. But… The Savelli family is my only chance at having a real family.”

  * * *

  “Well, what about your family right here?” Eve snapped, “What if you do this and then you’re back on the map. We’ll be on the run all over again!”

  * * *

  Eve could sense her blood pressure rising as Nico continued to pursue the subject. She was uninterested in green lighting one of his insane ideas just because he felt there was good reason for it. No matter the reason, the risk Nico would have to take to engage in his previous dealings would endanger their whole family.

  * * *

  Eve couldn’t believe he’d put their son at risk like that voluntarily.

  * * *

  “I would never let that happen,” Nico said, taking Eve’s palm in his own hand.

  * * *

  She snatched her hand away, looking at Nico with fury.

  * * *

  “I can’t believe you’re actually considering this Nico.”

  * * *

  “And I can’t believe you won’t even give this a chance!”

  * * *

  “You are addicted to this crazy life Nico! Can’t you see that!” Eve huffed.

  * * *

  She could sense that she was getting shrill. But Eve couldn’t help it. After everything that had happened to her and to Nico while back in Boston, she couldn’t figure out why he was willing to risk it all again just to have the chance to see family members he’d been estranged from for years already.

  * * *

  Eve knew nothing about the Savellis but if they could agree to have their daughter marry a man like Giuseppe Riccardi, she didn’t have much faith already. Eve didn’t want to burst Nico’s bubble or deny him the chance to connect with those who shared his blood but she was worried.

  * * *

  These weren’t regular families he was talking about — they were mafia. And in the mafia, nothing was as it appeared. Loyalty was fickle and what might be a good business deal one day might be signing your death warrant the next. Eve knew enough to know that she wasn’t willing to send her fiancé into the fire. He couldn’t guarantee that he wouldn’t get burned.

  * * *

  “I’m not addicted Eve. This is family. In Italy, family is everything.”

  * * *

  “Well, can’t you just call them up? Talk to them? That’s what normal people do.”

  * * *

  Nico shook his head, “The language of families like ours is business. If I prove I’m trustworthy in business, the Savellis might see me. They might give me a real chance.”

  * * *

  “And what if this is all a set up. What if this is a part of some effed up plan.”

  * * *

  “It isn’t.”

  * * *

  There was no way he could know that. As far as Eve was concerned, he hadn’t spoken to his mother’s family in decades. They could be anything. They could even be worse than the Riccardis in Boston.

  * * *

  “Jesus Christ Nico! No! Okay? Just NO!”

  * * *

  “You’re going to wake Matteo.”

  * * *

  “Do not tell me to be quiet!” Eve yelled, “Aft
er all I’ve been through with you Nico, I thought you understood that I can’t do this! I can’t live the life that you live!”

  * * *

  “Well, you certainly don’t complain when I bring home the money!” Nico roared.

  * * *

  Eve lost her patience right then.

  * * *

  “Oh so you think this is about money?” Eve continued, “This is about our son. He’s a baby Nico. I can’t do any of this alone! If something happens to you I’ll be alone! I can’t do that. I can’t be that much of a bloody hero!”

  * * *

  “No one is asking you to do it alone. Just let me do this one deal and I will sort things out with the Savelli family. We need them on our side.”

  * * *

  “Why?! Why do we need anyone on our side? Why can’t we just stay out of trouble and stay here?”

  * * *

  “It’s not that simple Eve.”

  * * *

  “Right. You always say that. And I’m just supposed to be okay with that. I’m just supposed to be okay with living in exile.”

  * * *

  “You are not living in exile.”

  * * *

  “I’m not? Then why can’t we go back to the U.S.?”

  * * *

  “We can… Just not Boston.”

  * * *

  “Right.”

  * * *

  Eve rolled her eyes.

  * * *

  “This is serious Eve. I’m discussing with you but…”

  * * *

  “But I have no choice?”

  * * *

  Nico lowered his eyes, “I’m sorry but… I’ve kept you safe so far, why can’t you trust me?”

  * * *

  “Because I think you’re doing something foolish Nico. And hell, maybe you’ve already done it.”

  * * *

  Matteo gurgled in the corner. Eve looked over at her son who was somewhere between awake and asleep. Why couldn’t Nico see how much pain it would cause both of them if something were to happen to him? Why couldn’t he see that nothing about the way he lived was safe? No matter how much he thought he was invincible, if he found himself on the wrong end of a handgun, they’d all be toast.

  * * *

  “Are we in danger right now?” Eve asked.

  * * *

  Nico shrugged.

  * * *

  “Oh my goodness…”

  * * *

  “Listen Eve. I can’t say whether we are in danger or not. But I do know that the Savelli family has got wind of my return to Italy. I need to demonstrate that I am not my father’s son.”

  * * *

  “And of course, conversation won’t work.”

  * * *

  “You know this is not a world where problems are solved through discussion.”

  * * *

  Eve sighed, “And if something happens to you?”

  * * *

  “Nothing will happen.”

  * * *

  “HOW CAN YOU SAY THAT?” Eve yelled.

  * * *

  “Eve will you please stop bloody yelling?!”

  * * *

  “No! I won’t stop yelling Nico! Because for things to get to this point, you must have lied to me. You promised me that you would keep us safe but you’ve been exposing us!”

  * * *

  Nico bit down on his lower lip. Eve was being difficult — as he knew she would be — but she did have a point. He’d only kept things from her because he knew she would have reacted like this. Plus, his role was to protect the family — not to involve Eve in every minor decision.

  * * *

  Some decisions were up to the man — the head of the household. That was the way Nico had grown up and that was how he expected things to work.

  * * *

  “I did this to protect you!” Nico shouted.

  * * *

  It was the first time he’d raised his voice at her and Eve was thoroughly taken aback.

  * * *

  She opened her mouth, preparing herself to yell something cutting back at Nico. Their son interrupted their fierce argument. Matteo began to cry; his loud piercing wails filled the room.

  * * *

  Eve glared at Nico.

  * * *

  “This is the person I’m worried about. Maybe you should try worrying about your son for a change.”

  * * *

  Eve stood up and walked to the crib, picking Matteo up. His cries grew louder and louder as she rocked him.

  * * *

  “I do care about my son Eve. The world just isn’t as simple as you think it is.”

  * * *

  “But it could be. It could be simple. All you need to do is give up this life Nico. Don’t do anything that you’ll regret.”

  * * *

  “Are you threatening me?”

  * * *

  Eve sighed as she continued to bounce Matteo up and down.

  * * *

  “No, I’m not threatening you. I just know that this is how relationships get ruined. It starts with small lies and then the lies get bigger. I want what’s best for Matteo and I need to know that’s what you want too.”

  * * *

  “Of course it’s what I want.”

  * * *

  “I need some space to think right now,” Eve muttered.