Everything did. Worst of all, I had.
When we finally emerged, Samuel took his place as my shadow again. We were on our way into the dining room when the front door opened. One of our bodyguards stepped in, and then Sofia shot inside. Her wide eyes landed on me, and she stormed off in my direction. She collided with me, and I would have fallen backward if Samuel hadn’t steadied me.
“You’re back!” Sofia hugged my middle tightly, and I rested my chin on top of her head, smiling. When I pulled back, her eyes were alight with happiness despite the tears in them. “I missed you so much.”
“I missed you too, ladybug.”
I wondered how much she knew, how much my parents and Samuel had divulged or had been unable to hide from her.
Valentina entered with her two kids, Anna and Leonas. Anna was around Sofia’s age, and they loved each other dearly. They were not just cousins but best friends despite the distance between them. Leonas was almost eight and the spitting image of Dante, except for the eyes. Anna and Leonas gave their mother a questioning look, and she nodded before they came toward me as well. I hugged them, though it proved difficult because Sofia continued to cling to my arm. Anna and Sofia sometimes were mistaken for sisters because their hair color was similar.
Valentina was the last to greet me. Her embrace was gentle as if I was breakable but I gave her a firm smile.
“We can have dinner,” Mom said with a brave smile of her own. With the kids around, she wouldn’t burst into tears again nor would anyone else.
Conversation flowed easily at the dining table. Too easily. I could tell everyone was trying to create normalcy for my sake and their own. Danilo wasn’t there. I assumed he wanted to be alone after I’d broken off our engagement, and he wasn’t part of the family and now he’d never be.
It was strange being surrounded by my family again. I sat between my siblings, both of them eager to be close to me, but my thoughts kept straying to Las Vegas, to Remo.
“How was Las Vegas?” Leonas blurted when we were done with dessert, a decadent chocolate cake, my favorite.
“Leonas,” Dante said sharply.
My cousin flushed, realizing his mistake.
I took a sip from my water then shrugged. “Not worth visiting if you ask me.”
Leonas giggled, and my family relaxed again. Samuel squeezed my hand under the table. Maybe I could find my way back to them.
It felt strange being back in my own bed. I had trouble falling asleep. Too much had happened. This morning I’d woken in Las Vegas with Remo, and now I was here.
The door opened and Samuel slipped in. I made room for him in the bed.
“Awake?” he asked quietly.
“Yeah.” I didn’t elaborate. He lay down on the covers on his back. “What about you?”
Samuel was quiet for a couple of heartbeats. “I was in a late night meeting with Dante and Dad.”
“Oh,” I said. “About your plans to get revenge on the Camorra?”
Samuel swallowed audibly. “No. Not that. It was about Danilo. His father isn’t happy about the state of things.”
Worry overcame me. What if they married me off to him despite everything? What if his family insisted on being given Dante’s niece?
“Sam,” I whispered, and he reached for me in the dark, his hand covering mine.
“Dad promised Sofia to him.”
I froze. “She’s a child.”
Samuel sighed. “They will marry the day after her eighteenth birthday.”
“That’s still six and a half years away.”
I could feel Samuel nod. “They think Danilo is still young and busy taking control over Indianapolis and taking care of his father. He can wait.” He paused. “And it’s not like he can’t keep himself busy with other women until then.”
I closed my eyes. “What will Sofia say? It’s my fault. I should just marry him.”
“No,” Samuel growled. “We won’t let you. That’s a point we all agree on, Fina. You won’t be given in marriage to anyone. You’ve gone through enough. You’ll stay here until you feel better.”
“And then?”
“I don’t know,” he admitted. I couldn’t live on my own. As a woman that wasn’t an option. They’d have to marry me off or I’d have to stay with Mom and Dad forever.
“You come live with me eventually.”
I laughed. “Yeah right. I’m sure your future wife will be ecstatic to have me under the same roof.”
“She’ll do as I say,” he murmured.
I fell silent. “Once you marry, it’s your duty to protect her, to be good to her, Sam. I won’t be your responsibility anymore.”
“I’m not going to marry anytime soon, not with the way things are developing with the Camorra.”
“When will Sofia find out?”
“Dad will talk to her tomorrow first thing in the morning. Danilo insists on it. He also insists we up the number of guards.”