life, and he only talked to me a couple of times. He always talked with Michael.”
Nico grabbed my hand in his. “Mia-”
“And I’ve only met Luca Benetti once, and that was when he came to check on me and Michael when we moved in with Jeanie,” I continued nervously. “And I’ve never met Phoenix.” My eyes grew wild at that notion. “He’s The Holy Ghost, for Christ’s sake.”
Nico grabbed both of my hands, and yanked me forward, holding our hands prisoner between our bodies. “Mia,” he stressed, drawing my name out like it had more than two syllables, “no matter the reason we’ve been called here today, nothing is going to happen to you. Do you understand me?”
“But-”
“But, nothing,” he interrupted. “I guarantee you that, even if they end up killing me, you’ll return home unscathed.”
The very idea made my entire body shiver. “Kill you?!” I yelped. “Why would they kill you?”
Nico shrugged a shoulder. “Honestly, I don’t know,” he replied. “I was just trying to emphasize that you’re safe no matter what goes on in there.”
“How can you be so cavalier about this?” I asked. “What if they do kill you?”
“Then they kill me,” he stated as if we were discussing the weather.
“How can you be so cavalier about this?” I repeated. I could feel my body reacting to the imagined scenario. “Oh, God,” I moaned. “I think I’m having a heart attack.”
“Mia,” Nico snapped. “You are not having a heart attack. Baby, you just need to calm down.” He let go of my hands and cradled my face with his palms. “Baby, you need to calm down, alright? It’ll be okay. I promise, Mia.” I took a couple of deep breaths and nodded.
I could do this.
Performing a fighter’s warm up, I shook my body out and stretched my neck out, side to side. “I’m ready,” I lied, and Nico just chuckled and shook his head at me.
Hand-in-hand, we walked to the backdoor where a guard was posted. He gave us one quick glance and then opened the door for us. No questions asked told me he knew we were coming.
Once we cleared the backdoor, Nico seemed to know where to go. The place looked upper-class, but I couldn’t really tell much from the corridor we were walking down. The place was pretty dark inside for being four in the afternoon. One thing I did notice, though…all the damn guards.
They were everywhere.
After a couple of turns, we stopped in front of an elaborate decorated wood door. The wood had a carving of a cross, but it looked more sinister than it did divine. Nico knocked and, no more than five seconds later, the door opened and Ciro Mancini stood before us.
My knees knocked against one another.
“Rossi,” Ciro acknowledged before stepping aside to allow us entry.
“Mr. Mancini,” Nico replied, returning the greeting with a slight nod.
Following behind Nico, it wasn’t until we were in the middle of the room that I noticed Luca Benetti and another gentleman standing off to the side of the room, near the bar. My eyes clashed with bright hazel ones, and I knew that the man with Luca Benetti was Phoenix Fiore. I only knew this because I once overheard Michael say that The Holy Ghost’s hazel eyes were enough to incite paralyzing fear in any man.
Intimidated, I tore my gaze from his and stepped closer to Nico. I knew it screamed of cowardice, but I didn’t care. I felt like an ant under a microscope and I didn’t like it.
Ciro shut the door and turned to face us. He spared Nico a microsecond glance before turning those sunlight eyes my way. If I hadn’t witnessed it for myself, I would have sworn against its probability, but Ciro Mancini’s face softened when he looked at me, and his eyes morphed with kindness.
What. In. God’s. Name?
“Mia,” he said smoothly, “it’s been a long time.”
“Mm…Mr…” I had to clear my throat. “Mr. Mancini,” I finally eked out.
He walked towards us until he was standing directly in front of me, and it was unnerving to have the sole attention of Ciro Mancini. “Mia, call me Ciro. Please,” he graciously allowed.
“Is…is that proper?” My head turned at a laugh that make you think of whiskey.
It was Phoenix Fiore.
My face must have given away my mortification because he smiled as he said, “He’s not a king, honey. That title is Luca’s.” Holy shit! The Holy Ghost had dimples.
I was surrounded by Satan’s spawns, and it really was unfair that they