stop breaking priceless heirlooms?”
I laughed into my blanket and Nicoli slung an arm over my shoulders.
“I suppose I can try,” Nicoli snorted, looking to me. “What do you reckon, baby doll?”
I nodded, biting my thumb as my gaze was drawn to his mouth.
“Fuck me, if I ever look at a girl like you two look at each other please put a bullet between my eyes. No questions asked, just pull the trigger, capisce?”
“If you ever look at a girl like I look at Winter, you'll be a lucky man. And she will be an unfortunate girl,” Nicoli taunted and Frankie laughed deeply.
“I have the most beautiful girls in the city on tap, fratello, if I don't look at any of them like a doe-eyed stronzo by now, then I think it's safe to say I will be a bachelor 'til death. And don't pity me because I'll have Enzo for company.”
“Enzo won't warm your bed at night,” Nicoli pointed out.
“He happens to run at approximately the temperature of lit rocket fuel, so I think he'll manage it just fine.” Frankie grinned, leaning forward in his chair and resting his elbows on his knees. “So, I have an offer for you both. One you can decline if you would rather, but I told everyone I'd put it out there.”
“Cut to the chase,” Nicoli pushed.
“Dinner. At Bora Bora,” Frankie announced. “Tonight,” he added hopefully. “The whole city is buzzing with the news that Nicoli has re-joined his brothers and wondering whether we really are united now or not and I’d love to ram it down their throats.”
I shared a look with Nicoli, my heart hammering and my stomach knotting. It wasn't nerves for once, it was excitement.
"A car will drive you there and back. No detours. What do you say?" Frankie asked and I nodded keenly.
"Are you sure?" Nicoli took my hand, winding his fingers between mine. I nodded again and his face lit with a smile. "Then we'll be there."
***
Sloan arrived with River just before seven o’clock and we slipped away into the room Frankie had given me, leaving Nicoli to head off to the shower.
I was already clean, wrapped in a robe, uncertain of what to wear and Sloan immediately started going through the closet.
“You have such a great figure, you have to show it off tonight,” she said, bouncing on her toes as she looked through the rack of dresses. She'd kicked her heels off by the door and I admired the bronze dress she wore which had delicate off-the-shoulder sleeves and hugged her hourglass figure perfectly as she swayed her hips to a song in her head. Her dark hair tumbled down her back in soft curls and glinted in the light. She really was beautiful, the sort of pretty that usually came packaged with arrogance, but she wasn't like that. Sloan was sweet, kind. She cared about her family more than anything in the world, she loved baking and taking long walks by the ocean. She had a free spirit which was intoxicating and she spoke about everything with such passion that it glowed from the depths of her eyes.
While she was busy, I looked to River in her travel carrier on the bed beside me, her dark eyes rising to meet mine.
"You can hold her if you want," Sloan offered like she did every time she came over.
I was about to refuse like I normally did, but River cooed softly and my tummy squeezed. She was too damn cute. I didn't want to admit the real reason I hadn't cuddled her yet, but deep down, I knew it was because looking at her was confronting. As far as I knew, I had once been as innocent and as pure as her before I was taken by The Five. They'd had no reason to hurt and whip and beat me. My skin had once been as perfect as River's, my eyes had once held no pain in them just like hers. But then I'd been twisted into this imperfect creature I was now, riddled with scars and my innocence stripped away like green leaves turning brown and crisp, falling to the ground and left to rot. Looking at her made me ache, because I wanted to protect her like no one had protected me when I'd been snatched away by five devils.
I took her out of the carrier, closing my arms around her and hugging her against my chest. She blinked up at me and I wanted