camera feeds to make sure there are no surprises. Rome will be our sniper eyes in the sky, taking up position in the building across the street from the courthouse. Nico, I’ll want you watching the courthouse’s back entrance. Any questions?”
No one said anything.
We were all in agreement. We all knew our jobs.
Dad rapped his knuckles on the desk. “Good. The trial begins at nine o’clock next Monday morning. Stay safe until then and call with any updates.”
We all rose from our seats and headed for the door.
“Hang back a sec, Nico.”
I pivoted on my heel, facing my father once again.
He walked around his desk, hands casually in his pockets. I clasped mine over the manila folder behind my back, bracing myself for whatever he was about to say. Maybe a fatherly lecture, like the ones he used to give me all the time but hadn’t bestowed upon me in years.
Because he’s given up on you.
“Yes, sir?”
“You have all the information on those properties with you? Your mother and I would like to take a look at them tonight.”
Swallowing around the growing lump in my throat, I pulled out my phone. “Yeah, right here. Wait until you see the balcony on the second one. Mom’ll lose her shit.”
He chuckled as I handed him the phone.
I never thought I’d ever feel needed by my family again.
But proving to them that I could actually follow through felt… really nice.
“We’ll see you at the bachelorette party, Lexi!” Gia yelled as Nico and I walked down the steps of his parents’ front stoop. “Your Russian might come in handy where we’re going.” She waggled her eyebrows.
Cris appeared in the open doorway beside her, glaring at Nico. “What the hell kind of ideas did you give them?”
Nico laughed, holding his hands up in surrender. “My hands are white as snow. I’m not that dumb.”
Cris turned his glare on their sister. “Wherever you think you’re going with my fiancé is not happening.”
Gia winked at me. “They’re so cute when they think they can still boss their little sister around.”
I blew her an air kiss. “I’ll be there…wherever we end up.”
Cris slammed the door in Gia’s delighted face.
When we reached Nico’s car on the curb, he actually opened the door for me. My eyebrows climbed up my forehead. “Trying to be the gentleman now? Or is this just in case your mother is watching?”
His mouth tightened into a firm line. “You’re tipsy, legs. I’m afraid if you try to open the door yourself, you’ll end up face-planting on the sidewalk.”
He wasn’t totally wrong. “Ah, the gallant knight, indeed. Chivalry can’t possibly be dead as long as men like you still walk the earth, pretty boy.”
His eyes glinted in warning.
Stifling my giggle, I slid into the front seat as gracefully as possible. Even he had to see the humor. Had to—what was the expression?—toss me a bone? I mean, come on. A joint-puffing policeman in Amish country chose the same nickname for him as me? It was like destiny.
P.S., That fruit punch stuff they were passing around was not fruit punch. One more glass would have been my knockout punch. Heh. Pun intended.
And I thought Russians knew how to knock back a few at the dinner table.
“Nonprofit work, huh?” he asked as he pulled away from the curb. “The model superstar becomes the humble do-gooder.”
“Surprised?” My voice dripped with sarcasm. “Figured I was a do-nothing? A career Instagrammer or something?”
“Or something.”
I gritted my teeth.
I still maintained that he’d gotten all of his personality traits from a distant relative. Val and Enzo were both far too pleasant for Nico to have received one hundred percent of his DNA from them.
But whatever. I wasn’t going to let him spoil my good mood. I’d had a lovely time with his family—my in-laws. Considering they were barely more than strangers to me, I couldn’t believe how comfortable and relaxed I’d felt around them.
What Dimitri said earlier about them leading secret lives and being more involved in mafia business than they let on…it just didn’t seem to line up with what I’d learned. True, I’d only just met them, but none of the Rossettis struck me as deceivers, and I’d known many of those in my lifetime. Dimitri was cautious by nature. He had to be for his job. If he was simply doing his duty by looking after me, I could appreciate that.
But I wasn’t going to take his word at face value.
I’d decide for myself if the Rossettis, and Nico in