We dressed quickly, in our bedrooms, before reconvening in the master. I was wearing two guns and had the added safety of a pop-out knife strapped to my left forearm. I had on fancy white silk pajama bottoms that would look totally acceptable on the street, especially with the knotted white silk sweater I wore on top, all artfully hidden under my robe, of course.
The shoes were a different matter.
I looked from her sneakers to my white leather loafers.
“Well, let’s just hope they don’t look down.”
She giggled, sounding for the first time in years like the carefree child she was supposed to be. It warmed my heart and reaffirmed my decision to take what I saw as a calculated risk. If she were a little older, I would have told her that men were spectacularly unobservant. Unless we were talking about legs or boobs.
It was far too easy to distract a man with a leg or some cleavage. But my angel was far too young to know about that. And I doubted she would ever have to use such cheap ploys.
With her brains, kindness, and beauty, no one could resist her. When a person wasn’t trying to manipulate anyone, even the worst of humanity didn’t react the same way. It was harder to hate the pure of heart.
But still, I would make sure she knew all the tools in her arsenal when the time came.
“Ready?” I asked. She nodded. “Act casual,” I whispered before opening the door. My guard stepped aside as I murmured something about raiding the kitchen.
We headed down the wide, sweeping staircase, past several guards, through the front hall, and back toward the kitchen.
“We need half an hour,” I informed the staff, who hastily exited the room. They knew I liked to cook for my bambino sometimes. Thankfully, Maria was not there because she would have been much harder to fool. Never mind the fact that she would have taken over and instructed us both on the proper way to make this or that, even pancakes with fresh blueberries and cream.
Maria was like a mother to me. She was more than a part of the family. She was the center of the family, I thought with a twinge of guilt. And she would be outraged to be left out of any pancake making shenanigans.
But my angel’s cheeks were pink with excitement. There was no turning back now, I decided. I felt free as I decided once and for all to throw caution to the wind. I winked at Angelique and turned a radio on to a popular dance station. I poked my head out the back door to do recon. No one was in the alleyway that ran behind the kitchen toward the street. And no one would notice we were gone for half an hour, at least.
I held a finger to my lips when she giggled, slapping a hand over her mouth. She nodded with smiling eyes, and we tiptoed out the door, shutting it softly behind us. Then we walked swiftly down the alley to the street and peeked our heads out. A guard had just turned the corner on his rounds.
I grabbed Angelique’s hand, and we ran several blocks in the other direction, taking off our robes and shoving them into a white leather backpack I had brought for that purpose instead of carrying a small purse or simply using my pockets, as I often did.
“Victory is ours,” Angelique said with a giggle.
“What should we do first?” I asked her. “Milkshakes or shopping?”
“Both!”
I nodded and slipped my arm through hers. We were off on a mother-daughter adventure. The first we’d had since her father stole her away from me. And it felt wonderful.
“Your wish is my command,” I said, echoing Vincent’s knightly talk. I smiled, thinking of him fondly. He had changed my life for the better in every possible way.
He had saved me. Saved her. Saved us.
It was good to be alive.
Chapter Thirty-Nine
VIncent
“What’s the hold up?” I demanded, trying to sound in control of my emotions. No one would expect me to lose my cool. I was a long-time boss of a massive crime family, after all. I made split-second decisions that were life and death on a daily basis. But I wasn’t in control. Not even close.
The truth was, I was scared out of my wits.
“Satellite was down. This happens from time to time. Bad timing, sorry. Seems to be coming back online . . .”
“Where the hell are they?” I barked. My heart was pounding. I was pacing back and forth like someone on a coke bender.
This is what it must feel like to be addicted to something, I realized. To know you need it and you would do anything to get it.
In my case, I just happened to be addicted to Francesca.