Probably because it was Mom who asked me to come.
His mother, who sat across from him, smiling happily as she ate dinner, her gaze drifting between all of them. Matty smiled whenever she looked at him, grateful to see the adoration in her expression. She loved him. He knew that. He believed that.
He couldn't fathom a life without her, but he knew it would happen—sooner, rather than later. He could see how tired she already was.
Matty pushed his food around some more, taking a few bites, when the song started up again. Sighing, he dropped his fork and sat back in his chair as ringing echoed through the room from his pocket. Pulling out his phone, he glanced at the screen to see a new text message from a foreign number… one he easily gathered belonged to Genna.
So, I've been thinking...
He quickly typed back, holding his phone near his lap. About what?
Before he could put his phone away, it dinged with another message. About those oral skills you're supposedly certified in.
He replied right away. Certified? Princess, I practically have a PhD.
"All this texting and technology," Roberto grumbled.
Matty ignored his father, texting Genna again before she could respond to his last message. So I've been thinking too...
"It's what's hurting families, you know," Roberto continued. "It's destroying society. Kids these days can't even make it through dinner without their telephones."
Sighing exasperatedly, knowing the man wouldn't drop it, Matty started to put his phone away when it rang again with yet another message. Fuck it. Dismissing his father's unrestrained groan of annoyance, Matty glanced at the message and smiled.
About my oral skills? ;)
No, he replied. I was thinking about going on a date… although, now I'm thinking about THAT, too.
"What's got you smiling, Sugar Cube?"
Matty put his phone away and glanced over at his mother, seeing her look of curiosity. Before he could respond, however, Enzo chimed in. "Must be his girl again."
"His girl?" his parents said at the same time.
"Yep," Enzo said. "She's had him lit up like the fourth of fucking July for weeks."
"En, language," their mother chided before turning her focus right back to Matty. "So this girl..."
"Mom," he warned. "Please."
"Oh, fine." She waved him off. "I was just being nosey."
"No, I'd like to hear about this girl," Roberto said. "Does she have a name?"
"Yes," Matty said. "Everyone does, last I checked."
Roberto's eyes narrowed at his sarcasm before he turned to Enzo. "Enzo?"
"Don't ask me," Enzo said, holding his hands up defensively. "He won't tell me shit."
"En!"
"Language, I know," he grumbled. "Sorry, Ma, but it's true. I figure he's gotta be ashamed of her, right?"
"Huh." Roberto glanced at Matty again, judgment clear in his eyes as he regarded him coldly. "Or else he's ashamed of us."
"Enough," his mother said, the happiness gone from her expression. "Not tonight, fellas."
"Apologies, Savina," Roberto said, pushing his chair back and standing up. "We have some work to attend to, anyway. Dinner was lovely, honey. Enzo?"
"Right behind you," Enzo said, already on his feet. The two of them made a speedy exit for Roberto's office, while Matty just sat there, staring at his plate. His gaze shifted to his mother's after a moment, seeing the curiosity back in her eyes.
"Between you and me," she said quietly. "Which one are you ashamed of?"
"Neither."
"Then what is it?"
He sighed, answering silently. I'm afraid you'll all be ashamed of me.
She stared at him, her expression softening. "I'm not going to ask you any more. I won't do that to you. I just want you to be happy, Matty."
That was all she ever wanted—their happiness. But what about hers?
Before he could dwell on that his phone chimed again. He pulled it out, glancing at the screen.
Like a real, live date?
A few seconds later, another message came in. With me?
"Her name's Genna," he said quietly, shaking his head. Only her.
"Genna," she repeated. "Is this the same girl we talked about before? The one you thought you'd lose because you're a Barsanti?"
"Yes."
It took a moment, but a soft smile touched her lips as she said the name again. "Genna."
"Don't get ahead of yourself," he warned her, seeing that look on her face, the same daydreamy look she had last time, the one that said she was envisioning grandchildren.
"Genna Barsanti has a nice ring to it," she said, ignoring him. "I always complimented Cara about that name."
"Cara?"
"Yes, my old friend Cara Galante. Their daughter, Genevieve... they sometimes called her Genna."
Matty stared at his mother, seeing the knowing twinkle in her eyes. She wasn't stupid, not in the least.
"I, uh... I should go," he said, standing up and walking around to the other side of the table to kiss his mother's cheek. "Thanks for dinner."
"Anytime. Maybe you'll bring Genna along next time."
"I wouldn't count on it, Mom."
Not as long as my father's around.
"I'll pick you up."
"You can't," Genna whispered into the phone as she strode into her closet and snatched her favorite pair of black stilettos from their place on the shelf. "They're here."
"Ah, right."
"How about I just meet you somewhere?"
"Where?"
"I don't know. Where are you at?"
"The Place."
"Is it safe for me to come there?"
"Uh, sure."
She sighed, sitting down on the bed and holding the phone in the crook of her neck as she slid on her shoes. "You don't sound very sure."
"Well, it's Soho. How safe is it ever for you?"
True. "How about I—" A knock on her door cut her off mid-sentence. "—I'll call you back."
She hung up, tossing the phone down on the bed just as her door was pushed open. Standing up, she ran her fingers through her wavy hair, loosening some more of the curls, as Dante strode in.
"Hey," she said casually, glancing at him on her way to her bathroom. "Need something?"
"Nah," he said, following her, pausing in the doorway as she grabbed some hairspray and coated her hair. "Heard you were going out."
She cut her eyes at him. "So?"
"So I was just being nosey as hell," he admitted, eyeing her peculiarly. "You haven't been out since, you know..."
"Since I got arrested," she said. "Been awhile, huh?"
"It has. I was starting to worry you actually did give up on life."
"Of course not," she said, grabbing her lip-gloss and putting a layer over her lips before turning to face him. "Why?"
He shrugged a shoulder as he turned away and strolled through her bedroom, tinkering around with things as he nonchalantly busied himself.
"Oh God," she groaned, flicking off the bathroom light and stepping into the bedroom behind Dante. "No, Dante. Please tell me he didn't order you to follow me tonight."
He cast her a sideways glance, sighing, as he offhandedly flipped through a book on her desk. "You know how it goes."
"This is ridiculous!" she said, throwing up her hands in frustration. "I'm not twelve, you know. I'm an adult. I don't need to be babysat."
"I'll just drive you wherever you're going."
"And what, wait out in the parking lot?" she asked incredulously. "Hide out in the corner of the restaurant? Sit two rows back from me at the movie theater?"
"Is that what you're doing? Dinner and a movie?"
"Does it matter?"
He started to respond, but she cut him off before he could get anything out, because yes… it mattered. They both knew it. It mattered to their father.
"This isn't fair," she ground out, glaring at her brother, although she knew it wasn't his fault. "At all."
"It's the price you pay for being one of us."
She shook her head. It's the price I pay for looking like my mother.
"Look, just let me drive you," he said. "I have some things to do tonight. I promise I won't lurk. I'll just drop you off and be on my way."
She hesitated. "You promise?"
He held up his fingers. "Scouts honor."
"Fine," she said, grabbing her purse and spouting out the first thing that popped into her mind. "I'm meeting some friends in Harlem."
"What friends?"
She shot daggers at him. "I conceded to a ride, Dante, but not an interrogation."
He let out a laugh, pulling his keys from his pocket. "I was just being nosey. For real that time."
Genna headed downstairs, stopping by her father's office quickly to say goodbye. She strode in, right past one of his associates, the two men abruptly stopping talking as soon as she appeared. Sighing, Genna kissed her father's cheek and stepped away as he eyed her, clearly assessing her. "That dress is kind of short, isn't it, honey?"
She rolled her eyes, not humoring him with an answer. It was blood red and fell nearly to her fingertips, a layer of long-sleeved lace covering the skin-tight tube top dress. Short, maybe, but it was a hell of a lot more modest than most hanging in her closet.
"I'm heading out, Dad," Dante hollered from the doorway, where he waited for her. "I'll be back later."
"Give your sister a ride, will you?" Primo replied, his voice casual, although it made Genna glare at him. It was an act, she knew. That had been arranged hours ago, and there was no question about it. It was an order.
"Already on it," Dante said, waving goodbye as he motioned for Genna to go ahead of him. She headed outside, her brother right behind her. They both climbed into his car, and he raised his eyebrows as she clipped her seatbelt in place. "Where to?"
"I told you—Harlem."
"Where at in Harlem?"
"You know where Jackson lives?"
Dante's expression fell. "Genna…"
"There's a pizzeria across the street from it," she said, waving off his concerned look. "Drop me there."
There was also a train station less than a block away.
Dante was quiet most of the ride, driving her straight to where she requested, no questions asked. It wasn't until they arrived at the pizzeria and Dante pulled in along the curb that he spoke up. "Really, sis? You can do so much better than that loser."
"Who?"
"Jackson."
She shot him a smile. "Who said I was meeting Jackson?"
Dante's eyes drifted across the street, to where Jackson lived, before he shook his head. "Just be careful, okay? Don't steal any cars."
"I won't."
"And call me. If you need a ride… if you need anything… just call me. Okay? I'm supposed to keep an eye on you all night, but well… I don't want to do it any more than you want me to. So just keep your ass out of trouble, and it'll keep me out of trouble."
"I promise," she said, genuinely meaning it. "There won't be any trouble tonight."
"Good. Have fun."
Genna climbed out of the car and strolled into the pizzeria, immediately taking a seat at the first empty booth along the window. She sat there, watching outside as her brother's car pulled into traffic.
After slowly counting to a hundred in her head, she got up and walked back out, heading straight for the train stop less than a block away.
Thirty minutes later, Genna stepped out into Soho, two blocks down from her destination. Keeping her head down, she swiftly navigated the streets, heading for The Place, as she pulled out her phone and dialed Matty's number. It rang, and rang, and rang as she caught sight of the faded sign of the sport's bar. She slowed as she neared it, hesitating on the corner near the parking garage.
"Hello?" he answered, his voice guarded, just as she was about to hang up.
"Hey," she said, her eyes darting around the neighborhood as she dodged past the bar and grabbed the other door, slipping into the stairwell leading to the upstairs apartment.
"Thought you bailed on me," he replied.
"Of course not," she said. "Just had a bit of a problem getting away from my brother. Where are you?"
"The Place."
"Inside of it or above it?"
"Above it," he said. "Why? Where are you?"
"In your stairwell."
As soon as those words were from her lips, she heard footsteps upstairs, the door opening. Matty appeared in the doorway, phone to his ear, a smile lighting his face when he spotted her. Genna stood there, at the bottom of the steps, gazing up at him. He wore the same thing he wore the day she first laid eyes on him, except in striking shades of gray and black this time instead of the warm tan and bright white. He looked dark, and sleek, and downright dangerous.
He ended the call, slipping the phone in his pocket, as he shut the door quietly behind him and sauntered toward her. His gaze swept over her body, scanning the length of her form, as he paused right in front of her.
"Well, well," he said, reaching out and grasping her hips, his hands seeming to instinctively find the curve of her ass as he pulled her toward him. "You look good enough to eat."
Heat overcame Genna's cheeks as she wrapped her arms around his neck, standing eye-to-eye with him with her heels on. She couldn't stop the blush from rushing down her neck and engulfing her body in tingles. "Thanks."
"I'm serious," he said, his husky voice not at all betraying his words. "I want to drag you upstairs and take that dress off of you right now." Leaning down, he kissed her neck, nipping at the skin near her shoulder. "With my teeth."
She shivered, her eyes closing briefly at the sensation. "Why don't you, then?"
"Because I promised you a date," he said, pulling back to look at her again, smiling softly as he nudged her chin. "Besides, my brother's home."
Her expression slowly fell, her eyes drifting past him toward the closed door.
"Don't worry," Matty said reassuringly when she dropped her arms from around him. "He's passed out, probably won't get up until the sun goes down."
He took her hand, linking their fingers together, and Genna's heart pitter-pattered in her chest at the sensation. Matty squeezed her hand as he pulled her toward the door, opening it and glancing around before leading her out. They strode past The Place, around the corner and to the parking garage. Genna kept her head down, gaze away, as Matty casually greeted the parking attendant near his car. Pulling out his keys, he pressed the buttons to unlock it and start the engine from afar.
She climbed inside the car, suddenly, strangely, nervous. Why? She wiped her sweaty palms along her thighs as she took a deep breath to steady herself when Matty got in behind the wheel.
"You okay?" he asked as he pulled out of the lot and weaved into traffic.
"Yeah, just, uh..." She shook her head. "I guess we're actually dating now, huh?"
He smiled softly. "Guess so."
There was no questioning where they were going, no surprise when he headed north. Genna relaxed a bit in the passenger seat, watching out of the side window as they sped along the GWB, and laughed when they passed into New Jersey.
"What's so funny?" Matty asked, casting her a quick glance.
"It's kind of fucked up that we have to cross state lines to date, isn't it?"
"Could be worse."
"How?" she asked, raising an eyebrow at him. "Seriously, I want to know."
"Well, we could have to leave the country."
"That might be better," she muttered. "In that case, we'd be far away… away from them."
"Which them?"
"All of them," she said. "The whole lot of them, the Barsantis and the Galantes."
"You'd leave your family?"
She wavered, pondering his question. The silence was so pervasive that all she could hear for a moment was her own heartbeat thrashing in her ears. "I'd miss my brother, but yeah… I would. Honestly, Dante would have it a lot easier witho
ut constantly having to watch over me."
"Huh."
"What?" She eyed him warily. "Would you?"
Unlike her, he didn't hesitate. "I can't leave my family, Genna… not when they already left me a long time ago."
She gazed at him for a moment before reaching over and grasping his hand on the gearshift, entwining her fingers with his. His eyes left the road momentarily, distracted, as they settled on where they were connected.
Although she wondered, although she wanted nothing more than to hear his story, to hear his side of everything, to know what he knew, to see what he saw when he stepped back and observed everything, she said not a word the rest of the drive, letting the silence once more submerge the car. Matty drove through Jersey, toward his old house, but swung into a more commercial area, driving to a busy steakhouse. He parked the car, and Genna started to pull her hand away, but he grasped it tightly and pulled it to him, pressing a soft kiss on the back of her hand before finally letting go.
The steakhouse was busy, dozens of people packed in around the door, patiently waiting for tables. Genna sighed, looking around for somewhere to sit, when the hostess glanced over, taking note of their presence. Something flickered in her eyes, something akin to recognition.
Genna's stomach sunk. Oh no.
"Mr. Brazzi!" the hostess said, smiling. "Just one?"
"Two," Matty said, returning her smile as he motioned toward Genna. "I have a guest."
"Wonderful," the lady said, snatching up two menus. "Follow me."
Genna cast apologetic looks at the waiting diners, who appeared none too happy that they jumped ahead of the line. The hostess led them to a table in the far back, and Genna slid into a chair across from Matty.
"Brazzi?" she asked incredulously when they were left alone. "What's up with that?"
He smirked, opening his menu, but he scarcely even look at it. "It's my mother's maiden name. Savina Brazzi."
"Ah."
"I just took on the last name out here. Helped keep, you know, certain people from finding me."
"Certain people, as in…?"
Matty didn't respond, but his expression was answer enough for her.
The Galantes.
"I still want to hear that story," she said, following his lead and opening her menu.