~ Massimo ~
Niamh cleared her throat before she finally replied. "Yeah, I know where he lives. His house is not too far away from my family home."
She ratted off an address in her Houston, which I immediately noted down in my phone, the numbers feeling like the first real lead we had.
"I'm glad you're doing what you can to help," Don Giacomo said.
"I'll do anything to ensure my son's safe," Niamh replied flatly.
She gave me a cold, sideways glance, her eyes completing her sentence for her. 'Including marrying a monster like you'.
"And you're the best mom he can ever have, honey," Juliette smiled at her warmly.
Niamh didn't bother returning the smile; instead, she picked up her glass of water and drank, her movements stiff and controlled.
"So now that we have the lawyer's residence, what's our next move?" Lorenzo asked.
"That's a really important question," Cristiano pointed out, leaning back. "Because we know we can't just pay him a visit. He's situated right at the heart of Irish territory, and it's obvious the Irish are standing with the Russians in this. They won't hesitate to gun us down on sight."
"You're right, Cris, but we don't have to pay him a visit. We're going to lure him out," I said, my mind already working through a plan.
"We'll need to contact him if we're going to do that," Cristiano reminded me.
"Good thing I know someone who might help me with that," I smirked, feeling the first bit of control over the situation.
Don Giacomo frowned. "And who's that?"
"Ronan. Niamh's escort," I revealed.
Niamh wheeled on me immediately, her turquoise eyes flashing with sudden anger. "No, you're not going to do that. You would put him in danger."
"I won't. It'll only take a phone call," I told her, keeping my voice calm despite the heat rising in my chest at her defensiveness over another man.
"It doesn't matter. He has done enough already, and getting him exposed would get him killed," she hissed.
She glared from me to the phone in my hand like she was contemplating reaching out and snatching it right out of my grip.
I shifted my hand, moving the phone farther away from her, momentarily grateful for the space Matteo's empty chair left between us.
"I'm sure he won't bother trying to be of help again. After all, it was his job to keep you and Matteo safe, right? And besides, I believe he can protect himself," I said the last words dismissively, making a show of punching the numbers into my keypad.
"And how sure are you about that? You really don't care about people, do you?" Niamh seethed.
If I had any doubts left about whether she hated me, the raw loathing in her eyes cleared it instantly.
For a moment, I couldn't speak, totally lost in the intensity of her gaze, and I was grateful when Marietta stepped in to break the spell.
"Niamh, relax. No one's going to get killed," my sister's voice was patient and calm, but it had no effect on Niamh.
She shook her head and looked ready to stand up and walk out, but then she glanced at my father and thought better of it, sinking back into her seat.
"Call Ronan already. We don't have time," Don Giacomo said flatly. "And put the call on speaker."
I ignored Niamh this time and dialed the number Ronan had used to reach me. He answered on the fourth ring, and I clicked the speaker icon immediately.
"I should be the one calling, not you," Ronan hissed, sounding thoroughly annoyed with the intrusion.
"I know. I just need your help urgently and then I'm off your ass," I told him calmly, glancing around as the others listened intently to every word.
"Are Niamh and little Matteo safe?" His voice hardened instantly.
I hated the way he sounded—like my wife and son belonged to him, like they were his to protect.
I hated that he already had a pet name for my son while I had only been his father for barely an hour.
I glanced at Niamh. She looked so relieved, like she was going to cry for joy just at the sound of her escort's voice.
It took all my willpower not to snap the phone in half.
I didn't realize how long I was taking to reply until I noticed everyone at the table looking at me strangely.
"Massimo, what happened to them?" Ronan's voice was edgy now, sounding like he would jump through the line and strangle me.
I dragged in a deep breath to calm the jealousy or whatever the bloody hell was going on with me, reminding myself that without Ronan, I wouldn't even know I was a father.
"They're safe," I finally answered. "You don't have to worry about their safety."
Ronan let out a loud, ragged breath. "Fuck. Why take so long to reply, then?"
I shrugged, even though he couldn't see me, and went straight to the point. "Do you know how I could contact the O'Connor family lawyer?"
Ronan paused, clearly taken aback. "I take it this is related to the marriage plan Niamh told me about?"
I glanced at Niamh and replied, "Yes. He seems to be the key to pulling it off."
"Alright. His name's Neil. I'll text you his contact and address. And don't call again—I'll be the one calling, or at least text me before you do," he said and hung up.
Almost immediately, a text came in with Neil's number and house address which matched the one Niamh had given us.
She hadn't lied, at least.
"I must say, Niamh, you have a really loyal escort," Juliette complimented.
"Yeah, I know. He's the best," Niamh said, glancing at me as if expecting a reaction.
I schooled my face into a mask of indifference and looked at my father instead.
"Now that we have the lawyer's contact, what's next, Pa?" I asked him.
Don Giacomo leaned forward, clasping his hands on the table. "We set up a meeting. Text him from a burner phone to meet at an open place—a restaurant in one of the neutral territories. Tell him to come alone."
"Shouldn't we threaten him?" suggested Domino, who had been quiet while working through his second or third cigarette. "Maybe look him up and send him a picture of his wife or kids to ensure he doesn't fuck us up?"
"Not yet," Don Giacomo replied. "That will be the follow-up if he doesn't reply. I want this to be as non-violent as possible. But still, if we have to pay him a visit, we will."
"Who would be the one to meet him?" Aurelio asked.
"Me," Marietta said immediately. "It's my idea; I'll discuss it better with him."
"No," Lorenzo disagreed instantly.
"Come on, why not? She's right," Cristiano supported. "Lawyer to lawyer, genius to genius going over a marriage plan. What else are we talking about?"
"I won't let my wife go to another territory to talk to a stranger who is paramount to a rival mafia family gunning for our heads," Lorenzo stated, his voice firm.
"It's not like she would be going without backup," Romeo mused.
"I said no!" Lorenzo glared at Romeo, who quickly lifted his hands in surrender.
Beside him, Marietta was practically blushing at her husband's protectiveness, despite her usual hate for being treated like a fragile cup.
"Cristiano should handle it then," Don Giacomo decided.
"I have two events coming up in the next four days, Pa, and my presence is much needed," Cristiano said.
He was the face of the Valentino family—the one in charge of the legal businesses. He was the one on the front pages of high-end magazines for all the right reasons, attending galas exclusively meant for celebrities and billionaires.
"Domino should go then," Juliette suggested.
"No!" Everyone, including my father, interjected at the same time and I tried not to laugh.
Domino never visited anyone without leaving a trail of destruction and dead bodies behind.
"I mean, we should know better than sending Dom for this..." Romeo looked at Domino and swallowed hard, worried about offending him, even though he was two years his senior. "No offense, Dom, but I hope you understand... it is what it is."
"None taken," Domino replied, stubbing out his cigarette, totally nonchalant about his reputation.
"I'll do it," I declared.
"No you won't. You should stick to your wife and son all through this period," Don Giacomo refused.
"It's not like I'll leave them alone, Pa. They'll have more than enough protection, and besides, this is my marriage we're talking about. I might as well be the one to fix it," I stood my ground.
My father pinned me with that hard stare that has broken so many spines, but instead of cowering, I straightened my own and held his gaze.
If I was going to occupy the seat of the Don in the future, I had to learn to hold my own against the man sitting in it now.
My father finally nodded, breaking eye contact first. "Alright. You do that. And keep me posted all the way."
"I will, Pa," I promised, feeling a huge wave of relief that I'd won this battle.
Don Giacomo rose to his feet, signaling the end of the meeting, and we followed suit.
"Since we have everything planned out, I think we're done here," he said, then added with a rare smile, "I have a kid to play with."
We chuckled as we watched him exit the hall with his wife following closely, their movements reminiscent of a king and queen.
As the others began to disperse, I quickly sent Bianco a text to ensure a box of burner phones was ready for me. I needed to set up the meeting with Neil as soon as possible.
When I looked up, I realized I wasn't alone. Domino was still sitting exactly where he had been.
"Mass," Domino's voice stopped me as I was about to get up and leave.
I sat back down. "What's up, Dom?"
I hoped he wasn't about to continue the face-off from earlier.
"I want to apologize for what happened earlier," he said and I blinked, completely stunned.
"You're right about my language in front of your son. He's a smart kid, and he shouldn't be hearing the f-word at this stage. I promise to be mindful going forward—not that it's gonna be easy," he chuckled at himself.
"Of course I know it won't be easy," I chuckled back. "You barely talk, and when you do, you can hardly say a sentence without using it."
"Fuck off, bro," Domino said, and we both laughed.
"We're good, bro. I just wanted you to have some respect for my son, that's all."
He nodded. "Yeah, I know that. And hey, I do. He's a smart kid, fun to have around. I'm glad I was able to save him and his mother, too."
"Me too. Thank you."
He snort-laughed and rose to his feet, stopping beside me. "Well, I'm happy for you with the son... because the woman looks like she can't wait to kill you."
"You think so?" I looked up at him.
"I think you should watch your back, brother. Trust me, I know a death stare when I see one."
Domino's large, rough hand squeezed my shoulder in brotherly love before he walked away.
I sat there for a moment, pondering his words. No way Niamh hated me enough to kill me.
Or did she?