Trapped (Sinners of Boston #5)

41. Delilah

FORTY-ONE

DELILAH

TWO WEEKS LATER

“Are you Delilah?”

I hitched a smile. “Yes, I am.”

An olive-skinned man with wild hair shook my hand. “I’m Tony. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

I nodded. “Likewise.”

“This is my wife, Evie,” he said, gesturing toward a young woman in jeans and a leather jacket. “I just wanted to thank you for what you did for our family. If you ever need anything, give me a shout.”

His ringed hand patted mine, and he disappeared into the party. As soon as he left, yet another member of the family introduced himself to me. Michael. Or was it Alessio?

Santino had thrown a party to celebrate Luca’s miraculous return. Relatives, friends, and allies kept filtering into the living room and wringing my hand. The atmosphere was ecstatic. Santino’s mom had collapsed against me, thanking me through a stream of tears. They wanted to hear what happened to Luca. What his life had been like. They begged me for stories. Everyone wanted to meet the woman who’d brought Luca back to life.

Santino was by my side most of the time, his hand a constant presence on my lower back. He drank seltzer in his tumbler. The whole party was alcohol-free. I tried to make him change his mind, but he said he cared more about me than his guests’ comfort.

“You okay, principessa?”

I needed a moment to breathe. “I can’t believe all these people want to meet me.”

Santino smiled, shaking his head. “Even Tony crawled out of his cave to see the girl everyone’s talking about.”

It was overwhelming, the constant stream of people, the noise, the praise. I felt like I was suffocating under the weight of it all. My chest tightened. I needed to be alone.

Santino’s hand moved up to my shoulder. “You sure you’re okay?”

“I need a little air,” I said, trying to keep my voice light, not wanting to worry him. “It’s a lot, you know?”

His eyes softened. “Go on, then. I’ll cover for you.”

I slipped out of the main room, maneuvering through the maze of people. The chatter faded as I found a quieter hallway. I wandered down, the sounds of laughter fading. I wasn’t used to being the center of attention.

I climbed to the second floor, turned a corner, and noticed a door slightly ajar. Light spilled out from the crack, and movement rustled inside. I approached the door quietly, peeking inside.

Luca stood in the center of a small study. He stared at a wall covered with old photographs, his back to me. The light from a nearby lamp cast a warm glow over the room, highlighting the tension in his shoulders.

I hesitated. “Luca?”

He didn’t turn around immediately, but his shoulders relaxed. “I didn’t hear you come in.”

I stepped inside. “I needed a break from the party.”

He nodded, still not looking at me.

I stood beside him. The old photos on the wall showed children playing in the yard, family gatherings, holidays. I glimpsed a younger Santino in some of them, always with that same intense look.

Luca’s gaze fixed on a group shot of the family taken years ago. He was in it, a small boy standing in front of his parents, a wide smile on his face. The kind of photo that’d break your heart if you knew the story behind it.

“It must be strange,” I said softly, “seeing all of this after so long.”

Luca finally looked at me. “I don’t belong here anymore.”

“You do. You’re family.”

He looked back at the photo, his jaw tightening. “I was turned into someone else. How do you come back from that?”

I didn’t have an answer, so I stayed silent.

“They don’t know me. They see me as that boy in the picture, but I’m not him anymore.” He laughed bitterly. “I don’t fit in. I speak Russian, not Italian.”

“Give it time.”

“I don’t even know who I am, so how can they?”

I reached out, placing a hand on his arm. “You’re Luca, and you’re not alone. You have people who care about you and want to help you find yourself again.”

Luca crossed his arms, still tense. He looked down at my hand on his arm, then up at me. There was a vulnerability in his eyes that I hadn’t seen before, a rawness.

The door opened.

Santino strolled in. “I figured you’d be hiding together. They’re looking for you downstairs.” He gripped his cousin’s shoulder.

Luca wormed out of Santino’s grip and left the room.

Santino frowned, staring after him. “He’s been weird all night.”

“Considering what he’s been through, he’ll probably be weird for a while.”

Santino rubbed the back of his neck. “Yeah, I guess you’re right. It’s just hard seeing him like this.”

“He’ll get there. He just needs space to figure things out.”

Santino turned to me, his expression softening. “What about you?”

I shrugged. “I’m managing.”

My ex died in the shootout. There was no obituary or funeral, but he’d mysteriously disappeared. That meant the Bratva had handled his body privately. My father was in the hospital in a medicated coma. He probably wouldn’t wake up. I kept waiting to feel devastated, but all I felt was relief that I’d escaped him for good.

I only wanted him to wake up to answer for his crimes. I’d hoped that his saving Luca had been an act of mercy, but I knew better. Mercy wasn’t in my father’s playbook. Turning one of their own against them was the ultimate display of power over the Costas.

Seeing Luca brought the reality of my relationship with Santino crashing down. I’d exposed my father as a monster who kidnapped a child, and I had no idea if Santino’s feelings toward me had changed. Nobody in their right mind would still want me after everything. We’d barely even addressed the pregnancy.

Santino stepped closer, his hand gently tilting my chin so I had to meet his gaze. “Want me to kick everyone out?”

“No, I’m enjoying myself. It’s just strange to be liked by so many people.”

“You brought Luca back.” Santino threaded his fingers through my hair, stroking me. “And you made me look really good in front of the boss.”

“Oh yeah?”

He nodded slowly. “Getting him back scored me major points.”

“You’re welcome.”

Santino chuckled. “You’re becoming pretty popular with my family.”

“I thought they’d be wary of me.”

He shook his head, still smiling. “Not even close. You’ve earned their respect. My mom can’t stop talking about how brave you are, and even my hard-ass uncles are impressed. They see you as someone willing to stand up for what’s right, even when you had to abandon your family.”

“They weren’t much of a family.”

“Yeah, but still. It’s impressive. You’re tougher than half the men here,” he teased, pulling me closer. “And they all see how much you mean to me. What you’ve done for Luca. That goes a long way with the Costas.”

I smiled. “I guess I didn’t think I’d fit in.”

“You fit in better than you realize. And you’ve done something for us that no one else could. Giving Luca back to us is something none of us will ever forget.”

“Huh. Does that mean my debt to you is wiped clean?”

He smiled. “You think you can get rid of me that easily?”

I raised an eyebrow. “Well, considering everything, I’d say I’ve more than paid my dues.”

He chuckled. “Maybe so. But since you’re carrying my kid, I’m not going anywhere. In fact,” he leaned in closer, his breath warm against my ear, “I’m going to be in your business even more. So you better get used to the attention.”

My heart fluttered. “Oh, great. So now I’m stuck with you?”

“Damn right, and just to make sure you don’t forget it…”

He pulled back and reached into his pocket, producing a small envelope. He handed it to me, grinning.

“What’s this?”

“Open it and see.”

I tore it open. Inside was a set of keys and a small card with a note written in Santino’s bold handwriting.

For Retro Rose Boutique. It’s all yours, Delilah. Now you really have no excuse to leave me. Love, Santino.

“You bought me a building?”

Santino nodded, his gaze steady on mine. “Pulled a few strings, called in some favors. It’s on Newbury Street. Prime location. Bigger space, too, about twenty-five hundred square feet. You’ve got room to expand and add whatever you want.”

“When did you even have time to do this?”

“I’ve been working on it since the fire. I didn’t want you to worry about it, so I kept it under wraps. Everyone pitched in—my brothers, uncles. They all wanted to help.”

“They did?”

“You’re part of us now. We take care of our own.”

My eyes burned. “I don’t know what to say.”

“You don’t have to say anything,” Santino murmured, his thumb brushing away a tear that had slipped down my cheek. “Just know that it’s yours. Your name’s on the title. You own it.”

I stared at the keys in my hand, speechless.

He leaned in, his forehead resting against mine. Silence hung between us, the quiet hum of the distant party noises worlds away. Santino shut his eyes and opened them, taking a deep breath.

“And if you ever want…if you need your own space, I’ll help you. Just yours. No strings.”

My heart sank a little. Was he giving me a way out? Did he think I’d want one? Did he want one? The warmth of his body so close suddenly felt like a thousand miles away.

My stomach sank. “You’re letting me go?”

He nodded, his eyes burning.

“You don’t want me anymore?”

Santino’s brow furrowed. “It’s not that. I don’t want to be another thing tying you down. This thing with Luca made me think. If you’re here, it should be because you want to be. Not because you feel stuck.”

“I don’t feel stuck. I don’t want anywhere else.”

He softened. “I messed up. Made you feel trapped. That’s on me. But if we’re doing this, it’s gotta be real. I want it to be right.”

“I knew what you are. I chose you. And this shop is more than I ever expected. But I don’t want it if it means not having you.”

His hand came up to cradle my face, his thumb tracing the line of my jaw tenderly. “You have me, principessa. Always. If you want me.”

“I do. More than anything. I love you,” I blurted, the words rushing out. “I love you, and I’m scared of how deep this goes, scared of what it means for us both. I should have told you sooner how I felt, but I was afraid that loving you this much could destroy me.”

“I love you, too, Delilah.”

Tears welled up in my eyes, blurring his face, but I could hear how much he meant those words. My heart pounded. Hearing him say he loved me—it was everything I needed.

Santino raised his brow. “So, you’ll marry me?”

“Yes.”

“ Yes? ”

I smiled and nodded.

Santino got the box out of his jacket. I held up my hand, and he slipped the ring onto my finger. Then he pulled me into his arms, holding me tight against his chest.