Page 90 of Mafia and Gold Digger
Because sometimes, I get the feeling that we’re just two lost souls both searching for exactly the same thing.
CHAPTERTWENTY-NINE
EMERALD
Milena is late home despite promising me she’d be home by dinner. Even worse, she gave the soldier guarding her the slip. I know teenagers act up, but I can’t help worrying about her.
My mind wanders back to yesterday and the poker thing. Saint still hasn’t found out where the one hundred grand of his moneyreallywent…
He was super mad over the money, just like I wanted him to be because I thought he’d made a bet with Alberto. I mean, I did resolve earlier that day to start standing up for myself.
But when I found out the bet thing was a mistake, I didn’t want to upset or annoy him any further, so I didn’t tell him what actually happened to his money.
If he finds out the truth, I’ll come clean. But until then, I’ll keep quiet about it.
And as if I’d really waste a hundred grand to prove a point. I only actually lost fifty dollars to Saint’s men, and I’d paid them with cash I had in my purse. Instead, I had the cashier’s check for one hundred grand made out to the single moms’ shelter. They were over the moon when I had it delivered to them, and at least I know that the money went to a deserving cause…
* * *
After dinner, Saint gets out his chess board.
“Can I play?” Jaspar asks hopefully as he drinks from his glass.
“You can play with me,” Saint says before I can respond.
Jaspar squeals with excitement and settles on the floor next to Saint before looking at the board eagerly.
“When you lose, don’t try to blame my brother for it,” I say dryly.
“We’re not gonna lose,” Jaspar pouts.
“Exactly. We’re a winning team, aren’t we, kiddo?” Saint quips.
“Yup!”
I giggle, unable to get over how adorable the two of them are when they actually manage to agree on something. “I guess we’ll see how the game goes.”
“Can I play as well?” Giulietta pipes up.
“Sure, sweetie,” I answer. “You can be on my side. It’ll be girls against boys.”
We spend the next couple of hours playing, and the score ends with us being tied—Saint and Jaspar winning two games while Giulietta and I also win two.
Milena comes in toward the end of the last game, and I decide to leave talking to her until the morning. I need her to understand that she has to be more careful while Carmine is still a threat to us, and she needs to at least let me know where she’s going and when she’ll be back.
The kids all head upstairs for bed, and I tell them I’ll be up soon to tuck them in.
“He’s a cute kid when he’s not being snarky and thumbing his nose at me,” Saint comments from where he’s sitting on the couch.
I can’t help but chuckle. “He’s a good kid.” I put my hands in the back pockets of my denim shorts. “Thanks for letting the kids hang out with us tonight.” I totally get that it’s not what most guys his age want to be doing—babysitting two small kids.
“No problem.”
A little part of my heart swells because of the effort he’s making with the kids. I know I come with a lot of what some people might see as baggage—all my issues, plus responsibility for three younger siblings—but that Saint wants to help me means something, even if I don’t quite agree with all his methods and his fake fiancée idea. I even start wondering if he could be the father figure that Jaspar so desperately needs in his life. I try to do everything I can for the kids, but I’m always worrying that it’s not enough.
I take a seat on the couch and close my eyes for a moment. “I’m exhausted. I didn’t realize how late it is.”
“It’s nice being around Jaspar and your other siblings,” Saint admits, surprising me. “It reminds me that innocence still exists in the world.”
