JOE STUFFED HIS hands in his pockets, and kept his head down as he walked on the Upper Manhattan sidewalk. In his leather jacket, and dark-wash jeans, he could have been any damn New Yorker taking a stroll. The baseball cap added in keeping his face covered, though he probably didn’t need it.
He was being precautious today. Probably a little extra, really. He figured it was better to be extra safe than ruin the Marcellos plans before they could properly get started—even if he didn’t know what those damn plans were for the time being. His entire job in New York was to stay out of sight, and live up to his namesake as the Shadow.
Joe could do that.
It was what he did best.
Joe had gotten a call earlier that Liliana would be staying late at the ballet company, and then heading to a dinner later to celebrate the upcoming show she had a major part in. Given her sister and cousin were going to be attending the dinner along with their mothers, there would be more than enough enforcers watching over them that Joe wouldn’t be needed.
Which was fine.
Sort of.
After the week before in his hotel room, Joe was still trying to figure out a way to step in on Liliana without her realizing he was the one watching her, and also apologize. He hadn’t meant to act like an ass, or offend her.
There were just things about them that was out of his control. Like the fact he was hired to do a job—one she didn’t know about, and then on top of that, had gotten guarding her added on top of the list.
Joe suspected that despite being the daughter of a Cosa Nostra underboss, Liliana probably was not all too familiar with the underlying rules that suffocated and surrounded the made men in the life. Things like women and daughters and dating were not something a man like Joe could just jump in to without some sort of preparation.
But Christ …
He wanted to.
More than anything, he found that he had wanted to say yes to her. To figure out some way to give her the date she asked for without showing them off to the public, so he could keep his cover like he had been told to do.
Surely, he could make it work.
Except he couldn’t …
He hadn’t said yes because respect came first in this life—it was the very first and last thing he had been taught before he was made. Sure, he liked to push the boundaries occasionally, but not so much that it might cause more tensions between the Marcello family and the Chicago Outfit.
Joe wasn’t that stupid.
He couldn’t explain all of that to Liliana, though. If she didn’t already know, then maybe someone hadn’t meant for her to. It did seem like her family gave her a little more leeway and freedom than most principessas.
That wasn’t a bad thing, either.
Slipping down a shadowed alley beside a rather popular Manhattan restaurant, Joe came up to the exit door at the back of the business. A light flickered over head in red, probably signaling that the door was locked.
A bit of time in New York had taught Joe a few things when it came to the Marcello brothers, and how they worked. The men might have seemed like they roamed freely without any kind of protection, but that was far from the truth. They always had at least two—but sometimes three—enforcers nearby.
Usually within shouting distance.
At least.
He suspected if the enforcers were anything like the ones doing business for the Chicago Outfit, then they kept their posts at businesses and such to make sure their bosses were protected. Something he knew well.
Putting his theory to the test, Joe knocked on the exit door with two knuckles. He waited five seconds, and then knocked again. Not a breath later, the door was pulled open, and Joe was greeted by a man just about the same size as him in width and height.
“What?” the man barked.
“Joe Rossi.”
The enforcer cocked a brow. “And?”
Apparently, not everyone knew he was working for the Marcellos in their famiglia. Joe wasn’t going to dwell on it; he had other shit to do.
“Lucian Marcello owns this place, right? Spends most of his working hours here in the private dining room.”
The enforcer’s face hardened. “What are you asking about—”
“Let him know Joe Rossi would like to speak to him.”
“You couldn’t come in through the front door, or what?”
Joe looked down at his attire. “Not dressed for a place like this, for one.”
“And for two?”
“You don’t know about me—that’s enough of an answer for you, man.”
“What?”
“Just go tell Lucian what I said.”
The enforcer didn’t look entirely fucking pleased at being ordered around by a stranger. He all but gave Joe a look that threatened violence if he breathed the wrong way. Still, the guy closed the door, and Joe was stuck waiting in the alleyway.
It was another two minutes before the door was opened again. And this time, it wasn’t the enforcer waiting. Lucian Marcello slipped out the back door, and gave the enforcer a nod over his shoulder before the door closed—a silent demand for the man to stay inside, and wait.
“You asked for me?” Lucian asked. “I figured with my daughter taken care of today, you might have … I don’t know, taken a day off.”
Joe shrugged. “I don’t take days off.”
“Interesting. What can I do for you, Joe? Oh, and thanks for being mindful about how you approached me.”
“Yeah, well … I have something coming up soon, and I’m going to need to take care of it. I assumed coming here would be a quick job for me, and then I could be on my way.”
“Us, too. Things came up.”
Joe nodded. “That’s fine, but regardless; I have other business, too.”
“Chicago, I imagine.”
“You would be correct.”
“And what’s going on in Chicago?” Lucian asked.
“A bar opening with my brother, actually.”
Lucian gave Joe an amused look. “Isn’t Cory a little young to be owning a bar?”
“That’s why I have to be there for the … details,” Joe said. “It’s a joint effort—his idea. I placate him.”
A half-smile edged at the corners of Lucian’s mouth. “I have one of those, too.”
“Hmm?”
“A brother you have to constantly indulge to keep him out of trouble.”
“That’s …”
“Sì?”
“Very appropriate for my brother,” Joe said dryly.
Lucian nodded once, saying, “It gets easier as they get older. The younger ones are always a little wild—being the baby gives them more legroom to run. They’re always trying to catch up, you know.”
Well, as fun as this conversation is …
“It’ll help your cause, too, for me to go,” Joe added.
Lucian cocked a brow. “How so?”
“I may not be well-known here, or have someone following me around to take pictures, and plaster them on some agent’s corkboard, but I do in Chicago. His name is Gary, by the way, but he likes it when I call him Agent Gary.”
“Do you—use the agent title, I mean?”
Joe barked out a laugh. “Never.”
“They get so pissy—poor little feds.”
“Truth.” Joe shifted on his feet, and shoved his hands in his pockets. “Gary is used to me dropping off the radar for a bit of time, but he probably knows I have this thing coming up. Anyway, my face will be seen, it’ll be said I am still in Chicago. And when all of the shit does finally go down here, nobody will even be thinking about attaching my name to it all.”
“Smart,” Lucian murmured.
“I try to keep business clean.”
“Your father was like that, too.”
Joe cleared his throat. “Yeah, well, we all learn from somewhere.”
“Take your trip—just give us time to settle something out for Liliana. And speaking of her, she has a show this weekend. I won’t be able to attend, but it’s a small thing, anyway. She likes us there for the bigger ones. Do make sure you are close enough during that show to keep eyes on her.”
Like he even needed to be told.
“Already have tickets, actually,” Joe said.
“Oh?”
The curiosity lacing the man’s tone couldn’t be missed, but Joe simply opted to pretend like he hadn’t heard it at all.
“And on the Liliana topic,” Joe added.
Now or never.
“What about her?”
“I would like to take her out—call it a date, if you want. But out somewhere. Safe, and private, of course.”
Lucian stayed quiet.
Joe waited the man out.
He didn’t think mentioning the hotel would be all that appropriate, or good for his cause, so he just opted to leave those details out.
“Why?” Lucian finally asked.
“I think it would be good for her. Should I need to step in, maybe then she would trust me a little more, and it’ll let me get to know her. And her for me, too.”
Lucian quieted again, and folded his arms over his chest. A silent Lucian, Joe found, was rather intimidating. He didn’t show that was how the man made him feel, though.
“Is there more to it?” Lucian asked.
Joe smiled at that question. “I don’t know—can there be?”
“Well, that’s not up to me, Joe. Have a good day.”
As quickly as he had come out in the alleyway, Lucian knocked on the door, it was opened, and he was gone.
Joe hadn’t gotten a yes.
But he also hadn’t gotten a no.
That worked for him.
Row five, seat three wasn’t the perfect spot to watch the ballet, but it was damn close. And for last minute tickets, Joe wasn’t going to complain. He wasn’t much for ballet, or something like the opera. It had just never been his style.
And yet, he had found it hard to look away during the showing of The Sleeping Beauty.
It might have been because the sleeping beauty in question was Liliana Marcello. He was known for his changing demeanor and masks whenever the right time called for it. Some people liked to say he turned into someone else entirely when business was at play, and Joe had never once denied that statement.
But her?
Liliana turned into someone else, too, when she danced. Some kind of human-angel hybrid moving across the stage with the kind of grace and beauty he hadn’t quite seen before. The emotions and focus on her face as she moved from one step to the next was enthralling, and addictive. She played her character beyond just the dancing, and perhaps even, took the persona on for the moments she was on stage.
It was amazing.
She was beautiful.
He thought, at first sight, she had kind of captivated him. And seeing her like this only added to that strange enchantment, really.
The red corset top of her costume contrasted brightly against the white flowy tutu of the skirt. Her hair had been pulled back into a high, tight bun, and her face painted with a dramatic mix of white makeup, with the reddest lips.
On the very tips of her toes, with her legs perfectly straight, and her arms bent in front of her, she ended the slow with a final bow. Then, she tipped her head up, and stared straight into the crowd, and smiled when the applause started.
Joe clapped, too.
At the same time, he was already getting out of his seat, and starting to move to the area backstage. He was pretty sure he knew the custom of shows after the final act, and the stars came out to do their final bow. While he didn’t want to interrupt Liliana during her celebratory moments backstage, he did want to make sure he could keep an eye on her.
That was his job, after all.
The small VIP stamp on the corner of his ticket allowed him to easily move past the man standing guard at the backstage entrance when Joe flashed it at him. Loosening his tie—fuck, he hated wearing a suit most of the time—he slipped into the shadows near the red curtain as the clapping continued just beyond the stage.
He watched as the man who he believed to be the owner of the ballet company waved for the dancers to go.
“Move, move—and smile, everyone! Big smiles!”
Jesus.
The guy couldn’t get any fucking louder.
It took all of thirty seconds for every dancer to get out on the stage, do their final bow, and for the thundering applause to get even louder. A man and woman carrying several bushels of red and white roses passed Joe by without even noticing he was standing right there.
Each dancer was presented with one of each rose—a gift from the company, it seemed, and not from the guests. At least, if the director’s words were to be trusted.
Liliana was one of the very last to leave the stage. This close—although she still couldn’t see Joe or rather, hadn’t noticed him—he was able to admire the way her skin-toned tights all but molded to her legs in the best way, and how her makeup had been overdone just enough to highlight her most beautiful features.
She was quite a sight.
“Liliana, you were wonderful!”
Liliana beamed at the man who had been directing the dancers earlier, and took the hug he offered. “Thank you, Gordo.”
“Oh, they loved you.”
“I hope so.”
She had no idea, Joe thought. Not a single idea about how mesmerizing she was on the stage in her costume, and playing her character. She just wanted to dance, and dance well, but she did far more than just that. And that, he knew, was the reason why the crowd adored her when she was on stage preforming.
“You’re looking well to get that spot in the next show,” Gordo told her.
Liliana’s face brightened all over again. “I look forward to it.”
“Lilibet, look at you.”
Lilibet?
What the fuck kind of name was that?
Liliana stiffened, and turned with the sort of slow grace he thought only a dancer could probably have. The man standing just a few feet to her left was dressed up in a suit that likely cost more than most people’s monthly salaries, and shoes that shined against the hardwood floor. In his hand, he held a bouquet of flowers—blue roses.
How fucking unique.
Who the hell was this guy?
He looked familiar, but Joe didn’t have time to think on it for long. He was a little too focused on the fact the guy had gotten backstage without Joe noticing at all. Likely because Joe had been too distracted watching Liliana to care.
Mistake number one.
He wasn’t about to allow a second mistake to bite him in the ass, too. Once bitten, twice shy and all that good shit.
Joe opted to stay in the shadows and watch the exchange between Liliana, and the man. Only because for the moment, it didn’t exactly look like she needed him to step in, and there were plenty of people around, anyway.
However, there was a lot Joe didn’t miss.
The way her hands clenched.
How her gaze narrowed.
The bobbing of her throat.
Quick breaths.
Fear, Joe knew.
It all screamed fear.
Yet, Liliana did her very best not to show it other than those small, instinctive reactions. She practically forced herself to stay rooted in place as the man took a step closer to her, but Joe could tell that a part of her was screaming to step the hell back.
“What are you doing here?” Liliana asked the man.
“I came to see the show.”
“I don’t remember inviting you.”
“With a ticket, I don’t need an invitation, Lilibet.”
“Don’t call me that.”
In the back of his mind, Joe was still trying to remember where in the fuck he recognized the guy from. Nothing was coming to the forefront to even give him a damn hint. Sometimes, memories were a bitch like that. Playing Hide and Seek like he had time for that kind of nonsense, when he clearly did not.
“I just thought I should check in,” the man said.
Liliana’s jaw hardened. “Well, don’t.”
The guy didn’t even look fazed, and instead, offered the flowers to her. “Here, I brought them for you. And you were amazing, as I knew you would be.”
She didn’t even look at the flowers. She never reached for them. She only stared at the man with a dead gaze that reflected nothingness—a black, blank slate that gave nothing away.
“Have a good evening,” Liliana told him.
Another dancer saved the day by pulling Liliana away to greet another three-piece, and the man’s overly plastic wife.
The strange, unknown man still didn’t look fazed. He did leave, though. Joe made sure to follow him out …
Just in case.
Then, Joe made a few calls.
“Joe.”
The quiet way Liliana said his name made Joe smile. She opened the door of her Brooklyn studio apartment a little wider, but didn’t move to silently invite him in.
“How did you know where I lived?” she asked.
Joe shrugged. “Someone let me know when I asked.”
“And how did you get into the building?”
“I have my ways.”
Like an extra key to get in … just in case, or so he had been told. He chose not to tell Liliana that, anyway. She was a part of his job, but he didn’t want her thinking that’s all this was for him.
Besides, he had shit to make up for.
“Big night for you, huh?” he asked.
Liliana blinked. “Pardon?”
“You were a feature in a show tonight, weren’t you?”
Liliana laughed a little, and glanced to the side. “Something else someone told you?”
“Something like that.”
“It was a good night. I wouldn’t say big.”
“Celebratory worthy?” he dared to ask.
Her gaze widened a bit. “Excuse me?”
Joe held up the items he had been holding at his back. A movie, a bag of takeout from a place he knew she frequented, and a bottle of red wine. “I thought—since someone let me know you would be here, and not out somewhere—that you might want to celebrate your night a little quieter than say, going out and doing something.”
Liliana hesitated. “Joe—”
“You didn’t give me time to explain at the hotel, you know,” he quickly interjected before she could turn him down. “You didn’t even let me talk, Liliana.”
“You didn’t need to. What you didn’t say was enough.”
“What I didn’t say was that no, it’s not okay to just go around asking daughters of made men on dates when some men would consider that to be a great disrespect to them. You don’t know a lot about me, and I get that, but that wasn’t how I was raised. I don’t disrespect men better than me, or any man like me, either. I’m not that kind of man, but don’t for one fucking second more, think that I’m not interested in you, Liliana. Because I am—entirely.”
She blinked.
Smiled.
“Interested, huh?”
He liked the curling sweetness in her voice.
The way her gaze looked him over.
All of her, really.
Following this woman around day in and day out was nothing like actually being close to her, and interacting with her. A lot of the defenses that Joe kept built up around himself to stay safe in this life that he had chosen all seemed to fall down around him whenever Liliana came into play.
He didn’t want to pretend for her. He wanted to be—and could be—exactly who he was, with no pretenses, and no worries.
Other than his closest family, he’d never really met someone before who allowed him that kind of comfort. And frankly, he really didn’t even know this girl, and she still let him feel that way. How was he supposed to just ignore that?
He couldn’t.
Liliana was still quiet.
Joe stayed right where he was, and waited her out. Waving the items again, he added, “And technically, if you want, we could call this a date.”
Liliana wet her bottom lip, and grinned. “Oh, so does that mean you’ve got the okay now, or something?”
“Or something,” he hedged.
“You just showed up here thinking I was going to let you in?”
“I think you want to save your pride, but it’s okay to admit you might have been wrong at the hotel, and I am willing to never mention it again.”
“Oh, really?”
Her amused tone made him smirk.
“Think of it like a restart,” Joe offered. “This is our do-over.”
She hummed a bit.
Joe still waited.
“Well, you must have made quite the effort to get information about where you could find me, and when to do all of this, right?” Liliana asked.
“You could say that.”
He wouldn’t.
She could.
“I do like effort,” she said.
Joe smirked again. “I bet there’s lots more you’ll like about me if you let me in, Liliana.”
Her grin matched his, and she stepped back from the door. “Kind of hard to say no to that, isn’t it?”
“I’ve not been proved a liar yet.”