“Too far,” Chase mumbled under his breath.
“Good.” Luca nodded. “So there is nothing for me to be concerned about?”
Nobody said anything. Screw that. Nixon wanted me to take my place alongside these guys? Fine.
“Actually…” I unbuckled my seatbelt so I could turn to face Luca. “There is one problem.”
“There is?” Luca and Chase asked in unison while Frank laughed.
“Well, it is a problem, Chase.”
“What is?”
Poor guy. He did have it coming though. “Your little problem.” I pointed down.
“What?” he roared.
Luca’s eyes widened in surprise, taking on an entirely shocked look I’d actually never seen on him before. “Uh, well, uh.”
“Luca…” I batted my lashes. “You’ve been so helpful with every other aspect of this arrangement I thought you could take your help a little further. You see, Chase and I are having problems in the bedroom. Know anything about that? It’s so clear how knowledgeable you are about everyone and everything. So why not help with this? After all, you love sticking your nose where it doesn’t have any right to be.”
Luca sputtered. “Well, I…” He looked helplessly to Frank who lifted his hands in the air and looked away.
“Oh wait. You don’t work that way.” I tapped my chin. “You work with threats and violence… so how about this. Chase’s gun—”
“Oh, dear Lord.” Chase swore. “Nixon, get your ass over here!”
Luca’s brows furrowed as he held up his hand for Nixon to stay in place. “Do continue, Emiliana.”
I cleared my throat. “As I was saying, his gun…” It was as if everyone in the airplane took a deep breath in anticipation. “It keeps getting in the way. And you know how I hate being the nagging wife, but could you please tell him to put it away? Especially when it’s time for bed.”
I smiled triumphantly as everyone exhaled.
Luca’s right eye twitched as he glared at Chase. “Son, the bedroom is never a place for guns.”
“Speak for yourself.” This from Nixon. I heard the crack of skin hitting skin. Pretty sure he was going to pay for that many times over.
“Wow, good talk. Thanks.” I said thanks with such force there was no guessing at how pissed I was that he kept sticking his nose where it didn’t belong. He wanted me to take my place? Fine, cut off the damn apron strings and stop patronizing me and looking over my shoulder.
Chase’s eyes narrowed on mine.
“I think,” Luca said in low tones, “I underestimated you, Emiliana.”
“People always do,” I said loudly. “And, Luca?”
“Yes?”
“Until you see me joining in with the De Langes — I’m innocent. I’m in charge of what happens to them. I’m their leader. And they are my responsibility. You’ve helped put me in this position, now let me do my job. I’m not a puppet, and I don’t work well when people are looking over my shoulder every damn minute. I’m a De Lange. I’ve got venom in my veins, and I’ll spit you out like poison if I have to. Now, can everyone please stay out of my business?”
“Yes,” Luca said.
Frank blinked as surprise washed over his weathered face.
I smirked and turned my attention to Luca. “Yes, what?”
Luca’s smile reached his eyes in amusement. “Yes, ma’am.”
I sighed in relief and turned back around just in time to see Nixon silently clap twice and nod his head in my direction.
I didn’t want to look at Chase. I expected him to be pissed that I’d gone and thrown him under the bus or even teased him. My cell phone went off.
Crap, I needed to turn it off before I got in trouble. I quickly glanced at the screen and saw three texts from Chase.
Chase: I’m so turned on right now.
Chase: Oh and I’m proud of you. In that order. Turned on first, proud comes second… always second.
Chase: Three words. Mile. High. Club.
Me: Three words. I. Don’t. Think. So.
Chase: That was four words.
Me: Just making sure you were still the smart one.
Chase: I’m still holding your hand.
Me: Okay.
I turned off my phone and looked at Chase out of the corner of my eye. His grin was so big he looked like he’d just gotten lucky instead of sending a few silly text messages. He was proud of me. And he wanted me.
I could live with that, for now.
Chapter Twenty
Nixon
“Damn,” I muttered under my breath. Even I wasn’t insane enough to publicly humiliate Luca like that. The girl either had a death wish or balls of steel.
“Nixon.” Trace gripped my hand as the plane started its taxi.
“Hmm?” I kept my eyes trained in Luca. He closed his eyes and leaned back against the seat, looking cool as a cucumber. What was his play? His reason for helping us when all signs pointed to him going back to Sicily and letting me handle what he kept referring to as the situation.
“Are you okay?”
“Of course,” I said gruffly, my eyes darting between Frank and Luca until I got dizzy from blinking so damn much.
“Leave it,” Trace grabbed my chin and forced me to look away so my gaze fell onto her perfect face, “and kiss me.”
“Trace, you know I love you, but I can’t just ignore the fact that—”