Page 17 of King

We kiss despite my protests, and when the kiss ends, he wipes my bottom lip and then his own.“How do I look?Does the color look good on me?”

He wags his eyebrows playfully and lets me go back to my makeup.

I can’t help but smile.“No more delays, husband.My father doesn’t like it when people are late for dinner.”

After we’re finished,we slip on our coats and take the elevator down to the basement, where our car is parked.Even now, I feel a sense of danger as we walk through the vehicles.The lights come on as we pass, and I feel that at any moment, some Russian thug — or Italian or Irish — could jump out and attack either of us.Luckily, no one does, and so we get to our car safely.I sigh and fasten my seat belt, watching the garage in case someone leaves the elevator.

Beside me, Harrison starts the car, and we drive off, leaving through the exit and into the early evening.It’s now six o’clock.The lights are coming on in the city around us as the days get shorter and night falls earlier.I love driving through Manhattan at night.The city is so magical with all the lights and tall buildings.Central Park is beautiful, even though the leaves have fallen and the green is gone.

Harrison takes my hand and squeezes.“Nervous?”

I nod.“Always.I barely know my father.He’s a mafia kingpin.Why wouldn’t I be nervous?”

“I think he cares about you, regardless of his business dealings.In fact, I know it.He’s genuinely happy that you’re back in the fold.Or he thinks you are.”

I exhale and close my eyes, leaning my head back against the headrest.“I’m so sick of pretending, Harrison.I want a real life.I want a real relationship with a family.I don’t want to get too close to him and my half-brothers only to see them all go to jail.”

“I know the feeling all too well,” he says and holds my hand up to his lips for a kiss.

Of course, he knows the feeling.We’re two peas in a pod.

“We’ll get through this, and hopefully, on the other end, we’ll be in our new place.The bad guys will be in jail, and we’ll finally be free of them.For good this time.”

I nod and watch him as we drive through the streets.I’m so lucky to have him.Of all the men I could have met and fallen in love with, he is the one who understands me the most.

But something he says bothers me at the same time.As much as I want the ‘bad guys’ to be put away, I feel conflicted about my father.Yes, he’s one of the bad guys by anyone’s definition, but I still don’t want to be the one putting him in prison.He’s been so nice to me since I returned to the fold.So warm.He seems genuinely happy that I have asked to be back in his life.

Maybe he’s changed.Still, he’s probably done a lot that would make him deserving of being put in prison for the rest of his life.

I sigh and look out the window as the scenery passes by.

We drive across the Brooklyn Bridge to the area where my father’s mansion is located.When we arrive, we stop at the tall black wrought-iron gate.Security cameras focus on the gate, and Harrison speaks into the intercom.

“Harrison and Natalia,” he says.The intercom buzzes, and the gate opens.We drive up to the mansion, and my mind goes back to my childhood when I lived here.It’s so strange for me to be back, visiting, after being so dead set against my father and anything to do with him.Now, here I am attending Sunday dinner.Part of me is disgusted that I’m back, but another part, the one that remembers the happy times of my childhood, is glad to be back.

If only we could wipe away all the bad that my father has done… For that matter, if only we could do the same for Harrison’s family, and he could keep O’Connor Enterprises running and escape the clutches of the Mafia.Maybe then, we could keep our family legacies alive.

Not everything my father did was bad.The same applies to Harrison’s father.

How I hate the Mafia…

We drive up to the entrance, and a valet comes out to open the door for us.Harrison hands him the keys.Harrison takes my hand, and together, we walk up the stairs to the entrance.

“Aren’t you worried that the valet will put listening devices in our car?Tracking devices?”

Harrison bends down and kisses me quickly.“I imagine they already have the last time we were here.I imagine that the FBI removed them and put its own in.Who knows?Do you like being a pawn in a very large and dangerous game?”

“No, I don’t.I can’t wait until we’re free.”

Harrison nods.

As we arrive at the doors, my father opens them to greet us.

“Natalia,” he says, pulling me into an embrace, kissing my cheeks one after the other.“So happy to have you and Harrison over to share our Sunday meal.Come in, come in.Everyone is waiting in the study.”

He pulls me inside and then turns and shakes Harrison’s hand.“Harrison, so glad to have you as a son-in-law now.Thank you for coming.”

“My pleasure,” Harrison says, smiling, his smile seeming totally authentic.“Thank you for allowing us back into your life.I know that Natalia is so happy to get to know everyone again.Especially because her mother and stepfather are dead.Family is everything.”