His Mafia Queen

Mysteries of the Past

Gia snuggles into his side, and my mind flashes to Riley, and how she did something similar last night. The yearning for her comes roaring back, almost to the point where I'm uncomfortable in my skin.

"Maria's okay. She seems to be taking Donnie's wishes seriously, probably because he'd written them in his will. She had that read almost immediately."

My eyebrows shoot up. "I'd have thought Ale and I would be included in that."

"Technically, Maria's the executor," says Ale.

"There's no danger of her wanting to take over Donnie's business, is there?" Gia asks, all business.

I shake my head. "No. Donnie made sure to generously provide for her. And I don't think she has any aspirations to be a mafia boss."

We all chuckle, then we lapse into talking about Donnie. Memories of him, things he said, wise words and hilarious stories.

We're laughing through our tears when we hear footsteps. We all know they're Maria's by the soft click of the heels on tile. She appears in the doorway, a tall, slim woman with a shock of white-blonde short hair. She's wearing a leopard-print jumpsuit, and if any woman can look somber, classy, and fashionable while picking out a casket in animal print, it's Maria. Maybe it's her Milan roots, or her intrinsic style, or her age, but we all stand out of respect when she walks in.

"My dears," she gushes, and immediately hugs Gia. Then she turns to Ale, and finally to me. "You are like the kids I never had, you know that, don't you?"

We all sit, while grief hangs in the air, filtering in with the fading sunlight of the day.

"The service is tomorrow, just like Donnie wanted. Remember how he said, 'I want a quick goodbye'?" Maria says, her voice hoarse.

We all nod. Fuck, I'm saying goodbye to Donnie tomorrow. So soon, and yet an eternity. Kind of like the passing of time—the days are long, but the years are short.

Maria and Gia chat briefly about dinner, and Ale and I declare that we'll eat whatever is put in front of us.

"Our chef made a nice tray of lasagna earlier," Maria says, and my stomach rumbles. Another thought pops into my head—make my lasagna for Riley, she'll love it—then I quickly banish the idea. I can't keep thinking about that woman, not when I've got so much to deal with here.

Still, there's a big part of me that wishes she was here, at my side. Supporting me like Gia is with Ale. Seeing their casual touches, their little glances, their easy compatibility, tugs at something in my heart. Maybe the years wouldn't be so short if I had Riley along for the ride. Someone to laugh with. Someone who has my back. Someone grounding, like Gia is for Ale. I watch them as they twine their hands together.

Maybe Riley is my person, my twin flame.

"Gabriel? You okay? Gabriel?" Maria's voice breaks through my thoughts.

"Oh. Yeah. Sorry, had kind of a long night last night. You know, with my memories."

Gia tilts her head, as if she doesn't believe me. Like I said, she's cunning. Smart. "So, what are we going to do?"

"About what?" I ask.

"Catherine," Ale says. "You're the only one who knows her well. Or knew her."

The mention of Catherine's name slices through me. She's Donnie's daughter, or was, until she disowned him. It's a long and painful story, and I'm honestly not sure how much Maria knows about the situation. Now doesn't seem like the time or the place to hash it out.

"There's nothing to do about Catherine. As far as I know, she's living her best life out in California. Last I knew, anyway. I haven't talked with her in years."