Mafia Queen

Chapter Thirty Three

Charlotte

The next day, I was such a ball of nerves I could hardly put my eyeliner in a straight line. I was going to find Luca. I had gotten what I wanted, but it didn't stop me from being anxious.

So much hung in the balance of how tonight went, and the pressure was nearly debilitating. If Niko bought our plan, I'd be spending the next few weeks pretending to be someone I'm not and trying to save my husband. If he didn't, I could pretty much kiss any shot I had of bringing Luca home goodbye. For a minute, I was second guessing why Angelo and Marco were trusting me with so much responsibility. I had to push that thought as far out of my mind as possible, though. If I doubted myself even for a second, I wouldn't pull this off.

Saying goodbye to the kids was the worst part. I didn't know if was only going to be for a few hours or for a few weeks. Luckily, my mom would be there with Julia, and Jenni promised to stop in and check on them, too. None of them agreed with what I was doing, but they all understood why I was doing it. To her credit, my mom hadn't even tried to fight me on it, just told me to be safe and go find Luca. I told Layla I was going on a work trip, and she was used to Luca taking those, so she didn't ask many questions. The boys were just thrilled to be spending the night with my mom. I hoped I wasn't making a decision that could leave my children without either parent. Biting my lip, I tried to drown all of those thoughts, too. I took a deep breath, trying to focus all my energy on what I was about to do.

Angelo drove me to the apartment complex in silence and I could tell he was anxious, too. He finally turned off the main road and into a parking lot. The building in front of us was enormous, towering high above the street and most other skyscrapers in the area. That was no small feat, considering we were in the heart of New York City. Still mesmerized by its immensity, I looked up, trying to find the top, but it was so tall I couldn't.

"What is this place?" I shut the door and came around the side of the car meeting Angelo.

"Solana Suites." He shoved his hands in his pockets. "Jace has a place here that he isn't using and we'll be saying here while you're trying to seduce Niko."

I'd had about all I could take of his snark. "First of all, I am not trying to seduce Niko. I am trying to bring my husband, and your best friend, back. And truthfully, I am scared out of my mind right now, so a little support from you would be great."

"Sorry." He softened, eyes filling with guilt. "I'm just on edge this morning. You're going to do great. I wouldn't let you go in there if I had doubts." He reached over and put his arm around me and smirked. "Besides, I know Niko will stay far away from you if you give him half the shit you give us."

"Very funny." I laughed, following behind him as he opened the door for me. "What did you mean when you said we'll be staying? I thought I was staying here by myself."

Angelo shook his head, leading me to an elevator and pressing the number for the 56th floor. "Marco and I will stay here with you. If we can't be inside with you, this is the next best thing. He spent the entire night setting it as a sort of home base for us."

"But how can you do that? I'm not supposed to be seen with you guys."

"We'll be careful. Once you contact Niko, we won't come in the traditional way." He chuckled.

I looked back at him expectantly. What exactly did not in the traditional way mean? Like through the windows? Surely not if we were on the 56th floor.

"We'll pose as maintenance men or delivery men, anything to not look suspicious. Marco even came in through a delivery box one time when we were on a stakeout. It's nothing new; we're used to it."