Chapter 2

Vanessa looked from my stomach to Nicholas's face.

"Pregnant? But I don't see a ring on you." She paused. "Does the father even know?"

My ring hung on a thin chain beneath my collar. My fingers had swollen with the pregnancy, and it didn't fit anymore.

"My husband knows," I said. "He's meeting me here."

Nicholas's face hardened, but before he could ask anything, I pointed at the sign in his hand. "Aren't you here to pick me up? Let's go."

Tony laughed. Vanessa glanced at the sign, then back at me.

"We're here for Mrs. Crane. The Don's wife. Do you know who that is?"

"Yes. I do."

"Then you know why we don't have time for this," Nicholas said.

"The Don doesn't let people get close," Tony added. "But he listens to his wife. If she puts in a good word, the Russos could finally have the Crane family behind us."

Vanessa lifted her chin. "He waited years for her, you know. A man like that could've married anyone, and he wouldn't settle."

I remembered Sebastian telling me how the Commission's elders had pushed him to marry for political advantage. When I asked why he never had, he'd looked genuinely confused.

"Because I'd have had to spend my life with her."

It had seemed that simple to him. He had never asked one woman to wait while he handed her place to another.

"Last month, he had the Moon's Tear brought over from Europe for her," Vanessa went on. "Have you seen the photos? Every jeweler's selling copies."

She noticed the pendant at my throat and stopped.

"Where did you get that?"

Nicholas reached for it. I stepped back, covering the moonstone with my hand.

"It was a gift."

"From this husband of yours?" His eyes moved over the setting. "It's a good copy. I'll give him that."

Sebastian had fastened it around my neck on our anniversary. Our son had insisted on helping, so Sebastian had lifted him up to move my hair out of the way.

I still remembered their faces in the mirror behind me.

"Think what you want," I said. "Don't touch it."

Nicholas caught the chain before I could pull away. The clasp snapped, scraping my neck.

"Give it back."

Vanessa took it from him and studied the pendant.

"It's better than the one I ordered," she admitted. "But I'd never wear mine in front of the Cranes."

"You bought a copy?" Tony asked.

"To compare." She flipped the moonstone over fast, then smiled at me. "I'll buy this one off you, Isabel. Whatever you paid, I'll double it."

"It's not for sale."

"Don't be difficult. You obviously need the money."

She let it dangle from one finger. I reached for it, scared she'd drop it.

"Give it back. Sebastian gave that to me."

Nicholas slapped me.

My head snapped sideways. For a second, all I could hear was ringing in my ear. I steadied myself against my suitcase and tasted blood.

"Don't drag the Don into this," he said. "Do you have any idea what those lies could cost us?"

Tony stepped closer. "We've spent months setting up this visit. If Mrs. Crane hears you're using her husband's name..."

"Then let her hear it."

I wiped my mouth and looked at Nicholas. His eyes dropped to the blood on my fingers, and he stopped talking.

For years, he'd told me Vanessa needed his protection. He'd just hit me in front of her, and she was still holding my necklace.

"Nicholas was trying to help you," Vanessa said. "You know how much this means to him. Why would you try to ruin it?"

"I asked for my necklace."

"You said the Don gave it to you," Nicholas snapped. "All because you can't stand Vanessa having something you want."

"She's holding something that belongs to me!"

He glanced at the pendant, then reached into his jacket. For a second, I thought he might finally tell her to give it back.

Instead, he pulled out a checkbook.

He wrote down an amount and held the check out to me.

"Twenty thousand dollars. Buy yourself some clothes and find a place to stay. If you don't want to watch Vanessa's son, I'll find you another job."

I didn't take it.

"Isabel, I'm giving you a way to put this behind us."

There was no apology for hitting me. He was waiting for me to take the money so he could call it settled.

I pushed his hand away and turned to Vanessa.

"The necklace. Now."

She looked at Nicholas. When he gave a short nod, she handed it over.

I put the broken chain in my bag and picked up my suitcase.

"Keep your money, Nicholas. I haven't asked you for a thing."