She had loved singing for her father when she was little. He would sit on the couch, a smile stretched across his face. Her mother and Vinny couldn’t bear to listen to her poking at the piano keys while her voice cracked as she sang, but her father would listen for hours.

He loved her like that.

For a while, she thought her love for music died with Theo and her father that night. Until she met Max, and he helped channel her pain into music. She wrote what felt like a million songs that first year, pushing all her pain and all this hate she felt into the songs. One after one she scribbled them on lined paper while belting out the lyrics. The she sealed each one in an envelope and stuck it in the box under her bed.

“Max,” Gemma greeted. “What’s on the docket for tonight?”

“Open mic?” He had a toothy grin, and he smiled right at Adelina.

Yeah, he knew what she needed.

Music.

Chapter Eight

On Thursday nights in Providence there was an open mic night at the Blue Door Cafe, which contrary to its name, actually had a red door.

The place was packed with locals and college students alike. Deep red brick walls were lined with posters for upcoming events and there were black cafe tables scattered about. The lights were dimmed and stale cigarette smoke lingered in the air.

Lucian checked his phone for the third time.

Blue door cafe.

Nico, one of his oldest friends and the enforcer he secretly had tailing Adelina had never led him astray, but Jesus he wished this was a mix up.

He hated dive bars, little holes in the wall with their sticky floors and dirty bathrooms. Lucian would much rather be in the bar at the four seasons or back in New York at one of his own clubs.

In the front was a small stage with a keyboard currently home to a college aged kid strumming a guitar and singing a pop song. Another thing Lucian disliked: pop music. It all sounded like bubble gum and sunshine even when the words were saying something else.

Call him a stereotypical ganster, but he’d prefer to be listening to some Sinatra.

The bar was crowded for a Thursday, but Lucian found a spot at the end with a good view of the stage far enough back that he was nearly unnoticeable.

His other problem with this place? The bartenders didn’t know him. Maybe he was spoiled in New York, but everyone knew him and no one made him wait.

“Whiskey.” He snapped when the bartender finally got to him.

Bubblegum, the name he had kindly given the kid on stage, was just finishing up his song. Most of the bar gave a low rumble of applause except for the group with several black tables pushed together, who were screaming for him. Downright screaming for this average bubblegum pop singer. They were all young, college age probably. Among them Lucian spotted one familiar face: Adelina DeMarco.

“Thank you! Thank you!” Bubblegum cooed into the mic. “That’s it for me, but next up is my favorite friend,” he winked at the group, “and a special treat for you! Addy, you’re up!”

The group cheered again, whistling and chanting her name.

She was wearing a pair of ripped up jeans, a loose white tank top and white converse. Her hair was falling in loose waves and Lucian couldn’t tell if she had just rolled out of bed and naturally looked this pretty or if this was the result of effort.

He loved her in the mini skirt and heels he first met her in, but he didn’t hate the ripped jean look either.

She was blushing when she got on the stage, he could tell from the back of the bar. She sat at the keyboard and took a deep breath. “Uh,” she mumbled in to her microphone. “This is Superficial Love by Ruth B.” Her fingers began to dance over the piano keys playing a slow melody.

She had mentioned that she was a musician but Lucian assumed she dabbled and was just average, but Adelina was much more than average, she played beautifully. The song was slow and she moved her head as she played, and then she began to sing.

She had a throaty sound, a little raspy, but sexy as fuck. Definitely not what he expected. He had an odd suspicion that this song resonated with her more than she would admit.

“She’s good, huh?” Lucian was ripped out of his thoughts by the bartender who was leaning on the bar across from him.

“Yeah, she is. Is she a regular here?”

The guy smiled, “Yeah, every Thursday she’s here. Mostly plays that piano and sings.” He gestures to the other men sitting at the bar. “I think just about everybody here comes for her. Don’t know what old Joe will do when she graduates, that girl keeps us in business.” He laughed. “Take it you’re a fan then?”

“Something like that.” Lucian slapped a fifty-dollar bill down on the bar. “Thanks.” He wanted to move closer to the stage, and farther away from the other men. The thought of them watching her, his girl, made him want to punch someone.

“Wait till she comes out behind the piano,” the bartender whistled as Lucian stood from the stool. “When she’s not so shy, she’s brilliant.”

Lucian couldn’t imagine Adelina more brilliant than she was in that moment.

He moved closer to the stage as her song was coming to an end. The group in the front corner were swaying with their phones up, he assumed this was what kids used instead of lighters now.

He sensed the song was reaching its ending as Adelina looked out to the crowd for the first time. Her voice hitched as she made eye contact, she stared right at him as she finished.

The crowd was cheering

again, louder than they did for bubblegum. Her group of friends were whistling and chanting.

She held the eye contact. “I think that’s all for me.” She spoke lightly into the mic. There were sounds of protest coming from the crowd but she ignored them waking right to him.

She didn’t speak at first, just eyed him suspiciously as she stood nearly pressed against him, so close he wanted to reach out grab her.

“What are you doing here?” She asked in a near whisper.

Up close Lucian could smell her perfume it reminded him a fresh flowers and honey. He took a deep inhale.

“Checking in,” He told her. “Haven’t heard from you on my offer.”

“Maybe I haven’t decided.” She was smirking, like she was enjoying making him chase her.

“Mmh. Well, how can I help you make a decision?” He wanted to lean in to kiss her, or to just grab her and take her right to New York. It took all he had not too, but he wanted this to be her choice.

She dropped the eye contact and was silent.

“Hey,” he used his fore finger and thumb to lift her chin up to him. “Tell me what you’re thinking?”

“What’s your last name?” she asked thoughtfully.

He chuckled. “Luchese.”

“Lucian Luchese.” She tested out the name like she was trying to see how she felt about it.

“Is that all that’s bothering you, bella?”

“No.” she replied. “What exactly do you do Lucian Luchese?” His name on her lips was exquisite, but he couldn’t help but wince at the question.

“Bella, you know.”

She moved closer, her lips nearly touching his. “I want to hear it from you.” She whispered.

He nodded. “The let’s go somewhere else.”

Lucian unlocked the door for his penthouse suite and let Adelina in first.

He watched her as she kicked off her converse and padded around the suite in her bare feet.

He could get used to this.

“So,” Adelina swiped a finger across a painting of roses.

“So.” Lucian repeated.

“Your business?”

“What do you want to know?” he asked pouring himself a glass of whiskey.

“Everything.”

He chuckled. “Drink with me, bella?”

She eyed him skeptically. “Are you trying to get me into bed again? No.”

He chuckled. “I promise, I’ll be a gentleman.” He smiled offering her a matching glass of whiskey.

“Fine.” She took a gulp from the glass. “Uh,” she groaned as it burned her throat.

“Careful, bella, that’s a $500 bottle of whiskey, it’s meant to be sipped.”

She rolled her eyes. “That’s too much money for alcohol that burns so much.”

He laughed deeply. “I suppose so.”

She set down the glass and sauntered over to where he stood. “You’re avoiding my question.”

“Not at all.” He took another sip. “Sit,”

She obliged and sat in the seat across from him.

“I run many businesses in the city.”

“Legal?” she questioned.

“Yes, Adelina.” He smirked.

“But do they, uh, you know.”

“What do you think?” he asked, stilling smirking at her.

“I think they’re all a little dirty.”

“Then you have good intuition.”

“What if you got busted?” she asked.

“I won’t.”

“But if you did?”

He set his glass down on the coffee table and walked over to the chair where she was sitting. He bent down before her and placed a hand delicately on her cheek.

“What are you worried about?”

She closed her eyes, hiding her demons from him.

“Nothing.”

“You can tell me, bella. You can tell me anything.”

She opened her eyes and looked him over.

“I’m nervous.”

“About this deal?”

“Yes.”

“You’re hesitant?”

“Can you blame me?” She answered with a question.

“I guess not.” He replied. “Is there something else you want?”

She looked him over. “Are you asking me to negotiate our pending marriage?”

He chuckled. “I suppose so.”

“What if I say no.”

“Then I take you home and you don’t have to see me again.”

“Then what happens?”

He tried not to make a face at her. He didn’t want to think about what would happen himself.

“You said you wouldn’t lie to me.” She said in a near whisper reminding him of his promise to her.

“I assume your brother will pair you with someone else.”

“Someone else like you?”

“There’s no one like me, bella.”

She laughed at this. “You know what I mean.”

“I do.” He nodded. “Yeah, someone else like me.”

She chewed on her chipped red nails while she thought about this.

“I bet you they won’t give me a choice.”

Smart girl. “No, I don't think they will.”

“That first night…”

“What about it?”

“You knew who I was.” He nodded. “And you let me lie to you?” Her brown eyes stared deeply into his.

He chuckled. “I couldn’t help myself, bella.”

She pondered this for a moment.

“Okay.” She said. “I’ll take that deal.”

His smile reached his cheeks. Damn, he was happy. How did this girl who he barely knew make him so happy?

He grabbed his glass to clink against her. “Then cheers.” He said.

“Cheers.” She repeated, a small smile beginning to form.

Lucian settled on the chair across from her. “We can take it slow, Adelina. Whatever you want, we can make it happen.”

She thought over his statement. “Thank you.” She told him