Redecorating a large mansion on Lake Tahoe was a tall order, but it was amazing what could be done with a few soft furnishings, a couple of pots of paint, and a couple of days. The bedrooms were tolerable now, as was the kitchen and main living room, the chintzy pinks and paisleys done away with in favor of neutral and warm tones. Three days after arriving, however, Nora rebelled, coming downstairs in her swim suit and going straight into the lake, leaving Adriana laughing at the kitchen counter at the typical teenager hello.

They were slowly making the house a home and infusing it with their own personalities and tastes. Matt had gone so far as to tell Nora to pick a bedroom for herself and decorate it however she wanted, but it looked like she'd had enough of that for now. It was a vacation home, after all, and the lake was pretty inviting. As for Matt, he was content to let the women do the decorating, but he wasn't afraid to help with the work. At the moment, however, he was in the kitchen helping Adriana chop vegetables for some creation or other. He wasn't a stranger to the kitchen, but he was happy to share the chores.

"I guess she's had enough of painting and papering," Matt said, grinning over at Adriana.

"Think I should tell her we were going to take today off anyway?" she asked through her giggles, firing up the stove and setting a shallow pan on it. "She just shot straight out there. I think she's making a point."

"What point is that?" he asked, trying to hide the smirk on his face. "Aren't we supposed to be honeymooning, honey?" he teased, bumping her arm.

"Oh, and here I thought we were homemaking," she countered impishly, still laughing. "When those are all chopped, drop them in the pan and don't let them burn."

"Yes, ma'am," he replied, as he went back to chopping the veggies for whatever it was she had concocted. The day after they'd arrived, they'd had to do some shopping to stock the kitchen with proper food that went beyond chips and beer. "What are we making?" he asked curiously.

"Breakfast burritos," she informed him, dropping strips of bacon into the pan as well. "Not the real deal, this is the Addie school of cookery."

"Ah, should I be taking notes?" he teased, waiting for her to add the bacon before he could add the veggies. Thankfully, his boys had left them mostly alone, keeping to the house out back where they spent most of their time playing cards and watching TV.

"There may be a quiz." She winked at him, whisking up eggs to scramble as the veggies and bacon cooked in the pan. Adriana was genuinely in awe of how comfortable she was with Matt - how comfortable Nora was with Matt - even after just three days. It was a good feeling.

"Damn it!" he muttered, drawing his hand quickly away from the stove after adding the veggies to the mixture, bacon grease spitting and hissing in the pan.

"Aww, did the nasty pan spit at you again?" Addie asked playfully, taking up station beside him to scramble the eggs on another stove ring.

"No, the nasty bacon did!" he said, though he didn't seem too upset about it. He'd had worse. "So, care to take a break from decorating today' I'd like to take the boat out on the lake."

"That sounds like a fantastic idea," she agreed, smiling. "We've pretty much sorted the decor for now - at least no one is surrounded by pink and paisley anymore."

"Thank God for that," he remarked, smiling back at her. "I probably would have hired a decorator, if not for you," he told her, taking up a spatula so that he could keep the bacon and veggies from burning. There was still a lot that needed to be done, but at least, it was a start.

She chuckled. "You did okay with the paint," she assured him. "Probably won't ask you to hang wallpaper again, though." She grinned at him, shaking her pan before taking it off the heat while she rummaged for the tortillas and cheese.

"What' You didn't say you actually wanted it straight," he teased back, with an amused smirk on his face. So wallpapering wasn't as easy as it looked. Go figure. It was a good thing he wasn't planning on doing it for a living.

"Noted," she said, rolling her eyes as she laughed. "Let me go yell at Nora to dry off and have breakfast, and we can break the terrible news that she doesn't get to change bed sheets today."

"I'm sure she'll be heartbroken," he said, chuckling as he went about setting the table for breakfast. Despite teasing her about domesticating him, he was feeling strangely content, almost like they were an actual family.

"She'll just have to live with it," Addie grinned, opening up the back door to yell out at her sister with impressive volume. There was a distant, "Coming!" before the elder came back inside. "Be prepared, she's going to drip everywhere."

"She can learn what a towel is for," Matt remarked, not looking very concerned about the possibility of Nora dripping on the floor - or him. "Coffee?" he asked, as he pulled a couple of cups from the cupboard.

"There'll be a towel," Addie assured him, moving back to start putting the breakfast food together onto plates. "Just, you know, dripping hair and footprints." She glanced over as he asked her about coffee. "Always," was her answer. "Can't start the day without a Folgers moment."

"I think I can handle it," he said. Nora wasn't his daughter, after all. It wasn't like he was raising her, was he" He poured two cups of coffee, stirring sugar into one before setting it on the table and sipping at the other.

"Thanks." She absently kissed his cheek as she lifted the plates to take them to the table, seemingly unaware of the gesture.

He smiled at the gesture, but made no mention of it. She was warming up to him, it seemed, or maybe they were warming up to each other. He knew nothing was perfect, but so far, it was damned close. "Is that what we're having?" he asked. "A Folgers moment?"

She opened her mouth to answer, but was interrupted by the squelch of Nora making her way inside.

"I've got lake poop on my feet," the teenager complained.

Adriana snorted with laughter. "Well, we were having one," she told Matt, turning to look at her sister. "You can clean the poop off the floor after breakfast, then."

"This is gonna be awesome," Nora predicted, bright and cheerful as she wolfed down the last of her food and rose to clean up the mess she had left behind herself on the floor.

Adriana smiled. "It sounds like a great day to me."

"Why don't you two get ready while I do the dishes?" he suggested, as he finished off his breakfast and washed it down with the last of his coffee.

Nora didn't need telling twice, tossing the kitchen paper into the trash before running out of the kitchen. Adriana chuckled as she listened to her sister's footsteps thumping up the stairs. "Are you sure?" she asked Matt, knowing he probably had more in mind that just the dishes.

"Yeah, why not' She needs to get out and have some fun, and there's plenty to do here to keep her busy," Matt replied, though it wasn't just about Nora. "Besides, we're supposed to be on our honeymoon," he said, with that teasing grin of his.

"I mean about the dishes," she laughed, nudging his shoulder with her own. "I'm all on board with the lake plan, trust me. Nora snuck my bikini into my bag."

Matt chuckled. "Why doesn't that surprise me?" he asked, tempting to wrap his arms around her and plant a kiss on her lips, but he only reached over and brushed her hair back from her face. It was an innocent enough way for him to touch her.

Her head tilted just enough to make the most of that touch as she smiled at him. "Because my sister is the world's clumsiest match maker?"

He laughed again. "She does realize we've been sharing a bed, right?" he asked. He didn't need to get Adriana into a bikini to know what she looked like in her underwear.

"She's seen my pajamas," she pointed out in amusement. "Apparently I'm frumpy as all hell in bed, according to her." She chuckled, rising from her seat to gather together the plates and cups.

"Frumpy is not a word I would use to describe you, Adriana," he said, as he moved to his feet to help her clean up. He wasn't afraid of a few chores, at least.

Her cheeks flushed a little at the implied compliment, but she didn't deny his opinion. "Thank you. Try telling her that sometime. Apparently dressing appropriately for the situation makes me boring."

"She's thirteen years old. Anyone over the age of twenty it probably frumpy to her," he pointed out, as he collected the dishes and carried them over to the sink. Thankfully, there was a dishwasher. In fact, the kitchen was the one room of the house that was fairly updated.

"Her idea of sexy is Halloween costumes that come with just a skirt and a pair of tassels," Addie said, probably exaggerating, but possibly not.

Matt visibly cringed. "That's not a Halloween costume. That's the kind of outfit strippers wear," he remarked. Though he wasn't Nora's father or even her brother, he couldn't honestly say he'd approve of her dressing like a stripper - not even for Halloween.

"Like you said, she's thirteen," Adriana said. "She'd never wear anything like that, she just has uneducated tastes right now." Her smile suggested that she was working on educating those tastes.

"Good to know," Matt said, almost blurting that he wasn't her father but biting his tongue just in time. "Thirteen seems like a lifetime ago," he said as he pulled the dishwasher open.

"Oh God, I know exactly what you mean," she chuckled, wiping down the table quickly before tossing the cloth onto the draining board to dry. "I better go see what she's planning on taking with us." She paused, her hands automatically resting on either side of his hips as she leaned into his back, hesitating just a moment before kissing his jaw lightly. She had said she wanted to be a wife, after all. "Don't forget to grab what you need for the day, too."

"Yes, dear," he replied, smiling back at her, just a little taken aback by the show of affection. Was it his imagination or was he growing on her" Her kiss seemed sincere, and yet, he still hesitated in returning it - not because he didn't find her attractive, but because he was trying to let her call the shots. "I'm just gonna toss this stuff in the dishwasher," he said, though that wasn't entirely true. He'd at least have to fill Benny in before he took the boat for the day.

She smiled, inwardly delighted by the way he didn't pull away or object to her affection. "All right," she agreed, kissing his jaw once again. "I'll go corral the teen." Sliding her hands from his sides, she headed out of the kitchen, calling for Nora to bring her butt down to the master suite.

He did exactly what he said he was going to do, rinsing off the dishes and packing the dishwasher before setting it to wash. His next order of business was checking in with Benny and the boys and getting the keys to the boat.

It didn't take long for the business to be dealt with, and the boat to be racing out over the water. Nora knelt at the prow, ignoring the obligatory life-jacket she had been ordered to wear over her shirt and shorts, letting the brisk wind blow straight into her face with a relaxed smile. By the helm, Adriana was sitting in the low seats behind the wheel, head tilted back as the sun shone down on them. It was surprisingly blissful, leaving all their worries on shore.

Benny had offered to drive, but Matt had declined. What was the point of spending a day alone with the girls if they had a chaperone? They'd be perfectly safe out on the lake, he reasoned. And if they ran into trouble, he had his cell phone and trusty Glock along for good measure. As it turned out, it was a beautiful day for boating. The lake was mirror clear, the sky a cloudless blue, and the sun shining off the lake like a diamond. Matt found himself almost wishing it was real.

In a way, it was real, if he would only let himself believe it. The woman behind him was his wife; the girl at the bow was his sister. He just had to accept this as his new reality, regardless of how it had come about. Adriana rose from her seat behind him, coming to stand at his shoulder. "It's so gorgeous out here."

Maybe in time he would, but for now, it was almost too good to be true. He didn't think he deserved a wife like Adriana, even if it had been a business arrangement. It had only been a few days, and he had already grown fond of both her and her sister. There was nothing he wouldn't do to protect them. All the ingredients were there for a happy marriage, but there was still something holding him back.

"Define adventurous," she suggested through a teasing smile. "I'm not about to become a human life raft, if that's what you're thinking."

"If you wanted to go white water rafting, this isn't the place," he countered with a grin, though there was a place they could have driven to if she really wanted to give it a try.

"What's parasailing?" Nora asked, her finger pointing at the relevant line on the board in front of her as she looked back at them.

"Uh, not for the faint of heart!" Matt replied, though it was something they could do together, if they really wanted to do. That didn't really tell her much, though. "It's basically riding on a parachute over the water while being tugged by a boat."

"That seems kinda boring," the teenager commented thoughtfully. "Am I old enough to ride a jet ski?"

Adriana snorted with laughter. "I thought you wanted to learn how to sail?"

"Boring?" Matt echoed, laughing. "I guess if you think sailing through the air high above the water is boring," he commented. "Eighteen, but you can ride on the back," he said, assuming she wouldn't like the answer to that.

"What can you do up there?" Nora pointed out to Matt. "It's just looking down."

"All right, babes, what's catching your eye?" Adriana asked, scanning the list herself. "Paddle-boarding, sailing, water-skiing ..."

"I could paddle-board, right?" Nora asked. "Like, we could rent a board and I can totally fail at staying on it for a few hours."

"We could rent a sailboat, if your heart's set on that," Matt pointed out, though he didn't think it would be much more exciting than parasailing in her estimation, if what she was looking for was a thrill.

Adriana was watching her sister with a faint grin. "You want to do something without us tagging along, don't you?" she said in amusement.

Nora bit her lip, looking guilty. "Only for a little bit," she said. "We've been kind of on top of each other for the whole weekend."

"Okay, how about this?" Matt said, reading over a few of the options on the list that was posted outside the shop. "You go paddle-boarding and we'll go parasailing," he suggested. It meant temporarily splitting up, but he was pretty sure the risk was low.

Adriana felt a sudden pang of concern in her chest, but she suppressed it. There was no reason anyone would think Nora was anything but a teenager on a vacation. Anyone looking for them would be looking for the adults, anyway.

Nora suddenly leaped forward, throwing her arms around Matt's waist. "You're an awesome bro, you know that?"

"I know," Matteo replied, chuckling in amusement. "Why don't you go check it out?" he suggested, which would allow him a few minutes to talk it over with Adriana.

"I will!" Practically skipping, Nora bounced away to talk to the guys organizing the various events and services for rent. Adriana was taking a deep breath to calm her initially panicked reaction.

Once Nora was gone, he turned to Adriana, his voice calm and low. "I know what you're going to say, but I think she'll be okay. No one knows we're here but those we trust, and even if they did, they're not likely to find us." The lake was so big, it would be like looking for a needle in the proverbial haystack.

She trusted that he had thought it through, but it didn't stop that first flash of panic. "I just ....We won't be close by if something happens, that's all," she said quietly. "But she's a smart kid. She knows what to do if something was to come up."

"Well, we could go along and keep an eye on her, but I get the feeling she wants to do this alone," Matt reasoned, his expression softening. "You can't be there every second, Addie. She has to live her life," he said, though he understood how she felt. He'd had a sister once, too.

"I know," she admitted with a low sigh, nodding. "And I can't protect her from living her life. I didn't say no. I just ....internally freaked out." She managed a smile for him.

"It's your call, Adriana," he told her, letting her decide. She wasn't his sister, and it wasn't his decision to make. He sometimes wished he could go back in time and change some of the decisions he'd made in the past, but what was done was done. He couldn't change things and he couldn't bring his sister back.

She bit her lip thoughtfully, looking almost exactly like her little sister for a brief moment. "She wants to do it," she said finally. "And you're right, it's a low risk. It'll only be for what, an hour?"

"Yeah, we can hang out here and wait for her if you want. Get an ice cream or something," he said, offering her an activity that was a little safer than soaring high above the lake attached to a parachute.

She smiled, touched by his concern for her state of mind. "What do you want to do, Matt?" she asked. "This was your idea, you must have something you wanted to do today."

"I'm doing it," he assured her. "I just wanted to get away from the house and get the boat out on the lake." And get away from the men who were a reminder of what they were really doing here and why.

"So I guess it's okay to tell you that I'm scared of heights, then?" she asked, looking a little shame-faced at the admission. "I don't mind waiting on the ground while you do the para-thing, though."

He smiled reassuringly, a bit of a chuckle at her admission. "It's okay. I don't mind keeping my feet on the ground," he said, though he didn't admit to being afraid of heights. He hadn't really admitted to being afraid of anything just yet.

"Maybe he was trying to protect you, in his own way," Matt suggested, though they'd never know for sure. It hardly mattered now anyway. There was no changing the past.

"Maybe," she conceded. "But if he had survived, we wouldn't be having this conversation. Is it odd that I don't mind that fact?"

"I don't know," he murmured uncertainly. He knew some people believed that everything happens for a reason, but he wasn't one of them. Not even his Catholic upbringing could convince him of that. He took a sip of his coffee, lost in his own thoughts for a moment. How much did they really know about each other" Did it even matter"

She let it drop, her eyes following Nora as her sister finally got out onto the lake in her little boat with Brad. Leaning into Matt's side, Adriana let herself relax, enjoying the warmth of the day in comfortable silence as she sipped her own coffee.

Almost without thinking, he slid an arm around her shoulders to draw her close, the coffee in his other hand as he, too, watched Nora's progress, but he wasn't thinking of her, but someone else. "I had a sister once," he said, at last putting voice to the thoughts that had been haunting him ever since he'd met Nora.

It didn't take a genius to put together the past tense and the clear reluctance to speak about this at all. Adriana let her head fall to his shoulder, her eyes on the lake. "What was her name?" she asked softly.

"Emilia," he whispered, his sister's name like a prayer on his lips. How many prayers had he said in her name, for peace, for her salvation' "Mia," he repeated. "At least, that's what we called her."

She raised her hand to where his lay on her shoulder, linking their fingers together gently. "What was she like?" she asked, preferring to know the good, rather than ask him to relive the bad.

It took him a minute to find his voice to speak the words that were bubbling up in answer to her question. "She was ....young," he said at first before continuing. "Kind, sweet, gentle. Innocent."

"You loved her very much." It wasn't a question, but a gentle means to try and get him to say more; to express something Adriana had a feeling he had been holding inside for far too long.

He shrugged, as if in answer to a question that really needed no answer. "She was my sister. There's nothing I wouldn't have done for her." But there was nothing he could do for now except lay flowers on her grave and pray.

"I think I know what you mean," she murmured, squeezing his hand gently. "I'm sorry, Matt. But thank you, for trusting me enough to tell me."

Somehow he knew she understood. There was nothing she wouldn't do for Nora. "I'm telling you because I want you to know that I won't let the same thing happen to Nora," he said, hoping he could abide by that promise.

She didn't know what had happened to Mia, but she could make a guess. He had given her a little piece of the key to bringing down some of those barriers he held so tightly upright around himself. "I believe you," she promised him. "Just ....let us protect you as well, okay?"

He frowned at her question, but to his credit, he didn't argue; he only wordlessly nodded his head. He didn't think there was much she could do to protect him, but she could at least try to understand. What had she said - friends first' If they kept going the way they were going, they were going to be more than that before long.

"You don't need to be afraid to get attached," she added in a low murmur. "We're not going anywhere." She was certain of that; no matter what happened in the next few weeks, Adriana was determined that no puffed up, self-important man with ambitions bigger than his means was going to get what he wanted from what he had already done.

He gave her hand a gentle squeeze, as if to acknowledge her statement without saying a word. "I know this isn't a real marriage, Addie, but would you be surprised to know I'd like it to be?" he asked, in a voice that was uncharacteristically quiet.

Her smile was utterly without guile, a genuine response to a quiet confession she had not expected from him, even after she had made her own. "A little surprised, maybe," she murmured. "Happy, though. Feels good to be on the same page."

"Same page, same side," he said, giving her hand another squeeze. He made no declaration of love, no romantic gestures, not yet. It was enough for now that they weren't alone anymore, that they had each other.

"Don't be surprised if the absent-minded affection gets more heightened," she warned. "I'm a tactile person, you might have noticed." She laughed softly, fairly sure the only way he wouldn't have noticed would have involved him being wrapped in some kind of anti-sensation field.

"Well," he started, a smile lighting up his eyes again, proving he wasn't beyond hope. "We are married," he reminded her, a teasing gleam in his eyes. He leaned close and touched a kiss to her brow, brief but affectionate. "Thanks, Addie."

Her smile couldn't have been brighter as he kissed her brow, glad he had finally given in to that urge at last. He had a tendency to go stiff and awkward when he was stopping himself from replying to her affection in kind. "What for?" she asked fondly. "I like you, I'm not going to hide that."

He shrugged lightly. "For listening, for understanding ....for just being you," he said, knowing that was hardly an answer, but it was a start. He'd sworn he'd never get married, never subject anyone to this kind of life, but if there was anyone who understood it, who knew how to endure it, it was someone like her.

She lifted his hand, rubbing her cheek against his knuckles for a moment before touching a kiss to his fingers. "I've got you," she promised. "Anytime you need me, I'll be here. Promise."

"I hope I can be who you need me to be," he told her, as if they were making new vows of their own making - vows that meant something more than just words they were expected to say but that meant nothing without any conviction behind them.

"How about you just be?" she suggested, turning her head to meet his eyes. "You should never have to change who you are for anyone else's sake. I like you just the way you are."

"I was going to put it on," she objected cheerfully. "Brad said he wouldn't let me on the lake without one." "Brad knows what he's talking about," Adriana drawled lazily.

"Well, at least you don't have to worry about sharks," Matt said. It was an inland lake, after all. There had been rumors of sharks and even a Nessie-like creature for years, but nothing had ever come of those rumors.

"We saw an eel," the teenager offered, squeezing the last of the water from her curly hair. "It was disgusting."

Adriana snorted with laughter. "So you won't be ordering eel for lunch, huh?"

Matt couldn't help but chuckle at that question. Even he wasn't adventurous enough to eat eel. Oysters were about as exotic as his meals ever got. "What do you feel like for lunch?" he asked, giving them both a choice in the matter.

Nora glanced at her sister a little guiltily. Adriana's smile deepened.

"I don't think there's a McDonalds actually on the lake, babes," she answered the unspoken question.

"I'm sure we can find a burger place, if that's what you want," Matt assured them both. Burger restaurants were a dime a dozen in most places, after all, and he didn't think Tahoe was any different.

"You don't mind?" Nora asked. "Only you said you wanted seafood." She looked genuinely worried she might be spoiling his day with her appetite.

"Relax, Nora. I just suggested it. Burgers are fine with me," he said. "Why don't you go ask Brad if he has any suggestions," he suggested, making air quotes at the name "Brad".

Nora immediately went bright red, apparently folding in on herself in embarrassment within seconds. Adriana chuckled, pulling her sister into a hug as she stood up. "I'll do it," she volunteered. "You drip on Matt."

Matt couldn't help but smirk in amusement, though he knew it was a Nora's expense. "I promise I won't bite," he assured her, though he was making no promised about not teasing her.

Watching Adriana walk back toward the rental shop to ask around for recommendations, Nora tilted her head toward Matt. "You can't bite me, I'm the wrong sister," she said, sticking her tongue out at him.

"Oh, haha," Matt said, resisting the urge to stick his tongue out at her, too. After all, he was supposed to be an adult. "Besides, what makes you think I want to bite Adriana?" he asked, trying to withhold the smirk that wanted to make itself known on his face.

"Because you look at her like you want to eat her up like an ice cream cone?" Nora pointed out, taking charge of her embarrassment to push her luck with mischief.

Matt blinked in undisguised shock at Nora's remark. "No, I don't," he said, quickly followed by, "Do I?" He couldn't deny that he was attracted to her sister, but he didn't think it was that obvious.

The teenager's grin softened. "Sometimes," she told him. "When she's relaxed and not looking at you. It's really cute."

Matt winced. "I do not do cute," he told her, carefully enunciating every word. He had a reputation to uphold, after all. He was supposed to be a captain in the Molinaro family. He was not supposed to be cute.

"Nah, I bet your guys are just jealous you're married to someone you really like," Nora assured him, patting his hand teasingly.

Matt furrowed his brows at Nora's statement. Was it that obvious, he wondered" Then again, he and Adriana were married, even if they hadn't married for love. "I do like her," he said, more to himself than to Nora.

"She likes you," was Nora's response, whether his words were for her or not. "I haven't ever seen her as happy as she gets when she's just around you. You're allowed to like her."

"Like" wasn't even the right word really. No, he wasn't in love with her - not yet - but he was pretty sure he was headed that way. "I know we haven't known each other very long," he murmured thoughtfully.

"What, you need a lifetime to know you want to be with someone?" Nora asked. "It's not like you're in love at first sight, you know. How do you think love starts, if it isn't with serious like?"

"I know, but we're kind of doing things backwards," he said, though it couldn't be helped. Did it really matter in the long run whether they had gotten married first, so long as they were happy"

"You're not the first," the teen said. "Pretty much everyone before 1900 did it this way around. Stop stressing, dude." She flashed him a grin as Adriana approached them once again.

"Playing nice, are we?"

"I know you think I'm old, but I'm not that old!" he remarked with a chuckle. "Nora was just giving me a history lesson," he said, grinning in amusement. "Successful mission?" he asked of her search for a good burger place.

"Depends," Adriana said, looping an arm absently around Nora's shoulders. "Do we want gourmet or diner?" She glanced between the two of them, pretty sure her sister had been on a wind up before she got back.

"No preference," he said, happy to let them decide, so long as it wasn't McDonald's. "Nora?" he asked, tossing the question her way.

"Um ..." The teenager considered the options for a moment. "It's just lunch, so the diner?" she suggested. "It's not like we're gonna eat so much we can't move, because there's seafood for dinner!"

"Just so long as you approve, Princess," he said, dubbing her by that nickname for the second time that day. If he wasn't careful, it was going to stick.

"If I'm a princess, does that make Addie a queen?" Nora asked, barely glancing up as the waitress came over to take their order. Adriana did the honors, pausing only long enough for Matt to clarify what he wanted on his burger.

"Technically, that makes her a princess, too," he replied, since Adriana was Nora's sister, not her mother. He flashed the waitress a smile before clarifying his order.

"No, 'cos Elsa's a queen and Ana's a princess," was Nora's reply as she leaned forward on her elbows. "And they're sisters. Besides, wouldn't you rather be a king than a prince" Princes have to wear tights."

Matt rolled his eyes. "Are we talking about Frozen?" he asked, crossing his arms on the table as he leaned closer. "Because this is real life and Frozen is a cartoon," he pointed out helpfully.

"Yeah, but it's not wrong," Nora insisted. "Like the queen in England. Her sister was a princess. You saying that the British got it wrong?"

He sighed. There really was no arguing with her. "Okay, okay, you made your point," he said putting his hands up in a gesture of surrender. He made no response regarding her question about princes.

Nora chuckled in triumph, leaning back cheerfully as their drinks were brought over to them. "What do you like to do, Matt?" the teen asked him, after a mouthful of thick shake. "For fun, I mean."

"You mean, besides verbally banter with a teenager over milkshakes?" he teased, a sidelong wink at Adriana. He shrugged as he seriously considered the question. "I don't know. I don't usually have a lot of time for fun."

"You've got a boat," she pointed out. "Do you like fishing" Or are you indoorsy' I bet you like reading. What kind of books do you like reading?"

"Uh ..." Matt murmured uncertainly. He used to like to do a lot of things for fun, before Mia had died, before he'd moved to Vegas, before he'd moved up the ranks in the family. "I guess it depends."

"Do you play chess?" Nora asked then. "I wanna learn how to play, but Addie's terrible at it."

Adriana laughed. "She's right, I'm awful."

"I know how to play chess, but I'm not sure I'd call it fun," he said. Chess was a game of strategy that a lot of people took pretty seriously. He wasn't sure he'd put it in the same category as something like Uno.

"C'mon, you gotta give me something," Nora said with a chuckle.

Adriana bit her lip. She knew her sister was fishing for something she could bond with Matt over, so she wasn't going to interfere. This was his minefield to navigate.

"I can teach you how to play Chess if you want, Nora," he assured her, though he wasn't sure what else they might have in common. He felt a little like he was undergoing some kind of weird interview to see if he would make an acceptable brother-in-law.

"You're not good at making friends, are you?" the teen said gently, her smile softening. "Isn't there anything you do that's just for you?"

"Sure I am, just not with thirteen year old girls," he countered with a smirk. "Why don't you tell me some of the things you like to do and we'll compare?" He was pretty sure they had to have at least a few things in common, probably music and movies, but he doubted they shared the same tastes.

"I like building things," she offered up near instantly. "Like, from scratch. I built my own tree house a coupla years ago. Did the designs and everything and it was awesome."

"Really?" he said, arching a brow. He had obviously not been expecting that. "Because I've been thinking ....Seeing as how we're a family and all now, maybe we should think about building a house."

Nora's brows rose, though she didn't see Adriana's near identical expression of surprise. "You mean like and actual house house?" Nora asked. "Can I help design it?"

"Is there any other kind?" he asked, chuckling a little to himself at their reactions. "If you're gonna be living there, I think you'd want some input, right?"

"That's awesome." Nora looked absolutely delighted with this unexpected surprise. "Where would you wanna build it?"

"I'm not sure yet. I haven't had much time to think about it. Any ideas?" he asked, looking to each of them for input. After all, he wasn't the only one who was going to be living there.

Nora looked thoughtful. "I mean, I like being by the lake," she offered. "But it's a long way from school."

Adriana smiled gently. "We can take a look around," she suggested. "See if there's somewhere that speaks to us?"

"There's no rush," Matt said. He didn't want to admit it, but the idea had only come to him recently; then again, he and Adriana hadn't been married more than a couple of days, but if things kept going the way they were going, it looked like the marriage might last.

"It's something to think over for a while," Adriana agreed quietly. Building a house was a big step for any family, much less one that had come together like theirs had. They needed a little more time before anyone made any huge commitments like that.

He'd never thought much about building a house. It was something people did who had families, and he hadn't had one until just a few days ago. Yes, he'd bought the house at the lake, but that had been more of a safe house than anything else, until he'd brought Adriana and her sister there.

"Benny arranged to have a car waiting, just in case," Matt explained as he hurried them along, sweeping a glance around so as to make sure they weren't being followed. He didn't want to look suspicious, but he didn't want to waste too much time either.

"We're good," Adriana said, her voice quiet but surprisingly calm. Calm for Nora's sake, if nothing else. "We knew they might find us, babes. There are plans." What those plans were, she had no idea, but she needed her sister to believe they had everything under control.

"I just can't figure out how they found us," Matt muttered, though there were enough people within both their families who knew where they'd be. Trusted people, or so he thought. Just like New York. He was learning the hard way that you couldn't trust anyone. Well, he wasn't going to lose Adriana and Nora the way he'd lost the rest of his family. He quickened his step, but tried to look as nonchalant as he could, given the circumstances. Thankfully, they weren't too far from where Benny had left the car.

Adriana felt Nora tense under her arm at Matt's mutter, but chose not to draw attention to it. She would ask her sister the question that was burning to be asked when they were out of immediate danger. "Who's driving, me or you?"

"I'll drive," he said, not because he didn't trust her driving, but because he needed to do something and right now, that was the only thing he could do. "Does your phone still work?" he asked her, as they neared the parking lot.

"Yeah, it's just a crack on the screen," she assured him, her free hand reaching down to squeeze Nora's reassuringly. Whatever was happening, she trusted Matt would get them safely away from it. Somewhere they could regroup at the very least.

He didn't need to ask if she was armed or if she knew how to use it. "Okay, we're going with Plan B," he told her, as he fished the car keys out of his pocket and unlocked the passenger door. They had already discussed Plan B and Plan C prior to the trip, just in case, though Nora had no knowledge of that. His primary concern right now was getting them somewhere safe; then he'd worry about what had happened at the house.

Adriana nodded, gently guiding a now shaking Nora into the backseat of the car. "Hey ....I need you to do something for me," she told her sister, handing over her phone. "Go into my email. There's a saved one marked IWGM. Just send it for me, okay?"

"What's the address?" the teen asked worriedly.

"Don't worry, it's already in there," Addie promised her.

Matt wasted no time in getting them out of there, his expression sober, serious, focused. He looked over to make sure they were both belted in and settled before putting the car in drive and pulling out of the parking lot. The car wasn't flashy, but it was new enough to be dependable. He fought the rising panic in his gut, fighting the urge to race back to the house and find out what had happened. He knew what to do; he had learned the hard way.

The drive was tense, silent but for the sound of their combined breathing. Adriana had no idea which hotel or motel they were going to, just that there was definitely one ready for them in case of emergencies. They'd even packed bags to be sent ahead of them. They just had to hope that they hadn't been infiltrated that deeply.

"It's gonna be okay," he assured them both, as he drove. The place he and Adriana had picked as their backup Plan A wasn't a fancy hotel, nor was it a roach motel, but a cottage in the exact opposite direction of the house. It was a bit of a drive, but not so far that they couldn't get there in a reasonable amount of time. "Nora, have you ever stayed in a cottage?"

From the back seat, Nora's voice seemed very small in the tense stillness of the car. "No," she admitted. "Is that where we're going?"

"Yeah, it's quiet and cozy," he assured her, in as steady a voice as he could muster. And most importantly, it was safe - or should be. It was unlikely anyone would find them there, unless there was something he hadn't thought of.

"It's just for a few days," Adriana added. "Until it's safe to move to somewhere less temporary." She already had an idea of where they could go, but she hadn't talked to Matt about it. He needed to know they were safe while he checked on everything else, so he was calling the shots right now.

"But Nora, no calling any of your friends. Not for a few days, okay' Not until we know what's going on. No texting either," he told her, trying to maintain the calm in his voice despite the panic that was roiling in his gut.

"I won't," she promised, the words coming out more fervent than he might have expected. There was not even a hint of rebellion in her; not the typical reaction from a teenager on being cut off from the world at large for a few days.

"Just for a few days, until we sort things out," he assured her, knowing it would be hard for her to do that, but that it necessary. "It's gonna be okay. I promise," he added, falling silent a moment as he focused on his driving, his brain racing a million times faster than his speedometer. "Sorry about dinner. We'll do seafood another time, okay' How's pizza instead?"

"Pizza's good," Nora agreed, her voice still very small in the back of the car. "You're not gonna take any risks, right' You are gonna come back for us?"

Adriana glanced at Matt, the same question on her mind.


"Yeah, I ..." Matt frowned, his voice trailing off, as his mind worked on what happened - or more accurately, what they thought may have happened. Thank God for Danny's attempt at a warning, or they may have walked right into a trap. His hands tightened their grip on the steering wheel, a small sign of his anxiety. "I gotta call Vince," he murmured, mostly to himself. He didn't want to do that in front of Nora and scare her more. He flicked a glance at Nora in his mirror and then at Adriana beside him. "Do you trust me?"

"I want to," Nora responded, but it was a fair response. He couldn't ask for her trust when he hadn't yet proved it to her.

Conversely, Adriana laid her hand on his arm briefly. "I trust you," she promised him, lowering her voice to add, "You can call him when we get there. I need to talk to Nora privately for a little bit."

"Fair enough," Matt replied to Nora's response. He hadn't done much to earn her trust yet, after all, and for all she knew, he could be driving them right into another trap - only he wasn't. The truth was he'd walk through fire for them if he had to. He nodded in reply to Adriana's remark. The first order of business after making sure they were safe was calling Vince and letting him know what had happened.

"Okay." The teenager headed for the stairs, and paused. "You'll hear me if I yell, right?"

"We'll come running," Adriana promised her fervently.

Matt didn't really need to add anything to that, so instead, he nodded his head in encouragement. "We're not going anywhere, Nora. We'll be right here, okay?"

"Okay." Nora nodded again, taking the stairs up and out of sight.

Adriana sagged against the wall as soon as she heard the bedroom door close, hands over her mouth to muffle her long-delayed sobs of fright and loss.

"Shh, it's okay," Matt said, reaching for her to draw her close. He was like a pillar of strength in her time of need, unwilling to let her know how sick with worry he felt inside. He didn't want pizza; he didn't want anything. In fact, he felt like throwing up, but he didn't. He couldn't. Not when Adriana and Nora were counting on him to be strong. He knew he was lying. He knew it wasn't okay, but he was going to do everything in his power to keep her safe and to make things better. It probably wasn't enough, but it was all he could think of to do.

She knew he was lying, too, but she appreciated the kindness, going willingly into his arms to hold on tight as she shuddered her way through the shock of hearing a dear friend die in her place. "I'm sorry," she managed after a couple of minutes, lifting her head to wipe her eyes. "I'm good, I've got this." Meeting his eyes, she bit her lip. "What do we do now?"

"You don't have to be brave, Addie. Not for me," he told her, though he wasn't sure what he was going to do if she fell apart on him completely. He knew she wanted to stay strong for Nora, but he needed her to know she didn't have to stay strong for him.

"Can't fall apart yet," she pointed out, lifting her hand to his cheek. She drew him down until they were pressed brow to brow, breathing slowly. "So long as we're all together, we'll be fine. We can do this."

"I'm not gonna let anything happen to you or to Nora. I promise," he said, knowing his promise was only as good as his ability to stay one step ahead of the Puglianis. He had to think like them; he had to know what they were going to do before they did it.

"And we're not going to let anything happen to you," she answered just as firmly. "I have a safe house of my own, and the only people who know about it are Nora and myself. So we'll go there."

He arched a brow at her mention of a safe house, but he wasn't really surprised. In fact, he was relieved to know she'd made those kinds of provisions for herself and her sister. Did she even need him really' His heart sank to think maybe she didn't, but he said nothing of it.

"You're sure no one else knows about it?" he asked, knowing it was a little more complicated than that. There were property records, tax records, legal papers that could lead back to her, unless she'd been very careful. He had a feeling that's where he'd made his mistake.

"Not unless they know enough about my family to be able to link me to the name on the deeds," she assured him. "And that name is something like five generations old at this point."

It wasn't impossible that someone might track the property back to her, but it was improbable. Even if someone did manage it, it would take a while. "Okay, I need to call Vince," he said, pressing a kiss against her temple. "And order pizza. Why don't you go check on Nora?"

"Sounds like a plan," she agreed, raising her chin to steal a softer kiss from his lips. "We might end up with everyone in the same room tonight. She's never been this close to a shooting."

"It's okay, Addie. I don't mind," he said. Sleeping arrangements were the least of his worries at the moment. "It's gonna be okay," he assured her again, even if he couldn't by 100% sure of that. "We'll go to Europe if we have to. Australia. New Zealand. Somewhere safe. Somewhere they won't find us," he found himself saying.

"The life always finds you," she reminded him gently. "We'll work something out." With a last kiss to his cheek, she drew away reluctantly, heading for the stairs to check on her sister and have that conversation that had been brewing since they'd got into the car.

She left him with a worried frown on his face. He knew she was right, but he had also been thinking about this a lot lately. He'd come to Vegas to make a new life for himself, and here he was, in the middle of a pile of shit again. Well, no more. Maybe it was time he took matters into his own hands. While it was true that once you were in, there was no getting out, he had an idea that might make all parties happy and still buy them a little freedom. But first things first. He waited until she disappeared up the stairs, before pulling his cell phone from another pocket and hitting the number that would connect him with his boss.

News traveled fast in the underworld; Vince picked up almost instantly.

"Talk to me," the Molinaro boss said, without needing to check who was calling. Only Matt would call this time of night after what had happened earlier.

"They hit the safe house. We're okay. We weren't there when it happened. Danny called to warn Addie, but I think ..." Matt trailed off. Did he really have to explain what had happened there" So much for safe. "I think I know who ratted us out," he told his boss.

"I'll send a crew to clear it," Vince said. He was audibly moving to sit down with a creak that betrayed he was in his sound-proofed office. "Who's your guess?"

"Michael," Matteo replied bluntly. There was no point in beating around the bush. There were only a few people who'd known about the lake house, and most of them were now likely dead, but the "family" lawyer had access to everything. He'd known about the house because he'd been the one to help with the legalities involved in securing it. "I know you don't wanna hear that, but it has to be him. It can't be anyone else."

"Mmm." There was a long pause, and the sound of keys being tapped on a computer for a moment. "Any ideas at your end" I can handle the leak, but you're out there and vulnerable. Need a crew to run protection?"

"No, I've got it covered," Matt was quick to reply. "We've got a Plan B." And a Plan C and D, for that mattered, but one thing at a time. "I trust you, Vince, but I can't tell you what that plan is. Not yet. Not until this situation is resolved once and for all." The situation being the Puglianis.

"Time for action, huh?" Vince sounded resigned. He hated having to sanction a bloodbath, but this was where this was heading. The Puglianis had met with him and lied through their teeth about their intentions, and if Michael was involved, then Vince was their ultimate target. That couldn't be allowed.

"Lake Tahoe is a big place, Nora. It would have taken weeks, maybe months to find us here. Yes, you told your friend we were coming here, but looking for us would have been like looking for a needle in a haystack. No, someone else is to blame. Someone who knew right where to find us," he explained, hoping she'd agree with his reasoning. "So stop blaming yourself. It's not your fault."

"You're sure?" she asked once again, needing him to be absolutely confident that she hadn't just inadvertently killed a dozen men with a careless comment to a friend.

"Positive," he assured her, offering a reassuring, if faint and tired smile. He paused a moment, as if considering something before he spoke again. "Can I tell you something?"

The teenager nodded, a little of the color coming back into her face as relief touched her expression. She had obviously been blaming herself for a lot of death hardcore for the last few hours. "Sure."

He was frowning again, and there was a gleam in his eyes that might be tears. Or maybe he was just tired. It had been a long day for all of them. "I had a sister once. You remind me of her a little. Is that okay?"

"Why wouldn't that be okay?" she asked, her expression lightening hopefully. "You're my big brother now, right' I like having a big brother."

He gave her hand a gentle squeeze, his gaze alone telling her he had more to say. "There's nothing I wouldn't have done to keep my sister safe, and the same goes for you and Addie. We're a family now, Nora. A real family. You're my sister now, and I would never lie to you. Ever."

"Me too," she promised faithfully. "I won't ever lie to you, and I know you won't ever hurt Addie, so I won't ever hurt you either. Right?"

"Right," he was quick to agree. "We haven't known each other long, but that doesn't matter. I ..." He broke off, the words not quite forming on his lips. "I care about you, and Adriana, too. I want us to be a family."

Nora nodded slowly. "You know what? You've done more for me and with me in four days than my dad did all my life," she told him. "I want to be your family."

He shrugged his shoulders as if it was nothing and smiled at last. It was a smile full of warmth and fondness for this girl who was his sister in his heart, if not by blood. "I'm glad. I've enjoyed our time together, too, and ..." He was about to say more when there was a rap at the door. "I hope you like cheese and pepperoni," he said with a weary but sincere smile as he moved to his feet. "Wait here."

"I love pepperoni," Nora's voice followed him out of the kitchen, but she didn't move a muscle. She knew the rules when things were tense; if someone she trusted told her to wait, she waited. The same went for Addie - though she was ready to come downstairs after her shower, she waited out of sight at the top of the stairs until the door was closed and the car had driven away before coming down to meet them.

Thankfully, the pizza had been delivered by a teenager who was unlikely to know who they were or have any connection to the family. Matt paid him in cash and gave him a small tip - enough to be generous without being suspicious. He closed and locked the door before returning to the kitchen, bringing with him the smell of pizza and chicken fingers.

"Dinner's here!" he called, loud enough that Adriana would hear him upstairs.

Adriana was not far behind him, slipping into the kitchen barefoot in her own pajamas, smelling fresh from a quick shower. She smiled at Nora, glad to see her sister clearly feeling better now. "Mmm, smells good."

There would be time for mourning later. What they needed to focus on right now was survival. Danny would have wanted it that way. He would have wanted Matt to take care of the girls. They'd think about grieving him later.

"Not bad, but it's not like back home," Matt said, as he dished out the slices and opened the box of fingers so they could help themselves. He didn't mean Vegas when he talked about home, but New York. For Matt, New York would always be home.

"I heard New York did the best pizza," Nora said cheerfully, not knowing where he came from but making a guess. The rivalry between New York and Chicago when it came to the best slice was legendary, after all.

"You've got that right," he replied with a grin. Despite everything that had happened, he found himself smiling. He took a bite of his slice, only just now realizing how hungry he was. "Maybe someday I'll take you there and you can judge for yourself."

"That would be awesome," the teenager agreed, her mouth full as she chewed and smiled.

Addie smiled at the pair of them, glad to see that the initial shock and tension had faded. No doubt it would come back over the next few days, but maybe tonight would be peaceful.

Matt knew the shock and the fear and the grief would be back, but for the moment, he was going to try his damnedest to keep things as normal as possible, and what could be more normal than pizza" Two hours later, and it was Matt's turn to take a shower and try to unwind. Though the cottage was small and cozy, all the modern amenities were there for them to enjoy without the hideous decorating that had permeated the lake house. He wasn't sure what he was going to do with the property just yet, but he didn't think he'd ever want to stay there again.

Nora had fallen asleep on the couch in the master bedroom, covered up gently with a soft comforter by her sister before being left to sleep through the worst of her weariness. Adriana instead went down to sit on the deck, a cup of tea in her hands, working her way through the logistics of what they needed to do next.

First Matt checked on Nora, then he joined Addie on the deck, a cup of hot coffee, instead of tea. He was only fooling himself if he thought he was going to sleep tonight anyway. His hair was still damp from the shower, and he was dressed casually in a pair of gray sweatpants and a black t-shirt more appropriate for working out than sleeping, but he'd never been too fond of pajamas.

"Mind if I join you?" he asked, as he stood in the doorway. It was darker here than at the lake house, and the view was that of trees and mountains, rather than the lake, a star-speckled sky high above them.

She held his gaze as he fell silent, her eyes soft with something that she wasn't quite ready to put a name to yet. The same something she saw in his eyes that gave her the confidence to speak. "Me too."

He exhaled a sigh of relief, as he realized she felt the same way. Maybe they were the lucky ones. There had been too much death in their lives; maybe it was time to live. "I'm sorry about Danny," he said, knowing it needed to be said. The man had died a hero, as far as Matt was concerned.

Her expression grew tight for a moment, fighting to hold back the tears for the man who had always been her shadow. "He's always been there," she managed in a shaking tone. "Ever since I was little, he's always looked after me. I can't really believe he's gone."

"Maybe we shouldn't assume," Matt said, opening his arms to pull her close into his embrace. They didn't know for sure that Danny hadn't made it, but it didn't seem very likely. One way or another, they'd probably know soon.

She went willingly into his arms, though she wouldn't let herself cry. Not yet; not until they knew for sure there was something to cry about. "I'm sorry about your guys," she whispered, hugging close to him.

He shrugged, even as he held her close. Benny had been a friend, but he hadn't been very close to the rest. He hadn't been in Vegas long enough to make any lasting friendships yet, except for a few. Nothing could compare to her loss. "Benny was a good guy," he said, though how did you define good"

"He might have got out," she murmured, turning her head until her cheek rested against his. "He was waiting to find out which vehicle we took, right?"

"I don't know," Matt replied honestly enough. "He wasn't answering his phone." He wasn't sure if anyone had gotten out, but he figured they'd find out soon enough.

She nodded slowly, drawing back to look at his face, her hand rising to stroke her fingers through his hair. "We should try and sleep," she said quietly. "Even if all we do is lie still, it's still getting rest we're going to need tomorrow. It isn't a long drive to the safe house, but it is a drive."

He couldn't help but smile a little. "You do realize I just had a cup of coffee," he told her, and it hadn't been decaf. With Nora asleep in their bedroom, sex was out, too. He frowned at the thought of that, but this wasn't the time for sex. Too much had happened. When it did happen, he wanted it to be perfect.

"You just need to lie down with me," she told him softly. "Try and rest, even if you can't sleep." She smiled gently. "You're going to have to get used to being looked after, Matt. Like I said, you belong to us now."

For a moment, Matt was speechless, unsure just how to respond to that. No one had cared about him since his sister had died. Sure, he'd had friends and even a few lovers, but no one who seemed to care about him the way Adriana did. For a long time, he wasn't sure if he'd even cared about himself. "I'll try, Addie. It's been a long time since ..." He trailed off again. Since what? Since anyone had cared"

"Like I said," she murmured, leaning close to brush her smiling lips to his, "get used to it." Easing back, she rose, still holding his hand in hers. "C'mon."

Despite everything, he couldn't help but smile as he returned her kiss. "I'm not sure what I did to deserve you," he murmured, leaving the mugs on the table as he followed her to his feet.

"I think we deserve each other," was her quiet answer as she drew him back into the little cottage. They could collect the mugs in the morning. "I needed you, and I think you needed me, too."

"Fate works in mysterious ways, I suppose," he remarked just as quietly. He was only too happy to put an end to this day, if he could manage to sleep. Even if he couldn't, at least he could lie beside Adriana and watch her in her sleep.

"Fate doesn't get to take you away now," was Adriana's soft response, pausing to lock the cottage door before leading him to the stairs and up to the bedroom where Nora was, thankfully, still sleeping on the couch.

Matt frowned as he looked over at Nora and leaned down to adjust the blanket she'd thrown over herself. He had no intentions of moving her; if she felt safer sleeping in their room, he was okay with that. At least, she was alive. He was going to do everything in his power to keep it that, for both her and Adriana.

Adriana bent to kiss her sister's brow, smiling as the teenager snuggled deeper into the couch. She gently pushed the short table up against the couch, in case Nora rolled over too far in her sleep, and straightened, hands going to the hem of her sweater to pull it off.

"Why don't you two use the bed?" Matt whispered as Adriana pushed the table against the couch. "I can sleep in the other room," he added, though he had a feeling she wanted them both close tonight.

She shook her head. "If she wakes up now, she won't fall asleep again," she murmured to him, dropping her sweater on a chair. "And you're not going anywhere. You're with us."

He couldn't help but smile a little again in the darkness. "Stuck with me, huh?" he asked, in a hushed tone of voice. He stepped out of his shoes and left them near the bed, before turning to pull the blankets down.

"Mmhmm." There were a couple of soft thumps as she toed off her own shoes, feeling her way to the bed in the darkness. Long legs folded up to let her crawl under the blankets, waiting for him to join her.

He stepped out of his khaki shorts and left them on a chair before climbing into the bed beside her, clad only in his t-shirt and boxers. He wasn't big on pajamas anyway. "How far to the safe house?" he asked quietly.

Easing herself closer to mold her body against his in the sheets, Adriana sighed softly. "A little over an hour," she made a guess. "You just tell me when the best time is for us to be travelling."

"I'm not sure it matters, but just to be on the safe side, it's probably better to travel at night," he told her. It would be harder to find them or follow them in the dark.