Total pages in book: 77
Estimated words: 73732 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 369(@200wpm)___ 295(@250wpm)___ 246(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 73732 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 369(@200wpm)___ 295(@250wpm)___ 246(@300wpm)
“She is. They’re actually happily married now. Kids. The whole thing.”
“Oh, uhm, well… this wasn’t that thing where she falls for her captor thing, right?”
“No. She genuinely just grew to love the fucker. And I’m happy for her. But…”
“But that doesn’t undo all the helplessness and fear and anger you’d felt.”
“Yeah,” he agreed.
“So, Renzo was suggesting he wants another marriage between the Families?” I asked.
“Seems that way. The only consolation I can find in the situation is that he is saying it to us. Makes me think he’s not going to kidnap anyone.”
“I wish I could say I know him well enough to give some insight. I don’t. But I will say he was… his version of gentle when I was upset. I don’t think he’s cruel toward women. Just, you know, a guy…” I said, smiling and giving him a shrug.
“Hey,” Emilio said.
“It’s different. You have sisters. And a mom who you’re close to. I don’t think Renzo has that. His life seems kind of hard. I don’t think he’d be a lovey-dovey husband, but I think he’d take care of his wife.”
“Well, hopefully, we will never know. There are other ways to bring peace.”
I went ahead and held my tongue about how those attempts had all failed in the past.
I guess time would tell how that would all shake out.
“Are you guys really okay with this deal?” I asked.
“Honestly, that real estate has been sitting empty since I got it. I haven’t really given it a second thought since then. And if Renzo is willing to give up something in exchange for it, that’s fine.”
“Maybe you should, you know, do something with it,” I suggested. “Isn’t it good for you to have legitimate businesses?” I asked. “Especially if, eventually, you want kids. They couldn’t exactly go to school and when someone asks what their daddy does for a living say he’s a mafia capo.”
A little chuckle moved through him at that, but then he was moving closer, putting his hands on my hips.
“Is that your subtle way of asking me if I want kids?”
“Maybe,” I admitted.
“I do. However many of them you want to give me,” he said, making my heart squeeze in my chest. “Assuming you want them too.”
“I definitely do. I don’t know how many,” I admitted. “I haven’t spent a lot of time around little kids,” I told him. “What?” I asked at the grin he shot me.
“Oh, honey, that is about to change,” he told me. “Everyone in this Family has a fucking litter of kids.”
“I’m excited. Pretty soon, the garden is going to be a usable space, and the kids will have a little, private outside area to play in when they come over.”
“I like the way you’re thinking,” he said, pulling me closer. “Uh oh,” he said when I could feel my thoughts racing, and knew that it was probably all over my face. “What is it?”
“Your family. Not just, you know, the Family…”
“What about them?” he asked.
“Are they all going to be as understanding as Lorenzo and Ant?” I asked, feeling a little ache at the idea that the first thing they’d hear about me was the way I’d forced my way into their world, then betrayed someone they loved.
“Baby, were you not listening?” he asked, his hands drifting down to my ass, giving it a playful little squeeze. “My sister was forced to marry someone who kidnapped her. If they can accept Primo Esposito, they can accept you.”
I guess that made sense, right?
“And, you know, Gia murdered Lorenzo’s dad.”
“What?” I gasped, my whole body tightening.
“In her defense, he needed killing. She’d been kidnapped, and was likely going to be abused and killed herself, so she used some knowledge she had about an allergy he had against him, and…” Emilio said, letting the sentence hang.
“Lorenzo wasn’t furious?”
“Lorenzo’s old man was a narcissistic, incompetent, cruel boss… and an even worse father. Let’s just say that he did something to Lorenzo’s mom that no one could ever forgive him for.”
“Is she…”
“She’s okay now,” Emilio said. “Very happily trying to rebuild her life and enjoy being a grandma.”
“That’s good,” I said, thinking about how many of the mafia women had gotten the short end of the stick over the years.
It genuinely did seem like this newer generation was trying to do right, to break the cycle of shitty husbands and fathers.
You had to admire that.
“You’d be surprised how much this Family is willing to look past if they know that their loved one is happy.”
“And are you?” I asked. “Happy,” I clarified.
“Baby, I’m fucking over the moon,” he corrected.
“You’re just saying that because you want me to finish decorating your office.”
“I mean… that might be a part of it,” he teased, giving my ass a couple little squeezes. “But on a serious note, I don’t really remember a time when I was happier than I am now. With you.”