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Sophia
Ilie in bed staring up at the ceiling. My heart is both full and heavy. I try and sleep, but I can’t stop thinking about Nick. Even though it’s the middle of the night, I can’t stay in this bed one more second. I sit up and swing my legs over the side. I’m sore from Nick taking me, but the pleasure he gave me outweighed the pain tenfold. My body had adjusted and opened for him, as though it knew we were meant to be one. The memory sends a flash of heat through me.
I scoot off the bed and go in search of something to wear, because there is no way in hell that I’ll be falling back asleep while Nick is out there putting himself in danger.
It’s a double-edged sword. I didn't want him to go, but I knew he had to. It’s the only way, and it’s how our families take care of things. There’s no stopping it, and in the end, it will keep us safe. Marco too. I should go find him, make sure he isn’t getting himself into something. He tends to be reckless sometimes. Him showing up here to begin with only reinforces the fact that he can be careless. My hope is that he’ll learn to not react as quickly as he gets older.
I pause when I see a small gun on the nightstand. I don’t remember it being there before. I think I would have noticed it, but I was sort of engaged in other activities, so I may have missed it. When my back had hit the bed, all of my focus had been on my husband. I’d let myself forget about everything else for a little while. No grief, no pain, just us. But now the world snaps back into sharp focus.
He left a gun for me. I reach over and pick it up. I’ve grown up around them, but oddly, I’ve never touched one before. Mafia princesses aren’t supposed to know how to handle a weapon. But I’ve seen them around and know how they work. It’s just that no one has ever placed one in my hand. Not until Nick. Whether he’s here or not, he’s made sure with the men at the door and this gun that I’m protected. A warm feeling courses through me at the level of concern he has for me. I don’t know why I’m even shocked that he would go to such great lengths to protect me. He’s told me so many times since we met that I’m his queen. I take the gun with me as I head toward the closet. It’s then I realize that I have no clothes here.
I place the gun on the island in the giant walk-in closet. It looks as though one side has already been completely cleared out for me. My fingers brush along the row of Nick’s clothes until I find a shirt that’s to my liking. It’s a simple white button-down. I bring it to my nose to see if I can smell my husband's scent on it. Yes. It comforts me, and I slide it over my head before grabbing the gun and heading back to the bedroom. I find my panties on the floor. I snag them up as I enter the bathroom to try and make myself look somewhat presentable before I go roaming around my new home.
I knock on the door before I open it knowing that two men are out there, guarding it with their lives.
“I’m opening the door,” I tell them as I swing it open. One guard turns to face me while the other keeps watch on the hallway. The guard’s eyes take me in and then snap to my face. It’s then I realize I don’t have the nerve it takes to pull off just-Nick’s-shirt in front of his men.
“Something you need, Mrs. Davinci?” His eyes are no longer even on me but focused on something behind me.
“No. I’ll be right back,” I say as I backpedal and close the door in his face. My cheeks heat with embarrassment as I walk back to the closet to try and find some sweats or something to wear. I’m hoping that my new husband owns some. Nick Davinci doesn’t look as though he’s the type that wears casual clothes. He looks like he was born to wear a suit. So I’m not very hopeful that I’ll find anything useful, but I check anyway. No luck. I look in the mirror. The shirt almost hits my knees. It’s pretty much a dress. That’s what I reason with myself before I decide to say the hell with it.
I open the door again. They both flick their eyes toward me before focusing back on the hallway. I guess I’m supposed to be invisible to them? They were instructed to lay down their lives for me but not look at me? I almost laugh at how ridiculous those orders sound. So I guess it doesn’t matter what I wear after all.
“My brother?” I question, hoping one of them might have information on where he is.
“I will locate him for you, Mrs. Davinci,” the one on the right says.
“Ah. Thank you?” I don’t mean for it to come out sounding like a question, but it’s going to take a little while for me to get used to how the men treat me here. It’s so different from what I’m used to. They have respect for women in this house.
“Anything you need.” He nods, pulling out his phone. I need one of those too.
“Sophia, are you hungry?” I turn to see Carlotta standing at the end of the hallway. “Come, I’ll make you something to eat. Soon you will have a Davinci inside of you, and you’ll need all the extra weight that you can get.”
I mean, I had a Davinci inside of me an hour ago but--Oh. Oh, she means a baby. My cheeks warm.
My hand goes to my stomach. “You think . . .” My eyes go round. Why hadn't I thought of that? It is all I worried about before. I’d made sure to protect myself from pregnancy when I married Antonio. I’d forgotten about my pills once Nick had gotten his hands on me. In my defense, I hadn't exactly had time to pack any belongings before Nick whisked me away. I’ll have to get more. I’m sure if I call Marco, he could have them to me in an hour if I asked him to. But maybe I don’t want them. Maybe I want to have a piece of Nick inside of me. It’s rash and sudden and unexpected, but yes, I want to have a family with him.
“Yes, a baby.” I look up to see Carlotta is now in front of me. She cups my face with one hand gently. It’s a mother's touch, soft and sweet. “You will fill this big home with laughter and love. It has already begun.” She gives a firm nod, her face growing serious. “Davinci will end this war tonight. He knows what’s at stake.” Her eyes meet mine, reassuring me that Nick will come home to me. “Enough talk about war. We should eat.” She turns with a sure step and strides down the hall. Not exactly knowing my way around my new home, I follow her.
She points things out to me, giving me a small tour as we go. I don’t miss how many times she says “and this could be a child’s room.” She is like a grandma itching for grandchildren. I smile and listen to all she has to tell me. If anyone knows more about the house than Nick, it would be Carlotta.
“Marco!” I say when I enter the kitchen and see him pacing back and forth. I run over to him.
“Where did you get that?” He tries to take the gun I still have in my hand. Neither Carlotta or the two guards have said a word about me having it. I pull my hand back.
“My husband gave it to me.”
Marco’s jaw goes tight. He wants to say something about the gun but doesn't. I hope it’s because he respects Nick’s decision to give me a gun and isn't going to question it.
“Be careful with that thing, Soph,” he says before he takes a seat at the counter. “You haven’t had any training.”
“This is the danger end, right?” I point to the grip.
He wrinkles his nose and shakes his head as I roll my eyes. “Oh, Soph.”
I turn and look at the big kitchen. It’s sleek and modern with smooth marble countertops. I walk over, taking a seat on a stool next to Marco, and place the gun on the countertop. I run my finger along the white and gray marble, daydreaming of little Davincis running all over this place. The kitchen can be such an integral part of our lives. It’s where families come together. I want that with Nick.
“You happy, Soph?” My brother’s words break me from my thoughts.
