Page 90 of Love & Power

Jace took my hand and led me down the stairs while Braxton had my jacket and the shoes he picked out for me. Seated with a glass of champagne and draped with a smock, Bella set to work. It was just the thing I needed, forced to sit in one spot, close my eyes, and zen out while music played in the background.

Once Bella was done with me, she spun me around to check my new look. I was pleased to see she kept the makeup light and fresh, drawing attention mostly to my emerald-colored eyes and full lips. The style Bella did for my hair was a half-up-half-down with a light wave completing the effortless elegance style the rest of the look was creating.

“Such beauty to work with… you make my job so easy,” Bella commented as she sprayed down a few hairs that dared to escape. “I already made sure your lover has my card. Please don’t hesitate to reach out for any occasion, even if it’s last minute. The mafia queen calls, and I will happily put everything else on hold.”

Twisting in the chair, I looked at her. “Mafia queen?”

“Surely, that’s not the first time you’ve heard someone call you that,” Bella challenged, but the longer she studied my face, she realized I hadn’t. “My apologies if I offended you by calling you that, Mistress Astin. Clearly, the nickname is only being used by us common folk.”

“It’s fine, Bella,” I assured the woman. “The name just surprised me, is all. Why would they be calling me the queen when I’m not ruling over anything?”

Now it was Bella’s turn to look surprised. “You are the head of two different mafia families and have two others that have aligned with you. How does that not make you a queen?”

I started to argue with the woman but decided it wasn’t worth the effort. Given time, I’m sure the nickname would fade once they see that I had zero plans to rule this new generation.

“Thank you for the beautiful look, and I will be sure to keep you in mind for the next occasion,” I said, dismissing the woman.

Bella smiled then lowered the chair for me to get out before cleaning up her tools. Luca stepped out of the kitchen as I stood like he’d been waiting for me. “Baby girl, you look beautiful,” he shared, taking my hand and kissing the back of it. “So much so I don’t trust myself to kiss your lips.”

“Okay, are Braxton and Hound giving lessons now?” I asked with a chuckle. “As cheesy as that was, I appreciate the sentiment.”

Luca grinned and walked me over to the ottoman, where I sat so he could slip on my heels. “That one was all me, and a perfect example of why I don’t use the lines I think up.”

“Well, it wasn’t that bad, and you shouldn’t stop telling them to me,” I teased. “It’s nice to see this side of you coming out more often.”

Instantly, I was trapped in Luca’s mesmerizing amber gaze. “You’re the one who showed me I even had the ability to feel like this. Everything you said to Gian was the lesson you taught me, and I couldn’t be more grateful to have you change my life for the better.”

Leaning forward, I grabbed Luca’s face, and not giving a fuck about my makeup, I kissed the hell out of him. When I pulled back and didn’t see the slightest color transfer, I was impressed. “I wouldn’t have been able to figure it out without all of you. So I should be the one saying all this sappy shit.”

“Baby girl, you never stop showing or telling us how much we mean to you. We’re the ones who need to step up their game, not you,” Luca countered.

I kissed him once more, taking a second to simply be in the moment before he pulled away. “Come on, the others are ready and probably standing near the car.”

Sure enough, when we walked out the front door, they were waiting near a limousine, just like we took to the party a week ago. This time, instead of tuxedos, they wore their normal suits, albeit slightly nicer ones since this was a date, after all. Ryker helped me into the limousine, climbed in after me, and opened a bottle of my favorite white wine.

He handed me the glass along with a quick kiss before settling next to me. “It will take us about fifteenish minutes to get where we’re going since it’s just outside the city limits.”

“Do I get a hint?” I asked as I absently traced the scar on his palm that I had a matching version of on my hand.

“Sorry, Tin-Tin, tonight you’re along for the ride,” Ryker informed me with a smirk. “All I’ll say is I really hope you like it because we put a lot of thought into this.”

“All of you?”

“Yeah, all of us,” he repeated. “Sometimes, there needs to be conversations between men to get things off their chests before they can move forward. I might have needed a slap in the face from a friend to set me straight, but trust me when I say I deserved it.”

My brows shot up. “One of them slapped you?”

“Hey, did you miss the part where I said I deserved it?” Ryker countered.

“Damn right, you did,” Jace interjected.

Looking between the two men, I didn’t know what to make of this revelation. “What the hell were you fighting about? Didn’t we agree we’d be honest with each other about things that upset someone?”

Ryker grabbed my glass, handing it off, then caught my chin and forced me to focus on him. “Take a breath, Tin-Tin. We’re fine, he’s fine, everything is fine. On occasion, there are going to be times that a fight between brothers will happen. It has nothing to do with our love for you or the relationship we have. Family argue, and it’s healthy to fight as long as resentment doesn’t build. My ass was bent out of shape, and Jace called me on it. End of story.”

“If you say so, but what does this have to do with tonight?” I questioned, feeling like I was missing something.

Letting his hand fall from my chin, Jace took mine so he could trace the scar there. “What I’m failing to say is that my insecurities and past failures kept me from believing you when you tell me you love me. My struggle with you having them is you might not need me one day.”