Page 89 of A Capo’s Love: Featuring A Don’s Love

“I never expected this to be the turn out, so I want all of you to know that I am forever grateful for all of your support.” I gestured to the crowd.

“Thank you for making me feel seen.” I bowed softly in front of the podium.

The audience stood, applause exploded around me, and I couldn’t even believe that people were shouting my name. I looked at my aunt and uncle that I thought I’d never see again… then over at my new immediate family. Luca, Novae, the twins, and Royal…

My heart felt full, my soul felt rested. For the first time since being a little girl with pigtails, running to show my mother and father a picture I colored or drawn… I felt sincerely happy.

I wasn’t just surviving a storm that set over my life anymore. I was actually living through it and finding the sunshine. I was blessed by God and more grateful than ever for where I currently resided at in life.

The applause followed me all the way off the stage. The event coordinator was already moving toward the signing table set up near the front. The line had already started to form. People were anxiously waiting with smiles on their faces as they looked at me with pride.

I couldn’t go there just yet because the second my feet touched the floor my eyes found my aunt and uncle again. Suddenly, nothing else mattered in the moment. I needed to be right in front of them to know that their presence was real. My heart pounded hard against my ribs when I started walking in their direction.

My aunt’s hands covered her mouth as she stood crying openly now. My uncle stood beside her, looking just as emotional. When I made it closer, none of us moved. I felt the years that sat between us. Years of grief with questions mixed with the loss of my parents and the disappearance of me. I stared at my aunt trying to find pieces of my mother in my aunt’s face. My eyes went to my uncle and memories of him and my father smoking cigars and drinking whiskey as they laughed full belly laughs together hit me. I stood frozen, trying to make sense of how much life happened while we all were apart. Then my auntie whispered my name lowly.

That was all it took for me to break completely and close the distance so fast I almost stumbled over my own feet. The three of us crashed into each other into a desperate group hug. My aunt wrapped both arms around me while my uncle folded himself around the both of us. The sob that I released shook my entire chest. I buried my face into my aunt’s should and sobbed out years of agonizing pain until I felt like it all released out of me.

Her fingers gripped the back of my jacket tightly as she rocked me from side to side.

“Jesus, Nova, I’m so sorry.” Her voice came out broken and hoarse.

She kept apologizing, which only made me cry harder. She had nothing to be sorry about. I was the one who felt like I owed them an apology. I spent years feeling ashamed of what happened while under the care of Lennox. My innocence snatched away. I even went through a phase of only wanting my body used and destroyed with sex because I convinced myself that an orgasm was the only good feeling I deserved to have after going through everything I went through.

I spent a lot of time reteaching myself the confidence I once felt from when I was a kid showing my parents coloring pictures so that I wouldn’t be taken advantage of anymore. I didn’t know how to tell my aunt and uncle that I could have reached out but was too ashamed to even try. When I became an adult and had the free will to reach out… I thought about them asking me to retell exactly what happened the day my parents were murdered.

There were so many things that played in my decision of staying away. Things that I could have shoved to the side because I really needed family more than anything along this journey. A part of me felt guilty but the other half felt satisfied that I kept them safe from the Bonetti’s.

“I’m so proud of you.” My aunt pulled back, squeezing the top of my shoulders.

My uncle kept us shielded with his arms still wrapped around the both of us.

“I never want to lose sight of you again. I’m here, baby, and always will be here. You go take care of business, and we will talk when you’re finished.” She wiped the tears from my cheeks.

I nodded my head, still unable to utter a word. I was overwhelmed with so many different emotions. My heart ached in the best way possible. There was so many things I felt at once, one of those things was major relief.

“Go sign those books, baby girl.” My uncle’s deep voice rose above the loud chatter surrounding us.

“Luca Bonetti is a good man, so don’t overthink what all you think we know concerning him. There’s nothing you need to explain that we already understand. We just want to make up for all the time we’ve gone without you.”

The reassurance in my uncle’s tone of voice was enough to make me straighten my posture and feel comfortable enough to walk away after hugging them one last time before signing hundreds of books.

Today was one of the second-best days of my life. The first best day was giving birth to Novae Bonetti.

As I walked over to the signing table, my eyes drifted back over to my Luca. He stood calm and confident in the same spot, watching me with the type of intensity that made goosebumps spread like a wildfire all over me. Soon as we got home… all that celibate and taking it slow shit was out the window. I started humming B.I.G ‘Fuck You Tonight’ song out loud as I sung the lyrics in my head wishing he could read my mind to know what I was thinking.

“You must be used to me spending….all that sweet wining and dining… I’m fucking you tonight…”

I’m smirked at him mischievously then winked my eye at him before mouthing ‘thank you’.

CHAPTER 22

Luca

I NEED ALL OF YOU.

I leaned against my Maybach parked near the circular driveway of the estate with my cup of tea glued to my lips. I watched La’Nova’s camper rock back and forth then side to side. The entire thing moved like kids inside of a bounce house from her sheer excitement since laying eyes on it.

The twins were asleep, and Novae was with the nanny for the night. Everything felt unusually peaceful in my world besides the business that Roy and I stayed on top of outside of our personal lives. My free hand drifted into my pocket. I pulled out a small velvet box and just stared down at it quietly.