Page 74 of Power & Punishment

I step forward, keeping my hands at my sides so I don’t repeat the mistake I made with Mari. “It’s so nice to meet you, Mr. and Mrs. DeLuca.”

His mother’s lips curve, and there’s something about it that feels genuine in the best way. “You can call me Cecil. Mrs. DeLuca makes me sound like a grandma, and trust me, I’m nowhere near having grandchildren anytime soon,” she says, side-eying Gio, who’s sitting in the corner sipping on his drink without a care in the world.

I laugh, easing some of the tension that’s been gathering in my chest since Leo dropped this fun little surprise in my lap.

“It’s good to know you’ll laugh at my jokes,” Cecil says, gently nudging my forearm. “I think you’ll fit right in with us.”

“Give it five minutes,” Gio mutters into his almost empty glass.

“At least Leo brought home a girl,” Mari steps in, ready to go to bat for her older brother. “You scare off anything with a pulse.”

“I don’t scare them off,” Gio fires back. “I’m just selective.”

“That’s one way to put it,” Leo adds, chiming in.

More laughter fills the room and everything about it is effortless. No one hesitates or holds back. It’s what a real family dynamic should feel like.

At some point during the chaos, Leo’s dad introduces himself, and we find our seats around the table. I sit next to Leo and almost yelp when he grabs the leg of my chair and pulls me in close enough to rest his hand on my thigh. I have to bite down on the inside of my cheek to keep from swatting him away.

But after a while the weight of his hand feels good. It feels grounding.

Gio pours a tall glass of wine and carefully slides it across the table. “You drink?”

“Yes,” I say, eagerly accepting the glass.

“Good. You’re going to need it.”

Mari laughs. Leo doesn’t.

The rest of the night feels like a hazy dream. The dinner is full of fun stories and teasing. It’s a whole other side to him that I’m not sure I want to know.

I prefer the hard-to-stomach version he’s perfected outside of this loving family bubble. That side is easier to push away.

He looks so relaxed here, and it has me thinking that I could like this version of him. I could even see myself coming to more of these family dinners.

And that’s when I reach for my water and try to sober up because this isn’t real. I’m only here because Leo is forcing me to be.

“What do you do for work, Mia?” Frank asks, wiping his mouth with a napkin and setting it back down on the table.

“I’m a homicide detective,” I answer, not putting much thought into it. “Leo and I met at a fundraiser for the NYPD.”

Gio chuckles, lowering his gaze. Mari shoots him a dirty look before he lets out a yelp after some indiscreet shuffling under the table. “You’re such a dick.”

“Language,” Cecil snaps, narrowing her gaze before turning back to me with a warm smile. “That’s amazing, Mia. Frank was a public defender early in his career, so he has some experience with that line of work.”

I crinkle my brow, still quietly observing the weird shift that’s happened in the room. Leo senses my confusion, so he squeezes my leg and encourages me to answer his mom.

“Oh, really?” I say, refocusing on Mr. DeLuca. “So, you probably understand the joys of working with the public?” I ask sarcastically, leaning toward a lighter topic.

He smiles, nodding his head slowly. “It wasn’t always easy, but it was meaningful. You learn a lot about people and what they’re capable of when they’re desperate.”

Leo shifts in his chair, but he doesn’t move his hand.

“Very true,” I say, lifting my glass to hide my assessing glare around the table. They all know something I don’t, and I hate that feeling.

“And what about your family?” Cecil asks, desperately trying to change the subject. “Are you close with them?”

I try to ignore the stinging sensation behind my eyes. It’s been there for years, but every once in a while, it becomes harder to ignore. “It’s just me, mostly.”