Page 38 of Sacred Blood

He never tried to replace our father. He simply showed up every day and taught us what family looked like.

One choice.

One lesson.

One act of loyalty at a time.

Eventually, the distinction stopped mattering. The Vitale name wasn't what made us brothers. Everything that came after did.

The fights.

The celebrations.

The losses.

The victories.

By the time I was old enough to understand what adoption truly meant, the decision had already been made. Those men were my brothers. Not because of blood. Because of love.

Because they chose me. And because I chose them right back.

Romeo, Giovanni, Vinny and Fausto are my brothers, even if not by blood. Family is family, Gabriella, and we will get yours straightened out, I promise you.”

I could feel the wheels turning as she processed what I shared with her.

“Vinny?” She pulled her head away to look at me in surprise. “No. That cute Cali surfer-dude was born a Vitale?”

I laughed at her description of Simba. “See how different he looks from the rest of us? Genes are strange things and Italy was the center of the world once. One Germanic barbarian slips into the mix and five hundred years later, a blond, blue-eyed Italian bambino is born, but I assure you, his blood is the same as Romeo’s.”

Her frame felt so small as she snuggled deeper into my lap.

“Romeo is scary,” she shivered. “And that’s saying something, as I’ve met tons of mafia men at events my parents dragged me to.”

He was scary, and if things went south, I may be forced to make a choice between the family and saving the woman in my arms. For now, Allegra Gabriella Calabretta was mine, but when things got straightened out, I’d have to find the strength to set her free. The thought left an unfamiliar ache in my chest. But my path was chosen a long time ago and it was meant for me and no one else.

Chapter Nine

Gabriella

Finally! After what felt like forever with absolutely nothing to do, Tano was taking me back to his house in the Hamptons, along with a host of security. I’d take a hundred more of them if it meant not having to spend another minute in the safe house.

I opened the bedroom door and found the faithful Vincent at his post. I’d begged Tano not to be hard on the man after the gun fiasco. He was, after all, only trying to accommodate me as his boss had instructed. He was gone for a few days and came back with a black eye and a busted lip and silence.

Feeling awful that it was my fault he was punished, I behaved like a model captive since his return. “Here is my bag. Could you carry it downstairs for me please?”

He nodded and picked up my bag while I took a last look at my prison to ensure I hadn’t forgotten anything, not that I had much beyond clothing. Having been ensconced this past week, I’d had nothing to do but shop online. The Vitales, I was learning, had many connections and one was with clothing.

A trusted family maid from the mansion came to the safe house blindfolded and once in my room, it was removed. She took all my measurements and sent them to Tano, who put in an order for me.

Order was an understatement, as an entirely new wardrobe arrived within a few days. Everything fit to a tee and made me look sexy and voluptuous. Thank goodness he thought of the basics as well and my packages included yoga pants and jeans, as well as cute tank tops and fun shoes, all top of the line.

My parents had covered my sisters' and my needs and then some. While there were designer brands we’d all wanted, our parents had set a budget we were expected to stick to. Tano didn’t seem to care about the price tags, or perhaps he felt guilty for keeping me locked up and this was how he made amends. Regardless, it was all working in my favor, and I fully expected to go through several sets of the sexy lingerie I’d been gifted over the weekend.

I made sure to pack the sheer ones on top, as first on my list to wear. They didn’t hide a damn thing, and I was keen to watch his reaction to seeing me in them. Imagining his eyes on me in the outfits, and him taking them off, or tearing them off, had kept me hot and bothered all week. What I wouldn’t have given for a dildo or even a tiny vibrator to help relieve the sexual tension.

He’d also included a selection of cosplay outfits. Fantasies galore swirled through my head on a regular basis and, apparently, through Tano's as well. I was excited to finally bring some of them to life.

The first outfit I found among the stacks of boxes was a sexy nurse costume. The fantasy was obvious. He'd be playing Dr. Vitale, and I would be the naughty nurse he often called me, cattiva infermeria.