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“Douchebag, leave some for me,” Mario says with a scowl. “I fucking love canapés.”
“Go get your own,” Orlando snaps.
“Boys, boys,” Marialena says, observing us from a few feet away. “You do know Mama ordered enough food for a wedding celebration, don’t you?”
“As if that makes a goddamn difference,” Tavi mutters with a scowl of his own. He reaches for one of the canapés, and Orlando smacks his hand away fiercely.
“You son of a—”
“Stop.” They look at me. I shake my head, half ready to shake some sense into both of them. “Jesus, you two are like fuckin’ kids. Behave yourselves or I’ll knock your heads together.” Tavi flips Orlando off, and Orlando shoves three more canapés into his mouth. With a growl of disapproval, I hand Vittoria the glass of wine, which is kinda like a “bro, hold my beer” move, and head toward them. They scatter like rabbits, the empty tray clattering to the floor.
Marialena rolls her eyes as she walks over to us, joined by her petite redheaded friend Sassy.
“Hey, Sass.” She’s been Marialena’s friend so long she’s almost like a sister around here. I don’t even remember her real name. She’s been Sassy forever. “When’d you get here?”
“Oh, about an hour ago. Marialena said there was a wedding, and I wanted to come. I’ve done nothing but study for like three months straight and I’m so ready for a party.” She sips a drink herself, as Orlando comes over with another tray, this one laden with small plastic flutes holding shrimp cocktail. Ballsy.
Orlando sees Sassy. His nostrils flare, and he scowls. “What’s that in your glass?” he asks.
Sassy flushes harder and hotter than any girl I’ve ever seen. Her cheeks match her hair.
“What’s it to you?” she snaps. He narrows his eyes at her, reaches for her shot and plucks it straight out of her hand, then slides it on his tray.
“You two ought to know better,” he says, shaking his head at Marialena and Sassy.
“Romeo!” Sassy says. “Tell him to give my drink back.”
“Show me your I.D. that says you’re twenty-one, and I’ll tell him to give you your drink back.”
“Et tu, Brute? Rome, are you kidding me?” Marialena upends the rest of her drink, but I turn to the bartender, point to Marialena, and shake my head no. Marialena stomps off after giving me a furious glare. Sassy follows, still flushing madly.
Vittoria sips her wine and watches. She seems amused, and observes every interaction I have with the people here. There are over fifty soldiers in the Family, and all know she’s my future wife. When they look our way, they incline their heads out of respect. Some shake her hand, still others kiss her cheek.
“Pleased to meet you,” Leo says. He takes Vittoria’s hand and kisses it, but quickly releases her when he catches my eye. Leo’s a classic flirt and he better watch his fucking step.
“Careful, Rome,” he says, shaking his head. “Your father’s restless, and you know what that means.”
I do. When he gets in these moods, one of two things happens: he takes another woman to bed, or someone dies. I’m not sure how many more mistresses my mother can take before she loses her mind.
I reach for Vittoria’s wine glass and take another sip, as my father stands. He clears his throat. He’s lost so much respect as Don of the Family, it’s only out of force of habit everyone looks his way.
Many of the men watch me, to take my lead. I stand up taller and look at my father. If I want the men to respect me as Don, I’ll have to show respect to my father, even if the only reason I show it is because of his role.
“Good evening,” he says. “Grazie per essere venuto.”
Leo looks to me. When my father lapses from English into Italian, he’s usually wasted. I tense, waiting to hear what he’ll say.
“Romeo.” Vittoria winces. I release her hand. I didn’t realize I was holding onto her that tightly. Leo looks from me to her, then to my father again. I put my arm around her shoulders.
“You should marry him, sweetheart,” Leo says in a whisper. “You have no idea how much easier this will go for you if you do.”
Vittoria lifts her chin defiantly. She’s got a stubborn streak a mile wide, and I will enjoy every fucking minute of taming that. “Thank you,” she says. “I’ve noted your unsolicited input.”
Leo’s brows raise slightly before he bellows with laughter. “Ah, Rome. You need a feisty one. Keep you on your toes, eh?” He gives me a wink. I pinch Vittoria’s ass.
“Hey!”
I tuck her against my side. Even with her heels, she’s several inches shorter than I am, and fits in the crook of my arm like she was designed for me. “You think I didn’t notice what you’re wearing, beautiful? Hmm?” She bites her lip and gives me a coy look that makes my dick hard. I lean in, tangling my fingers in the hair at the nape of her neck, and whisper in her ear. “You’re already in trouble for defying me.”
