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“I knew that would come back and bite me in the butt.”
“And what a fine butt it is.”
“Enzo!”
He tugs me toward a woman with silver hair and a regal beating. “Let’s get this thing started.”
“Might as well.” I follow him and see the woman smile faintly.
“Ma, this is Abby,”
“Benvenuta, Abby,” she says, extending her hand. “I am Donatella, Enzo’s mother.”
“Thank you, Signora Bianchi,” I reply, taking her hand gently, trying to appear confident despite my nerves. Will this woman give me a chance, or will she tell her son to choose a more appropriate woman?
Her expression tells me nothing, and I know that if she ever decides to play poker, she’ll win every hand.
“Please, call me Donatella,” she insists. “My daughter has sung your praises and said that you handled the little mishap well.”
Swallowing, I nod and wonder if she considers that a good thing or not. “Ari was incredible, and I deeply admire her strength.”
“All she has to do is use it for good and not—”
“We’ll talk more later, Ma. I’m gonna introduce her to Franco.”
Before I can say anything, Enzo pulls me away. “That was rude.”
“Neither of us needs to hear my mother’s speech about my sister flushing her reputation down the toilet and how it will ruin the family name for generations to come.”
“I didn’t get to say goodbye.”
“There are a lot of people for you to meet. You can talk to her more later.” He guides me toward an imposing man standing near the bar. “Do you remember my brother?”
“Barely.” The consigliere nods curtly as we join him. “Hello, Franco. It’s nice to see you under less stressful circumstances.”
“Yes, it is.”
I feel the weight of his scrutiny and wonder if he blames me for his sister’s kidnapping. He and Enzo talk about Encore briefly, and I glance around, wondering if I’m the biggest fool for thinking this is possible.
Enzo’s arm wraps around my waist, and I take a breath, appreciating the gesture. Franco gives me a slight nod, and I pray that’s his way of telling me that I wouldn’t be here if he didn’t approve of our relationship.
A striking woman with dark hair cascading over her shoulders moves in our direction with a radiant smile. “Hello.”
“You must be Abby,” she exclaims, pulling me away from Enzo into a warm hug. “I’ve heard so much about you.”
“Take it easy, G,” Enzo says as his brother stalks off. “Sweetheart, this is my cousin, Gianna.”
Relief washes over me as she holds my hands and stares at me with kindness. “It’s nice to finally meet you.”
“I’m sure you’re feeling overwhelmed right now, but don’t worry,” Gianna assures me, placing her hand on my arm. “Eventually, this circus will feel completely normal.”
Enzo shakes his head. “Not the selling point I would’ve gone for, but it’s true.”
I lean into Enzo and wonder if Nonno was ever invited to a celebration over the years. “Congratulations on your daughter’s christening, Gianna.” I open my purse and pull out a small wrapped package. “This is for Sophia.”
“How lovely.” Gianna hugs me again, and I hope I will eventually have a chance to become friends with the woman Enzo so clearly admires. “Speaking of my princess, I better go find her before her cheeks get kissed off. The aunts are a little too enthusiastic, so I better save her.”
“We’ll catch up later.” Enzo turns to me. “You knocked out the big three in less than ten minutes. This is gonna be a breeze.”
