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The fucker is taking his life in his own hands with her family under the same roof, but again, he can handle himself. I head up to the bedroom, slipping inside and finding the room dark and Gia already asleep in the bed, hugging my pillow to her.
I don’t stop the smug smile that pulls at my face and I quickly strip down, climb into bed. But not before I grab the box from my pocket and pull out the ring. I gently pull the pillow from her, and then take her hand, slipping the ring on her finger. She immediately stirs and opens her eyes, smiling sleepily at me. It takes a few minutes for her brain to wake up enough to realize the ring is on her finger, but when she does, she looks at it in shock. Then she looks back at me. “It’s beautiful,” she whispers. “And if I wasn’t so tired, I’d show you how much.”
I chuckle softly, pulling her into me and throwing a leg over hers. “Sleep,topolina,” I murmur. “Tomorrow will be soon enough.”
“I love you,” she says sleepily as she burrows into me, her breathing already starting to even out.
And even though I only said a couple hours ago that I felt far more, the words easily slip from my mouth. “I love you too, my sweet little mouse. Now sleep because we have a busy day ahead of us tomorrow.”
I close my eyes, and let sleep claim me.
CHAPTER33
Gia
It’spure chaos when I finally make it downstairs. It’s after noon, and while I should be embarrassed I slept so late, but considering how late it was when I finally fell asleep, I suppose it’s to be expected. Still, from the yelling and loud laughter I can only imagine what I’ve missed. I make my way toward the dining room since that is where I assume most of the commotion is coming from.
I glance down at my ring for the millionth time since I woke up. It still seems surreal that Nico already got me a ring. Though I guess that explains why he disappeared last night.
I’ve never been much of a jewelry person, but this, this is something else. If I was picking a perfect ring for me, this would be it. It’s beautiful, not too big, and also at the same time makes enough of a statement that everyone will know I’m taken. Which was probably Nico’s main objective. A smile pulls at my lips as I look at it once again. I still have some reservations that he’s never going to give me the freedom I need, but I’ll cross that bridge when we get there.
For now, I want to get to know our guests a little more. It’s the first time I’ve been around so many people and I’m terrified of mucking things up, but I also refuse to hide myself away while they’re here out of fear. I did enough of that growing up I refuse to do it any longer.
When I finally reach the dining room, I stop in my tracks when I see what is going on. Nico is at the head of the table looking harassed and like he would rather be anywhere else. Sofia is seated in between her father and eldest brother, though the other two brothers are on either side of them, and she looks furious. Aurelio and Lazaro both look smug and far too proud of themselves. On the other side are the Caruso boys, and they look a mixture between smug and pissed off as they switch off glaring at at both Sofia and Dante. Pietro is sitting on Nico’s left, and looking intrigued more than anything. And Dante, well, he’s standing calm and collected slightly behind Nico, clearly unphased by anything.
The interesting thing right now is there are guns on the table, knives sticking out of walls and one even is standing straight up in the middle of the floor near me. I look at them all in shock, and that’s when they notice me and all eyes turn my way. “Anyone want to tell me why there are weapons everywhere?” I ask carefully, reaching down to work the knife out of the floor. I frown at the obvious damage to the wood. I’ll have to ask Nico about getting that repaired. When I look back up, I see Lazaro shrugging.
“Bastard dodged,” is all he says, before turning to glare at Dante. Dante just holds his gaze.
“Why are you throwing knives at Dante?” I ask, confused as I make my way further into the room.
“Because they’re idiots,” Sofia hisses. “All of them.”
“Come here,topolina,” Nico says with a sigh, holding out his hand to me. I walk toward him, handing the knife to Dante. When I reach him, he pulls me into his lap, and mutters, “I’m going to lock them all in the fucking dungeon. I swear to God.”
I chuckle softly. “That’s not very hospitable,” I whisper back.
“Don’t give a flying fuck,” is all he replies before he kisses my temple and turns his attention back to everyone.
I do too, and ask, “Anyone care to tell me what’s going on?”
Now, Alessio starts to laugh, while everyone else glares at him. Sofia looks practically murderous as she looks at him, and I have a feeling whatever the hell is going on is somehow his fault. “That one,” Sofia hisses, “decided to be an asshole and not mind his own fucking business.”
“And rightfully so,” Aurelio says angrily. “You don’t think it’s important to tell us that you’re sleeping with your boss’s Underboss? And that you’ve never once told us about him.”
My eyes go wide at that news, and I look back at Dante to gauge his reaction to that. His face is expressionless, but his eyes are directly on Sofia, and that’s all I need to know that he’s not happy with this whole situation, and it’s not himself he’s worried about. I know for sure now, Sofia is mistaken if she thinks this is only a fling.
“I don’t have to fucking tell you anything,” Sofia seethes. “I’m a grown ass woman and if I decide to sleep with every damn man in this house, I will. You didn’t have any say in the men I slept with back home, and you definitely aren’t going to here. And you’re acting like children, throwing knives and pointing weapons at each other.”
“But you have so many options,” Alonzo reminds her stubbornly. “And you want to spend your time with a man who will never marry you?”
“I never said I wanted to get married in the first place, idiot,” Sofia reminds him darkly. “And would you care to explain why it’s okay for you all to go out and fuck whoever you want, but I’m not allowed to do the same? Hell, I’ve walked in on Urso, with two women at the same time, and Alonzo, you had those triplets that were all over you that time you were supposed to be watching me when I was fifteen. And don’t even get me started on your lot,” she adds with an icy glare at the Caruso brothers. “The things you’ve done would have a nun running for the holy water.”
The men don’t look embarrassed, but they do squirm uncomfortably when their fathers look at them and are clearly displeased with this information. It seems doing those kinds of things around their young sister and friend was not okay.
“I don’t understand why it matters to anyone if Sofia and Dante are in a…relationship, situation-ship, or whatever they want to call it,” I say carefully, drawing everyone’s attention. “If she’s happy, that’s what matters right? And I mean, Dante is a good guy, and it’s not like she’s gone out to someone off the street and is spilling secrets. So I think you all are taking this far too personally when it has nothing to do with what you want or if it affects you.”
“Technically, that’s not true,” Alessio says with a slow grin.
