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“What?” myself and Sofia both ask instantly.
Pietro huffs out a sigh, and Aurelio looks uncomfortable. Uh oh. “Son, we really need to work on you opening your big mouth,” Pietro says, his annoyance clear. Alessio shrugs, clearly uncaring. He looks at Sofia and says, “When you were born, your father and I technically entered into a marriage agreement that you would marry either Alessio or Massimo when you came of age.” Sofia stares at him, mouth dropping open in shock. “Now,” he quickly continues, “it became clear as you started heading toward your adult years you thought of my sons as more like brothers and it was never going to happen, so we never went through with it. Though it still is technically a legal contract between your father and I.”
“Wait, wait, wait,” Sofia says tightly. “You’re telling me that when I was barely out of my mother’s womb, the two of you were planning on who you would marry me off to, like some sort of cattle?”
“That is the way things were done back then,Pincipessa,” Aurelio tries to explain gently. “It was to ensure you were always going to be protected, and also to make sure that our family was always tied to the Carusos.”
“If I had any daughters, then we would have discussed one of them being promised to one of your brothers as well,” Pietro adds. “It was not just because of you. However, with time and age comes wisdom, and we both agreed before you turned eighteen we would not enforce the contract. We agreed you should be able to live your life and marry who you want. If it turned out to be Alessio or Massimo, all the better. But it would have still been your choice.” He glances over at me. “Something I’m realizing is very important when it comes to women in our world.”
Sofia doesn’t answer him. She looks at each man around the table, stands, and then stalks out, slamming the door behind her. I glance at Dante, who is expressionless and hasn’t moved, but I can sense the tension as he fights the urge to go after her. Yeah, he is definitely not unaffected by Sofia and her obvious upset. I look back at the men at the table, and the majority of them still don’t look happy. And it irritates me, but I keep my thoughts to myself.
Nico, who’s been silent the entire time, surprises me however, when he says, “All of you are idiots. You took a trip that could have been a reunion with her and fucked it all up because you couldn’t keep your damn mouths shut. So you’re going to fix it because I don’t have the patience to deal with a pissed off housekeeper who will no sooner stab you in your sleep and smile while doing it for pissing her off. She may be your daughter, sister, and friend or whatever, but she’s currently under my protection as my employee, and that means I’ll make you pay if that is what she decides.” His tone is calm, even, but there is a steel under it that lets me know he’s not kidding. As much as he gets pissed off at Sofia and the way they go back and forth, he understands her worth and he’ll ensure it’s known, even to her family.
The men all start to realize what’s happened, and now the guilt is settling in. I give Nico’s hand a squeeze with mine in thanks. He looks at me quickly and then looks back at our guests.
“You know, I think I’m going to change my opinion on you, Nico,” Pietro says with a slight smirk on his lips, easing the tension in the room. “The love of a good woman clearly has softened some of those hard edges of yours.” Nico pins him with a deadly glare, which makes the men around the table start to laugh.
“Speaking of love, when is the wedding?” Massimo asks curiously, arching a brow at Nico.
“At four,” Nico replies carelessly, as I go still.
No. I can’t have heard him right. I round on him. “Did you just say four?” I repeat slowly.
Nico looks at me. “Yes.” He sounds like he’s discussing the weather, and not like he’s talking about changing our lives in just a couple of hours.
“As in today?” I ask stupidly. “Like, in a couple of hours from now?”
“Yes,” he says patiently. “It was the soonest I could get the judge here to officiate.”
“You stupid bastard,” Alonzo laughs, earning a glare from Nico.
Panic and shock intertwine as I try to process what he’s said. I’m getting married. Today. “But I…I don’t have anything to wear,” I blurt out.
“The owner of one of the bridal salons is here and setting up in your suite,” Nico says calmly. “You can pick out whatever you want.”
“And when were you going to tell me about this?” I demand. “You can’t just spring this on me, Nico! I thought we’d get married in like a couple of weeks, or a month. Not in less than twenty-four hours.”
“I told you I’m not wasting time,” Nico replies firmly. “You’re going to be my wife before the day is out, Gia.”
“Doesn’t want to give her a chance to change her mind,” Urso jokes, then lets out a hiss when his father slaps him upside the head.
“You really want to marry me that soon?” I ask Nico softly, not even looking Urso’s way.
Nico’s eyes are direct on mine as he replies, “I would have married you last night, but I was told not giving you enough time to get ready would be a bad idea. So yes, Gia, I really want to marry you that soon. Today. And my mind will not be changed.”
It may not be the most romantic gesture, but I can’t help but smile at him. When it comes to Nico, he’s far from the norm, and I suppose I shouldn’t be expecting him to say the normal things. “Okay,” I say softly.
Nico nods, leans forward to take my mouth in a quick hard kiss, and then turns his head to Dante and orders, “Go get Sofia. She can spend the rest of the day with Gia helping her get ready.”
“I’ll get her,” Alonzo offers, starting to stand.
“No,” Dante says firmly. Then he turns and walks out. Alonzo looks like he wants to argue and follow anyway, but Aurelio shakes his head at his son and Alonzo settles back into his seat, disgruntled.
“So what exactly are we going to be doing while we wait for your lovely bride to be ready?” Alessio asks curiously.
Nico doesn’t answer him, but at that exact moment, Sofia walks back in with Dante, face blank, until she looks at me. She gives me a warm smile. “Alright, darling, let’s go and get you ready to be married.” She doesn’t even look at the rest of the men as she takes my hand and pulls me off Nico’s lap and then we head for the door. And she ignores them when a few of them call out to her.
When we’re out of the room and heading for my suite, I glance over at her and ask, “Are you okay?”
