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“Thank you,” I interrupted, in my present mood not liking the child comment, and extended my arm. “Please remove it.”
His eyes narrowed. “I don’t think I should.”
I glanced at Nonna, knowing in this she would back me up. “I am needed downstairs. I don’t need to be there long, but I must put in an appearance to erase any doubt.”
Nonna tilted her head to the side and met my gaze. Whatever she saw—unlike Darren—clearly met with her approval. “Si, Good.”
And so, over Darren’s protests, I got out of bed and ignored the faint dizziness. I allowed Imelda to choose some stylish gray pants and a plain white shirt, a gray vest to match the pants, and she styled my hair. Not that I ever did much with it, and it was weird letting someone else do it. Did that emasculate me? Right at that moment I didn’t care. Anger thrummed through me and had banished any lingering dizziness by the time I was ready.
Nonna believed my reasoning for attending my own wedding reception was to support my husband. To ensure he didn’t look weak in front ofla famiglia. She was wrong.
I didn’t much care what Dario looked like in front of his capos, except that he must remain strong to protect Mamma. I only cared that I didn’t look weak in front of my husband. I’d been so close to buying what he’d been so expertly selling, and I wouldn’t make that mistake again.
Dario might be expecting a naïve innocent that would bob his head obediently—possibly while on my knees.
I was about to prove him wrong.
Dario
I saw this happen once. But then, it was every capo kneeling to kiss the ring Rocco wore. I had been suffering from shock, hatedmy life and everything in it, and at the same time acknowledged I was my father’s son. I’d detested watching all the men inla famigliakneel and pledge their allegiance to my godfather. At the time, I had convinced my twelve-year-old self it was because I was grief-stricken over the death of my parents, but as I’d grown I also admitted that while that was true, the part of my soul that understood who I was born to be resented the fact that they weren’t making their promises to me.
Not this day, though.
This was the day I had waited eighteen years for.
I watched as Rocco himself, the traitorous bastard responsible for all of it, swallowed his pride—barely—and knelt at my feet. His promise,giurare, of obedience and loyalty was said with a clenched jaw he was helpless to hide. Even aware of this, I knew he would just assume that I thought it was because his plans with Sofia had been derailed. He didn’t know I knew better. He didn’t know that revenge would be coming for him, swift and sure.
One by one all my capos followed suit. Lucio and I had discussed them at length. We knew three that had to be replaced immediately, three we were unsure of, and four we were confident were loyal. The four we trusted had, at the risk of their lives and families, shared concerns with me over management issues that technically should have been brought to Rocco. I would reward that loyalty and those men would always have a place at my table.
But then, Hugo had been trusted, which led me to thoughts of Alessandro. Not that my mind had ever been too far away.
I hated being away from him even though I knew the acknowledgement made me feel weak, even to myself. I also hated leaving him upstairs. Darren had confirmed barely fifty minutes ago through Alvize, who was stationed outside his suite, that he thought my husband would wake up soon.
It had angered me initially that he would do so without me being there, but as I absorbed that thought, I also realized it might be the wake up call I needed. Alessandro was a means to an end, and I mustn’t forget that. Couldn’t forget that. Yes, he would be the Papà of my children, and I still had to work out how to make that happen, but I couldn’t allow him to become more. I had told him that marriage was for life, and that was true inla famiglia, but not because I couldn’t bear the thought of him with anyone else. It was a business arrangement.
And if that arrangement came to mean more to my new husband, that was all well and good. I just couldn’t ever afford for it to become more with me.
The last capo was on his knees and then stood just as I saw Gianni lean to hear Lucio as he whispered something to him. I caught Gianni’s surprised expression from where he stood across the room, and I was thankful that this ritual was at an end. I ignored the way my pulse picked up as Gianni wove his way through to me and my capos and their men went to avail themselves of the top tier booze and food good enough to grace any Michelin- starred restaurant.
Gianni met me. “Alessandro—”
“What?” I snapped, turning to run. Had something happened? “That idiot doctor had assured me—”
“He’s fine. In fact, he’s down here.”
“Here,” I parroted, my brain slow to understand.
He nodded. “Nonna and Alvize accompanied him downstairs. He’s currently charming three of Nonna’s friends.”
I didn’t say “that’s impossible,” even though I wanted to, simply headed for the main room.
I saw him as soon as I stepped through, and in those few seconds before I was approached by anyone either to congratulate me or to forge new or stronger business alliances, I studied him. Despite what Gianni said, he wasn’t absolutelyfine. I could see the fine stress lines around his gorgeous eyes, and the way the pale tinge to his usually warm, olive skin shone through. The gray pants and white shirt looked stunning in their simplicity. In a moment, I was by his side, my arm sliding supportively around his waist. He tried to move away, but even as he listened politely to Maria Greco and Leanne Thomas, both Nonna’s partners-in-crime, he was leaning against me after a couple more minutes.
“Ladies,” I interrupted, tucking Alessandro in more firmly to my side despite his initial reluctance. “If you will forgive us, I wish to claim my husband for the toasts and perhaps a dance.”
I steered Alessandro away. “Are you insane?” I murmured, nuzzling his neck, making it look for all the world like we were sharing an intimate moment.
“Yes,” Alessandro agreed quietly and as our eyes met, I knew he was talking about something else.
