Married to the mafia King

There was still one more thing that had to be done.

By the time we returned to the patio, my brothers had gone off to do their own thing. I left Bianca with Alessandra and Dario and went into the house to track down the people I needed to see.

I found them in the parlor discussing something.

When I walked up, Massimo and Lars stopped talking and looked over at me.

“Hey,” I said.

“What’s up,” Lars said.

Massimo didn’t say anything.

“I owe you an apology,” I said to Lars. “You’re not a hired gun you’re family. You’ve been as much of a brother to Dario as any of us when you had his back in prison. I was out of line, and you were right. There are going to be a lot of high-stakes situations, and I can’t go shooting off at the mouth every time I get pissed. I’m sorry.”

I held out my hand to him.

Lars looked at it coolly, then stared into my eyes.

I thought to myself, He’s really not going to accept my apology, is he?

But this time, I didn’t get mad.

I just accepted that I deserved it.

I put my hand down and nodded. “I get it. I don’t just get to say I’m sorry and have it be okay, I’ve got to ”

Then Lars surprised me.

He reached over

Grabbed me

And hugged me.

Then slapped my back once and pulled back. And smiled.

“It’s all good,” he said quietly.

I smiled gratefully and nodded.

Things were okay between us again.

Then I looked over at Massimo.

He was staring at me darkly.

“…I shouldn’t have hit you,” I said.

He stood there for a long moment…

Then frowned.

“That’s it?! Lars gets a five fuckin’ minute-long speech and I get, ‘I shouldn’t’ve hit you’?!”

I shrugged. “Well, I shouldn’t have.”

Massimo paused…

Then shook his head. “Dick.”

“Asshole.”

We stared at each other grimly

And then burst out grinning at the same time.

Suddenly he wrapped his arm around my neck and tried to give me a noogie.

“I think I’ll just take it out of your hide,” he laughed as I struggled to get away from him.

“Fuckin’ stronzo,” I half-snarled, half-laughed as I broke out of his grasp. “I oughta pop a cap in your ass ”

“Just try it,” he laughed as he came at me again.

“Well, I did already bitch-slap you, so ”

“OH I think somebody’s askin’ for a wedgie ”

“Don’t you fuckin’ ”

Massimo tackled me and we went to floor, wrestling like we did when we were kids.

Lars sighed, but this time with a smile, as he watched us roll around.

“Idiots,” he said affectionally.

Bianca

I spent most of the day with my parents. Adriano had business to attend to with his brothers, so I had plenty of time to devote to them.

My mother gave me a tour of the house, pointing out all the beautiful things she’d found.

There was a library filled with books that were at least two centuries old…

A sunroom with roses growing on the other side of the windows…

Even a chapel with a ceiling covered with clouds and angels so beautiful that I could have sworn Michelangelo had painted them.

Then I played checkers with my father in one of the parlors. We had to use chess pieces to do it little statues of ivory and obsidian on an ancient wooden board that looked like it had been crafted centuries ago.

It was mainly something to do as we talked.

We reminisced about when I was a little girl and how he would bring me home copies of fashion magazines like Vogue and Elle…

How I would cut out pictures and make collages, then put them all over my bedroom like other girls hung pictures of Justin Bieber or the Jonas Brothers.

Papa laughed about how there were still a thousand tiny holes in the walls where the push-pins went.Têxt belongs to NôvelDrama.Org.

Everything about the house was peaceful and relaxing. It was like being on vacation at a resort.

Helpful servants were always nearby, ready to fulfill any request for food or drink…

And everywhere I looked, there was beauty. Paintings, sculpture, architecture, landscaping more than the eye could take in at a glance. You had to really look at it to comprehend just how amazing the house was.

It felt like a mansion out of a fairy tale…

Like Beauty and the Beast, if Belle had lived in Tuscany rather than the French countryside.

For the first in my entire life, I felt truly happy.

And with Adriano at my side, I felt completely safe.

All that changed at dinner.

The meal was amazing.

For the aperitivo, olives and almonds from the estate’s orchards with a glass of sweet prosecco.

The antipasti was a charcuterie plate of prosciutto and salami with creamy cheeses from a nearby farm.

The first main course was a seafood pasta with a buttery cream sauce and truffles, paired with an amazing white wine.

Next were lamb chops with a delicate mint sauce, accompanied by roasted vegetables. The red wine we drank came from the Rosolinis’ own vineyards, and it burst with flavors hints of lavender, raspberry, and chocolate.

There was an entire course of cheese and sun-ripened fruits: sliced apricots, plums, and pears.

And finally, a sinfully delicious tiramisu to cap it all off.

And the conversation!

Adriano and his brothers told us all sorts of funny stories about their hijinks growing up on the estate.

The pranks they played on each other and their long-suffering servants…

And the time they’d decided to hunt a wild boar when Adriano was 11 years old.

The story ended with all the boys up in a tree as the boar paced beneath them. They were up there until nightfall, when their parents realized they were missing and sent out a search party to find them.

“But they shot the boar and we had it for dinner a week later,” Adriano said.

“Even though you crapped your pants when it was chasing you,” Massimo snorted.

“HEY!” Adriano shouted. “Maybe I should tell them about the time you went swimming naked when you were five years old and that snapping turtle ”

“ALRIGHT, ALRIGHT!” Massimo talked over him. “They don’t want to hear about that.”

“Yes we do!” I laughed.

It was an evening of laughter, amazing food, and excellent company.

And then…

…everything shifted.

Niccolo cleared his throat. “Alessandra, if you would, please take Bianca and her mother to the parlor. There’s something we need to discuss with Signor Lettieri.”

I saw the shadow that passed over both my parents’ faces and my father’s, in particular.

“Of course,” Alessandra said as she stood up.

I didn’t move, though.

“What is it?” I asked.

“Just some details about the situation in Florence,” Niccolo said casually.

“I was in Florence with Adriano. I’d like to hear about the situation.”

“It’s just business, that’s all. If you would?” Niccolo said with a smile and gestured towards Alessandra.

I looked over at Adriano, who was sitting next to me.

He just watched me neutrally, as though waiting to see what I would do next but he didn’t urge me one way or the other.

I hadn’t told my parents the details of what had happened.

They didn’t know I’d been shot at…

And they didn’t know how close I’d come to dying.

So I kept my words vague…

But I knew Niccolo understood exactly what I meant.

“I was there at the hotel,” I said. “I gave Adriano the information that led to my father. After everything I’ve been through, I think I deserve to be in the room.”

Niccolo seemed a little taken aback.

Adriano suppressed a smile…

And across the table, I saw Alessandra give me an approving nod.

Niccolo looked at his don.

“…she can stay,” Dario said. “She’s earned her place.”