“I understand why you prefer it.” I pat him on the back. “It was very satisfying.”
“It’s fucking messy,” Uncle Dario mutters. “And I want to enjoy my snacks, so no talk of guts, please.”
He takes his seat, but as he reaches for the pack of cards, Uncle Angelo grabs hold of it, saying, “I’m dealing tonight.”
Uncle Dario shrugs. “I’m still going to kick your ass at poker.”
“We’ll see.”
While the men find their seats and talk business, I walk to the backyard to see how Yuki is doing.
“Give me the name of the landscape architect you used,” Aunt Torri says. “Our backyard can do with a makeover.”
“Do you sell these pots?” Gianna asks. “I wanted to get some during our honeymoon.”
“I’m not charging you,” Yuki replies, her face beaming from all the attention she’s getting. “You can all help yourself.”
The women flock to the pots stacked against the wall, and when they begin to argue about who’s taking what, I head back to the poker tables.
Taking my seat between Adriano and Riccardo, I smile at my brother. “Have you thought about going somewhere else for your honeymoon?”
He shakes his head while he swallows the chips he just shoved into his mouth. “I just started working with you. Gianna and I talked about it and decided to wait a couple of years so I can get settled in the company.”
I grab a fistful of nuts and toss some into my mouth. “As long as you’re happy.”
“I am, but when are you going to teach me the rest of the business?”
“When you turn thirty.” I lock eyes with Enzo, who’s the dealer for our table. “You better give me a good hand.”
He smiles while shuffling the cards. “You get what you get.”
As the game starts, I listen to the men bantering and think how fucking blessed I am to have such a large family.
Knowing Ryo doesn’t have family backing him, I check in with him daily. He pretends it annoys him, but I know the fucker appreciates it.
Yuki comes into the foyer, and as she tries to sneak past the back of my chair to get to the kitchen, I grab hold of her hips and place her on my lap.
Taking hold of her jaw, I keep her in place as I press a kiss to her mouth. “Are you having fun?”
She quickly nods, and I drink in the sight of her eyes that are filled with love and happiness.
“And you?” she asks.
“I am now that you’re sitting on my lap.”
“No fair,” Adriano mutters beside us. “Some of us are single as fuck.”
Letting Yuki climb to her feet, I pat her ass, and as she walks to the kitchen, I smirk at my friend. “You need to pull your head out of your ass and find yourself a wife.”
“Easier said than done,” he replies as he frowns at his cards. “Enzo, you’re a shitty dealer.”
Yuki comes back through the foyer with a bowl of dip, and as she passes my seat, she presses a quick kiss to my cheek and whispers, “I love you.”
As she continues to walk, I call out, “Not half as much as I love you, my wife.”
“Not half as much as I–” I throw an almond at Georgi to shut him up as he tries to mock me, but the fucker catches it and proceeds to eat it.
As the night progresses and the whiskey flows, we get louder, and soon Riccardo puts on music, and our poker night turns into a full-blown party.
