Closing the gap, I extended my arms to loop them around Enzo’s neck, but the mafia enforcer’s reflexes were finely honed to intercept an incoming attack, so he was able to grab my wrists, preventing me from making contact with his body.
Enzo shook his head. “Sorry, Rory. As entertaining as it is to watch the big guy blow a gasket, I’d prefer to keep my balls intact.”
I pouted. “You’re no fun.”
He chuckled. “There are some things you don’t mess around with, and my junk falls firmly into that category. Not to mention, my wife wouldn’t be too amused if I came home missing her favorite part of my anatomy.”
My eyebrows hit my hairline. “Did you saywife?”
Enzo hummed, a smile stretching across his face as he nodded in confirmation. “Yes, ma’am.”
I might’ve been gone for the better part of a decade, but from what I could remember, Enzo had always been the self-proclaimed eternal bachelor. I never would have expected to hear he’d settled down. Nor that he would seem so happy about it.
Gio cleared his throat, though his voice still came out gruff when he spoke. “You’re dismissed, Enzo.”
Relinquishing his hold on my wrists, Enzo headed for the door, but paused on the threshold, turning around. “See you both tomorrow?”
My husband grunted, which was enough of an answer to satisfy his cousin, who slipped from the room without another word.
“What’s tomorrow?”
Gio dropped onto his chair, running a hand through his hair as he breathed out, “Birthday party.”
I cocked my head. “Whose birthday?”
“I’m not sure if you remember Bianca,” he began.
Scoffing, I rolled my eyes. “Of course I remember your niece.”
“Ourniece,” Gio corrected.
“Fine. Our niece.” It wasn’t worth arguing that I didn’t have any kind of relationship—genetic or otherwise—with a little girl I hadn’t seen since she was a baby. “She must be turning . . .”
“Eight.”
I let out a low whistle. “Damn, time flies.”
Folding both arms over his massive chest, Gio retorted, “The world doesn’t revolve around you. It kept turning in your absence. In fact, Matteo has three daughters now.”
“That’s a shame.”
Gio reared back. “Excuse me?”
Not backing down, I held his stare. “This world isn’t kind to women. We have no autonomy, reduced to nothing more than pawns in the sick little games powerful men like to play.” My hand fell to my belly. “You think I can stand here, having been Bellini bred without my consent, and wish this same fate upon those three innocent little girls?”
Bristling, my husband argued, “We don’t hold our women hostage.”
A humorless bark of laughter was pulled from my chest. “That’s rich coming from the guy whose wife’s every move is tracked by an armed guard.”
His jaw clenched so tightly that a muscle in his cheek twitched. “If you have a problem with your father selling you off into marriage, take it up with him. That wasn’t my doing. I didn’t ask for a wife, but you can bet your ass whenmyfather came to me and told me it was my duty to secure our family’s future through an alliance with the O’Malleys, I didn’t bat a goddamn eyelash. I did what needed to be done. But don’t you dare fucking paint me with the same brush as either of those men, because I’ve already proven that I do not condone their archaic methods of matchmaking.”
“Bullshit,” I spat.
“Don’t believe me?” Producing his cell phone, he held it out to me. “Why don’t you give Gemma a call?” That was his only female cousin. “She can fill you in on how I not only offered her my protection as Don when Dario was trying to force her into an arranged marriage, but that when she asked to leave, to start fresh in another city, I granted her freedom.”
My lips parted on a disbelieving exhale. “What?”
“From what I understand, she’s quite happy, living a ‘normal’ life in Indianapolis with her husband and children.”
