“Let me talk to him this morning and see what he says.”
I exhale heavily and roll onto my back.“Okay.”It’s not like there are too many options, and the ones I’m contemplating can’t be said within these four walls.
I climb out of bed and grab my bag, rummaging around for my clothes to wear.
“Which door is the bathroom again?”The last thing I want is to stumble into another nightmare.
Luca lies on the mattress on his back, one arm behind his head, watching me.“Third door, or you could just change in here.”He grins at me suggestively.
I toss my clean bra at him.“I have to use the bathroom, and I don’t want to wander into the wrong room.Can you walk me down the hallway?”
He fingers the bra and then folds it in half.“I’m going to keep this.”
“Why?We’re getting married.I’m sure you’ll see all my clothes.”
He presses his lips together, perhaps realizing I’m right.Or maybe he thinks I’m acting for whatever cameras or microphones are hiding in the house.
My breath catches in my throat.
“What?”Luca asks.He sits up in bed.
“Your family, they heard us last night.”I stare at him, horrified.
“We didn’t say anything—” His eyes widen at the realization of what I’m referring to.Not our discussion after the arrangement that’s been made but our bedroom activities.
Luca climbs out of bed and grabs his clothes while I’m standing waiting for him to lead me to the bathroom.“We did tell them we’re a couple,” Luca says.“I’m sure they didn’t think anything of the fact that we had sex.”
“But they heard us!”
Luca smiles.“Could have heard us.And who cares?They’ll all just be jealous that I can make you come multiple times.”
I smack his arm, unlock the bedroom door and yank it open.“Show me to the bathroom.”
He waits for me in the hallway until I’m done.After I finish, we switch places, and I wait for him to use the bathroom.He didn’t bother to bring his clothes into the bathroom with him to get dressed.
“Harper,” Luca’s mother comes barreling down the hallway.
I inhale sharply and glance at the bathroom door, waiting for Luca to reappear.He'd better hurry the hell up.
“Dante told me the exciting news, but I have to ask, are you pregnant?”
My breath catches in my throat.
Dante is hurrying down the corridor of the hallway, coming up behind his wife.He’s glaring at me and throws an arm around his wife’s side.“Let’s leave the two lovebirds alone, shall we?”
“I’m just trying to get to know Harper a little more.If she’s going to be our daughter-in-law, I’d like to have a relationship with her.How about us girls grab lunch and a spa day this afternoon while the boys do whatever it is they do to celebrate the engagement?”Nikki asks.
My mouth is hanging agape as I glance from Nikki to Dante.
Is this a trap?Maybe she has no idea what her husband is involved in.I have so many questions for Luca.
I hear him shuffling around in the bathroom, and finally, he swings the bathroom door open.
“What do you say?”Nikki asks.“We can invite Nova, if you’d like as well.”
My breath catches in my throat.Nova.Does she know about the horror of what’s happening under this roof?Does she know that her father works for the mafia?
I can’t exactly ask her if Nikki is going to be around.I glance at Luca, hoping he has some bright idea to save the day.
