Francesca squirms with embarrassment, but these men are killers like me. I can’t mince words with them.
“Lest any of you forget, she is mine.My wife. No matter her father’s sins, she bears no blame in that, so the next man who dares insult her in word or deed will spill all of his blood on this very sheet, and while I will find pleasure in that,youmost certainly will not.”
I jump off the table, striding toward her. Alessio steps back without his usual defiant glare. She shivers when I take her hand again. Our eyes meet, and there’s a mix of emotions swirling in her pretty blue eyes.I will defend you to my last breath,I think, wishing now was a moment I could say as much.
“One more thing before we all have our cake and call this night done,” I say, addressing the room again. “Tomorrow night, every Underboss, every Captain, every Made Man present who hails from my territory will be expected to attend my Seconda Notte. My brothers and I will be hosting it at Red Hook.” The expected tremor passes through the assembled crowd of men and even some of the women. “I promise the entertainment will be to die for.”
45
Francesca
Dinora is putting the finishing touches on dessert with Carlo’s sisters while the men talk. “We leave our wives in your hands, De Luca,” my husband says at last with Faro by his side. He arrived with Aurora just before Mom, Cat and Gia came with Alessio.
“On my honor, no harm will come to them,” my cousin replies in a deadly serious voice.
I roll my eyes at Cat, knowing she shares my opinion of the men’s over-the-top protective posturing. She smirks in reply while helping Giulia reach the bottle of fruit soda on the bar.
When Carlo comes to tell me goodbye, I stifle my urge to beg him to stay home. He touches my wedding band, and my expression tightens, remembering it's another way to control me. Yet, I can't bring myself to remove it.
“You’ll be safe here. I hope you have fun tonight with the girls at your Seconda.”
“We will,” I reply, not able to express the same hope for him. Many men in the Trio would probably consider my demand to have a party of my own tonight a form of rebellion, but with my mother and three underage girls here, it’s hardly going to getthatwild.
After our reception, Carlo brought me back home last night. I focused on that step in the right direction and on the things he admitted in that little storage room before his brutal actions afterwards. When we settled into bed at last, I let his touch awaken my body once more and silence any lingering misgivings I felt.
It wasn’t until this morning I started thinking about the fact he’s having his Seconda Notte tonight and started worrying what that might mean. He said the entertainment would be to die for. He cheated on Sofia at Alessio’s Seconda.
Once Carlo and Faro have left, I nod at the peculiar necklace Alessio gave Caterina a couple of weeks after their wedding. "I didn't notice earlier this week. Do the additional teeth hold some significance?"
Caterina shoots Alessio a strange look as he smiles darkly and answers for her. "You could say that."
“You should keep him company,” Cat suggests diplomatically to her husband when the Vicini guard who brought the girls retreats to the terrace.
“Yes, leave us in peace, and those are not for you,” Gia adds, hip-checking her brother when he reaches for one of our appetizers.
“You’re just pissed I didn’t bring Armando with me.” Gia glowers at him as he bites into the pastry. “Fuck.Burnt my goddamn tongue.”
Feminine laughter and his wife’s feather-light touch on his forearm accomplishes what Gia’s glare couldn’t. Alessio leaves us alone, grumbling about how much restraint it will require not to toss the Vicini guard over the balcony.
As the food is being served, I receive a text from Harper –
You’ve been missing from class. I’m worried about you.
We’d exchanged numbers, but it’s the first time she’s texted. I haven’t spoken to her since my meeting with Ronan in the park where she ran interference with Faro. I don’t even know where she went after I was caught.
Not wanting her to worry, I reply at once –
I’m fine. I’ll be back at school Tuesday.
There’s no class tomorrow, but Carlo promised I would return to my normal routine over breakfast this morning.
Okay. Anything I can do to help you?
I stare at her friendly offer, not certain why it puts me on guard.
No, I’m fine. I’m having a little girls’ night at home. Want to join us?
No sooner than the text is sent it feels like a mistake, but I can’t rescind the invitation now.
