“It ismoya dusha, I hope you like dogs by the way.” He says to me as we climb the stairs.
“You have dogs! What breed? I absolutely love dogs. Alina and I always wanted one in our apartment but our landlord said no when we asked.” I say as I take in the men milling around the perimeter, some standing in groups smoking, others looking like they are watching for something through the gates. It’s a little over the top for just being a big business man but then I have no idea what kind of money he has to protect.
“I have three. Two Rottweilers and one Doberman. They are trained guard dogs but I promise they will be friendly to you.” Dragna replies while pulling me closer to him by the arm he has around my waist.
“When is your mom arriving?” I ask as we approach the giant double doors and two men open them for us while greeting Dragna as ‘boss’. Seriously, how rich is he?
“She’s actually alre—”
“O moj sine!” I hear being shouted towards us before an older woman the same height and size of me comes rushing up to us. Dragna leans towards her and she grabs his face kissing his cheeks and smiling at him like he is her entire world.
“Cao, mama.” He greets her back and he wraps his arms around her before kissing her on her forehead.
“Mama, I’d like to introduce you to Willow.” He says and he comes back to placing a hand at my lower back before kissing the top of my head.
I feel lightheaded. He’s showing me affection in front of his mom. I don’t know why, but I feel like this is a much bigger deal than I originally thought.
She looks at me and before I know it she has grabbed my face with both her hands and kisses me on both cheeks.
“Dobro došla, cerko!” She says as she smiles at me.
“English please mama.” Dragna interrupts before she can carry on speaking to me.
“Sorry! I’m just so excited to meet you. Dragna has never introduced a lady to the house or myself before, forgive me Willow. I’m Milena.” She says with a twinkle in her eye.
“It’s okay, I’m very excited to meet you too. From what Dragna has told me, he cares for you very much so I’ve been looking forward to dinner and getting to know you.” I say with a smile and she pulls me in for hug, squeezing me tight. I hug her back and soak up the feeling that I never felt with Freds family.
They hated me because I was never seen as good enough for him all due to the fact my family couldn’t further his own families business empire.
Milena pulls back and holds me away from her by the top of my arms, looking me over with the biggest smile on her face. She isn’t what I expected his mother to look like, mostly because he looks to terrifying and serious half the time. Milena is soft, delicate and petite. She is also absolutely stunning. How she raised a beast like Dragna I’ll never know.
“Ona je lepaDragna.” She says as she looks up at him and he smiles back at her before looking at me.
“Znam, mamam ona je prelepa i iznutra i spolja.” He replies and I look between the two of them wondering what they are saying.
“Come, come, I want to know all about you Willow. Dragna tells me you work at a bookstore. What kind of books do you like to read?” Milena asks as she takes my arm with hers and walks me through the foyer of the house.
God this place is beautiful. It’s exactly what I would imagine for Dragna after seeing the outside. It’s all dark and moody. Dark hardwood floors and black paint on the walls. Pictures and art in gold frames line the walls with golden chandeliers throughout the hallway to give some warmth and colour. It matches him perfectly.
“I read a little of everything, but mostly romance books.” I reply to Milena while hoping the makeup I have on hides the blush I feel forming on my cheeks. I can’t tell this woman I love to read spicy books. Romance is a wide variety genre, so hopefully she thinks more along the lines of Bridgerton rather than a why choose with four different guys.
“Ohhh I love romance books, I might have to visit you at work sometime and you can give me some recommendations!” She beams at me and I can’t help but smile big back at her.
Milena has a warm presence to her that I can tell makes people instantly love her.
“I’d like that, I can give you the address after dinner.”
Dragna follows behind us and I look back over my shoulder to look at him to find him already gazing at me as if I’d hung the moon. I’ve never seen him look so soft and so open before. He’s all hard edges, mostly always scowling at people and while he’s treated me so kindly and shown me his softer side, the way he is right now in the presence of his mother is something entirely different.
I can’t help but feel the butterflies in my stomach again. My mom always said ‘how a man treats his mother is how he will treat you’ and if how Dragna talks about his mother and how openly loving towards her is anything to go by, then this big terrifyingly handsome and ruthless looking man might just have the kindest heart I will ever know.
He comes up to my side as we enter through a set of doors to a dining room and he links his fingers with mine. I have him on one side and his mother on the other side of me, still arm and arm, and instead of thinking this is a lot for still only knowing this man for a few weeks, I can’t help but feel like this is exactly where I’m supposed to be.
Milena releases my arm and walks towards a seat at the table while Dragna leads me to the opposite side. He pulls my chair out for me and I take a seat while thanking him before he rounds the table and pulls his mother’s seat out for her.
“Thank you my boy.” Milena says as she sits down and places her hands on her lap.
“He has shown me nothing but kindness Mrs—”
