"Yes," he said through gritted teeth. "And don't go using my words against me."
"I would never." Smiling, I grabbed his tie and kissed his lips. "Because I love you, too, Dante."
ChapterTwenty-Three
ANGELO
Despite how our family made money, we blended with the titans of industry and politicians who gathered here tonight. Our father had the foresight to make us appear more legitimate in the eyes of the community. But people still knew what kind of men lurked beneath our designer suits.
Criminals.
Made men.
The men in this room didn't give a fuck as long as they got something out of us. Fear was a powerful motivator—something we used to our advantage.
Servers walked past us with trays of champagne and fluffy-looking pastries. I waved them off, too busy gawking at our girl. Ava latched onto Dante's arm like a pretty ornament.
The perfect Mafia wife.
She smiled and laughed, looking like sin in a white strapless dress. After the wedding ceremony, she swapped out the elaborate gown with a long train for a shorter, sexier dress Stefan picked for the event. Wearing the diamond tiara that Dante bought for Ava as something new, she looked like the Boardwalk Queen.
Our queen.
She may have married Dante, but she was ours. Turning every head, Ava strolled through the room with Dante. For once, he didn't look constipated. He was always so uptight, with a stick up his ass. But surprisingly, Dante seemed happy.
Content.
Some might even say he was smiling or something close to it. Ava had that effect on all of us.
Even me.
I could feel my walls crumble from the first time she touched my scar. It was like someone saw me for the first time in my life. She didn't care about the ugly scar or the fact it made me sick to my stomach each time I looked at myself in the mirror. I never felt ugly or unloved by her.
She made me feel whole again.
Ava grabbed popped a tiny pastry into her mouth and washed it down with a sip of water.
"She looks like a goddess," Stefan commented, leaning against my arm, with his eyes on Ava. "What the fuck did we do right to get her?"
I nodded. "Even Dante is coming around." I drank the rest of my scotch and set the glass on the table. "Look at him. He's different with her."
"Dante can deny it all he wants, but he's in love with her."
He never brought a date to our father's events. Even Stefan and I had taken girls from our clubs as arm candy to parties. Nico had girlfriends and dates over the years. He was the most normal of us.
But not Dante.
This was a first.
A married man.
When Ava glanced around the room once more, her eyes met mine. Her teeth grazed her bottom lip, which she frequently bit when nervous.
I rose from the chair and lowered my voice. "Dante's had her for long enough."
Stefan was at my side. "Agreed."
We left the table and headed straight for our girl. Her dark hair covered her breasts, pushed up in the tight dress that hugged her curves.
