Epilogue
The sun beats down over the Mediterranean Sea, the turquoise ocean glistening like jewels lost in a vortex of light. I lose myself in my thoughts, ignoring the way the scar on my shoulder itches from the gorgeous heat hitting my shoulders. This place, no matter what it represents, will always be a part of me.
I’m back to where I started; where this all started.
It’s been a year since my inauguration, a year since I signed my name in a blood oath, a year since I first felt the true fear of what my position posed. It felt symbolic to return here.
Enzo’s name still sits beside mine on that parchment, the scarlet liquid now dried into a brown mark. But it signifies so much more than an alliance. It signifies new beginnings, a chance for me to make La Cosa Nostra what I want it to be. Not a day goes by that I don’t think about what happened, about what we all lost on our way to get here. But we’ve also gained so much, and that’s what pushes me to strive for better; for my family, for La Cosa Nostra. Each day brings us a step closer to my new regime, where families aren’t torn apart, where children aren’t used as weapons or worse. We’ve each done our part to get to where we are right now, and while it’s been a struggle some days, I wouldn’t have been able to do it without my family.
Strong arms band around my waist as I think about how far I’ve come. I’m not the meek leader any more. That fire in my belly that Luca identified months ago is a roaring inferno. I’m feared, respected, revered, and the family surrounding me enforces that with every breath I take.
I rest my head on Enzo’s shoulder, breathing in his freshly showered scent and relishing his embrace like a safe haven.
Luca and Levi appear beside us at the same time, hands linked like the loved up fools they are and I can’t help but smile. I’ve watched those two grow with each passing day. Their adoration for one another is unmatched. The way they look out for one another, care for one another, love one another unabashedly. I’m in awe of them and how shamelessly they show their devotion. It’s heartwarming, inspiring to see that they’re not afraid to express themselves in front of me, or anyone else for that matter. The stereotype of what our organization brings with it has been firmly stamped out, and I love that they don’t feel the need to hide from us.
Levi hands me a drink with a bright umbrella hanging out of it, his face alight with mischief—or maybe that’s just the Mediterranean glow. “I thought you’d like sex on the beach,” he smirks.
They’ve both caught the sun, their toned bodies glistening with sweat over luscious bronze skin. All my men have gorgeously muscular bodies, tanned to perfection. It makes it increasingly hard to keep my hands to myself, but nobody said I had to.
“He tried the same line on me, Dolcezza,” Luca snorts, wrapping an arm over Levi’s shoulder and kissing his cheek.
Rolling my eyes, I take a sip of the cocktail. It’s not as sweet as it should be, and definitely carrying a heavy measure of vodka, but Levi has been playing bartender all week so I have to give him props.
We wanted discretion, complete alone time on our little vacation, which meant a skeleton crew. Though I can’t really call Enzo chartering a yacht for a month in the mediterranean a little vacation, it was a much needed respite.
Nico and his brothers—my brothers—are handling everything while we’re away. It took a little nudging on my part, but Nico eventually accepted. It seems he really did mean it when he said he was happy where he was. He has no interest in overthrowing me, though he’d have every right to since he’s older. No, the Rocco family is content with their situation, dealing in arms contracts and taking jobs from me when needed. We have a good thing going on that only solidifies my respect for the family more.
“Sera!” A girlish wail pitches across the deck.
I spin around just in time for Gabriella to leap into my arms. “Hey, Sweetheart,” I gush when she wraps her arms around my neck and nuzzles in. She smells of the sea, of innocence and a bright future. She’s the image of perfection wrapped up in a sassy bow. This girl is a firecracker. She’s not afraid to ask for what she wants, but with the respect only she could earn from her father. I hold her just that little bit more tightly, smiling when Giovanni appears in soaked shorts, combing my fingers through her sea-drenched hair.
“Gabby wanted to try one of Uncle Levi’s cocktails,” Giovanni laughs as he heads towards us, dropping a kiss on my lips.
“Oh really!” Levi teases, tapping her nose playfully with one finger.
Gabriella nods emphatically, her green eyes wide with excitement.
It was almost shocking how well she took to Levi, equally as surprising as how she took Luca’s hand without qualms when I was in the hospital. It seems the girl has a good head on her shoulders, a sense for knowing who to trust.
Reluctantly, I place her back on the deck so Levi can take her to make mocktails.
“Why don’t I teach you?” he poses as he takes her under the canopy towards the bar top. Their chatter trails off as they move behind the bar, Levi lifting Gabriella onto the surface so he can pull out all the ingredients. I’ve never seen a guy so at ease with a child before. I swear it makes my ovaries ache, but with four overprotective and possessive guys, there’s no chance I’ll allow a pregnancy to happen. I can only imagine what something like that would cause for our dynamic.
No. What we have is more than enough for me.
Suddenly, Luca pulls me into his embrace, running his nose along the column of my neck. He hums a tune that goes straight to my pussy, but I have to control myself now that we have a kid around us twenty-four-seven. Luca must know, because he turns us away from view as he presses his thickening bulge against my ass. “Wanna go for a dip?” he rumbles in my ear, making my knees go weak.
“Maybe later,” I reply, sliding my arms over his. “For now, I just want to enjoy this.”
He runs his finger down my spine and I squirm against his touch.
“Luca,” I whimper, unable to resist the urge to rub my ass against his hardness.
“Later,” he repeats my brush off with a chuckle.
I scowl back and he moves away, but not before he offers me a wink and a lick of his lips. Damn him. Some things never change; he still revels in taking my control. It’s the only reprieve I get nowadays, but there”s just something so liberating about giving in to him.
Inhaling deeply, I turn my head back to the horizon. It’s late afternoon and soon the sun will be setting. It’s the one thing I’ve routinely watched since we arrived. There’s just something so peaceful about a sunset; the way the water glistens as it waves a final goodbye at the day. It’s beautiful, a poetic salute to the past. It’s like a reset button, allowing us to anticipate a future.
This last year has been filled with so much loss, so many lies and secrets, but it’s the men behind me and the love they have for me and one another that has forged me into the woman I am today. Without them, I’d be a body in the ground. Without their protection and love, I wouldn’t be standing here, single-handedly ruling over La Cosa Nostra. I know I’m not really doing it alone, but it’s my name the families know. I’m the one they fear will take them out.
With Nico and Enzo’s help, I’ve been able to eradicate the old ways, the generations who vowed never to see a woman in power. Despite the pathetic list my Grandfather collated, there were more families hiding in the shadows. Raf was able to locate them, and Nico and Enzo handled them with the grace and mercy those misogynists deserved—none. I got to watch them in action and it was almost laughable how much some grown men pleaded for their lives.
After word started going around about the families and the knowledge that they weren’t protected by ‘The Elders’, everyone was looking over their backs. Ironically, they didn’t want a woman in power because of the emotion we carry with each decision. But that’s what sets me apart as a leader. I use my emotions to strengthen my choices and my leadership. I rule with mercy when it’s warranted. I lead with compassion when it’s required. But most of all, I reign with the strength of my men and my empire is indestructible because of them.
I’ve spent the last six months creating a new mafia; La Cosa Nuova, as we all keep calling it. At first, the name was a joke, but it’s somehow stuck and those families vowing their alliance to me have adopted it. The human trafficking ring has dried up with no one daring to step a foot out of line. No imports or exports are granted without my knowledge. No alliances can be forged without my consent. California is under my thumb. I’ve dropped heavy sanctions on families who were close to not making it. I offered them mercy in the form of heavy taxation. Anyone who steps out of line is granted one strike. But after that, my enforcer takes care of them—and Luca has missed getting his hands dirty.
“What are you thinking?” Enzo purrs in my ear as he returns to his earlier position.
“I was thinking about what was next on the agenda?” I smile vacantly. I can feel his heartbeat against my back, our breaths in sync with one another’s.
“Anything you want, baby. This world is yours now.”
And damn, do I feel those words resonate, because he’s right. My reform of La Cosa Nostra is slowly building up. My command over the organization is stronger than ever, and it’s only reinforced day by day. It feels like everything is finally coming together and a peace is forming across all families. Everything we’ve been working so hard to achieve is falling into place. There’s no threat to my family, no target pinned to my back. We’re living in a new generation, a new era.
This is my reign. My empire.
My Cosa Nuova.
*** The End***