Chapter 43
Chapter
Forty-Three
WREN
I settled on a pair of dark denim skinny jeans and a black flowy top.
I know the younger generation wants to eliminate skinny jeans off the face of the earth, but coming from someone who had to deal with their butt crack always being on display in low-rise jeans, it’s not happening for this bitch. I refuse to go back to that era, and that’s a hill I’ll die on.
The top has black lace with a gorgeous flower design on the chest and shoulders leading into the soft black colored fabric. The lace gives the slightest hint of cleavage but not enough to make it look trashy. I thought it gave edgy boho vibes when I saw it at the thrift store.
I opt for a nude smokey eye just to have that light, sultry look. It’s my comfort makeup. Anyone that tells you a sharp wing doesn’t make them feel like a bad bitch is a liar. It’s an instant confidence booster. Am I going to fight or fuck someone? The world will never know.
I paired all of this with my black-heeled boots and called it a day. This is the best I can do with a thirty-minute notice, but I don’t think I look half bad.
“What time are we leaving?” I ask loud enough for it to echo throughout the house as I walk down the stairs.
“Whenever you’re ready,” Matteo calls from his office.
A soft smile spread across my face at him being exactly where I thought he would be. And there he is, brow furrowed as he studies whatever it is that’s on his screen, rocks glass in one hand as the other rests on the desk.
The same desk that I can’t look at without thinking about the first time he finally took me, bending me over the hard surface and caging me in so I was at his mercy. And what place to be that is.
“I think I’m ready,” I say as I lean against the door frame.
Matteo’s eyes leave the screen, softening as they find mine. “You look beautiful, tesoro .”
“Thank you, my knight, but what I want to know is if this is acceptable for family dinner. With it being my first one, I wasn’t really sure how dressy or casual to go…” I trail off, noticing something moving in Matteo’s eyes that I can’t quite place as he continues to stare at me without saying a word.
“Matteo?” I snap my fingers in the air, trying to get his attention. “Hello? Anyone home?”
“What did you just call me?” he finally asks, voice hoarse.
My knight? I know I’ve told him that’s what he reminds me of before. “My knight. Did I say something wr?—”
Matteo pushes his chair back, quickly eating up the space between us before he cuts me off by placing his hands on either side of my face, landing a hard kiss on my lips. My body responds to him as he dominates my mouth. I’m just as greedy for him.
His hands press into my face slightly, not letting me break away. As if there is any other place I’d rather be. I can feel the raw emotion he’s feeling being poured into the kiss. It sends a chill through my body.
Matteo is the one to break the kiss minutes later, pulling back slightly before he rests his forehead against mine. “As much as I would love to throw you over my shoulder and take you upstairs so you never forget who your knight is, we can’t.” He sighs. “I don’t want to listen to all of the shit I’ll get if we’re late.”
“I wish you would have told me this was happening. I feel like an asshole showing up without a gift.” He could have at least given me enough notice to get a bottle of wine or something. They make the labels on the twenty-dollar bottles seem so fancy now. I think it would pass as an okay gift. At least, I feel like a fancy bitch drinking it.
“Don’t worry about it. Ma has been dying to meet you. She won’t even notice,” Matteo says, leaving me standing in his office.
“But I’ll notice!” I call after him.
“Doesn’t matter. Let’s go, tesoro .” I find him waiting by the front door. “Do you have everything you need?”
I look down at myself. I have my purse, but I figured I would just leave it in the car. “Maybe we can stop on the way so I can at least get some flowers. I’d hate to show up empty-handed like this.”
Matteo opens the front door and ushers me through. “As much as I would love to take away this anxiety for you, baby, I can’t. There isn’t a store on the way.”
My face scrunches up. “What do you mean?” This is a huge fucking city. He can’t actually believe that. You can literally find someone selling flowers on the street.
“Ma lives in the neighborhood.”
That has me stopping in my tracks. “What do you mean in the neighborhood? Are we walking there?” I ask as Matteo takes off down the driveway.
“She lives two houses down. No sense in driving. And I thought it would be fun to take a stroll with you by my side and not over my shoulder.”
“You mean you would like me to be a willing participant this time.” I snort as I start to follow.
Matteo shrugs as he takes my hand. “Semantics.”
Normally, I would think living two doors down from your mother would be a giant, walking red flag. But considering that I’ve been in Matteo’s life for a few months now, about half of that has been with me staying with him, and I’ve never once seen her. This is like one of those red flags you ignore because just the smell of him soaks your panties.
“If she immediately hates me like Alessio did, I’m blaming you,” I say as I jog to catch up to him.
“How many times do I have to tell you that Alessio doesn’t hate you. He’s just… testy. He’s always been that way. Middle child syndrome or some shit.” Matteo laces his fingers through mine as we stroll down the sidewalk like we’re in a Hallmark movie and not like he’s the head of the Italian Mafia in Ravenna Heights and would blow your head off for looking at us wrong. “And she’s not going to hate you. Trust me. She’s been looking forward to this day her whole life.”
“Only you would describe someone that looks like he’d rather stab himself in the eye than talk to you as testy.” I roll my eyes. Wait. “Looking forward to what her whole life?”
“The day I finally bring someone home.” Matteo flashes me a panty-wetting smile. “We’re here.”
The house looks almost identical to Matteo’s, just about half the size. Still way bigger than anything I’ve ever dreamed of living in. I don’t really know much about Matteo’s family other than his brothers and cousin, whom I’ve already met. From what I’ve pieced together, I think his dad has passed. I need to make a mental note to remind me to ask him about all of this when we’re alone and have time, and I’m going to add a lesson on how to give someone proper notice about a family dinner. Everyone knows an introvert needs at least three to five business days, and even then, it’s a big, fat fucking maybe.
“Are you fucking kidding me right now?” He’s full-on dragging me up the path behind him now. Who just drops a bomb like that on someone two fucking seconds before you meet his family?
“No. I am not fucking kidding you.” I can hear the smirk in his voice. The fucker. “You better stop trying to glare a hole into my back if you don’t want that to be the first look that Ma sees on your face. I wouldn’t mind though. You know I love fucking that attitude away.”
My mouth opens to reply just as the front door quickly swings open, revealing a drop-dead gorgeous woman about my height. She has the same piercing brown eyes and thick black hair as Matteo. Her hair is kept in loose curls with nothing out of place. The resemblance is almost uncanny.
I startle as she gasps, and before I can react, her arms wrap around my body, pulling me in for a tight hug. “You must be Wren. It’s so nice to finally meet the woman everyone keeps telling me has captured my Matteo.”
I look over her shoulder with wide eyes at Matteo, who is trying to contain his laughter, as I slowly and stiffly hug his mom back. He knows damn well I’m not a hugger.
I’m so getting payback for this.
“Don’t suffocate her, Ma. We have plans tonight.” Matteo smirks.
If looks could kill, Matteo would be buried six feet under right now with his own knife sticking out of his dick.
You want to play ?
Game fucking on, Adduci.
His mom quickly pulls back, a smile lighting up her whole face. “Oh my gosh, fun after-dinner plans?” She pauses as she looks between us, and I can feel my face turning more red by the second. I would love nothing more for the ground to swallow me up right now. The audacity of this man to imply we’re about to fuck tonight in front of his mother. “You don’t have to tell me.” She waves us inside. “I know it’s not cool for moms to know what’s going on. Your father and I always loved to catch late-night movies.”
“If there’s enough praise, we might make it to a show.”
“Gio is making Aperol Spritz’s for everyone. Would you like one, Wren?”
“Yes, please,” I barely get out as I’m trying not to die on the spot from embarrassment. I don’t know who I need to thank for letting it go over her head, but I will gladly get on my knees and deep throat like the dirty whore I am in my fantasies.
“I’m Camilla, by the way. Matteo seems to have forgotten his manners.” She slides him a disapproving look. He’s forgotten a lot of things tonight. Like who the fuck he’s dealing with.
“Ma, this is Wren. Wren, this is my Ma, Camilla.” Matteo finally introduces us.
Camilla’s eyes light up with approval as she leads us through the house. “I feel like I’ve been waiting ages for one of them to bring a girl home. You’ve seen what I have to deal with. Another woman around is going to be like a breath of fresh air.” I can’t even imagine what this woman went through raising Matteo, Alessio, and Gio. They are three very different men with dominant personalities. I bet things got interesting.
“It’s about time you got here. I thought I was going to be stuck with his ass all night.” Alessio grumbles as we enter the living room .
“Hey! I wasted my last umbrella on you. That’s the last time I do something for your ungrateful ass.” Gio glares from the bar in the corner of the room.
“I told you I didn’t want this fruity drink in the first place. You’re the one who insisted everything tastes better with an umbrella in it.”
“Because it does! Wren, tell him it does,” Gio pleads with me.
“Sorry, Alessio. I’m with Gio on this. Everything tastes like a party with an umbrella in it.” I shrug with a smile. Alessio has his signature permanent scowl on his face as Gio looks more than pleased that I sided with him.
“Wren.” Aldo nods his head at me from his seat on the massive black leather sectional that would never fit in my small, crappy apartment. A small smile toying at the corner of his mouth. “You’re looking much better compared to the last time I saw you.”
“What happened?” Camilla asks, face laced with concern. My hand shoots to my chest at the small pain that starts throbbing right where my heart is, rubbing slightly as I try to ease the ache. This woman, who I haven’t even known for more than ten minutes, is concerned about me. The only other person who has ever cared about me so quickly is Delaney, and look how that turned out. She’s like a chin hair that keeps growing back no matter how many times you pluck it. I wouldn’t have it any other way, though. She’s my bitch.
“Oh, it was nothing really. Just a small little mishap.” I wave my hand, trying my best to brush it off and calm her. I can feel my face heating with everyone’s attention on me.
“It couldn’t have been nothing if Aldo was involved.” Camilla hums as her gaze intensifies on me. “He’s a doctor after all.”
My eyes dart around, landing on everyone’s face in hopes they will give me some sort of an out, but I come out empty-handed. Every single one of them acted like anything but me was interesting. The fuckers.
“Uh… Well…” I trail off, having no fucking clue what to say to her.
“She ran into a little bit of trouble helping me, Ma.” Matteo steps in for me, sensing my rapidly growing discomfort. I feel his hand on my lower back as he draws me into his side. “We’re taking care of it.”
Camilla beams up at Matteo like he hung the moon. “Good. Our girl should always feel safe, and if she doesn’t… well, I know you boys will take care of it.”
Gio winks at me just as a timer goes off in the distance.
“Oh, that’s the spiedini!” Camilla announces before she flounces out of the room. The class that woman oozes is unmatched.
“Relax, tesoro ,” Matteo murmurs as he rubs small circles on my back. “She already loves you. Sit. I’ll get you a drink.” He applies a small amount of pressure on my lower back, leading me over to the massive couch.
As much as I’ve grown to be as comfortable as I possibly can at Matteo’s while this shitstorm that is my life keeps happening, I still can’t help but feel way out of my league here. It has nothing to do with them being stuck-up, rich snobs like I always thought people on this side of the city were because this family is not. In fact, once you get past the broodiness of every male except Gio and Aldo, they’re the best people I have ever met outside of Delaney and the Dirty Devils.
They’re the type of guys that would lay down their life for you over the smallest thing because no one fucks with what’s theirs. And that? That’s more comforting than any gun, security, or guard dog. Just knowing the fact that a man will avenge you over someone looking at you the wrong way makes my kitty tingle.
But even with all of that, it still doesn’t change the intrusive thoughts that enter my fucked up mind. I don’t belong. I didn’t grow up with money. In fact, this kind of money wasn’t even a dreamland for me. I knew where I came from and knew what I would be. Did I strive to make my life better than what I came from? Obviously. But I’m also fucking realistic. Delaney doesn’t call me a pessimistic bitch for nothing. I learned from a very young age that if you don’t set your expectations high, you won’t be disappointed. The good moments will be like a little pleasant surprise.
“You okay?” Aldo asks from his end of the couch, breaking me from my thoughts. Turning to look at him, I find him studying me.
“Oh, yeah,” I answer quickly. Too quickly, apparently, because his brow furrows even further.
“I know this is probably extremely overwhelming for you. Coming from not really having much family to being thrown into this one.” He nailed that one on the head.
“Yeah…” I hesitate before finally just going for it. There’s no sense in sugarcoating it when it seems like he can read me like an open book. “It’s just all very new. I’m not used to having so many people in my business and caring about what happens to me.” As soon as it’s out of my mouth, I wish I could take it back. “I don’t mean it in a bad way. I know it comes from a good place.” I try to weakly recover.
“I know you don’t.” Aldo softly smiles. “Hell, even I get overwhelmed with them sometimes. If you ever need anything, let me know. I know I’m not Matteo, but I’ll help any way I can.”
How is this man single? From the first day I met him with a busted-up face in Matteo’s bedroom, he’s been nothing but a fucking sweetheart.
“Like there’s something you can do that I can’t,” Matteo interrupts as he sits down next to me, shooting a glare in Aldo’s direction.
Aldo chuckles. “Relax. I wasn’t trying to take your girl. We all see the way she looks at you. She’s all yours.”
Uh, what?
“I don’t?—”
“Here they are!” Camilla flounces back in, setting the food on the large coffee table that’s already set up with small plates and napkins. “Wren, come help me in the kitchen! Lord knows we need a break from these boys.” She doesn’t wait for a response before she’s gone again.
“Go on. I’ll be right here if you need me.”
I would have given anything in the world to stay right where I am, but Matteo’s warm eyes are what make me go.
He looks so happy, and I’m not about to be the one who ruins it for him.