Epilogue
Six months later
F our times a year the warring mafia families put their scheming aside and hold a ball. Each family takes turns hosting and the rules are simple - no weapons. Deals are struck, product negotiated, marriage contracts written, and then the next day they go back to trying to kill each other.
I roll my eyes. Men. Can only play nice four times a year.
Matty leans against the doorway to our bedroom with his arms crossed over his chest and his legs crossed at the ankles. Fuck, he looks good in a tux. Viv isn't going, but she's sitting next to me patiently, while the ladies fawn over her and do her hair and makeup in a simple way. She just wanted to feel like a Princess today, too. So naturally the boys bought her a dress, necklace and tiara and Lauren and Diego promised a Princess movie marathon while we're in the city.
My throat constricts as I think about how grateful I am to have such a big, beautiful family. We went from alone and broken to surrounded by people who love on my children as hard as I do. I pinch back the tears. Diana would not be happy if I ruined the makeup, she just spent an hour putting on.
"Pretty girl," Matty says, coming over and placing a kiss on my temple. "You look amazing."
He turns to Viv. "LPG, you're stunning as always." He grabs her tiny hand in his large one before placing a kiss on the back of it. LPG - Little Pretty Girl .
Diana and the team finish up on Viv before Diego pops in in a 3-piece suit, before escorting Viv to the living room where they've pulled every pillow and comforter from the house and made a giant bed on the floor. It's become a family tradition.
Suddenly, I'm alone in our bedroom with Matty, who looks just about hungry enough to eat me. I notice his gaze at my chest and realize the silk bathrobe I have on is revealing quite a lot of chest.
I put up my hand. "No." I flash a warning in my eyes, but my heartrate picks up when he stalks towards me, a lazy grin on his face, only to be flanked by Santiago and Rico, both decked out in suits. I'm not used to seeing them in suits and the effect is panty-melting, if I were wearing any panties.
All three of them stalk towards me, I stand and try to back up but before I can, they're surrounding me like a pack of wolves.
"Don't you dare!" I squeal as Matty goes to grab me. I jump on top of the mattress before jumping off the other side, keeping the bed between me and the three sexiest men I've ever seen. "Diana just spent hours doing my hair and makeup!" I raise my hands to placate them. Santiago licks his lips before rounding the footboard. Matty's climbing over the mattress towards me. "And if we start now, we'll never leave."
That seems to work, because they all stand and back towards the door.
"We're just here to help you get dressed, mi amor." Rico says, telling me to turn around with his finger.
I do and he slides the robe off my shoulders, before helping me step into the emerald green dress he bought for me. He zips up the back, being careful to hold my hair out of the way .
Santiago steps up to my front, then, and opens a black velvet case to reveal a gorgeous diamond necklace.
I throw a side glance at Matty. "What? No butt plug?"
Santiago just looks at me curiously. I guess Matty didn't ever explain how he gave me the butt plug. I laugh out loud. "Another time."
I would normally be uncomfortable with such extravagant gifts, but these boys buy me expensive gifts every so often, so I know it's pointless to fight them on it. They want to spoil me, and after more than a decade of emotional neglect, I'm inclined to let them. Plus, it's a beautiful example of how to love your partner for my kids.
"Santiago, this is gorgeous." I reach up and place a kiss on his cheek. I know if I kiss his lips we'll get carried away and we'll never get to the gala. I smile at the red kiss mark left by my makeup. I lick my thumb and go to wipe it off and the move gives me a flashback of licking my thumb to wipe his concealer off his neck. I smile at the memory. Until he grabs my wrist to stop me. My smile widens. He wants to wear my mark to the gala. I love the idea that everyone there will know he belongs to me.
I'm tempted to mark each of them.
The gala's surprisingly lovely, considering it's full of hardened criminals and murderers.
They also brought their families, knowing it's the only night of the year and they're truly safe from one another. I'm nervous about seeing Vitale's son, but word on the street is, even though the son's as bad as the father, he's too busy with blow and hookers to worry about revenge. Even better.
After dinner I excuse myself to the bathroom, smiling as Santiago trails behind me. He's never stopped being my bodyguard, even though I begged the boys to hire us all bodyguards, so Santiago could just be. Santi refused, saying no one will do more to protect me than him. He has the bullet scars to prove that's true.
The kids go to school with a private detail, though. The principal pushed back against it but Matty charmed him and convinced him having high-profile children enrolled would elevate the school's reputation when we could afford private school with better security if we wanted to.
That man could sell ice to an Eskimo.
I take care of business and am washing my hands when a young woman I hadn't noticed before slides up next to me. She washes her hands, but I can tell her attention is on me and the hair on the back of my neck stands up. I briefly consider getting Santiago.
"Miss Greenwich," she says, still not turning to me.
"It's Calahan now."
"Right, Miss Calahan, can I have a word?"
We both dry our hands silently, considering each other. She's young, petite, with ivory skin and shiny black hair that has highlights of auburn. She's stunning. But it's her face that has me second guessing things. She's early twenties, maybe? But her eyes are dark, haunted, like she's decades older than the rest of her suggests.
"Can I help you?"
"I'm Nicoletta Ricci. I'm sure you've heard of the Riccis?" She asks, an apologetic look on her face.
My hackles are back up. The head of the Ricci family is notoriously vicious and is rumored to have been working with Vitale in the skin trade.
I simply nod. It wouldn't take much for me to push her aside and get to Santi.
"My...um...Father might be meeting...an untimely end." She whispers, leaning closer to me.
"Untimely?"
"He has some...lifestyle habits that tend to shorten a person's life span."
Like pissing off the wrong people.
"I understand," I say with a small smile. "What does that have to do with me?"
"I just want to ask a favor...or maybe understand where Rico's priorities lay. When my father meets his untimely end...I want to negotiate that we keep our territory while the crown changes heads, if that makes sense."
"I'm not involved in Rico's business," I say, dismissing her and turning back to the mirror to reapply my lipstick.
"No offense, ma'am, but you and I both know that's not true. You may not be directly involved, but it would take a blind person to miss that you're in charge. At least of him."
I check my teeth before smiling at her. I like her.
She's planning on offing her father and replacing him.
I frown. "Is your father involved in trafficking? Because I can't condone that. And Rico won't allow it if there's an opportunity to stop it."
"I believe he is. But it doesn't interest me or my brother." She gives me a look of desperation. "I just want to be free."
Ah, so she'll put her brother in instead.
I nod. "If you can promise an end to the skin trade, I can promise we won't make a move. In fact, I'll talk to Rico about supporting your transition any way we can."
She sighs in relief, her tension and posturing relaxing.
"I think the women should be in charge. A five-minute conversation in a bathroom and we've ended decades of war." I laugh, loudly, the sound echoing off the marble walls.
"I tend to agree."
We exchange numbers and I return to our table, Santi in tow.
It's not until a moment later when we're sat back at our table and my Rico and Santi are laughing at something Matty said, and I think about my children, tucked in safe, warm home, surrounded by love, that I realize just how glad I am for making a different choice a year ago.
The End