Chapter Eight
Vida
“H ey,” Carmela says as she settles next to me on the porch. I knew better than to go far with the threat hanging over my head, so this would have to do.
“Do your guards always stand like mannequins while they wait for you guys?” I ask.
Carmela laughs as she follows my gaze, finding all the men standing in their formation around the house.
“Pretty much, yeah. Watch this,” she says, smiling at me.
“Oh no,” Carmela breathes and suddenly collapses to the ground, pretending to faint.
I look at her, wondering what she’s doing. As I start to bend to Carmela’s level, I notice the guards instantly responding to her actions, their positions changing quickly like robots under command. No one says anything, but everyone seems to understand what they need to do. The man who had been standing closest to the car quickly comes towards the porch, picking up Carmela from the ground. Everything happens in seconds and all I can do is watch in awe.
“Hi Cito,” Carmela says as she snuggles in against him.
“Did you do that just to watch formation change?” the guard who I now know as Cito asks.
“Not for my sake, for hers,” Carmela laughs, pointing at me.
“I’m guessing this is the Vida?” Cito asks, turning to me.
“The one and only,” she replies, her smile big as she looks at me.
“Hello, it’s nice to meet you,” Cito says immediately, standing up straight and bowing slightly.
Such a gentleman.
“Hello, I’m guessing I’m popular?” I ask, smiling at him.
“Only under our sheets,” Carmela teases, discreetly placing a kiss on Cito’s lips.
“I wish I didn’t ask,” I huff out a laugh.
“I’ll head back now. No more fake fainting, Miss Ballera,” Cito says, cocking a brow at her.
“I can’t make any promises,” Carmela says, blowing him a kiss.
I watch as Cito rolls his eyes at her, not because he was uninterested, but because he seemed to like it. His smile also gave that away.
“Nice meeting you again, Vida,” he says, his smile genuine.
“Behave, Amorino , behave,” he adds, as he points a finger at Carmela before turning and leaving.
I watch as the men go back to their initial formation, again without being told. It’s like they had practiced this before even though this is their first time here.
“Wasn’t that fun?” Carmela asks, tugging on my arm.
“Now I don’t know if you did that to make me feel better or to kiss your boyfriend,” I tease.
“Both actually,” she replies with a shrug, making me laugh.
“I needed it, so thank you,” I tell her, taking a deep breath as I take a seat again.
Silence falls over us, but this time it’s a comfortable one.
“Next week is unnecessary, but if it’s because of Donato, just get married tonight. If he hears you’re going to be a Ballera, he’s going to make sure you’re dead before your bachelorette night,” Carmela says, her eyes fixed on Cito.
“Ciro is an ass, and I won’t give you the bullshit talk about getting to know him. I hated him most of my life and we’re twins,” she giggles, eyes still on Cito.
“But I swear to you, Vida . . .” she starts, turning and taking my hands in hers. “He will protect you and everything you care about, and we will keep Donato where he belongs.”
The determination in her voice and in her eyes is comforting. I know Luca and Dad were sure that they would but it’s another thing to hear it from her.
“I want him dead,” I say, not knowing where the words come from.
“Ciro will make sure that happens.”
“Next week is perfect,” I announce as Carmela and I join everyone again.
“Are you sure?” Luca asks, worriedly.
“I am,” I state, heading to my seat.
“How did you get her to agree?” Isabella whispers to Carmela, loud enough for me to hear.
“I have my ways,” she replies with a giggle and a wink.
“I’ll begin the preparations,” Mom claps, clearly excited that everyone is in agreement.
“There’s one more thing,” Luca says, looking at his brother.
“Brother please, we can handle the threat,” Matteo says with a shake of his head.
“What threat?” Dad asks, turning to Luca with a mix of shock and worry on his face.
“A wedding like this can’t be done the way you want, with both families together,” Carmela replies.
“What?” Mom asks, her brows furrowed in confusion.
“It’s too much of a threat having all of us in one place, especially on a day like that. Donato might not be able to get to Vida, but there’s no guarantee he’d not get to any of you,” Luca explains further.
“So we can’t be there at our daughter’s wedding?’ Dad asks, digesting all the information.
“You will, all of you will be,” Matteo assures us.
“It’s a stupid risk to make. My wife is the priority, but I can’t say the same for her family before we take our vows,” Ciro states, leaning forward with his forearms resting on the table and his hands clasped together.
There’s something about how he called me his wife that makes my skin crawl. I’m no one’s wife, let alone his.
“It’s Donato, you can handle him. We can’t deny them being at their daughter’s wedding. Rosa wouldn’t like that,” Matteo says, taking a sip of his wine.
“Donato knows better than to step foot into the Ballera house, Ciro. It’ll be fine,” Carmela says to her brother, her crystal blue eyes meeting his brown ones.
Silence settles over us, this time it’s one that I wish will bring good answers.
“Fine. They’ll be at the wedding, but if hell breaks loose I’m not babysitting anyone,” he says, picking up his phone.
I hate how happy his approval makes me. Why does it have to be his decision to make? I’m also getting married so it is also my big day. Why do they all have to listen to his final verdict?
“I protect only Vida,” he adds, stealing my breath away.
“And that’s fine with me,” Dad agrees with a nod.
“Thank you for dinner,” Matteo says as we all walk to the door, everyone ready for this evening to end.
“It was our pleasure. I apologize for the . . .” Mom pauses, turning to me as she tries to find the right word. “Drama.”
“Nonsense. Children will be children,” he laughs, his thick accent echoing in the room.
“I’ll get the travel arrangements ready, and we’ll be with you in two days,” Luca says as he steps onto the front porch.
“I can’t wait for you to come to Italy,” Carmela tells me.
“I can’t say I’m excited anymore,” I admit with a shrug.
“Anymore? You had plans to come?” Carmela asks, her interest peaked.
I smile at her, but don’t want to say anything more than that. I had been excited to visit Italy once upon a time and now I’m not, that is all she needed to know for now. “I did.”
“I promise it won’t be that bad. I’ll get your room ready and make sure it feels like home.”
Nowhere feels like home anymore, not even my own house. Adam was my home and now he is gone, and nowhere will ever feel like home again.
“I trust you will, Carmela,” I say with as much of a smile as I can muster.
“Let’s give these two privacy to talk, considering they haven’t uttered more than five words to each other,” Luca says, getting everyone’s attention.
“I’m tired, Luca, plus everyone looks like they need some sleep,” I say calmly. It’s the truth, plus Ciro looks like he’s about to snap and hit his uncle for even suggesting that, and I’d rather he not.
“I think Luca is right, we’ll give you two the house, and we’ll be outside,” Dad says, his eyes on Ciro, who stands behind Carmela and me.
“Dad,” I groan, feeling betrayed yet again. Why is he making me do this?
“We’ll wait outside. You don’t have to say anything to him,” Isabella adds, dragging Carmela outside as they all leave the two of us alone in the living room.
Silence, one I most definitely do not want to be in, descends upon us. I keep my feet planted, hating the fact that I have to be in the same space as him.
As I take a deep breath, I try to look at things from Mom’s perspective. I am going to get married to him in a few days. A word or two wouldn’t hurt, would it? Even though it’s the last thing I want to do, it could make things a little more bearable, right? God, I hope so because he is insufferable as it is.
I take a deep breath and turn around. My eyes instantly meet Ciro’s gaze, and it’s like he’d been staring at me way before we were left alone.
“We can just stand here for a few minutes before you leave,” I say, trying to sound friendly.
“Raphael, what did he do to you that you sent him to jail?” he asks, his hands fixed in his pockets and his face expressionless.
“He . . . he deserved it,” I say, wishing I could look away. I don’t want to get into this with him. Maybe if he was more compassionate I would, but he’s been nothing but rude and arrogant.
“That’s a flimsy reply. What did he do?” he asks, his tone carrying anger and his brows pinching together.
“I witnessed a shooting, so I testified against him,” I tell him, trying to be as vague as possible.
“The one with the cop? Stupid move,” he scoffs.
“What!” I gasp, my body buzzing with shock and anger. How can he make such a comment about someone who lost their life?
“It was a stupid move challenging Raphael without any back up,” he replies with a light shrug.
“He had back . . .” I start but stop, realizing he really didn’t. All he had was me and I let him down.
“Exactly. It’s a silly thing trying to play the hero. No wonder he died,” he says, his expression nonchalant, like it doesn’t bother him that someone died.
What am I getting myself into marrying someone who feels no remorse whatsoever?
“That’s how you see it? Your concern is . . .”
“It’s not my concern, let’s make that clear,” he cuts in, looking irritated by what I’d started to say.
“Someone died! How can you stand there and have no respect for the dead?” I ask, my voice rising with each word. “Are you blaming Ad . . . the cop for doing what was right?”
One of his groomed brows rises, and I can’t tell if it is because I’d started to say Adam’s name or because of how I judged him, but whatever it is, I don’t care. I don’t want him to know about Adam, especially not after how he’s talked about the whole thing.
“Look, Princess, whoever died isn’t my business, and Raphael had that one coming. He’s never careful and he’s sloppy. Isn’t it cop 101 to never go in without backup? If you weren’t being a cry baby, you’d admit that.”
How can he be so insensitive? How can he . . . My anger turns to confusion as his words sink in. Is he right? That is something Dad and Luca have always said, so why would Adam have gone in alone?
“Good, now you see I’m right,” he says, the hint of a smirk on his lips.
He hasn’t more than scowled or glared all night but the fact that he’s seeing me second guess things is entertaining him? God, it just makes me hate him more.
“I didn’t say you were right,” I grit out, my hands balling into fists at my sides.
“I’m certain our parents will be thrilled now that we’ve spoken,” he diverts, closing the distance between us.
“What are you . . .”
“I can tell the cop was something to you, a friend or a lover maybe,” he cuts me off, now standing inches away from me as his brown eyes pierce into my own.
“Emotions cloud judgment, remember that . . . wifey,” he adds, letting his last word dance in the air between us.
“I’m not your . . .” I start but he cuts me off again.
“Yes, you are. From the moment you testified against Raphael, you became mine,” he says and smirks before taking a step away to watch his words sink in and my world crumble.