Episode Seventeen
I n all my years of marriage, I’ve never doubted my husband. Not once. I’ve always had complete and utter faith in the man. Until right now.
Theo is insistent that he doesn’t need a hospital. That he’s fine. I should point out that ten minutes ago, he came home with a sewn-up bullet hole in his side. He was shot, and instead of going to the hospital like any normal person would do, my husband decided to go to his brother’s house.
Let me say that again. My husband was shot and went to his brother’s house . Where the two morons called their family doctor to come and patch him up. I don’t care who my husband thinks he is. He was shot; he needs a hospital.
“Theo, I swear to God… Do not make me call your mother.” My voice rises above his protests. There is one person in the world my husband fears more than me, and that’s his mother. All four of the Valentino brothers are big-time mama’s boys. And when my mother-in-law finds out about this latest stunt, they’re going to wish they had done the sensible thing and gone to a freaking hospital.
“Bambolina, you need to calm down. I’m fine. Look. Standing right here, fine,” Theo says.
“Don’t you bambolina me, Theo Valentino. You were shot. What if… what if the bullet hit higher? What if it went through your heart? What if you died?”
Now, I’m mad.
It’s an irrational anger fueled by fear. I know who my husband is, what his role entails. I’ve always known, and the thought of losing him has always been there in the background. But right now, all I can think about is how close I came to losing him for real.
“Maddie, I’m fine. Well, I will be, once I get my hands around that no-good little shit’s neck,” Theo growls.
He’s talking about Dante. Theo found out that Dante bought an apartment and has been holed up there with Josie, our adopted daughter, who also happens to be Dante’s girlfriend. “That no-good little shit is our nephew, Theo. Your hands are not going anywhere near his neck.”
“Nephew or not, who the fuck does he think he is taking Josie to an apartment without parental supervision?” Theo seethes.
“Okay, that’s it.” I throw my hands in the air. “I give up.” I storm out of my husband’s office and up the stairs before snatching my phone from the bedside table and dialing my mother-in-law.
“Hello,” Holly answers.
“Holly, how are you?” I ask, trying to keep my voice calmer than it was minutes ago.
“Good. You?”
“I’d be better if my husband weren’t as stubborn as a mule.” I sigh.
“What’s wrong? What’s he done now?” The thing I love about my mother-in-law, as big of a mama’s boys as her sons are, she’s not blind to their dumb-ass ways. And she never chooses sides between them and their wives.
“First, you should know he’s fine. He’s currently in his office planning how he’s going to murder Dante,” I tell her.
“He’s on that bandwagon again?” Holly laughs.
“He got shot this morning, outside The Plaza. He’s fine, apparently, but the idiot went to Luca’s instead of the hospital,” I explain.
“He’s okay, though?” Holly’s voice sounds a little panicked.
“He refuses to go to the hospital after waltzing into the house with barely a limp. Although he looked really scared when I threatened to call you. Are you free for brunch?” I ask her.
“Already on my way,” Holly says. “I’ll see you soon.”
“Thank you.”
When I step out onto the landing again, I find my husband waiting for me at the bottom of the stairs. “Maddie, you called my mother?” he asks.
“Well, you weren’t listening to me.” I shrug. “We’re expecting company for brunch. Can you help me get the wine from the cellar? The one your mother loves?”
“Maddie, I’m fine,” Theo repeats his favorite mantra.
“Oh, I know you are.” I let my eyes run up and down his body. “So fine, in fact, I think you should pick me up right now and take me back upstairs to our bedroom.” I lean into him, my mouth right next to his ear. “And fuck me.”
I’m bluffing. There is no way he can pick me up with a gut full of stitches. I really should know not to challenge this man, though. He bends forward. And the next thing I know, I’m thrown over his shoulder and he’s walking back towards his office.
“Make sure we’re not interrupted,” Theo tells one of his soldiers standing outside the door.
“Theo, put me down. You’re going to hurt yourself.” My fists hit his back, his rock-hard back.
My ass lands on his desk, and Theo steps between my thighs. “My wife wants me to fuck her, and that’s exactly what I’m going to do,” he says, his hands trailing up my inner thighs and pushing the fabric of my skirt higher.
“You can’t,” I tell him.
Theo raises a brow at me. “Really? You think a few stitches are going to stop me from sinking into you?” Theo’s lips trail down my neck. My legs open wider on their own before his hand slides up my panties to shove the material aside. “Fuck, you’re wet, Maddie,” he growls.
“I’m always wet around you,” I tell him, because even after all these years, just looking at my husband turns me on. He was always really hot, but Theo is like a fine wine. Better with age.
His fingers glide along the center of my core. My head leans back. And right as he finds my entrance, there’s a knock at the door. “Zio Theo, you summoned me.” Dante’s voice calls out from the other side.
“Now I really am going to fucking kill the little shit,” Theo grunts. He steps back, helps me off his desk, and straightens my skirt.
“No, you’re not. Remember he’s your favorite nephew,” I remind Theo. He’s always had a soft spot for Dante.
“Nope, the new fav is Lorenzo. He doesn’t give me any fucking grief,” Theo says.
“He’s on the other side of the world.” I walk towards the door and open it. “Dante, horrible timing as always.” I hug and kiss my nephew.
“Argh, gross. And I’m more than happy to come back later,” he replies.
“Get your scrawny little ass in here!” Theo yells out as he walks around to the other side of his desk and falls into his chair.
“I’ll, ah, catch you guys later. Don’t forget he’s our nephew and we love him,” I tell my husband before I click his office door closed.
I head to the kitchen and start pulling some things out of the fridge to put together a cheese board for when Holly arrives. Approximately twenty minutes later, my mother-in-law makes herself known as she starts yelling out Theo’s name in the foyer. I smile. I shouldn’t, but I get a little thrill out of watching my husband squirm under his mother’s wrath.
I walk out to the foyer at the same time Theo and Dante make an appearance. “Oh, good. You’re here. Where were you shot?” Holly pins her son with a glare.
“You were shot?” Dante asks, looking Theo up and down. “When?”
“I’m fine. I’m not showing you, Ma. It’s a scratch. Maddie shouldn’t have called you and made you worry.” Theo pulls his mother into a hug.
“Maddie is the only one here not in trouble right now. She did the right thing,” Holly says.
I smirk at my husband, and he shakes his head at me. “Ma, I’m fine. Swear,” Theo insists.
“And you? What’s this I hear about you buying some apartment and taking Josie there? Are you trying to turn me into a great grandmother?” Holly fumes at Dante.
“Ah, Nonna, hate to break it to you… but Orlando already did that, remember?” Dante asks.
“I meant again, idiot,” Holly snaps, while aiming a finger at her grandson. “Keep it in your pants.”
“What’s going on?” Josie comes down the stairs.
“Hey, sweetheart. How are you?” I ask, walking over and wrapping my arm around her.
“Good. Why is everyone yelling?” she asks.
“Theo was shot, and you two have been caught red-handed sneaking around in some apartment,” Holly deadpans, and Josie gasps.
“You were shot? Oh my god, are you okay? What happened?”
“I’m fine. It’s nothing for you to worry about,” Theo tells her.
“Who would shoot you?” Josie asks.
“I don’t know, but I’ll find out,” Theo mutters under his breath before pointing at Dante and Josie. “This apartment business, it’s not happening.”
“Sorry,” Josie says.
“I’m not.” Dante smirks. Holly, whose closest to him, slaps Dante upside the head. “Ow, sorry, Nonna.”
“Okay, well, I have cheese and wine,” I call out before turning around and heading to the kitchen with my mother-in-law following close behind me.