Epilogue
Eight Months Later
“Pictures, pictures!” Eleonora called, waving her wine glass in the air as if anyone in the room would ignore her. “I need pictures with everyone before this wonderful weekend is over and my family splits apart again.”
Evelina couldn’t help but smile at her precious aunt’s declaration.
It had been the better part of a month after she first met her cousins before she was finally comfortable flying out, just for a short weekend, to meet her long-lost Aunt Nora.
And it turned out no one called her “Nora.” That was a nickname only Evelina’s mother had used for her, and when she’d lost her sister, Eleonora had rejected it from anyone new.
The vivacious mafia wife retiree had fallen into a puddle when Evelina had used the name, completely unawares.
Evelina had offered not to—she could say “Aunt El” as easily—but Eleonora had refused to let her change.
In a similar way that she refused to let Evelina stay anywhere other than one of her guest rooms when Evelina came to Newark for a visit, or to pay for a single damn thing while she was visiting, or to feel anything at all less than wholly welcomed.
“There’s no need to be so dramatic, Mom,” Mikey said with a sigh everyone could tell was exaggerated.
“Yeah,” Romeo said, “no one’s splitting up.” He extended a pointer finger from his whiskey glass, toward Felicity and Cristiano. “Your family’s growing again.”
Evelina bit back a snicker as she watched Felicity’s face flame.
It was fun not to be at the brunt of the baby jokes for a few days.
Iouri was merciless in his pleading for grandchildren, and she was in no hurry to add that to the reason she lost sleep at night.
She and Otto were content to enjoy each other and focus on nurturing their bratva for the time being.
Though, she did plan to not replace her IUD with a new one when it came due in the coming year.
Pills or something would be much easier to adjust when they were ready.
“It’s rude to point,” Cristiano said.
Romeo laughed and knocked back the rest of his drink.
“What’s rude is how long it took you two to add to my collection of grandbabies,” Eleonora said.
More than a few chuckles went around the room.
“Two fucking years? Were you scared?” Romeo teased.
Felicity had announced her pregnancy just two days before, over the heart of the Christmas holiday, and the entire family had about lost their minds with enthusiasm. Evelina had been no exception. She’d bonded quickly with Felicity, too.
Cristiano hauled his wife into his lap. “It’s called contraception, Romeo. Do your wife a favor and discover it.”
“Hey!” Grace piped up, swinging an arm across her bellowing husband’s lap as she pointed aggressively. “I’m not pregnant yet. At least let me get through the rest of this year without morning sickness!”
Dante set his emptied glass onto the table at his side with a subtle clink, a quiet laugh lifting his lips, and looked around the room. “I believe our mother requested another round of holiday photos.”
Agreeable responses went around the room, and Eleonora set down her wine as she began gesturing again.
The long, sweeping sleeves of her fashionable black and silver dress emphasized every movement.
“Let’s do one more with all the boys, one with all us ladies, sets with the couples of course, and I want at least one more with everyone, too. ”
Someone groaned. “Mom,” Romeo said, “that’ll take forever. We still have to load up two kids.”
Evelina saw the exact moment her aunt’s eyes lit. “Well, if you’re waking them up, anyway—”
“Mother,” Dante said, “you took pictures with all the children before dinner. And none of them are leaving the city.”
Evelina moved forward as Eleonora’s brow furrowed and she curled an arm around the older woman’s arm.
“Aunt Nora,” she said, “I’ll take pictures with you, promise.
But I also promise I won’t magically disappear at the turn of the year, okay?
” She couldn’t if she tried. She’d known the De Salvo side of her family for a sparse handful of months, and she couldn’t imagine pulling away from them.
They were a world apart from the concept of family she had known before. They were everything she’d once longed for, and everything she hoped to provide for the family she and Otto would build over time.
Romeo was right, though. Even once Eleonora abdicated the idea of waking the minors, all the pictures she wanted essentially re-taken took well over an hour.
In part because some of the men were just relaxed enough to bicker over silly things the way brothers should, in part because every combination of people needed multiple shots for posterity, and largely because they were an Italian family. They talked.
Evelina grinned when she saw Otto engaged in some sort of conversation that looked like a debate with the other alpha males of her family.
She had appreciated their acceptance of him in Chicago, on her turf, but it had meant the world to her when they had continued to welcome him when she’d brought him along to every visit to New Jersey since.
Otto was slow to open up to people, but she knew he held a respect and growing fondness for them, too.
She glanced around and spied Grace and Iris talking beside the fireplace, so she ambled toward them rather than crossing the entire room awkwardly. She remembered when she’d met them how struck she’d been by two very dynamic thoughts.
Of course, Dante, the Dragon, would marry a woman with fire-colored hair. And they were stunning together, no doubt about it.
Grace, somehow, seemed like exactly the opposite of what Evelina would have imagined for Romeo. But there was no denying they worked.
Iris offered Evelina a warm smile. “I’m a little sad you have to fly home tomorrow.”
“Will you have time to meet for breakfast somewhere?” Grace asked. “We should do a ladies’ brunch if we can. I know a great place.”
Evelina laughed. “Now you’re asking for trouble.”
Felicity latched onto Evelina’s shoulders. “Does this great place have room for a couple of expecting mamas?”
Iris’s eyes widened. “Lina?”
“Bozhe moy, no!” She waved a hand and pinched Felicity’s arm in retribution. “I’m still enjoying the honeymoon phase.”
Brandi dropped into the corner seat of the sofa nearest Grace. “You’re married. These things do happen.” A grin tipped her lips before she gulped down the last of her wine.
“Eventually,” Evelina stressed.
Grace chuckled as she looked past her. “Or not so eventually. We’ll understand if you can’t make it tomorrow, but I’ll text you the location, okay?”
Evelina made to turn and look for herself, but Iris took a step forward and pulled her into a hug. “In case we miss you tomorrow, travel safe.”
Evelina gave her cousin-in-law a quick squeeze before they stepped apart. “Hey, if something happens to my plane, blame your husband.”
“I heard that.”
She didn’t know if the other women laughed at Dante’s comment or because she actually jumped.
The man had no right moving in silence after a whole damn weekend of celebrating and theoretically relaxing.
But she merely responded by smiling innocently up at him, right up until Otto folded both arms around her.
“Time to turn in for the night, baby,” he murmured into her ear.
She could see the others gathering things and putting away emptied glasses, so she supposed he was right.
Like it or not, another trip had effectively come to an end.
She pried herself from Otto long enough to bid goodnights to everyone as best she could, exchanging hugs or cheek kisses, and then she allowed Otto to lead her to what had become their portion of Aunt Nora’s home when they visited.
Someday, she’d have to insist her aunt let them have their own space. But that probably wouldn’t be until she had a terror-raising toddler to factor in.
In the meantime, at least they had a massive bedroom, an attached three-piece bathroom, and Otto’s personal favorite feature, a door that locked.
She’d laughed when he’d first made that declaration—right up until he’d lifted her up and onto his cock right there in what would have been full view of the open doorway.
The locking door had become her second favorite feature, because the walk-in shower was really damn nice.
And spacious. It also provided the same bonus.
Otto scooped her up, as he always did, as soon as the door was locked. He kissed her and peeled away her clothes before throwing her on the bed, and she giggled into his mouth at his enthusiasm. Not so much because it was funny, but because her heart was light.
Because she was happy.
Because for as happy as having a warm and actually loving family made her, absolutely nothing made her happier than Otto. All of her stress melted away with his touch. She got to be nothing more or less than a woman in love, who was loved, when Otto held her.
She wrapped her arms around his neck, her tongue sliding from his mouth as his cock speared into her again, and they swallowed each other’s moans.
Otto moved his lips along her jaw, kissing her neck and nibbling on her earlobe.
“Next Christmas,” he said, voice delightfully thick, “I want your belly nice and round with my seed.” He dragged his teeth down her throat as heat pulsed through her and her legs tightened around his hips.
“I want you to be the one everyone fawns over. I want to see your face glow like that.” He brought his face up to hover his lips over hers again.
“And I just really fuckin’ want to make a family with you, Lina. ”
She wasn’t one to cry during sex, but her emotion betrayed her and tears blurred her vision. “We’ll try really hard,” she said, stretching her neck to chase his mouth, “as soon as it’s removed.” Maybe she’d get it removed early. But he wanted her pregnant for Christmas, so she should wait.
He grunted. “Yeah.” Then he slammed his lips to hers again and drove deep, hips canted at the perfect angle to send her flying.
She sobbed through her orgasm, clinging to him as her mind raced with visions of their sweet, once impossible future.
The End