Chapter 14
LUCY
Gia looks a lot like me, just like the others.
But while Amara and Sienna are warm, open, Gia looks reserved and almost shy.
She stays close to her husband’s side, and the story from Rori and Sofia floods back.
Is she actually here happily? Or is the terrifying looking man beside her simply making her think that he’s her only option?
She doesn’t look abused, or even scared, but surely she can’t be happy about this situation, right?
“Gia, Nico, this is Lucy,” Massimo tells them, taking care of the introductions. “Lucy, this is your younger sister, Gia. Gia, this is Lucy and her son, Soren.”
“Nice to meet you,” Gia says with a shy smile, watching me curiously. “How are you feeling?” She looks at Soren and her face softens. “And how is your son? I hope you’re both alright.”
“We’re okay now, thank you,” I answer politely.
God, this is awkward. What am I supposed to say?
Do? My eyes flicker to her husband. His eyes are not warm or friendly, but rather suspicious, like he’s not ready to welcome or trust me yet.
Maybe it wasn’t his idea to rescue me, and he resents having me here.
A small rebellious part of me holds his gaze for a little longer before going back to Gia. A safer place. I hope.
There’s an awkward silence, neither of us knowing what to say. Thankfully, Alessio decides to break the tension. “Come and sit and have some breakfast,” he orders them. “I managed to keep Lazaro from eating it all.” He laughs when Lazaro flips him off.
Nico gently urges Gia forward, and she gives me a quick smile before heading for the head of the table, where she sinks into his lap, leaning against him. Hmm, maybe I’m wrong. Surely if she wasn’t happy she wouldn’t want to be so close to him.
It’s a weird dynamic, but I’ve always lived by the motto to never judge a situation by what it appears. Some of the best relationships I’ve been around are the ones that are awkward in public, or even weird. The overly happy ones are the ones that I never trusted and my gut was normally right.
Hell, look at me and Joey. No, no, I don’t need to think about that. I can’t compare every relationship I see with ours.
“Are you alright, Lucy?” Massimo suddenly murmurs in my ear, making me jump slightly, and making Soren let out a small cry.
Shit.
“I’m good,” I tell him absently as I try to quiet Soren.
The last thing I need is the man at the end of the table to get upset with him.
Unfortunately, Soren must be picking up on my stress because he continues to fuss and cry unhappily.
I glance around worriedly, but most just smile at me and talk quietly together.
After another couple of minutes, I realize that Soren isn’t going to stay quiet. I look at Massimo. “I need to take him out so he doesn’t bother anyone.”
“He’s not bothering anyone,” Massimo quickly assures me. He hesitates, but then asks, “Will you let me hold him? Perhaps I can quiet him down.” He holds out his hands, but I just stare at them. I know he’s held him to pass him to me before, but that doesn’t mean I should trust him, right?
I mean, I don’t know him.
My attention splinters as Soren’s cries grow louder. Panic wells, even as Hades whines and nudges at my arm as if trying to offer some kind of help or comfort.
“Give him to me, cerbiatta,” Massimo soothes, his hands extending more. I don’t stop him as he carefully takes Soren into his arms, rocking him.
Soren’s cries cut off abruptly, staring up at Massimo in surprise.
Massimo smiles down at him, murmuring in Italian, all while I stare at him.
The others are watching him too, a mixture of amusement and pleasure on their faces.
Pleasure that the baby stopped crying I assume.
I glance at Nico, who’s watching the scene distantly, but Gia is smiling.
“Anyone else’s ovaries exploding right now?” Amara suddenly blurts out. “Or is that just me?” Her face flushes when everyone looks at her, and Lazaro’s face is amused, but his eyes narrow at her, jealousy simmering under the surface. “What? There’s nothing hotter than a man holding a baby.”
“Probably why they try to keep their wives barefoot and pregnant all the time,” Rori agrees with a snort.
Then she winks at Massimo. “You do look very sexy with a baby in your arms, Massimo. I should take a picture and put it on a dating profile for you. You’ll get so many matches you won’t know what to do with them all. ”
“He’ll get a secretary to give them all numbers so they can be called when it’s their turn,” Sofia snickers.
I could see it. Massimo is a very good looking man, and even my own ovaries are tingling watching him hold Soren.
He looks so natural, his smile warm as he lifts the baby up so they can look at each other closer.
“They’re just jealous they can’t be as good looking as us, ometto,” he croons.
He looks back at me and smiles. “Eat,” he urges gently. “He’s fine here.”
I hesitate. “If you get tired of holding him, I can take him back.” At least he’s close enough to still grab if I need to make a hasty retreat.
Massimo must sense my unease because he murmurs, “I promise he’s okay, Lucy. You eat and gain your strength. Then, when you’re done, I’ll walk you back to your room so you can change and feed him.”
I nod slowly. I am still hungry, and Massimo is right that the food is delicious. I eat quickly, always making sure to watch Soren out of the corner of my eye. I don’t pay attention to any of the conversation going on around me until I’m full and can finally observe them all.
It’s clear that this isn’t a normal family. Or whatever they want to call this. Some related, others not, it’s a mish-mash of people and personalities, and nothing like I figured the mafia would be.
I love a good mafia romance, but I can’t say I’ve ever wanted to live it in reality.
A billionaire who will buy me a bookstore and shower me with expensive houses and gifts?
Sure. Bonus points if he’s sexy as hell with a big dick and a kinky streak.
The criminal element, I can definitely do without.
My eyes slide over to Massimo, holding a quiet but curious Soren in the crook of his arm as he talks to Zeno on his other side. He’d be my ideal fantasy. Well, minus the whole mafia thing. His clothes are expensive which means he has money. The big dick and kinky part though…
No, Lucy. What the fuck is wrong with you?
I yank my eyes away from Massimo and look at the others instead. Though, it’s not much better. Is this entire group required to be hot to join? Seriously, where do they get their genes from? Zeus? No, wait, who was the Roman equivalent?
Get a grip, Lucy? Who the fuck cares?
I look at Pietro, and now that I’m looking at him, I can tell this man is powerful in his own right. Even the way he sits commands attention and respect. Not that he’s been an asshole or anything, but you just know how to recognize that kind of power. It’s the same air that Nico exudes.
Speaking of Nico, he seems to have relaxed somewhat as he talks with Pietro and Aurelio.
He’s still tense, but Gia seems to be soothing him as she relaxes against him.
His air is one of absolute authority and power, but no one seems afraid or wary of him.
Maybe they think Pietro would step in if he went too far?
The others at the table are all involved in different discussions, but the couples all seem to be clearly in love and leaning into each other.
Sienna nuzzles at Alessio’s jaw, and Amara seems to have forgiven Lazaro because she’s murmuring something in his ear with a blush on her face.
Sofia and Dante aren’t looking at each other, but I can see that she’s shifted even closer to him now, and if I’m not mistaken, her hand is holding his under the table.
Massimo and the rest of them are definitely idiots if they can’t see what’s in front of them, as far as Sofia is concerned.
When I turn my head to look at Rori, she’s glaring daggers at Alonzo, who is doing the same back.
Neither of them has to say a word for me to know that whatever the hell is going on with them, it’s not something that’s going to be resolved easily.
I wonder what’s going on there? Whatever it is, it’s enough that they don’t even seem to clock that I’m watching them, so engrossed in their staring contest.
Looking back at the others, I try to tell myself that while they all seem nice enough—minus Nico—I can’t trust them. They’re still the reason I’m here in the first place. The reason my son and sister have been dragged into this mess.
A phone starts to ring, and I turn my head to see Rori pull it out, a frown on her face as she stares at the screen.
Without a word, she gets to her feet, making the room go silent.
“Father,” she says as she heads for the door.
The tension in the room rises, and when I glance around, every man in the room is looking at her with a mixture of cold calculation, curiosity, and in the case of Nico, blatant mistrust. “I’m on a case,” Rori says as she reaches the door.
She looks back and stops, seeing everyone watching her.
Her expression hardens, her eyes going ice cold.
“No, I can’t tell you about it,” she snaps into the phone.
“You know that.” Hades moves to her side, nudging her hand in comfort.
“You don’t give a damn about my life normally, so what does it matter now?
” Her eyes go to Nico’s and hold. “Well, that’s too fucking bad.
I’m a grown woman, you can deal with it.
No, I’m not going to come home. I told you, I have a job.
Fuck off and go back to kicking the shit out of your sons for disappointing you all the fucking time.
You lost your punching bag the minute I got out of there so your threats are worthless.
Fuck you, old man. If you’re calling to threaten me for not coming to heel when you demand it, then we have nothing else to say to each other.
I don’t give a flying fuck what Belov says or what he wants.
I told you my answer the last time, and it’s the same now.
Fuck you.” She hangs up, pulls out the SIM card, and stomps on it twice.
“Someone told the Belovs I’m here,” she tells Nico icily.
“You better come up with a backstory very fast or we’re going to have another problem coming our way.
” Then she turns and storms out of the room, door slamming behind her.
My eyes are as wide as saucers as I gape at the door. What the fuck just happened?
Sienna is on her feet and running out behind her, face a mask of worry.
“If someone told the Belovs, that’s from the Russians,” Alessio says grimly.
“Giovanni had to be the one to tell them,” Aurelio agrees. The mood around the table turns tense. “We don’t need this shit on top of everything else.”
“Nico, do you have any connections with any of the Russians?” Pietro asks him.
He shakes his head, his lips pulling into a grim line. “At one point I’d have spoken to Ivan, but that’s not an option now if he’s in bed with Giovanni.”
Alonzo suddenly gets to his feet, the chair scraping hard against the wood floor. He storms out, his face murderous.
“Shit,” Massimo hisses. “Dolcezza, I’m afraid I need to make sure my friend doesn’t do anything stupid,” he says as he gently hands Soren back to me.
Soren lets out a small sound at the jarring movement, but then he quiets once he settles into me.
“Urso, Zeno.” Their names have them nodding, clearly understanding whatever he’s ordered.
Massimo gets to his feet, his hand brushing gently over my shoulders as he hurries out.
What the hell is going on? I look at the other women, who don’t seem confused, more concerned. Will they fill me in?
Without another word, the other men at the table get up, stepping away from their women and heading for the door.
When they’re gone, I look at them and ask, “Okay, I know I’m new, but I need someone to fill me in.” Concern brims in my belly. “Do I need to get Soren out of here?”
“No,” Sofia assures me, getting to her feet slowly, her lips pulled into a thin line.
“Everything is in hand. I need to see to a few things in the kitchen. Gia, Amara, I’ll leave this one to you.
Urso, Zeno will be with you all from the appearance of things.
” Then she stalks out, her shoulders stiff.
What the fuck is going on?