CHAPTER 12
As I look between my mom, Wrenley, Viola, and a few of the other old ladies from the DSMC, I can’t help but cringe. Don’t get me wrong, I needed this and we could certainly be out somewhere that isn’t as safe as The Sanctuary, but I also know my men are going to be pissed when they find me here.
It wasn’t easy to sneak out.
It took a lot of planning and maneuvering, but I had some practice getting around things like security from when I was younger when I’d sneak out to go to parties with Viola. I might have had some experience, but it’s been a while since I had to sneak around and back then I didn’t have three men on my ass to contend with.
I don’t know how the stars aligned and I was only left with Giovanni tonight, but it took some of the pressure off and I didn’t have to try to fuck all three of my men into a coma while staying awake myself. Just one. I almost want to pat myself on the back, but it’s not a good idea to celebrate too early. I learned that lesson the hard way.
Viola, who hasn’t had a drink all night, obviously, is giddy because she’s out and not trapped at home with her own overprotective trio, wraps her arms around my neck. “I’m so glad you were able to come out with us,” she gushes, her voice loud for no fucking reason considering the music isn’t blaring or anything.
Her excitement is infectious, however, and I find myself smiling at her. “I’m glad I could come out too.”
Not a lie. I’m glad to be out, but the guilt from leaving while Gio was asleep along with the knowledge that no one I’m out with knows about my little stalker problem, if that is what it is, is eating me alive. Then there’s the secret that the Guidice brothers have been staying with me for two weeks now. It feels like I’m carrying around the weight of it all and it’s pulling me down with every breath I take.
I hate keeping things, especially when it’s big, from those I care about.
I’m not even sure what is holding me back from telling them, at least, about the guys. Considering no one batted an eye about Viola being in a committed relationship with three men, I’m not worried about anyone reacting badly to it. I think it’s because of who I’m in a relationship with.
Will Viola be pissed? Will mom not approve? Would Dad, because there’s no way mom would keep it from him, flip the fuck out? Then there’s my brother and his reaction.
The questions swirling through me, along with how pissed I know my men are going to be, are making it difficult for me to have a good time even though I’m surrounded by people I love. I fucking hate this.
“You’ve been quiet,” Viola muses, her voice soft so only I can hear her.
“I was just thinking,” I keep my voice casual, but she still looks at me in the way only best friends can—like they’re seeing so much more than you’re willing to show them.
She leans further into me and whispers, “Is it whoever has been making you glow? Are you thinking about them?”
I gasp and rear back like she just slapped me and Viola giggles as she wiggles her eyebrows at me. “How do you,” I start and then press my lips together when she grins knowingly. I shake my head and try again, “There’s no one.”
“Liar,” she accuses and waves her finger in front of my face.
I narrow my eyes at her and try to deflect, “Are you sure you haven’t had anything to drink?”
She scoffs and shakes her head. “I’m punch drunk on being out of the house with my favorite ladies,” she exclaims while making a sweeping motion with her hand to encompass everyone sitting around the table with us at The Sanctuary. “We haven’t done this in a long time.”
I nod solemnly and realize she’s right. Between her falling in love and whatever is going on with me, we haven’t done this in far too long. My shoulders slump with the realization and Viola reaches over to give my hand a squeeze.
“Wipe that look off your face,” she commands. “I didn’t say something about it to make you feel bad or anything. We’ve both had a lot going on and we aren’t the only ones.”
She inclines her head toward Wrenly and can’t help but smile. I love that my brother is happy and has found the woman who completes him. He deserves it and so much more. Knowing that they’re trying for a baby, and I could be an aunt soon is exciting.
“You’re right,” I agree and sigh, “but still.” I sit up a little straighter. “We should have a standing girl’s night out every few weeks. Then we can look forward to it and make it a whole thing. Like date night but with the important women in our lives.”
Viola’s eyes get soft, and she nods enthusiastically. “I love that idea.”
When I take a sip of my drink, she sits back in her chair, and I take a moment to admire the renovated church that houses The Sanctuary. It’s a beautiful building with a classic, gothic feel, but modern touches throughout. My favorite part is the old stained glass still in place. So much of the building needed to be changed and renovated but the beautiful rosette was perfect.
Viola curses under her breath and I turn around to find the Falsini triplets have walked into the bar. Their eyes are trained on my best friend, and they do not look happy. That would be enough, but what has me freezing in place are the three Guidice brothers, my men to be exact, standing next to them with looks of hellfire on their faces.
My stomach flips and I know a whole lot more than I’m comfortable with is going to be said and there isn’t a damn thing I’m going to be able to do about it. Even if I tried to stop them, they wouldn’t hear me.
They’re all wearing matching scowls that scream about how they think they know best and that’s all there is to it.
I sigh and speak to Viola out of the side of my mouth, “Why do your men look pissed?”
Viola mumbles, “I might have left the house without telling them I was coming here or how long I would be out.”
My head swings around to look at my best friend as she picks up the virgin strawberry margarita she’s been drinking. When she meets my eyes, I can see the sparkle of mischief there. “Viola,” I chastise her, “you know they’re just worried about you and it’s not like they have no reason to be.”
“I’m pregnant. I’m not some ancient vase that is so old, valuable, and priceless,” she hisses the words at me.
I can only sigh. “They were worried about you before you got pregnant.” I drop my voice even lower, “You were kidnapped, and they could have lost you.”
My chest constricts at the thought because I could have lost her too and she’s the only sister I have ever truly known. Viola nods and her shoulders slump down.
“I know,” she whispers. “I just wanted one night of normal.”
I try to lighten the mood by adding, “I’m also pretty sure you are priceless.”
She grins at me even though she tries to fight it before her head tilts to the side as she looks back at the men and muses, “I wonder why my brothers are here though.”
The longer she studies her brothers, the more dread pools in the pit of my stomach. Her eyes start to go from them to me while I attempt to ignore them. It’s not completely effective considering I can feel their gazes on me and just how pissed they are.
“They’re not here for me,” she whispers. Suddenly, she gasps and then smacks my shoulder. “They’re here for you.”
I don’t meet her eyes because I know she’ll be able to see the truth in them if I do. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I try to deflect.
It might have worked too if a large hand didn’t land on my shoulder right then. I shiver at the contact because I know it’s Leo standing behind me without even looking. I tilt my head back and find my three men standing over me, their faces shuttered while their eyes blaze with anger. Having their attention on me in such a way sends a shiver down my spine and I can’t hide it even if I tried.
“Holy shit,” Viola breathes out next to me. I’m slow to bring my gaze back to hers, but when I do, she has something like happiness in her eyes as well as shock written all over her face. She points at me and then at her brothers. “How long as this been going on?”
I search her face and she doesn’t look away from me, even when her three men come around to stand behind her. I expect her to be angry and I breathe a sigh of relief when she just seems curious.
“For a little while now,” I admit softly.
“Well, I’m sure your father will be thrilled to know he no longer has to worry about you and your future,” Mom’s voice snaps me out of my focus on Viola and my eyes widen as I look at her.
She sits there with a huge smile on her face. I swear the woman does a little shimmy in her seat with glee. All I can do is groan and drop my head into my hands.
Mom seems to think Dad won’t have a problem with my relationship, but I’m not quite as optimistic as she is. I try and sink back into the chair I’m sitting in, but Gio leans over my head, his hand landing on my other shoulder to hold me in place.
“Cherise,” I can hear the smile in Gio’s voice, “it’s so nice to see you again. I hope you don’t mind us interrupting, but we weren’t aware our woman was meeting up with the ladies tonight and we were worried.”
Leo’s fingers tighten on my shoulder and when I glance up at him, he has an unreadable mask on and my heart sinks. He must feel me looking at him because his eyes come down and meet mine as he emphasizes, “We were worried.”
“Oh no,” I whisper as he lets his mask drop for a second, but only for me to see.
They weren’t just worried. They were scared out of their fucking minds.
Because I have a stalker who has sent me more than one gift and vaguely threatening messages. It’s not like I left without a trace, I did leave a note, but that doesn’t mean they still wouldn’t be worried.
“I’m sorry,” I whisper as I stare into Leo’s eyes. “I’m so stupid for leaving without letting you know where I was going.”
His fingers tighten on my shoulder, and I realize Gio and my mom have been carrying on a whole fucking conversation while Leo practically strips me down to nothing with some eye contact. Holy shit, what are these men doing to me?
When I look over at Rocco, he’s not looking at me. His eyes are scanning the bar like he’s ready for danger to pop out of nowhere. His body is coiled tightly and I’m grateful he’s here, but I really wish he would look at me.
Rocco must feel the weight of my stare because he finally looks at me, but the disappointment I see in his eyes has me wishing I could crawl under the table and disappear. I hate the look in his eyes. More importantly, I hate that I’m the one who put it there.
Suddenly being out with my ladies, even though it is something I needed, doesn’t hold the same appeal it did when I felt like I was climbing up the walls and needed to get out. It certainly wasn’t worth worrying my men to this extent or making them doubt me and my feelings for them.
My eyes fill with tears, and I blink them away, not wanting to do this in the middle of The Sanctuary. Now, with everything in me, I want to go home. Being here is too much.
Leo leans down and kisses the top of my head. I wish I could soak up the warmth from the action, but part of me is worried by how much it feels like a goodbye. I wouldn’t blame him if it were.
My mom giggles, fucking giggles, at something Gio says and then he’s kissing the top of my head as well. I want to close my eyes and lean into the feeling of them being close, but fear stops me.
“Have fun, Tesoro,” Leo’s voice is husky in my ear. “We’ll be close by having a drink with our sister’s men.”
Before I can respond and tell him I’m ready to go home, his warmth leaves my side, and his hand is gone along with Gio’s. I want them back. I want them to wrap me up in their arms and then take me home so they can yell or whatever the hell it is they’re going to do so we can move on.
When I glance back, Rocco is now sitting at a table nearby with his brothers and the Falsini triplets. His eyes continue to scan the bar and while I hate that he’s mad at me, which is clear from the tension in his jaw, I do feel safer with him close by.
I never should have left without them knowing where I was going.
I fucked up.
Big time and I’m going to have to figure out a way to make it up to them.
I only hope they give me a chance to do it.
“Well,” when I look over at Mom she’s almost jumping up and down in her seat, “it seems you’ve been holding out on us.”
“No kidding,” Viola snorts from her seat next to me.
When I look over at her, the shock has been erased from her face and there is only joy looking back at me. Still, I find myself whispering, “You’re not mad?”
Viola’s eyes widen for a second before they narrow on me. “Mad that my best friend makes my brothers happy, and they do the same for her?” She reaches out and grabs my hand before asking, “You do make each other happy, right?”
“I can tell you I’ve never been happier,” I admit.
When Viola beams at me and Mom gives me a smug smile, I know I’ll be alright at least when it comes to the ladies in my life. The men? The jury’s still out on that one.