Chapter 43
Leo
Iwanted Alessa to meet my mom, but not when Gage rounds the corner yelling about spanking my ass. All color has drained from Alessa’s face, and she looks seconds from bolting, not that I fucking blame her.
“Mom,” I say again, “What are you doing here?”
“You tell me you’re hurt over the phone and don’t expect me to come to check on you?” she says, then huffs. “Nice to see you too.”
I instantly feel like shit and pull her in for a hug. “I always want to see you, but you shouldn’t have come all the way here,” I tell her, mainly because there’s a psycho Russian out for blood.
“Nonsense,” she says, patting my back. “Are you going to introduce me?” she whispers.
She knows about Alessa; I haven’t shut up about her. She didn’t know about Gage or my unconventional relationship with Alessa. How the hell do you bring that up to your mom?
I pull back from the hug and turn to a green-looking Alessa and an amused Gage. “Mom, this is Alessa and Gage. Guys, this is my mom, Katherine.”
Gage reaches his hand out to shake Mom’s, and Mom’s eyes zero on Alessa’s hand that Gage just dropped. “Nice to meet you,” he says politely, kissing her hand when he shakes it. I roll my eyes, watching Mom fall for the charming shit.
Me too, Ma. Me too.
Alessa finally snaps out of her stupor and steps forward with her hand outstretched. “It’s nice to meet you finally.”
Mom waves Alessa’s hand away and crushes her into a hug. “I’ve heard so much about you,” Mom crows.
“Sorry,” I mouth to Alessa when her eyes meet mine. Alessa glares, and I don’t know if she’s serious or not.
When Luna said I had a visitor and then walked around the corner with my mom, I almost fucking died on the spot. She must have jumped on a plane as soon as possible and come straight here; I should have kept my big mouth shut.
Mom pulls Alessa back to arm’s length. “You’re as gorgeous as Leo said.”
Kill me right fucking now.
“Thanks,” Alessa says shyly, and it’s cute as hell.
“Where are your brothers?” Mom asks, looking around the living room. “This place is magnificent.” I freeze because what the hell am I supposed to tell her?
Alessa levels me with a look that promises pain later and turns back to Mom. “They’re staying with me while they have some renovations done.”
“Oh, that’s so sweet of you! Is Leo staying there too?” Mom asks.
“For now,” Alessa says, making Gage choke on a laugh. Shit. I hope she doesn’t think I set her up to meet Mom, and I haven’t even broached the subject because she has so much going on. Alessa smiles sweetly at mom. “We were actually heading back there. Would you like to follow us?”
“Really?” Mom frowns. “I wouldn’t want to impose.”
“Not a problem,” Alessa assures her. “Anything else you need?” she asks me between clenched teeth.
I beg with my eyes that I didn’t set her up. “No. I’m good.”
“That’s great. You can ride with her. Ya know, catch up.” Alessa smiles at Mom again before hauling ass out the front door.
Gage chuckles and scoops up the duffle bag, slinging it over his shoulder. “See you there,” he grins and follows her out.
Fuck! FUCK!
I follow Mom out to her little rented sedan, sliding into the passenger seat with a sigh. Why the fuck did she come here?
“She’s a little slip of a thing, isn’t she?” Mom asks, shifting the car into drive, following Gage’s taillights.
Alessa is tiny even compared to my mom, who’s five-eight. But that doesn’t make her any less intimidating, especially when she promises to cut your balls off with her eyes like she did me just now.
“And Gage seems like a nice boy,” Mom continues, making me snort. I can describe him a hundred ways; nice never crossed my mind.
“Mom, why did you really come all the way here? I told you I was fine.”
“I missed you, Leo,” she says softly. “I haven’t seen you in months.”
Because I was with Les. “I know. I’m sorry.”
“Do you want me to go back home?” she asks, pulling onto the main road behind Gage, who seems to be taking the back way to Alessa’s.
“No,” I sigh. “There’s some stuff I wasn’t ready to tell you yet.”
Mom looks at me out of the corner of her eye. “Like what?”
I shake my head. “We will talk about it later. I promise.”
My phone pings in my shorts pocket, and I pull it out, reading it with a wince.
Alessa
You are so fucking dead.
I didn’t do it on purpose. I didn’t know she was coming!
Alessa
‘insert knife emoji’ Dead.
“She didn’t seem too happy to see me.”
“Mom, because you just showed up out of nowhere. I don’t think she’s ready for this.”
“You’re my son, Leo,” she says sternly. “I should be able to see you when I want.”
I sigh and lay my head on the seat. It isn’t because I don’t want to see her; I missed her like crazy. But it isn’t safe around me right now, and I can’t tell her that.
We drive to Les’ house in silence, and she gasps when we pull up to the gate. “I thought your brother’s house was huge.”
Their house is huge, but Alessa’s house puts it to shame.
It’s everything you think a mansion is except bigger.
I fell in love with this house the first time I saw it.
It feels more like a castle on the outside and modern on the inside.
The exterior is light and dark brick, with different size column-looking towers lining the front and big bay windows.
“What did you say she does again?” Mom asks, getting out of the car.
She’s the leader of the Italian Mafia. “She owns several casinos, restaurants, and clubs.”
“At twenty-five? That’s impressive,” Mom says, and I can’t tell if she’s buying my bullshit or not. She could always tell when I was lying.
I lead her up behind Gage and Les when Les opens the front door. I bet a thousand bucks she told Ryder, Dex, and Holden to make themselves scarce.
Gage takes Mom’s hand and hooks it on his arm, leading her to the living room. I shake my head when I see her look at him like he’s the biggest gentleman she’s ever met. But it also makes my heart swell that he’s trying to impress my mom.
“Would you like anything to drink?” Alessa asks when Mom sits on the couch beside Gage.
“No, dear, I’m fine,” Mom answers, pulling me down on her other side.
“I’ll be right back,” Alessa says, hightailing it from the room.
“Go,” Mom says with a smile when I turn to her, getting ready to tell her I need to fix this.
I pop off the couch and catch a flash of her black hair walking into the kitchen. I follow her in, and she rounds on me before I take a second step.
“Your mom?” she hisses. “We are in the middle of a war, Leo.”
“I know! I didn’t invite her here,” I hiss back. “I’m just as surprised as you.”
She punches my arm. “This is not how I wanted to meet your mother,” she says, swiping her hand over her body. She’s wearing a shirt that I’m pretty sure is mine and cotton shorts, but she looks beautiful to me.
“Wait,” I say when it hits me, “You would have been okay with meeting her?”
She gives me a look like I’m stupid. “Yes, eventually, when it isn’t turning into World War three around here.” She runs her hand through her hair. “What does she know?”
“About?”
She gives me that look again. “About us, Leo. About the guys. About you and Gage. What does she know? I need to know what not to say.”
“I’m going to tell her everything,” I tell her, taking her hands. “I just didn’t want to do it over the phone. I guess there’s no time like the present.”
“She’s going to hate me,” Alessa says sadly.
“She will never hate you, Baby. She’ll love you as much as I do. She’ll just have to get used to the idea.”
She gives me a doubtful look but squeezes my hands. “Just give me a minute to get my heart out of my fucking stomach, and I’ll be back out there.”
I grab her face kissing those pouty lips. “I love you, Baby.”
She scrunches her nose up. “I love you too.”
“That wasn’t very convincing,” I chuckle.
She rolls her eyes. “Get out of my face before I stab you.”
“Stab me or spank me?” I joke.
“Oh my God,” she groans. “I forgot she heard that.”
I laugh. “It’s fine, baby. She’ll just know we keep things spicy.” I waggle my eyebrows, earning another sharp punch to the arm. Fuck, that hurt.
“Out of my face,” she warns, pointing to the living room. I grin and start backing away. “Out, Leo,” she says again.
I hold my hands up with a laugh. “Don’t escape out of the backdoor,” I say and make my way back to the living room before she can hit me again.
Mom is sitting there with Evander and Mateo when I walk into the living room. Evander turns to me with a raised brow, and I shrug before sitting back down. What else am I supposed to say?
“You look so much like your father,” Mom says, causing Evander’s eye to twitch.
“Yes, ma’am,” Evander nods politely.
“Let’s just hope you don’t have his shitty personality,” she mutters, causing Mateo to die of laughter.
“Not at all,” Mateo promises.
Alessa comes back into the room, sitting in one of the chairs, and conversation thankfully starts flowing naturally.
Mom gushes about the house, and Alessa effortlessly explains that her dad built the businesses and left them to her when he died.
Minute by minute, it starts to feel less awkward, and I’m thankful to Gage and Alessa for keeping the conversation going.
After about an hour, Alessa stands up. “We’ll give you and Leo some time together.”
“I was just getting ready to head back to the hotel.”
“Nonsense. You can stay here. There’s plenty of room,” Alessa says, and I can hear the hidden meaning.
It isn’t safe for Mom to be at a hotel alone.
“I’ll see you in the morning.” Alessa smiles, and the guys follow her out of the room, saying their goodnights and leaving me to answer the questions I can see in Mom’s eyes.
Mom sighs and turns to face me. “What aren’t you telling me?”
“What do you mean?” I ask, trying to delay the inevitable.