61. What just happened?
Chapter 61
What just happened?
Luca
T here’s a big difference between choosing to stay home and being stuck in the house. Ariana’s had too much time to think about who’s watching her. She’s kept herself busy planning our wedding, but she needs all the distractions she can get. I’m happily giving her distractions of the orgasm variety every fucking chance I get, but we obviously can’t just do that all day long.
Not that we haven’t tried.
But with our wedding only a couple of days away, she’s mostly run out of things to do for the moment. Under normal circumstances, a day of reading on the couch would be a good thing. But this is far from normal circumstances.
My girl is stressed. We’re all stressed. No letters or pictures have shown up. Ice neck and stalker shit go hand-in-hand, and there hasn’t been any stalker shit.
Marco and I are going over camera footage again with Parker when a loud knock pulls our attention toward the door.
“What?” Marco barks out.
Sully pokes his head in. He’s been around the house a lot more lately. The girls might annoy the shit out of him, but he loves them like little sisters. “Boss, you have visitors.”
“Who?” Marco’s eyes narrow with suspicion and my hackles go up. People don’t just show up at the DeVille compound.
Sully’s face is unreadable but he glances at me for a second before he answers. “Your brother and his wife.”
“Fuck,” Marco and I growl in unison. Parker chuckles and I flip him off, which just makes him laugh harder.
“Give us a minute,” Marco says. Sully nods and closes the door. “You didn’t invite them, right?” Marco asks me.
With a scoff, I shake my head. “Fuck, no. Coincidence? Bad luck?”
“Or a traitor.”
I meet his gaze, really hating that idea. “How likely is that?”
“It happens. Not often, not in my crew. It’s been a very long time. I made it clear twenty years ago what happens to traitors.” He cracks his knuckles. “But even with Parker checking into everyone constantly, I can’t rule the possibility out.”
“I’ll kill anyone who’s made Ariana, or any of us, unsafe in our own goddamned home,” I snarl.
Marco claps me on the back. “Let’s go see what the fuck those assholes want. Parker?—”
“Already on it. I’ll let you know if I find anything sus.” Parker’s fingers fly across the keyboard, pulling up all kinds of shit as we leave the room.
Dad stands with his hands in his pockets, taking in the pictures on the walls. Mom’s pointedly not looking at the photos, tapping her foot with her arms crossed. She takes one look at me and sneers.
“God, Luca, you need a haircut.”
I don’t respond. Ariana loves my hair this length. I love when she digs her fingers into it and tugs a little too hard. I especially like when her hands get all tangled up in it. That means I’m doing something she really likes.
“Anthony, Tina, what brings you here?” Marco asks, his tone even and his expression masked. He gives nothing away. Mafia boss mode activated.
Mom scoffs at him, her face giving away the fact that she’s a bitch. “We’re here to take Luca home.”
Dad’s head snaps toward her. “That’s not?—”
I interrupt him. I can speak for my fucking self. “I’m not leaving.” I raise the eyebrow Ari’s obsessed with.
She rolls her eyes and huffs. “Really, Luca. You didn’t actually want to come here in the first place. Go pack your things.”
“Not. Happening.”
“Why not?”
I shrug one shoulder, my arms crossed. “Don’t want to.” I’ve absorbed some of the sass. It’s impossible not to in this house.
“You’re being childish,” she taunts, trying to bait me into a fight. Her eyes narrow in on me. “Are you wearing friendship bracelets?”
“Why now, Tina? Luca’s given you no indication he wishes to leave. I’ve given you no indication I want him gone. So, why are you here?” Marco’s pissed. He’s still keeping it hidden, but I can read him well enough now.
“We haven’t heard from our son in over a month. I’m done with this DeVille nonsense. Luca is going to study for a real career and marry a respectable girl.” She swallows nervously, but holds her nose in the air. She’s playing a dangerous game.
I bark out a humorless laugh. “You haven’t heard from me because I have nothing to say to you. And neither of you have contacted me, either. It’s not like I’m ignoring your messages. But I’ll say this again since, apparently, you didn’t take it seriously the first time. I’m not leaving. ”
She stomps her foot on the floor. “Anthony, talk some sense into your son.”
Dad seems to be having an out of body experience or some shit, staring at Mom like she’s just revealed she’s an alien.
Mia appears at the top of the stairs and starts to make her way down. “Anthony, Tina, what a surprise to see you.” I fight to keep my face neutral at her ability to fake it. “Marco, have you offered our guests something to drink?”
“No, my love. I assumed they aren’t staying long.” His implication that they shouldn’t stay long is clear. Mia reaches his side and kisses his cheek.
“Well, it looks like they’ll be here long enough for a cup of coffee or tea. Let’s sit.”
We follow Mia to the table, where Becca is waiting nearby like a mother hen.
“Hot herbal tea, one sugar, no milk,” Mom clips out, not even looking at Becca.
Dad gives Becca a tight smile. “Just water, please.”
“I’ll take some iced tea. Thank you, Becca.” Mia smiles at the woman who is like a grandmother to her daughters.
“Nothing for me.” Marco nods slightly at her.
Becca looks at me. “Black coffee, if there’s any made, Becks.”
“You say that like there’s not always a fresh pot ready before sundown,” she winks at me, but only I can see it.
We sit there silently even after our drinks are in front of us.
Marco waits, not giving them the satisfaction of him speaking first, but he’s getting agitated. As usual, he hides it well.
My mother seems oblivious, clearly annoyed that no one is asking her again to explain why they’re here. She huffs and breaks the silence. “I’ve made some new connections with people who have lovely daughters. There are even more acceptable wives to choose from than before. It’s time for Luca to stop pretending with all this,” she says, waving her hand around .
Agitated, I snap. “I’m not pretending anything, I’m not going back with you, and I’m definitely not marrying someone you pick for me.”
Before she can respond, something thuds and it sounds like a herd of elephants comes running down the stairs.
Ariana’s voice reaches us before we see them. “Goddamn it, Lilith, you’re cheating! Give it back!”
Lil races into the kitchen, holding a book. “I’m going to put it up high somewhere your short ass can’t reach, so you can never finish it!” She rounds the island just as Ariana reaches the kitchen.
“That’s your grand plan?” Ariana rolls her eyes so big I can see it from across the room. “That’s a terrible plan, there’s like a hundred ways I could get it down.” They’re on opposite sides of the island, panting and waiting for the other one to make the first move.
Lil looks at the book, then back at Ariana. I don’t think either of them notice the rest of us sitting at the table. “Guess I’ll just have to throw it in the pool then.”
Ariana gasps. “You monster! But seriously, I can order another copy and have it here in a couple of hours. Resistance is futile. Give. Me. The. Book. Lilith. May!” She lunges around one side of the island, and Lil bolts around the other with a shriek. She’s halfway to the back door when Ariana gets close enough to jump on her back.
“Fucking hell, you’re like a tick!” Lil exclaims.
Marco has the schooled expression on his face that I’ve studied enough to know it means he’s laughing inside. Mia doesn’t bother hiding her half-entertained, half-embarrassed expression. My mom looks horrified. And my dad… well, I’ll be damned if the fucker doesn’t look amused as shit.
Lil only makes it a couple of steps before she starts to crumble, giving Ariana the chance to grab the book. She spins and takes off, bounding up the stairs as Lil drags herself up off the floor .
“You can’t hide from me, Ariana Ray!” she yells, running up the stairs after her sister.
“Bitch, I can try!” Ariana yells back from upstairs somewhere. There’s banging and screeching and giggling for a minute before they’re too far away for us to hear. It’s also possible they killed each other.
My dad starts laughing. Full on, holding his stomach, tears in his eyes, laughing. Mom stares at him like she’s never seen him before. Fuck, I do, too.
“Marco, why is that charity case girl still here?” Mom asks, her tone dripping with irritation.
I pin her with a glare, done fucking around. “Watch your tongue when you speak about Ariana.”
“Why in the world should I do that?” she scoffs.
“Because she’s your future daughter-in-law.” A genuine smile crosses my face.
“That’s not funny, Luca. God, what has gotten into you?”
“I’m not joking.”
She gapes at me. “No. That’s not happening.”
I smile. “Yes, it is. In fact, it’s happening in two days.”
Her arm flings out toward the stairs. “Why the hell would you marry that?—”
“You’ve already been warned to watch yourself, Tina. That’s my daughter you’re about to insult, and I would highly discourage you from doing so.” They’re words I expect to hear from Marco, but Mia’s mama bear has come out. Mom’s mouth slams shut.
“Not that it’s any of your fucking business, but I’m marrying Ariana because I love her and want to spend my life with her. You weren’t invited for many reasons, and I will personally kick your ass out of this house if you disrespect her again.”
“If you think?—”
Holding up a hand, Dad cuts her off. “Tina, just stop. Our son didn’t invite us to his wedding. That’s on us. You’re going to push him out of our lives forever if you don’t stop this bullshit.”
We all stare, shocked. It’s only the training I’ve done with Marco that keeps my jaw from sitting on the table.
Dad turns to me. “Luca, I know there’s a lot of damage that needs to be repaired between us, and I’d like to start doing so. If you want us to leave, we’ll leave. I would like to stay, regardless of what your mother does, but only if you’ll have me.”
Tapping my fingers on the table, I think it over. “You can stay, Dad.”
I don’t bother with my mom. She’s not worth my time. Instead, I glance at Marco. “Shall we get back to it?”
“Yes. I’ll meet you in the tech room in ten minutes.”
I nod, and stop by the kitchen to make Ariana a cup of coffee before heading upstairs. My girl is going to need it.
She and Lil are sitting on the couch, as far away from one another as possible. The book they were fighting over is on the coffee table, literally torn in two, right down the spine. I start laughing, then laugh harder when they both glare at me.
“I think we need a new Best Maid of Honor, Luca.” Ariana pouts, her arms crossed.
“So, a new officiant as well?”
Throwing her head back, she groans. “Fuck. Goddamnit. Ugh. I guess I’ll just have to forgive her.” Her eyes snap to my hand. “Is that coffee? Is it for me? What’s wrong?”
Sitting next to her, I lean in for a kiss before handing the mug over.
“My parents are here,” I say after she swallows a sip so it doesn’t end up everywhere.
“Holy fuck, why?” Lil asks. Ari blinks at me.
“Well, Mom’s here to try and drag me back home. I think Dad just came along for the ride, but now he’s talking about fixing things between us, so who fucking knows.”
“Really?” Ari asks, her eyes wide. She knows I miss the relationship he and I had when I was a kid.
“Yeah. We’ll see. I think you girls broke him.”
“Us? How?” She cocks her head to the side and furrows her brow in confusion.
“The whole book fight thing downstairs.”
“You saw that?” Ari laughs.
“You really didn’t see five people sitting around the table while you two ran around like wild animals that just busted out of the fucking zoo?”
They look at each other, then back at me. “No,” they say at the same time. I chuckle and kiss my girl again.
When I return to the tech room, Marco’s holding a letter. And pictures. Pictures of Ariana. My stomach sinks, and my anxiety soars.
“Well, today is just full of fucking bullshit showing up here,” I mutter.