Epilogue - Ariana
“It’s done,” Dominic says as he hands his phone to me.
I take it from him and read the short message as he sits down. It’s from the mole. Dominic rests his hand on my leg, softly, gently, and squeezes as my hand starts to tremble at the news.
We’ve been waiting for this, but now it’s real. My breath sits trapped in my throat as my mind spins around the enormity of what I’ve done. I’ve gone rogue to the point of no return.
When we flew back from Italy with Gabriella in tow, Dominic offered to orchestrate and fund an operation to take out Massimo Eposito and Enzo Caruso, the two big shots in the DIA who were working with Pietro Garlini and Franco Fiore. The rotten apples in the core of the police force supposedly fighting organized crime in Italy.
I never hesitated to share the DIA’s insider secrets with Dominic and his team, and they didn’t just go on Pietro Garlini’s word that those two were involved but investigated first to make sure. Massimo Eposito got gunned down in Napoli a week ago, and now they’ve finally found Enzo Caruso’s body floating around a lake close to the Swiss border.
For the past weeks, I’ve been on pins and needles, waiting for the news to break. Worst of all is, we’ve realized we’ve only scratched the surface. Those two were in the DIA, but the corruption ripples into every corner in life and includes politicians, city councils, hospitals, charities. It’s become ingrained.
“You’re okay, sweetheart?” Dominic asks as he leans closer to me where I’m sitting at my favorite place in the whole house—the sunroom sectional where it overlooks the verandah and stretch of lawn that meets up with the sandy beach and the blue ocean glimmering beyond. It’s the perfect reading spot, peaceful, and in truth, a slice of heaven.
This is his place— our place : a beautiful beach house located in one of the most exclusive seaside neighborhoods south of Boston. The only downside to being here is the longer drive to the city. The Hamptons-style house is crazy big in comparison to what I’m used to, but in this neighborhood, it’s one of the smaller ones. We share a private beach with only five other families, and I’m still getting used to the luxury of it, but this is home. This is where Dominic found his peace and where I found everything I’ve always craved: love, belonging, family.
And it’s been heaven. This man…he crawled right into my heart, but nowadays, it feels as if I can almost burst with love for him. The way he cares for me…the longer I’m with him, the more my past becomes history. Not something invading my every thought like it used to, when I was still hellbent on my vendetta with Franco and Randazzo.
“It’s a start,” I say, my voice quivering. “There’s so much more to do.”
I’ve caught on over the past few months working on this project, and we have our work cut out for us. I’ve got a new team, and it makes all the difference. With Stephano and Gigi in Italy and Don Trapani’s support, Benedict’s help from here, Luca’s involvement, and Matteo’s blessing, we’ve been disrupting Randazzo’s network in Italy. It’s going to take time, but even a small win is a win, and having these two crooked cops out of the equation is huge.
“Still as ambitious as the day I met her,” Dominic says with a smile then presses a kiss to my head.
Bruno nuzzles my leg, then rests his head on my knee, staring at me with those two soulful eyes. It’s as if he feels my distressed relief, and I caress him fondly with a gentle rub behind his ear. How is it that this dog had become another anchor in the time I’ve known him?
Dominic leans in, rests his hand on mine, and together, we stroke Bruno’s fur.
“It’s going to be okay, sweetheart,” he murmurs.
I can only nod. When I look up at him, tears in my eyes, he pulls me to his chest where I burrow into him. Without this man’s support, his love, none of this would have been possible. I’m so much stronger because of him, and this family—these brothers, Il Consiglio —are next level. They’ve got such unique skills that drilling into Randazzo’s crumbling empire seemed to be a walk in the park from where I’m standing. I know it isn’t, and they carry most of the weight of this operation, but at last someone is doing something real to stop the human trafficking.
For a long while, Dominic comforts me, just lets me be in his arms where I’ve belonged from the start. He doesn’t need to say anything, and we can just be like this, a thousand words said in a single embrace. Eventually, I look up and kiss him tenderly, and when I pull away, he cups my head and keeps me close.
He kisses me properly then, and we’re quick to engage in that erotic dance we now do so well as I open up to him without hesitating, our tongues colliding and heat already settling between my thighs. My hand strokes up his chest, and I press into him, feeling him hardening. Shit, was it only two hours ago that he made me come last? We have plans for this weekend, what with Stephano and Gigi here from Italy. It doesn’t matter. We can’t be late—again.
When he breaks off the kiss, he murmurs close to my ear. “This calls for champagne.”
I laugh as I slump back into my seat. “This early in the morning? We have so many things to do today.”
“Yep, nevertheless.” He hitches his eyebrows at me as he gets up and saunters over to the adjacent open-concept kitchen, heading straight for the wine fridge.
Oh, hell. He’s serious.
Bruno’s eyes follow Dominic’s every move, brows twitching up or down as he registers his ‘Dad’s’ intentions, now that he has his eyesight back. After two eye operations, Bruno is like a new dog. Well, it wasn’t only the cataract operations; we’ve been working on his diet, too. It’s been touch and go trying to figure out what Bruno can have and should steer clear from, but at least, he’s no longer on a diet of only raw bison. Puppuccinos are on the menu with a few other delectable treats.
I suspect it all has to do with the amount of exercise the dog’s getting; the fresh ocean air was the last tonic Bruno needed to get a spring back in his step. It seems he was slowly dying of boredom at the old Don’s house. He loves it here and seems to have grown younger in the time we’ve been together, and I get it. I totally do because I feel the same.
Dominic returns, two flutes and a bottle of chilled champagne in his hands. I’m not sure what, but something’s been up for a while now. We don’t have secrets from each other, but something’s brewing, and it’s more than just a culmination of months of work to take down the two corrupt DIA directors.
“I’ve waited long for this moment, sweetheart,” Dominic says as he settles next to me again.
“For what moment?”
“For the moment we put the DIA behind us.”
“It’s been behind me for a while,” I murmur.
I’ve done my best to move on, and Dominic has been a key player in that process, but somehow, it isn’t enough for him. He looks after me in every way possible, and if he could serve me by killing my enemies one by one, he would. As he has. I’ve never felt safer in my life before.
“It couldn’t have come soon enough. I promised…I promised myself that only once I’ve seen this through, once I’ve made certain those fuckers are dead, would I ask you—” He breaks off.
“Ask me what?” I murmur, my pulse suddenly gathering in a riot.
It’s got to do with this coming weekend and the family gathering we’re having with everybody getting together for Easter. Steph and Gigi arrived last night from Italy, even though Gigi loathed to leave Carla and her newborn behind. It could be about the puppy he wants to get—a Belgian Malinois, no less—as extra security for me, as if I need extra security with everything else he has in place.
He says nothing, and the love in his eyes as he studies my face is all-consuming.
“Dominic?” He’s going to pull a puppy out of a hat, isn’t he?
He pops the champagne and pours two glasses, taking his sweet time, seeming to gather his courage. I don’t mind another puppy. I’d love to have one…but my heart’s desire is to have more than just puppies. Lately, my mind has been drifting to babies, so often, it’s become a quiet obsession I haven’t had the courage to raise with him yet.
“What is it, Dominic?” I’m getting impatient now he’s held out a champagne glass to me. “We’ve got so much to do today with the drive to town and the day I’m spending with Tasha and Gigi and dinner tonight and—” I glance down to his light blue button down where my make-up has smeared on the collar as he let me cry it out. “And now, I’ve ruined your shirt…” I’ve run out of steam.
“Already, she’s ruined my shirt,” he says, a tender tease in his voice.
He takes a deep breath and tilts my chin up from where I’ve been staring at his open collar and the delectable smooth skin peeking out. I want to lick it.
“Ariana, you know, when we first came back to Boston after everything that happened here and in Italy, I was smitten.” His gaze jumps between my eyes as he takes me in. “Now I’m so much more, sweetheart. I’m this weird and wonderful combination of in love and loved and loving you, and it still feels as if I still fall in love with you every day. I didn’t even know all these feelings were possible.”
He is so open and sincere, my heart squeezes.
”Do you feel the same?” he asks then, and I bite my lip to contain my emotions.
God, this man. If he carries on like this, I’ll be in tears again. Sometimes, he just comes at me with words, and I melt. “Of course I do. You know I do.”
“Sweetheart,” he murmurs as a thumb brushes along my cheek where a lone tear already slipped free. “I don’t think that’s ever going to stop.”
No. I shake my head. “No, I don’t think so either.”
“Then let’s make this official,” he whispers. “Marry me, my love, and be mine forever.”
My heart stalls. My blood seems to pause in my veins and then rush through as if all sluices have been opened. This is so…so out of left field, but it’s as if he’s been peering into my mind, knowing exactly my deepest wish. Months ago, Dominic had said he won’t rush me, that he’d give me time. And this man is all about taking time when he cares for a woman…and I am his. I never want to be with anybody else.
“Yes,” I whisper on a choke, my heart suddenly stuck in my throat. “Yes and yes again.”
He smiles and kisses me tenderly as his hand slides down my back to my butt, where he nudges me to straddle him. I’m on his lap, giggling as he fidgets in his pocket, rolling his eyes as he struggles what with the champagne flute in his hand so I take it from him.
“I’ve been sitting on this for a few weeks,” he says as he manages to pull a small pouch from his pants’ pocket.
Here is another moment I thought I’d never have: Dominic pulling a dazzling ring from that little pouch and holding it to me.
“This is part of my mom’s engagement ring and wedding band. Matteo offered, and I love that he thought about this—for all of us—to have engagement rings made with Mom’s ring. It had so many diamonds, and now it keeps her with us.”
Oh my God. Now I’m really going to cry.
“It’s so beautiful,” I whisper, the moment too big. “It would be an honor to wear it,” I say, putting our champagne to the side so he can slip the ring on my finger. The size is just right, and I smile at him through my tears, and from the twitch in his jaw, he is moved, too.
I close in and kiss him softly. “When, my love? Do you have a date in mind? Tell me it’s soon.”
As I pull away, there’s that smile I love so much lightening up his face. “This weekend? We’re all together, and it’s the perfect time to have a family wedding.”
“This weekend? Goodness…where?”
“Right here, on the beach. In fact, we need to go so you can pick a dress with Tasha and Gigi, and Portia can execute the plans she’s been working on for the past six months. It involves a marquee tent for outside and a ton of flowers and what not. You know both Portia and Rosalia love this type of thing.”
“But…here?” I feel breathless and elated at the same time.
“It’s perfect, don’t you think?”
He nudges me off his lap, and I clamber off as he pulls me to stand, then hands me back my champagne. We clink glasses, and I take a sip, happiness rises in me just like these little bubbles.He leads me to the French doors, and we step out to the verandah that overlooks the lawn and the sea where it shimmers in the sun this time of the morning. The fresh breeze still has a bite to it, but by afternoon, it is going to be gorgeous.
“It is perfect,” I say on a sigh, resting my head on his shoulder. “How come you’re so perfect?”
“Just found my perfect matching broken piece, sweetheart. I’ve never felt more whole in my life.”
He presses a kiss to my hair, and I lean my head on his shoulder. Yes, it’s going to be perfect. Small and just perfect for the growing Scalera family. “One day soon, we’ll have kids running around, dogs in the mix, endless amounts of love, and a big family where children are cherished and loved.”
Dominic raises his glass to my words. “To be honest, it’s the best up-yours we can give the Don, living the life he never intended for any of us.”
“Lead the way,” I say as I smile up at him. “I’m right here next to you.”
Thank you for reading Sinner’s Vows. I hope you enjoyed the ride! Please help my visibility by swiping all the way to the end of this book and giving it a star rating — reviews aren’t necessary, star ratings count!