Chapter 31
Isabelle
His hand clamps down on my bouncing knee, and I spare him a glance.
Rian’s eyebrows rise. “Why are you nervous? It’s your parents.”
I shrug and blow out a breath as I turn to look out the car window. “Because they refused to speak to me for a week, and even Ricky seemed reluctant to talk to me.”
He squeezes my thigh and then grabs my hand, entwining our fingers. His thumb sweeps over the healing tattoo. “My men had to forcibly remove them from their only home and your brother defected from the Famiglia. I imagine it’s a lot to wrap their heads around.”
When he puts it that way, it’s reasonable, but I selfishly thought they would want to check in on me. After weeks of no contact and the worst scenario that could happen actually happened, I figured my parents would be in a hurry to see me. I don’t say anything as he squeezes my hand again and I finally turn to face him. His gaze darts between my face and the road.
“Tell them how you feel, Isabelle. I think they care more than you’re assuming.”
I nod, and he lets us sit in silence until we park at his Jersey City penthouse.
He comes around to the passenger side, opening the door with a smirk and heat in his eyes. “Remember the last time you were here,” Rian whispers into my temple and I blush, clenching my thighs from the memories filtering in my mind of that night.
I swat at his chest. “Behave. You’re inappropriate at the worst times.”
“I can’t get enough of you.” He kisses the words into my lips before finally pulling away. We hold hands in the silent elevator, nerves making me shift on my feet. I’ve been anxious to spend time with my family, when at this point, I feel closer to the brotherhood than them.
As soon as Rian unlocks the door and opens it, I step through with steel shoulders and I’m immediately ambushed before I can process what is happening.
“Isabelle, cara mia .” My mother continues to ramble other endearments in Italian, peppering my face with kisses before wrapping me tightly in her arms. A sob works its way up my throat as I squeeze her back.
“Mama, I’ve missed you so much,” I cry into her hair.
She shushes me gently, stroking my hair before letting go, and I’m being pulled into a thicker set of arms. The sharp cologne is a shot to my heart as my father holds me like he’s afraid I’ll disappear. “ Tesora mia, Isabelle mia.”
I pull away, wiping the tears streaming down my face. My mother clicks her tongue, moving to hug me again but I wave my hand and step back closer to Rian. My brother gives me a soft smile behind our parents and I nod at him.
Rian rests his hand on my hip, his thumb rubbing a path on my lower back. “Aodhan says you haven’t requested much. We want you to be comfortable.”
My father’s face pinches for a second and my mother sighs, moving to sit on the couch.
Ricky shakes his head. “We’re okay. I grabbed them some clothes and groceries. They haven’t accepted that we can't go back to the house and grab their things.”
“We’re not children. Don’t speak about us like we’re not here,” my father scolds him.
Ricky rolls his eyes and rubs his hand down his face as he moves to give me a hug.
“How are you doing, Belle?”
I shrug, and lean into my husband. “Good, actually.”
Rian clears his throat. “Do you want me to stay while you chat with them? Or you want some alone time?”
My heart bursts at his trust. He assured me previously that there are no cameras or listening devices in his penthouse, so we would truly have some privacy if we want it. I smile, running my fingers along his jaw, ignoring our audience.
“Stay.”
With only a chair left, Rian sits and pulls me onto his lap. I flush, slightly embarrassed at the very public display of affection in front of my parents. But my mother beams at me, and my less enthusiastic father nods with a faint smile.
“I’m glad the marriage worked out for the better.”
My mood plummets and I fiddle with my fingers, my thumb running over the tattoo. My eyebrows furrow. “Why didn’t you guys call?”
Ricky flinches. “That’s my fault. Luca advised we give you space for the sake of keeping the peace,” he looks over at Rian and frowns, “Luca said you probably wouldn’t appreciate us reaching out while Isabelle got settled.”
“I wouldn’t have cared as long as you weren’t breaking in to steal her from me,” Rian says with a shrug.
I shake my head, kissing his cheek. “No, I managed that all by myself.”
He squeezes my thigh. “Believe me, we will be putting in more precautions now.”
My mother sniffles. “I wanted to call you everyday. I even wrote down every question that popped up so I wouldn’t forget when we eventually talked.”
“She’s not kidding. The giant notepad by the phone is scribbled with questions and gossip she couldn’t wait to share,” my father chuckles.
I almost laugh, knowing my mother probably did have weeks worth of gossip stored up, but tears well up in my eyes again, and I glance over at my family. “I thought you abandoned me. That you married me off and didn’t care about me anymore because now you had the highest honor of the Famiglia or something.”
My mother gasps, moving to get up, but my brother gently grabs her arm to keep her seated. Rian brushes my hair away from my shoulder, kissing it softly.
My father pinches the bridge of his nose. “I’m so sorry, Isabelle. I’ve—If you ever thought that then I failed you and that was never my intention.”
Sniffling, I twist my fingers in my lap. “I just…I worked so hard to prove I am worthy of the restaurant, but you only expressed how proud you were of the marriage. And then I was just left behind without a second thought.”
“Isabelle,” my mother chokes out, grabbing onto my father’s hand. There’s a sheen in his eyes as he stares at me and he clears his throat.
“The fact that you wanted to take over the restaurant at all makes me choke up with pride, Isabelle. That I created a legacy my child wanted to continue? I’m so proud of you that days before the marriage proposal, I had spoken to António about letting you lead more often. I promise you, it was always going to be yours.”
I appreciate the sentiment, but it surprises me how much it rings hollow, and I realize how much my dreams have changed. Forcing a smile, I swallow down my emotions. “Thanks, Papa. I had hoped to get us out of the Famiglia one day, so I guess I achieved that too.”
Ricky grimaces. “Too soon.”
My mother shushes him and looks at me with concern. “Are you sure you’re okay?”
I lean my head on Rian’s shoulder. “I am, Mama. I promise. Why don’t you come stay at the house with us? There’s plenty of room,” I say, and I can feel Rian nodding behind me.
My father frowns, glancing at my mother and then shaking his head. “We’re okay here until we figure out what to do. Ricky—he’s looking into getting some of our stuff and money from the house. Then maybe we’ll look into a place a little closer to you.”
“Let us help. I know it would comfort Isabelle to know you guys are taken care of,” Rian says.
Ricky’s jaw clenches. “Just give us a few more days to think about it, okay?”
I try not to be annoyed by their stubbornness, but I let it go for now and climb off Rian’s lap. “Okay, just call me, please.”
My mother jumps up to give me another hug, and I soften into her body before hugging my father as we exchange kisses on our cheeks. Ricky walks us out to the elevator and Rian pauses before the door.
“If you’re interested, Cillian and Cormac can find some work for you…it may be some shit jobs until they can trust you.”
My brother lets out a hollow laugh. “Starting down at the bottom again?”
My shoulders slump and I hug him. “This is uncharted territory. We’ve all been betrayed, Ricky.”
His arms squeeze me once. “I know, Belle. I’ll think about it, okay? Thanks for the offer.”
Rian nods, pulling me closer to him as we step into the elevator to bring us down to the parking garage. When the doors close, I blow out a breath and lean into my husband’s chest. “What I wouldn’t give to live a normal life.”
He doesn’t say anything, his fingers flexing at my waist. And I know a part of him probably agrees, especially for the sake of any children we may have, but unfortunately we’re all in too deep to leave. No matter how desperately I worked for the opposite, I can’t imagine ever leaving him at this point. I turn my face up, and he leans down, kissing my lips.
“What?” he asks.
I shake my head. “Nothing, just looking at you.”
“Thinking about the night you ran out of here like a bat was chasing you?”
A smile pulls at my mouth. “I ran like I slept with a well known mercenary who might have killed me if he found out who I was.”
Rian rolls his eyes. “Death by orgasm, perhaps.”
“Oh my god. Your arrogance, it’s astounding,” I tease.
He tsks. “What did I tell you? You don’t think I can make you come until you pass out? When we get home?—”
I cover his mouth with my hand, giggling. And he growls under it before picking me up with one arm and carrying me to the car, rumbling promises as I laugh.