Azra
An hour earlier…
Ileave the orchard with my heart feeling heavier than it ever has. It’s a comforting fullness from the weight of truth settling into place.
One conversation with Matteo, and suddenly, so much about him makes sense.
His mother loved him deeply, and his brothers and father love him now, but he has never truly had anything that’s solely his. Not space, time, or identity. Not even his grief was his own.
He’s always had to share and fight for attention… until now.
There’s something I can give him that is entirely his.
Me.
I’m already his—every stubborn part of me—but he needs more than words to prove it. He needs a symbol of our union, and I can’t get that alone, which is what brings me to Dante’s office.
I knock softly before entering. Camille colors quietly in the corner, her little legs swinging as she hums to herself, and Lucia and Dante stand near the desk, speaking in low voices.
“I just hate the thought of him in foster care,” Lucia says, worry tightening her voice. “He should be here with us.”
Dante cups her cheek before wiping away a rogue tear. “We’re close, angelo. I promise it won’t be much longer before Gabriele is with us, where he belongs.”
Their relationship is almost as new as mine and Matteo’s, but the love between them glows. It spreads happiness through me and tells me what I stubbornly tried to deny.
I’m not foolish for telling Matteo how I feel.
This morning was the most honest I’ve been in a long time.
Not wanting to be caught spying like Matteo and I were spied on only minutes ago, I clear my throat. Dante’s eyes shoot to mine, narrowed and brimming with anger.
Lucia’s greeting is much more welcoming. “Azra, hi.” I realize not all her smile is in greeting when she asks, “Are you okay? You’re looking a little disheveled.” She joins me by the doorway and pulls a lemon leaf out of my hair. “And growing sprouts.”
“I… ah… we… ah…”
She bumps me with her hip, then gestures for me to follow her inside Dante’s office. It’s the size of a living room and has all the gadgets and gimmicks the money man of a mafia family would need.
“Do you want to talk to Dante or me?”
I grimace before replying, “Dante. If that’s okay with you?”
Lucia smiles warmly. “Of course it is.” She turns to Camille, then drops her jaw. “Want to sneak something naughty to eat before lunch?”
Before Camille can voice her approval, Lucia’s hand shoots up to her mouth, and she bolts for the bathroom.
A second later, heaving echoes out of the attached room.
Dante rushes in to check she’s okay, and I follow on instinct.
Lucia kneels near the toilet, pale and trembling. Dante crouches beside her, rubbing her back and whispering soothing words. His face shows worry, but he dotes on Lucia the way Matteo dotes on me. It’s both instinctive and protective.
Lucia rinses her mouth before forcing a smile. “Sorry. I’ve had a terrible stomach bug the past couple of days.” She rakes her fingers through Camille’s hair, who is looking at her with as much fret as Dante is. “I’ll brush my teeth, and then we will go raid the pantry.”
She kisses Dante’s cheek, ruffles Camille’s hair one last time, then leaves.
With my suspicion too high to discount, I turn to Dante. “Does that happen often?”
He frowns. “Up until a couple of days ago, no. But now she wakes up vomiting instead of with my head between her—” He stops in just enough time to remember we have the company of little ears.
Camille does a good job pretending she isn’t listening, but her ears take in far more than she makes out. “Fingers crossed it goes away soon.”
“Are you sure it’s a stomach bug?” I watch him walk around his desk and sit before his computer. “Could it be something else?”
He chuckles when I inconspicuously nudge my head to Camille. “No. We’ve always used protection…”
His words trail off before he lunges for his laptop. Flipping it open, he checks his calendar.
Seconds later, his throat constricts as he swallows, and his pupils dilate.
“Camille.” His voice is soft, as if he’s afraid if he speaks too fast it will pop the excitement building around him. “Want to help me surprise Mama with a gift?”
Camille lights up instantly before she nods.
Dante grabs their coats, still pale but smiling like he won the jackpot.
“Azra, I’m sorry,” he says as he ushers Camille toward the door. “We can talk after I run into town.”
“That’s actually what I need help with,” I say quickly, freezing him halfway out of his office. “I need something in town. Can I come with you?”
He hesitates, his nose screwing up. “Do you think Matteo will be okay with that? He’s… very possessive over you.” I can’t tell if his smile is genuine or forced. “He told all of us to back off. Even the ones who already have partners.”
I giggle before I can stop myself. It’s not the right time, but I love his jealousy.
“I can handle Matteo.”
Dante shakes his head, amused. “You’re braver than I am,” he says as he gestures for me to follow him to an SUV.
The jewelry store smells of velvet, polish, and quiet wealth. Glass cases gleam under soft lighting, and rings sparkle like tiny stars. Camille presses her face to a display of watches while Dante saves his credit card from irreparable damage by placing a gentle hand on her shoulder.
I stare down at the men’s wedding bands, unsure which ring to purchase. I’ve already chosen a simple band for myself, but Matteo deserves something that reflects him.
This decision is harder than the one Dante made at the pharmacy. He bought one of every pregnancy test and happily carried them out of the drugstore in a see-through plastic bag.
“Do you think he’d like the onyx ring?” I ask Dante after narrowing my choices down to two.
He doesn’t hesitate. “He’ll love whatever you get him. It’s from you. That’s all he’ll care about.”
All my worries vanish as my chest warms.
I request the onyx ring, and the jeweler disappears into the back to see if he has it in the size he measured on Dante’s finger earlier. Out of all his siblings, both in height and weight, Dante is the closest match to Matteo, hence me asking for his help.
As I impatiently wait for the jeweler to return, Dante joins Camille near the window. She’s staring at a sweets shop across the street, licking her lips.
“Do you want to get some treats for Mama and you?”
Camille nods so hard her curls bounce.
Dante turns to me. “We’ll be right back. Stay in the store until we return.”
Accustomed to his tone—it’s the same tone my brothers always use—I agree without pause for thought.
He waves to the jeweler, who is returning to the front with the ring I hope to purchase. “I’ll be back next week to collect my purchase.”
Purchase?
My head snaps to the display cabinet he was standing near earlier, and my mouth gapes.
That cabinet only holds engagement rings.
My heart squeezes, confident that whatever Dante purchased will be as special to Lucia as I hope this ring is to Matteo.
This ring isn’t just a ring.
It’s a promise.
Matteo spent his entire life sharing everything. His mother’s attention. His father’s expectations. His brothers’ chaos. Even his identity has always been tied to something. He’s a Caruso, and although he loves that, I want him to have something that is solely his.
I am the first thing in his life that belongs solely to him. Not because he claimed me or lied to force me to marry him.
But because I chose him.
This ring is my way of showing him that.
I want him to look at his hand and remember that what we have is his alone.
After polishing the ring, the jeweler places it into a ring box. “Cash or check?”
I curse under my breath. I was so caught up in the hype of spoiling Matteo that I didn’t consider the price tag. I might not have enough money to fund the purchase.
I’m logging into my checking account to check the state of my funds when a voice behind me says, “Let her use the credit from the return of our rings. From what I’m hearing, the lies she’s telling guarantee I won’t need it anytime soon.”
My blood turns to ice when I turn in enough time to watch Antonio enter the jewelry store and lock the entrance door behind him.
As he fans out his jacket to announce he’s carrying, my eyes dart to the window. Dante is just inside the sweets store, scanning the street for danger he doesn’t realize is already here.
“Hi, Antonio,” I say, forcing politeness.
He doesn’t smile.
Instead, he stalks closer as his eyes burn with ugly hatred.
“Why are you spreading vicious lies about me?”
“They’re not lies,” I say, finally standing up for both Hattie and me.
His jaw clenches before he carries on as though I said nothing. “Did you think I wouldn’t react? That I wouldn’t hear what you’ve been saying?”
“I told the truth. If that is too much for you to swallow, that’s your problem, not mine.”
“That bitch walked off the roof!” He slams his hand against the glass counter. “Why should I be blamed for that?”
Hearing him talk about Hattie like she wasn’t the kindest soul I ever knew twists the knife in deep.
“You know what you did,” I shout back. “The Hattie I knew would never hurt herself like that. I don’t care what you say; I won’t stop until everyone knows what a monster you are!”
His eyes narrow as his evil laughter bounces around the store. “Lookie here. Someone thinks she’s suddenly grown a backbone. Careful, sweetheart. Your bulldog isn’t here to save you now.”
His reminder that Matteo will always protect me lifts my chin. “You can’t touch me. You know the rules.”
His smirk is straight out of hell. “Who said I was going to touch you? There are much better ways I can force you to walk the same steps as your best friend, and there isn’t a single fucking thing the Carusos can do about it.”
His chin barely jerks when something sharp jabs into my neck. It didn’t come from the jeweler. He’s passed out cold on the floor with lifeless eyes.