20. A Public Claim #4
I rolled my eyes at his Neanderthal crap again, but he grabbed my jaw, forcing me to look at him.
“Did your father tell you who Damiano really was?”
My eyebrows knitted together. “What do you mean?”
He scoffed, shaking his head. “I didn’t think so. That’s a conversation for later. Come. I want you to meet Mamma.”
He yanked my hand, forcing me to follow him towards the chair where his mother was sitting next to Soraya.
“Who was Damiano? You can’t say something like that and then brush it off!”
“He was a cunt.”
“I guess it takes one to know one.”
He glanced back at me over his shoulder with a smirk. “I guess it does.”
He pulled me in front of him and wrapped his arms around my waist, holding me tightly against his body so I couldn’t run away. The warm feel of his solid body behind mine and the dark, alluring musk of him was overwhelming, and it took a moment for me to focus on the woman in front of us.
“Aria, meet Mamma.”
She looked up at us with big brown eyes, her blonde hair perfectly styled to sit on her shoulders.
She must have had Santino and Soraya later in life, as she was clearly in her late seventies, possibly even her eighties.
She had the kind of timeless elegance that showed she had been a stunning woman back in the day.
“Finally,” she said, reaching for my hand. Her skin was so soft as she clasped mine in both of hers. “Tesoro, you are a breathtaking bride.”
“Grazie,” I said, feeling suddenly nervous in this woman’s presence. My natural politeness kicked in despite the circumstances. “It’s, um, nice to meet you.”
She frowned deeply, her whole face twisting with confusion as she looked past me at Santino. “Is this our first meeting?”
“Si, Mamma,” he said over my shoulder. “This is Arianna. The woman I told you about.”
“Oh, yes.” She nodded, her smile returning. “You make a perfect couple. My baby boy and his beautiful bride. I feel so lucky to have seen this day.”
“Me too, Mamma,” Santino replied softly. “It means the world to me.”
I twisted my head to look back at him to check that he was still, in fact, the same man. This softly spoken son, who said adorable things, was not the one who had just stolen me from the altar. He glanced at me, and I turned back to face his mother.
“Now promise me, Tesoro,” she said, squeezing my hand. “You will not take any of his crap.” Santino scoffed behind me, and I found my lips twitching into a smile. “I love my boy, but he is a menace. Don’t be afraid to tell him off.”
“Okay,” I said, showing the first genuine smile I had worn today. At least she was under no illusion about who her son was.
She pulled my hand, forcing me to bend over at the waist so she could whisper in my ear.
The problem was, Santino refused to let go of my hips, and I found myself bent over, my ass pressed against his groin.
His fingers dug into my waist, and I felt his cock hardening.
My body decided a sharp throb in my clit was an appropriate response, and I let out a subtle gasp.
“My boy only wants to be loved. He loves hard, and he deserves to be loved just as fiercely. Look after my baby, and he will look after you,” Cecilia whispered.
I swallowed the brick in my throat, warring with the thick cloud of arousal fogging my brain.
Her words, his dick against my ass. I couldn’t think straight.
She let go of my hand, and I stood up, trying to move away from Santino before I combusted.
He locked his arm around me, holding me tighter. His mouth brushed my ear as he husked, “Don’t move yet. Unless you want my mamma to start planning for her next grandchild.”
I pressed my lips into a thin line, fighting every cell in my body to suppress the urge to smile.
Giovanni strode towards us with a terrifying expression that said trouble was here.
I tried to move, my survival instincts flaring to get out of his way, but Santino’s grip around my waist was vice-like.
“We have company,” he said, straightening his tuxedo and giving Santino a pointed glare.
“Piero?”
“And Callum.”
My eyes widened, my heart hammering in my chest at the sudden realisation that a showdown was about to happen. I wasn’t ready.
“Quickest cure for an erection in history,” Santino muttered beneath his breath and loosened his grip on me. I turned to face him.
“My papi is here? Let me see him, please!”
“Of course you can see him.” Santino stared at me as if I were crazy to ask, as if he didn’t have me here against my will. “That was the other reason for the media, so your papi could come and join us. I didn’t invite the bellend, though.”
Fear trickled down my spine as I stared into the pure fire in Santino’s eyes and the strength in his clenched jaw. The look of a man containing an unhealthy amount of fury.
“You promised you would leave them alone. That you wouldn’t hurt them,” I stammered, feeling my hands tremble. His eyes narrowed as he stared at me.
“And I’ll keep that promise as long as you keep yours.” He grabbed my hand and marched me toward the doors.