Chapter 10
Gianna Pov~
We finally entered Italy, and you know how your ears pop when you’re descending?
Well, my baby girl Callie absolutely hated that part.
So here she was, crying softly in Adriano’s arms as he held her securely against his chest, his large arms wrapped around her while he comforted her.
I smiled at the sight.
I thought back to how many times I had seen Adriano do this with all of our children. After nine kids, he was practically a professional. But somehow, it still never failed to amaze me how gentle and patient he was with them.
The same man who could make an entire room fall silent with a single look was now whispering softly to our daughter, wiping away her tears and reassuring her that everything was okay.
He knew exactly how to separate being their father from being the Capo. And I loved him even more for that.
I glanced behind me and looked over all the kids. They were all strapped into their seats, restless and eager to get off the plane.
It was already two in the afternoon, and after a nine-hour flight with fifteen kids trapped in a confined space, I couldn’t blame them.
They were ready to run off every ounce of energy they had. My eyes landed on Alessandra sitting alone toward the back of the plane.
Something was bothering her.
I knew Adriano had probably shaken her up earlier, but she needed to understand the seriousness of what happened. This wasn’t something we could ignore or brush aside. I would talk to her later.
I turned back around and smiled at Adriano, who was sitting beside me with a now calm Callie resting in his arms. I leaned over and gave him a quick kiss to his cheek, he looked over at me fondly with a small smile making my stomach erupt in butterflies.
He chuckled knowingly, kissing my forehead then going back to hug his baby to his chest, he was whispering something soothing to her in Italian, while she was clinging to him just as fiercely.
A few moments later, we finally touched down. The second the plane stopped moving, chaos erupted. Everyone started yelling and talking excitedly, ready to get off.
I chuckled at their eagerness and unbuckled my seatbelt, standing up to face them. Most of them were already trying to rush toward the door.
“Hey, take a seat,” I called out. “You too, Dean. I’m watching you.” I gave him a playful glare as he attempted to squeeze his way past everyone. They all groaned but slowly returned to their seats.
I smiled triumphantly. Still got it.
--------------------
Eventually, the vans pulled up, and we all piled inside, ready to head wherever we were going.
Honestly, imagine trying to go through customs and airport security with fifteen kids.
We all would have been dead.
The perks of being married to the Capo di Capi.
“Mom, where are we going?” Michel asked from the back seat.
“Please say it’s somewhere outdoors and not a house,” Dantae begged from beside me.
I looked over at Adriano, who sat beside me, silently letting him answer since I had no idea where we were going. He had only told me last night.
“We’re going to the house first to settle in,” he explained, looking toward his boys. “After that, I have business to handle, so you probably won’t see me much during this trip.”
Dantae immediately sighed, while Michel nodded in understanding.
“That’s what happens when you’re a boss,” Michel said.
I chuckled softly and reached over, taking Adriano’s hand in mine.
He looked down at our hands before looking back at me, his eyes softening as a small smile pulled at his lips.
Moments like this reminded me that beneath everything else, he was still just my husband.
As I looked out the window, I couldn’t stop staring at how beautiful Italy was.
The ancient architecture. The statues. The old buildings that looked like they had stories buried within their walls.
I couldn’t believe it had taken fifteen years for me to finally be here.
But despite the beauty surrounding me, I couldn’t ignore the reality of where we were. Not everyone would welcome us here. Especially not Yana and me. We were Russian.
Their biggest enemies.
And I wasn’t talking about random people walking down the street. They wouldn’t care who we were.
I was talking about the Italian Mafia. The ones who had spent years viewing Russians as their greatest threat. And now we were standing on their soil.
My stomach twisted at the thought of what could happen while we were here. I didn’t know how they would treat my sister and me, or how they would view our children since they were half Russian as well.
My kids were completely unaware of the hatred that existed between the Italians and Russians. In their minds, everything was normal.
Everything was okay.
But when they finally realized things weren’t as simple as they thought, I knew they wouldn’t take it well.
Not at all.
I released a quiet sigh as the van slowed down. We were pulling into a driveway. And then I saw it. My mouth fell open. The house was breathtaking.
Huge stone walls surrounded a property that looked like it belonged in another century. It had an ancient, almost castle-like appearance, reminding me of our estate back home.
Except this was grander. Much grander.
I looked over at Adriano, and he was already smirking at my reaction.
“Whoa,” Kalani said from nearby, finally looking up from her phone to take in the mansion in front of us.
“Is this your house?” I whispered to Adriano. His smile softened. “Our house,” he corrected. I looked at him in surprise.
“I bought it a couple of years ago,” he explained. “Your name is on the deed too.”
My eyes widened. “Why didn’t you ever tell me?” He only shook his head, a playful smile on his face. “Because I would have never gotten to see the look on your face.”
Before I could respond, he leaned over and kissed me softly. Then, with a wink, he stepped out of the van as it came to a stop.
I stared after him, completely dumbfounded. I quickly tried to regain my composure before stepping out behind him.
The second the doors opened, the kids took off like they had just escaped prison.
They ran across the massive field, their laughter echoing as they explored the acres of land surrounding the house.
One by one, the other vans pulled up, and the rest of the kids followed, immediately joining them. I couldn’t help but laugh.
“Children,” I muttered affectionately. I turned as Yana, Leena, and Mili walked toward me. I smiled at them as they approached.
“This is amazing!” Yana squealed beside me.
I smiled and nodded, taking in the beauty surrounding us.
“Oh, how I missed Italy,” Mili said dramatically, throwing her arms out and tilting her head back as she basked in the warm sun. We all laughed as she finally lowered her arms and regained her composure.
“Let’s go shopping!”
I opened my mouth to respond, but Matteo quickly cut me off. “Not yet.” We all turned toward him.
“We have to meet with the Basilio Council, and this is the safest place for all of you to be,” he explained. “They don’t know we’re staying here, so please remain here until one of us calls and tells you it’s safe to leave.”
A collective groan came from all of us. “Fine,” we mumbled.
“Are you the kids or the parents?” Gio asked mockingly. I stuck my tongue out at him while Leena immediately gave him a disapproving look.
“I think the kids like the house,” Leena said, looking out at all of them running around the property, finally burning off the endless energy they had built up during the flight.
I scoffed. “Like is an understatement.” Adriano wrapped an arm around me and pulled me against his chest. I placed my hand against his firm chest, looking up into his serious eyes. “Please stay here,” he said softly. “I’ll call as soon as we finish.”
I nodded and pulled him into a reassuring kiss. When I pulled away, I smiled at him. “Be nice, Capo.”
His lips curved into a devilish smirk. “You know I can’t do that, mio amore.”
I rolled my eyes, but my smile remained. “I’ll see you later.” He leaned down, capturing my lips in one more lingering kiss before pulling away.
Then he walked toward the field to say goodbye to the kids, knowing he probably wouldn’t get much time with them during this trip.
“Fifteen years and nine kids later, and you two are still all over each other,” Mili teased, crossing her arms with a smirk.
I looked at her innocently. “Why do you think we have so many kids?” I winked. Leena and Yana immediately burst into laughter at the disgusted expression that crossed Mili’s face.
I shook my head, smiling, before noticing Alessandra walking toward the house by herself.
“Ales,” I called out. She stopped and turned around, waiting for me to catch up. She forced a small smile before continuing inside, and I fell into step beside her.
“How are you doing, hun?” I asked gently.
She shrugged, avoiding my gaze. “Fine.”
I sighed but didn’t push. Sometimes Alessandra needed time before she was ready to open up. As we stepped inside, my mouth dropped again.
The interior was just as breathtaking as the outside. The antique decor, elegant furniture, and intricate details throughout the home matched perfectly with the walls and carpeting.
It was beautiful.
Although, with our children running around, I had a feeling something would break sooner rather than later.
“This is amazing,” Alessandra said, her excitement returning as she looked around.
I smiled. There was that sparkle again. We continued exploring until we reached the kitchen. A short, middle-aged woman stood behind the stove, preparing food. The second she noticed me, her entire face lit up.
“Mia cara, sei ancora più bella di persona! è così bello finalmente incontrarvi!” (My darling, you are even more beautiful in person! It’s so good to finally meet you!)
She immediately pulled me into a bone-crushing hug. I laughed softly and hugged the unfamiliar woman back.
When she finally released me, I smiled and decided to put my Italian to use.
“Mi chiamo Gianna e questa è mia figlia Alessandra.” (My name is Gianna, and this is my daughter Alessandra.)
She chuckled softly.