Chapter 28
EMILIA
“I can’t believe I pulled it off,” I sighed, only speaking to myself as I looked around the tables in the ballroom.
The smell of the turkey wafting through the house made me stop in my tracks and just take in the aroma.
It was like a warm hug wrapping around me, and the spices blended to make my mouth water in anticipation of the supper I’d created.
“You’re going to need to sleep for a week after this,” Cecilia said quietly in my ear as she put her arm gently around my shoulder. Smiling, I turned to look at my mother-in-law.
I wished the feeling of dread and loss would go away, but it settled there in my chest as I thought of my family. We never hosted the people who worked for us; my father never even acknowledged them during the holidays.
“This is all so amazing,” I whispered, as I looked at her.
“It was important to my mother-in-law that we made people feel important. It’s helped over the years with people feeling loyal, and like they are a part of our family.
” She gently moved me, and we wandered around the room.
“When you’re in the business we are, people know the dangers, but making them feel like we’ve got their backs as they have ours is how we’ve survived.
How all the major families have actually. ” Her voice trailed off.
She hadn’t come right out and said it, but I knew the meaning. My family wouldn’t survive, because not enough people were loyal to them.
I wasn’t even loyal to them.
Sitting at a table, my eyes scanned the room, making sure everything was going well, and nobody needed anything. “Relax, everyone is fine,” Nico whispered as he ran his hand up my thigh. “Tonight is perfect.” Glancing down at his hand, I smiled before looking up to him.
“Nico, could I have a word?” Lorenzo asked gently, putting his hand on Nico’s shoulder.
“Of course. I’ll be right back, amore.” He kissed my cheek, and the men walked out of the room.
“What’s that all about?” Trixie asked as she took the seat my husband had vacated, looking at me with wide eyes.
“I don’t know.” I looked over my shoulder again, but just saw a closed door.
Trixie wrapped her arm around mine and pulled me in close. “This is just like when we were kids. Everyone here is celebrating Christmas, the laughter, the cheer. It’s been a long time since this house felt like a home.” She rested her head on my shoulder and sighed.
“I’m not drunk if that’s what you’re wondering,” she said, answering the question I had rolling around in my head.
“Things have been different since you came. A good different. Nico’s more relaxed, we like being here again, and I think Mom is considering marrying Lorenzo.
I hope she does, she deserves to be happy too. ”
“So, do you? Trix, is there anyone special? We’ve never really talked about it.” I looked at my sister-in-law and smiled.
“No, there’s nobody. I guess I never stay in one place long enough to even think of finding someone.” She sat up and reached for her glass of wine. “Besides, how would I bring anyone home to this?”
Trixie wasn’t wrong. How do you bring someone into the mafia world that has no idea it even exists? “What about Antonio?” I whispered.
“He’s basically my brother, eww no.” She scrunched up her face and made a gagging sound.
“Ok, so no Antonio. I looked around the room, and while a few single men were working for Nico, I realized for the first time that he’s employed mostly people with families.
“Your silence is speaking volumes, Em.” Trixie rolled her eyes and tipped back the last bit of her wine.
“We have to be able to find you, someone.”
“I need to go on a holiday, maybe I could find some rich, debonair man, with a castle, looking for someone like me.”
“Trixie, if he’s out there, I have no doubt you’ll find him. Time to book you a holiday … where would you like to go?
“Ireland. I’ve always wanted to go,” she said as she reached for her phone. “See, I even have a Tacked board about it.” She opened the app and scrolled through her saved photos.
The chair on my other side was moved, and a large body that I was intimately aware of sat next to me. His large hand wrapped around my shoulder, as he’d never even left. Turning from Trixie, I looked at him. “Is everything okay?” He didn’t answer; all he did was nod.
“Ladies and gentlemen, if I might take a moment of your time.” All eyes turned to Lorenzo, who was standing at the head of the table.
“It’s been many years since we’ve all sat around a gathering much like this one, only my best friend sat where his son sits now.
A lot has changed since then. Lives have been lost, good men and women have passed on, and children have grown into fine adults.
All those years ago, I never dreamed I’d be here ready to ask this question.
” Lorenzo dropped to his knee and pulled a ring out of his pocket.
“Cecilia Venosa, you’ve been my constant companion for these last four years, and I’d like to make you my wife for the remaining years of my life. Will you marry me?” Nico’s mother had tears in her eyes as she looked at the man kneeling before her.
I took Nico’s hand in mine and looked up at him. He was smiling at the scene unfolding before him. Glancing at Trixie, she had put her arm around Antonio.
“Yes, Lorenzo, I will marry you,” Cecilia said proudly as he slipped the ring on her finger. The couple kissed, and the crowd cheered.
Nico stood and tapped a knife gently on his wine glass.
All eyes turned from Cecilia and Lorenzo to Nico.
“I won’t be the only one thinking that it’s about time.
” The room erupted in laughter and cheers.
Nico held up his hand, and everyone quieted down.
“Mom, Lorenzo, I am so very pleased to offer you congratulations and wish you many happy years together.” He raised his glass, and everyone in the room did the same; a salute echoed through the ballroom.
Leaning over to Nico, he lowered his head and kissed me. “I have a surprise for you.” He whispered.
“Nico, that’s not a surprise anymore.” I rolled my eyes at him.
“You’re a bad girl, Amore. No, that is not the surprise, but you will see it later.
Come with me.” He took my hand in his, and we left the party.
“I know you’ve been missing your sisters, so I thought they could spend Christmas with us.
” Nico opened the door, and I stared into the smiling faces of my sisters.
“Oh my god, you’re here,” I screamed as I threw my arms around them. They both returned the hug but were a little standoffish. Backing away I stared at them, and while they looked happy, they both had some slight hesitation in their eyes.
Turning to Nico, I grabbed his phone out of the pocket of his shirt. They need to be checked for wires and bags for bugs. I typed on his notes app. He looked at the phone, then back at me.
“Really?” He asked, sounding more than a little exasperated.
“Yes.” I turned back to my sisters and pointed up the stairs. They nodded and moved ahead of me. “Send Trixie up, please, and have your men go through their bags.” My words were quiet, and Nico nodded.
Grabbing a pen and paper, I followed my sisters into the room and held up my finger to my mouth for them to be quiet, and they both nodded. I didn’t even need to ask them to strip; they did it voluntarily, tears streaming down their faces.
Gently, Trixie and I pulled the tape off their bodies and handed the wire over to the security team. Reaching for the paper I wrote, anymore? They both shook their heads.
“Okay, let’s start this over. I can’t believe you’re here.” I said, throwing my arms around them again. “Did you eat? Are you starving? We just had a meal for all the staff. I can get plates for you.” My eyes darted from Alessia to Gianna.
“We’re starving.” Gianna sighed. I looked at her more closely, and I could see she’d lost some weight since the wedding. “Things haven’t been easy at home. Not sure if you know this, but our cook quit.” My sister smirked as she arched her brow at me, and I couldn’t help but laugh.
“I think she was fired, rather than quitting.” I put my hands on my hips, and my sisters succumbed to their fits of giggles. “Okay, let’s go to the kitchen and get you both fed.” I put my arms around both of them, and we walked out of the room and headed for the kitchen.
The noise in the house was lessening, but the kitchen was full of laughter and talking. Like always, we talked over one another, and adding Trixie to the mix just made it worse.
“No, do you remember the Christmas, you had to sneak our gifts into the house because mom and dad were passed out? That had to be the worst Christmas.” Alessia said.
“How did you know about that?” I asked, not even trying to hide the shock on my face.
“I heard you get up and close the door, so I snuck out after you.” She shrugged as she shoved some stuffing in her mouth.
“I didn’t want you both to wake up and have nothing, so I made it my job to make sure your stuff was there for you.” My voice trailed off, thinking back to those years, and suddenly realizing how messed up my childhood had been.
I’d always known it wasn’t typical, but seeing Nico and his family made me acutely aware that there were better people in my life now.
The kitchen got cleaned up, and I leaned against the counter listening to all the conversations that had broken out around the island. Nico walked in and narrowed his gaze so that I felt like I was the only one in the room. “Everything okay?” He asked, keeping his voice low as he nuzzled my ear.
“Yeah, it’s good. This is good.” I smiled, and I looked up at him, “Thank you for this. I never dreamed I’d have them here.” Tears welled in my eyes, and I couldn’t even stop them. Nico reached up and brushed his thumb along your cheek, wiping away the tear that fell.
“You’ll never have to play Santa again.” His low voice rumbled in his chest.
“But I have to, one last time tonight,” I said, turning to face him, placing my hands on his chest.
“Well then, everyone needs to get to bed then.” He laughed as he wrapped his arms around me.
“Because once I have you in bed, I don’t intend to let you out of it.
” He slipped his hands down to the top of my ass and pulled me toward him.
I couldn’t help but smile up at the man who’d kidnapped me and stolen my heart.
“All right, everyone, let’s go to bed so Santa can come,” Nico said, looking at everyone in the kitchen. They all nodded, and soon their chatter was replaced by the scraping of chairs across the floor.
I hugged my sisters goodnight, and Trixie walked them up to their room. “I want a guard at the door all night.” Nico’s hushed voice made me frown, but I knew it needed to happen.
Placing gifts and filling stockings took us over an hour of non-stop work. “What about your sisters?” He asked as we stood, looking at the now-stuffed room.
Smiling, I looked up and pointed to the fireplace where I’d hung their stockings. “I have gifts under the tree for them too, because I was hoping I’d see them at some point.” Wrapping my arms around him, I sighed. This was the first Christmas I hadn’t dreaded, and it was because of him.
“Go to bed, I’ll turn everything off down here and be right up.” He kissed the side of my head, and I nodded, a little reluctant to let him go. “Go and I’ll give you a merry Christmas.” He winked, then grinned a cheesy grin. Rolling my eyes, I let him go and headed for the stairs.