Vows of Devotion (The Sovrano Mafia Empire #7)

Chapter 1

Francesca

“Umm, surprise!” Giselle said with a small laugh. Even though it hadn’t been that long since I'd last seen her—that baby belly of hers had grown.

“What the fuck are you doing here?” Stefan asked his family.

I couldn’t help but purse my lips together and hide my laughter at his reaction.

“Happy to see you, too, Brother.” Carlo slapped him on the back, then stepped over to me. “That shirt suits you, Francesca.” He smirked and leaned down to hug me. “I hope my brother is treating you well?”

Dani's voice shot in with, “Daddy, was Auntie Fran-schmesh-ka a bad girl? Why is she getting a spanking?”

Carlo chuckled in his deep, smexy voice. “Oh, I bet Auntie Francesca can be a really bad girl—” his eyes looked right into mine— “when she wants to be.” He winked.

What the heck was that?

Then Giselle questioned her daughter. “Where did you hear that word from? I know for a fact you sure haven't heard it from us. What do you think it means?”

Carlo turned to listen to the explanation.

“It's when you're bad and someone hits your butt,” Daniella explained in her very cute, very sweet little girl voice.

Giselle and Carlo shared a look.

“And where did you hear it?” Carlo asked his daughter.

Dani shrugged and said, “Owen in my ginastics class tolded me. He got his butt spanked when he ran across the road without his mom.” Dani zoomed around her father, right up to me.

“Did you cross the road without Uncle Stefan?” she asked me with concerned, innocent eyes.

Gosh, she looked exactly like her mother.

“Something like that.” I laughed and picked her up in my arms.

“Don't worry.” She wrapped her little arms around my neck. “I won't let mean Uncle Stefan spank you.”

I heard Stefan swear—and that only made me laugh harder. “Thank you, Dani. I'm so glad you're here to save me.”

Nick cleared his throat and stepped up to me.

“Francesca. You look well.” He grinned down at me.

Then he gave me a quick kiss on the cheek as his hand landed on my lower back.

“And I completely agree with Carlo. You look wonderful in this shirt.” He leaned in closer and whispered in my ear so Dani couldn't hear, “But you'd look even better out of it.” He kissed my cheek one more time and stepped back.

And—what the heck was that?

Eve said, “Okay, men to the car. Grab all the kid stuff out and bring it in.” She walked up to me and gave me a quick hug.

“Francesca can tell us which rooms to stay in. There must be at least thirty-five bedrooms in here from the look of it.” She let go of me and smiled.

“I have a feeling Stefan has only let you see one of the bedrooms, though.”

She and Giselle laughed.

Nick stuck in, “Or two.” I caught his eyes looking at me—and I wondered if he knew about Stefan's dungeon.

Nah.

I couldn't see Stefan sharing that kind of personal stuff with anyone.

Well, other than the women he'd had down there, obviously.

“Hold on a minute.” Stefan's hands shot up in front of him. “Why are you people here? And who invited you to move in?”

The sleeping baby in Eve's arms sighed and snuggled into her. “Carlo's pipes are on the fritz. We had no choice.”

Stefan frowned and said, “What about the guest house beside it?”

Eve gave him a look. “You expect all of us to cram in there?”

He crossed his arms and said, “Eve, the house you grew up in could fit inside the living room in that place.”

Her jaw dropped open, and she spluttered, “Are you seriously giving me lip about this? You expect all of us.” She motioned with her hand. “And all of these kids,” she inhaled deeply and continued, “and a large, grouchy, pregnant woman,” she pointed at Giselle.

Giselle frowned and said a quiet, “Hey.”

Eve put her free hand on her hip. “To stay in that house together? When you apparently have a freaking—” she inhaled as her eyes widened, “castle here?” Her voice shrieked on the last two words.

“And who knew you had a castle?” She shook her head.

“Because you never told me. How is that?

Not once in all the time we've known each other did you tell me you lived in a freaking castle!”

Hmm.

I was on Eve's side with this one.

I wasn't sure how big Carlo's guest house was, but there were four adults and a ton of kids here. I bet that guest house would get pretty full pretty fast with all these bodies running around inside it.

Plus, I felt bad for Giselle. She looked so big and so uncomfortable. I had a feeling she probably craved having a little space from everyone else before she was about to add one more human to all this chaos.

“Of course we have room for you here.” I glared at Stefan and said, “Uncle Stefan can show you to your rooms.”

Dani's little arms shot up into the air, and she yelled, “Yay!”

I laughed and kissed her sweet, chubby cheek. “And you and I will go steal some of Uncle Stefan's cookies. I know where his secret stash is.”

Dani whooped and pumped her arms into the air. Gosh, this kid was so cute. No wonder Giselle was always pregnant.