A graze against my ass brings me back to the present.
“You have the best ass. Have I told you that?” This time, instead of passing by, Giovanni steps behind me, pulling me into his arms.
“You might have mentioned it a time or two.” I can still hear the distracted tone in my voice.
My eyes are still roaming the room, looking for any sign of betrayal. Most of the partygoers have already gone back to drinking and dancing. Small groups whisper off to the sides of the room.
Right after Sofia and Bash exited the room, a clean-up crew came in and sectioned off the front corner of the room. I guess that is one good thing about hotel banquet halls. The partition blocked off the entire front of the room where the stage was, but I know that behind the wall they are disposing of the bodies and cleaning up the evidence.
Even if someone from tonight is stupid enough to say something, there will be no evidence. Everything will be disposed of before their statement could even be taken.
“Are you okay,cuore mio?” Giovanni holds me a little tighter as I let my eyes fall closed.
“I don’t know,” I reply honestly.
He turns me in his arms and places a quick kiss to my forehead. “That’s okay. You don’t have to be. Take your time. Process what you need to.”
I give him a small smile. “Thank you for being you. I love you.”
“I love you too.”
The doors on the other side of the room open, causing me to turn toward them. My breath catches as I wait to see who is on the other side. It whooshes out of me as soon as I see Sofia and Bash walk into the room hand in hand. I don’t stop the smile that takes over my face at the relief of knowing they are okay. The room quiets as they stop right inside the door.
“Let’s celebrate a long reign of Don Bastiano, leader of the Catalinis, and his queen, Sofia,” Lo yells from behind them.
Everyone cheers as they walk further into the room. Each person crowds to them, wanting to shake their hands or speak to them.
“Does that mean this is over?” I whisper to Giovanni.
He leans over my shoulder before turning my head to his. “It does. This is the beginning of a new way of life for us. Bash earned the respect he has been missing since his father passed. Things will be different now.”
My mind flashes back to Karrisa and Kevin’s children. “Can I ask you something? I need you to be honest.”
I see hurt flash across his eyes. “Always. I will never lie to you.”
We are still in a vulnerable place. We love each other and we’re taking a real shot at this, but my insecurities get in the way sometimes. They have gotten better, but wounds don’t heal overnight. They take time.
“Sorry,” I murmur.
He kisses me softly. “Don’t be. What do you want to know?”
“What will happen to their kids?” I whisper the question, not wanting to be overhead.
He understands who I mean immediately. “Well, Bash doesn’t want his mother to take them in. She’s already volatile, and this will make her even worse. He’s sending her to Italy to get her away from Sofia. He thinks she will blame her.”
“Knowing Mama Catalini, he isn’t wrong to worry,” I mutter.
He smiles. “Exactly. He thought about sending the kids to live with the family in Italy as well, but felt that wouldn’t be fair to them.”
I nod, agreeing with the statement.
“He doesn’t want them to know what they did, but he knows that one day they may hear whispers. They don’t want to take them in themselves for fear of later resentment from the children. Even though they’re only two and four years old, you know how other kids can be. There will be whispers of tonight decades from now.”
“What did they decide?” I ask, my heart aching for the children.
“They want them to stay with family. I told them we would take them in and give them a loving home.” His eyes don’t leave mine, searching for my reaction.
My eyes tear up at his thoughtfulness. “You did?”
