I wipe my eyes with my free hand. “I miss my siblings so much.”
“Oh, sweet girl. I’m sure they miss you as well.” She pats my hand. “Have you tried reaching out to them?”
I laugh. “Mrs. Ricci, your son has not let me speak to anyone besides anyone in this house.” The crow’s feet around her eyes crease. “I didn’t mean for it to come out that way. I just mean, he does not let me do really anything.” I play with the food on my plate. “I have no idea what he even does all day.”
They both are silent for what seems an eternity until Mrs. Ricci breaks it.
“My son wears the world on his shoulders, and I wish that he didn’t.” She uses the napkin on her lap to wipe the sides of her mouth. “Ever since my husband passed away, Enzo has taken on all the responsibility of our family. Of our legacy and much more than my husband did.” Her eyes soften. “Enzo idolized his father and tries to live up to the man his father was. But like I have told him, his father would approve of him and what he has turned into. Mr. Ricci would be proud at what his son has accomplished.” She winks at me. “I just wished he would slow down to enjoy life. And now he has you who maybe can help him see that.” She pauses before saying, “Though, I do see his point of this situation as he feels that it’s the best option right now, but I see your point on being left in the dark to why.”
Gianna chimes in after shoving a piece of eggs. “Mama, he doesn’t have to be a huge asshole about it.”
Mrs. Ricci scolds her in Sicilian.
“What do you think I should do?”
Mrs. Ricci turns to me and smiles. “Time will tell. Enzo does have a huge heart with a soft center. It needs to be broken down some.”
I nod at her suggestion because she is right. Time will tell.
After breakfast, I insist on cleaning up while Mrs. Ricci went to read on the back patio. Her words roll around in in my head about my husband. All he has shown me the darker side of my husband when he married me, but I have seen more of his other alter ego. But part of me is starting to enjoy both parts of my husband and I would be lying if his darker side did not set my body on fire.
My mind is showing slides of Enzo between my legs hours ago when Gianna asks me a question making me blink my eyes to float back down to reality.
“Ew if your thinking what I think your thinking of.” I blush at her comment. “And two, I was thinking we need to have a redo of a girls day more like a girl’s night.” I smile at her because a girls night in does sound amazing. Some cheesy romcoms, popcorn, and all the snacks. “I have been itching to go dancing, but Enzo has not been a big fan of it lately.”
I furrow my eyebrows. “If he does not want you or us to go, maybe a night in would be best. Lucia, my little sister and I would do those nights all the time. Watch our favorite movies and popcorn and–––”
“Oh, that does sound like fun. But I have been feeling too cooped up in this house and want to have a night of fun.” She pouts at me and begs. “Please, Isabella? It will be so much fun and a night to remember.”
I roll my eyes because I cannot say no to Gianna. Plus, she and I are starting to build a real friendship. “I guess we could.”
She shrieks with excitement and rushes out of the kitchen with lightning speed.
I finish cleaning the kitchen, make another coffee, and the fear that I tucked so far away inside starts to resurface about having the feeling of someone watching me. Not in the way that Enzo watches me like he states. No, this one feels scary.
“What are you suggesting, Enzo?” Luca Grasso sits across from me at my nightclub to discuss the missing product from my shipments. He reaches out for his vodka soda on the small circular glass table in front of him. “Eduardo Di Marco has been yapping his dumb ass mouth to anyone who will listen that you are to pay for killing his son.” He leans back, legs spread wide, sipping on his drink. My eyes quickly move to Angelo and back to Luca. “You, my friend, have a hit out on you if the word on the street is correct. But we all know that Eduardo is a fucking yapper with no bite.”
“No fucking shit. A few weeks ago, my wife and I were gunned down at a restaurant downtown. “The glass tumbler in my hand, my fingers grip it so tightly I could crack it, slicing open all my fingers.
“Yes, I did hear about that. You’re a lucky bastard that you did not end up in the morgue in a body bag. Thankfully, your new bride was not a new widow.” Luca sips his drink. “Any idea who it was?”
I have had my suspicions that the Di Marco’s were behind fucking with my money. My product. But if they are behind this, they are fucking stupid to think I would not put two and two together? Eduardo has never been too bright of a man to think of putting together this type of a plan. No, this seems to have Costa written all over it. Ever since I proposed a deal with him in exchange for his daughter, I have not partnered with him on one damn thing. I got what I wanted. Isabella.
I take a sip of my whiskey. “This is Costa trying to show that he is the alpha in this business arrangement. Eduardo is too fucking dumb to do anything like this. He would flash his money to get what he wants.” I toss the rest of my drink back, place it on the table and signal for the waitress to bring me another.
“Let me guess, it has something to do with you marrying his daughter over the arrangement with the Di Marco’s?” He laughs. “Costa was not stupid for keeping her under lock and key for so many years. She is beautiful. A natural beauty with a vivacious body.”
I’m on my feet so fast that I don’t even think when my hand grips around his throat, my nostrils flaring, and all I can envision is gouging his eyes out with an ice pick. That way he could never look or gawk at my wife’s body or admire her beauty. His hands circle my forearm, begging for me to let go with his eyes widen.
His second rushes to his side and I can sense Angelo still standing in his spot. “I would think twice before you speak about my wife and her body again, Grasso. I have no problem ripping out your eyes from their socket so you can never look at her again,” I grit out.
I release him and adjust my suit before sitting down. His hand goes to his throat, trying to catch his breath. We both sit there staring at each other before I say, “To answer your question, what I am suggesting is for us to work together and push out the Di Marcos altogether. Because if what is true about what they are trying to bring to our city, our streets, is against everything our families have built. What my father had built. And if Costa is still working with them, they need to be dealt with.”
Luca drags his hand down his face, nodding his head. “You have a plan don’t you, Enzo?”
I sit back in my seat, drape my arms across the back on each side, spread my legs wide, making my dominance known whenI smile and say, “Costa’s one and only true love is his fucking money. The way to push him out is by taking away his ability to buy a new property. He strives to be seen as the richest and smartest man in the room when in reality he really is a snake. Slithering his way around. Di Marco is a piece of fucking shit for how he treats the women in his clubs and what he is trying to get involved with. We all do, using our businesses as a cover for what we truly do.” Luca stares at me for a moment as I sit back, waiting for him to respond.
“It would be nice to have them not bitching or groaning about shit.” Luca plays with his one of his cuff links. “If what you have shown me is to be true, Enzo. Then yes, we do need to push them out for good to keep our city safe.”
