Elisa lies asleep in my arms. I’ve always liked my space in bed, but as soon as Elisa turned in her sleep to move away, I felt the need to drag her back to my side. She murmurs something, then nestles in, letting out a tiny sigh.
I wanted her first time to go slower, but I was like a man possessed. I couldn’t wait to be inside her. Every sound she made spurred me on, and when she clung to me, her lips begging for more, her eyes pleading for me to show her how good it could be, I gave her what we both needed.
When she cried out in pain, it was like a knife to my gut, but I’m not a good man because even the sight of her tears didn’t deter me from fucking my wife until we both lay exhausted in our bed.
I carried her into the shower after our lovemaking and washed us both clean. I hoped the hot water would ease her aching muscles. She’s going to feel sore in the morning, and even though I don’t want her to hurt, a part of me wants to pound my chest like a Neanderthal over claiming my woman.
Elisa looks so peaceful with the sheet barely covering her. When she reached for her nightgown, I took it from her hand and tossed it aside.
“Tonight, we sleep naked,” I told her. We won’t be able to do this every night. We never know when Adriana might come into our room, or if we need to run to her. I’m taking advantage of our night alone.
Elisa didn’t argue and climbed into bed. Her eyes closed as soon as her head hit the pillow. I won’t sleep for quite a while. I normally get five hours at best, but that’s always been enough for me. I allow my hand to roam over the silky soft skin of her outer thigh and over her belly. My mind wanders to the idea of planting my child inside her. Elisa is fabulous with Adriana, and I’m sure she’s always wanted to have a child of her own.
I’d love to watch her belly swell with my child inside her. Elisa’s beautiful now; she’d be unbelievably gorgeous pregnant. She wriggles under my touch and snuggles her ass into my groin. My cock leaps to life, wanting more of her. I curb my desire, letting her sleep. Eventually, I drift off into blissful peace.
She’s a thirst I can’t quench. I swore I’d give her time to recover before taking her again, but my need is too great. I wake her with my mouth between her legs; she moans like she’s having a delicious dream, but it’s me who’s satisfying my craving for her.
Her hips gyrate, and her eyes open to see me eating her pussy with great vigor. I insert two fingers in her pussy and watch her breasts heave as she calls my name. I rub her clit and take in the sight of her throwing her head back, her body arching as her finger grip the sheets.
“Oh… Oh! Ivo, I can’t—” she says breathlessly.
“Oh, I think you can,” I tell her as my finger pumps in and out, her juices all over them. I want in that pussy, but first, I want her to come. “Come for me, regina mia,” I command. And she does, her vibrant eyes lighting up, her body shaking from the force of her orgasm.
I don’t delay in taking what I need. I pull her legs up and apart, taking only a second to enjoy the smooth pink pussy soaked with her juices before I ram my thick, engorged cock inside her. I need to possess every part of her. My cock disappears inside her tight pussy.
My need is so desperate that it’s not long before I’m on the cusp of my own release. Her hands hold my shoulders, clinging to me, her breasts bouncing with the force of my thrusts, and she moans my name over and over. She needs to come again.
“Together, baby,” I tell her.
“Ivo, please.” She begs so prettily that I drop my mouth to hers and fuck her faster. I consume her mouth, smothering her cries as we both come.
Totally sated, I’m careful not to crush her, but I’m not ready to release her yet. Elisa wraps her arms tighter around me to keep me close. I gaze upon her flushed cheeks, the pink skin at her neck from the roughness of my stubbled beard. I touch my forehead to hers.
“I wish we could stay like this all day,” Elisa murmurs.
“I wasn’t too rough?”
She blushes profusely, then whispers, “I liked it.”
I chuckle, brushing a stray tendril from her face. “Good,” I reply, then kiss her tenderly. Unfortunately, the real world is soon going to infiltrate our day. We need to pick up Adriana from Raffaele and Evangeline’s place, and, wedding or not, Massimo and I have to brief Raffaele on the current state of Bruto and Ruggero.
“I’ll shower first and give you a little extra time to rest,” I say, brushing my lips over hers.
“Okay.” She releases me from her grasp. I pull out carefully, my cock glistening with her moist, hot nectar.
“Fuck it!” I exclaim, and haul myself out of bed. I reach for Elisa and toss her over my shoulder. She lets out a shriek. I slap her ass. “Quiet! I need to fuck my wife in the shower,” I bark, to which she responds with a giggle.
Several hours later, Elisa and I make our way across the grounds to see Raffaele and Evangeline and pick up Adriana, but only after the lunch Evangeline has planned. Evangeline wanted to make it a family affair and invite Elisa’s parents. Elisa didn’t want that and expressed her desire to keep it between the five of us. Evangeline was upset at first, but over the course of the last couple of weeks and seeing the interaction between Elisa and her parents, she now understands how stressful it would have been for Elisa.
There’s a car parked in front of the house. I don’t recognize it at first, then the door opens, and Adriana races straight for us. She jumps into my arms, shouting and giggling. “Daddy, Daddy, Uncle Leno is trying to catch me! We’re playing tag. Don’t let him get me.”
Walking out after Adriana is Elisa’s brother, Leno. Elisa’s eyes brighten when she sees her brother, and she moves in for a hug.
“What are you doing here?” Elisa asks, linking her arm in his.
“I was invited.” He looks over his shoulder to where Raffaele is standing in the doorway. “By our capo.”
Elisa’s smile turns into a frown, and she says, “Dad’s going to be pissed.”
“As far as Dad knows, the capo has asked me over to discuss business,” Leno replies, giving a shrug and looking back over his shoulder. “Right, sir?”
Raffaele lets out a deep, low laugh. “We do have work to discuss. Perhaps we should do that before we enjoy our meal,” he replies before he goes back inside. That’s our cue to follow. I carry Adriana, with Elisa by my side.
As soon as we reach the house, Adriana shimmies in my arms to let her down, then takes Elisa’s hand and drags her off to find Evangeline, while Leno joins me in Raffaele’s office. Francesco and Massimo are already waiting for us.
“Now that we’re all here. I want to go over what we know and, more importantly, what we don’t know,” Raffaele starts. “Ruggero has been traveling back and forth from here to Piemonte and Sicilia for the last three years consistently. Bruto has been making the same trips, but only for the last six months. Bruto has been meeting with contacts approved by me for product that’s shipped to us and meant for distribution to our contact in Philadelphia. Ivo and I are meeting with Bruto tomorrow morning at his place to see what he has to say for himself. There’s nothing pointing to Bruto doing anything other than what I have instructed him to do. I’ve followed up with my contacts, and he’s made every meeting on time and hasn’t deviated from my instructions.”
“The same cannot be said about Ruggero,” I begin. “Ruggero’s trips were not planned, and although he’s hitting the same cities, he’s not making the regular visits that would be expected. Occasionally, he’s met with our partners out that way, but rarely are the meetings planned, and based on what we’ve been told, they’re more of a social visit. Raffaele and I believe his drop-ins are a smoke screen for why he was actually in the city.”
“I want him watched. I need someone glued to him until I get answers from Bruto. I want to hear him out. He’s served our family well in the past and is an underboss who earned his position the hard way, up from nothing.” Raffaele respects those who prove themselves over those who fall into their role because tradition dictates it. Normally, the firstborn son of an underboss takes over the territory, but only if the capo agrees. Raffaele has rarely interfered with this, yet from time to time, he’ll put the intended underboss through a series of trainings to see if they’re worthy of the title.
“You’re not getting soft, are you?” Francesco jokes.
Raffaele releases a snort of derision. “I’ll hang the asshole by his toes and gut him myself if I find out he has any role in betraying Ultimo Morte.” He turns to Leno. “I’m trusting you to find Ruggero and stick close to him. I have a man on him for now, keeping tabs on him from outside his home. Once we’re done here, you’re to relieve him until I’ve had my meeting with Bruto. I want an account of where he goes, who comes in and out of his house, and anything else that you see. Got it?”
“Yes, of course. Whatever you need, Capo,” Leno responds with a curt nod.
Raffaele lets out a heavy sigh. “Right. Evangeline’s gone to great lengths to make this meal about family.” He looks at each of us. “She says this is our family. You’re all invited to lunch.”
Massimo and Francesco look stunned. In all the time they’ve been with Raffaele, not once have they been asked to stay for a special occasion. Evangeline made Raffaele’s house a home. She’s brought warmth into his cold heart. No doubt, Raffaele is still an evil bastard, but around Evangeline, his human side comes out.
Massimo looks at me, and his expression is priceless. He’s wondering if he’s hearing things. I can’t help but laugh out loud.
“Come on, guys, we don’t want to keep the ladies waiting,” I say. We’re leaving the room when Raffaele calls me back. “What’s up?”
“Adriana had a lot of questions last night. One being whether she can call Elisa her mom,” Raffaele says.
“What did you tell her?”
“It wasn’t my place to give her an answer that should come from you and Elisa. Personally, I think it would be good for her. But it’s your call.”
I’m torn. I want Elisa and Adriana to bond, but I also don’t want my daughter to forget her mother. I’ve got to let this play out and see how it goes. Sometimes, the best thing to do is nothing.
“Thanks. I’ll keep my ears open.”
He clasps a hand on my shoulder and says, “Let’s go eat.” He gives me a smirk and continues, “Do me a favor, tell Evangeline that the manicotti is the best you ever tasted. She’s been working in the kitchen all morning.”
“You got it, brother,” I reply. That’s Evangeline. She goes all out for the people she loves. Her cooking is awesome, and I’m sure her manicotti is to die for. But I’ll make a special effort to tell her so.
Everyone else has already taken their places at the table, leaving the head of the table for Raffaele, and I’m seated to his right. I see Adriana is between Elisa and me, and the two have their heads together, talking away as if no one else is around. I love the fact that Elisa has fit so well into our lives.
The meal is delicious, but before I can say a word about Evangeline’s pasta, Elisa speaks up. “This manicotti is delicious. You’re going to have to give me the recipe. I’ve made them a few times, but your filling is way better than mine.”
I glance over at Raffaele, who has his head down, staring into his plate and choking back a chuckle. “Guess you didn’t have to worry,” I mumble under my breath for only him to hear.
The afternoon is filled with family and good friends. I can see that Elisa and her brother have a lot of love for one another. This makes me even more curious as to why Elisa was always alone in that house after Guido’s death.
I bide my time and wait for a moment when Leno and I are alone outside on the patio, then make my move.
“It’s good that you came today. Elisa misses her brother. Not so much her mother and father, though,” I comment.
Leno scans around to see if anyone is near us, then takes a step closer. “I don’t want to talk badly about our parents. They’re still our mother and father, and for that, I must respect them. However, they’ve never been as attentive as they should be. Elisa didn’t have an easy time of it. Mom wanted the perfect daughter and put a lot of pressure on her. The best thing that happened to Elisa was Guido’s proposal. That’s why Elisa insisted that Guido not break the engagement after he was injured. Dad was fucking pissed at Elisa,” he tells me, shaking his head. “I was scared for her that night. I ended up sleeping on the floor in her room because Dad was enraged by her decision, and I didn’t know what he’d do. From that moment on, he basically ignored her unless it was convenient for him.”
I fight the urge to get in my car and go beat the shit out of her father. And I still don’t know why Leno didn’t make more of an effort. “What about you? Did you wipe your hands clean of your sister too?”
Leno’s jaw clenches and the vein in his neck bulges, as he whispers loudly, “I did not! Luigi Zotteri is a dick father, and when Elisa married Guido, he made her life hell. It got to the point where Elisa wouldn’t come by anymore. That’s when good old Dad decided that she wasn’t family and pretty much disowned her. You couldn’t even say her name in the house without him flipping his lid. I was young, and I missed my sister. I snuck out to see her several times, but the last time I did, my father beat me so badly that he had to tell the rest of Ultimo Morte I had an accident and was recovering. Elisa knew that wasn’t the truth, so the next time I went to see her, she refused to let me in. She made sure the guard didn’t let me past the gate. Elisa was protecting me.” He points to his chest and his gaze falls to his polished black leather shoes. “She was alone, and she was protecting me.” He raises his face and stares right at me. “I was able to get a burner phone to her, and I have one for myself I keep hidden. I call her once a week, but she made me promise to never speak of it. I miss my sister.” His voice falters, and I can see how deeply being separated from Elisa has affected him.
“Your father’s an asshole,” I grit out.
“Tell me something I don’t know.”
“I’ll see to it that you’re able to visit your sister anytime you want.” I’m doing this as much for Elisa as I am for him. She doesn’t hide how much her brother means to her.
“Now that she’s married to the great Ivo Avante, consigliere to our capo, he won’t care if I see Elisa. I may be young, but I’m not stupid. Dad will allow it because it makes him look good. I’ve been working the territory for the past two years and no one knows. I have to bide my time, but when I finally take over, I’ll have earned the respect of our men, and I’ll know what it takes to be a good underboss. I’m paying my dues, and believe me, with my father ordering me around, I’m earning my title,” Leno says with great conviction.
A man in Ultimo Morte needs to be tough. I have to commend Luigi for making a man like Leno. I do not approve of his tactics, but it’s clear that Leno is becoming the kind of underboss that Raffaele can count on. Luigi’s businesses are thriving and have been for quite some time. I’m wondering how much of that success is Leno’s. Perhaps that should be a discussion for another day.
What to do about Luigi and Veronica, though? Elisa doesn’t seem to give a shit if her parents are in her life or not. However, Leno is giving me a heads-up that Luigi is crowing about his daughter’s status and how it will benefit him, which means he plans on being around. I haven’t liked any of the interactions between Elisa and her parents thus far, and my main concern is for Elisa. I’ll have to play it by ear and see what Luigi’s next move will be.
Not long after that, the party breaks up, and I take my girls home. Adriana holds onto each of our hands and skips along between us. All in all, it’s been a good day.
The day started off with my sexy husband in my bed. I’ve discovered that sex is awesome and that the self-induced orgasms from my tiny toy are nothing compared to the ones Ivo gives me. I’m deliciously sore. Ivo is so sweet, not normally a word that one would use to describe my rough and rugged husband. While I was getting ready, he set two ibuprofen with a glass of orange juice on my nightstand. Then he held my hand all the way to our lunch. My hand being warm and secure in his was almost as lovely as when Adriana came running out to greet us with such affection, then finding Leno waiting for us to be part of the day. I am happier than I ever could have imagined.
Mrs. Withers has the day off, and Adriana and I are working on a craft at the kitchen table. Evangeline’s meal was so filling that none of us are hungry. I’ll put cheese and crackers and some other nibblies out later for Ivo and me. Adriana has declared that she wants cereal for dinner. I looked at Ivo, and he nodded his approval before I agreed.
Ivo disappeared into his den to take a call over an hour ago and hasn’t returned yet.
“How did you learn to make a caterpillar from that?” Adriana asks, pointing at the empty egg carton.
“I remember when the teacher taught us how in school,” I tell her, gathering the other items from her craft box. Adriana has a collection of art supplies, everything a little girl could want. Her playroom is well organized with shelves and crates with labels noting what they hold. The trick is convincing Adriana to pick up her toys before getting started on something new. I gently remind her that cleaning up is part of taking responsibility and making sure no one trips and falls over her toys.
Adriana doesn’t even put up a fight. I put on some music, and we dance and put our things away, and now we’re on to our caterpillar project. All this time, Ivo’s been gone, but he’s given Adriana and me time alone to bond.
“Elisa,” Adriana says softly, “Daddy talks about my mom. He says she was beautiful and smart. He says I look like her, but I never really knew her.”
“I met your mom, and everything your daddy told you is the truth. Your mom was kind and funny. She made everyone laugh. I liked her a lot.”
“The other kids at school have a mom,” she says sadly.
“That must be hard for you. You know, I’m willing to come to all the school’s fun times. I may not be your mom, but I care about you very much.”
She lifts her chin, and her voice wobbles when she says, “Can’t you be my mom?”
To say that I’m surprised would be an understatement. How does Ivo feel about this? Has Adriana ever spoken to him about it? There’s so much to consider, and this affects us all. I choose my words carefully, not wanting to upset Adriana or Ivo.
“Well, I would very much like to be one of your moms. I think we need to honor your mom, and that means we can’t forget how important your mother was. She gave your father the greatest gifts. Your mom was very important to your dad, and she gave him you. I know for a fact that your father loves you more than anything in the world.” I keep my voice soft and gentle.
“You don’t want to be my mom?” she asks, her eyes huge.
“I do. Very much,” I rush out, then, more slowly, add, “Mom is a very special word. I think your mom should stay your mom, but I would love to be your mama. That way, we keep your mom in our hearts always. What do you think of that?”
A sweet smile comes across her face. “Mama.” She tries out the word. “I like it.”
“I do have to speak to your dad about this.”
“Daddy won’t care. He wants us to be a family. He said so,” she declares happily.
“I still need to speak with him, sweetie,” I say, wrapping my arm around her shoulders.
“Hello, my lovelies.” Ivo comes in, and I can see that he’s heard the whole conversation. I search his face for a hint of his feelings on the subject. His placid grin isn’t giving away his thoughts. He scoops Adriana out of her chair and snuggles her to his chest, then begins to tickle her.
“Daddy, stop. Please, stop!” she cries, happily squirming in her father’s arms.
He sets Adriana down on her feet. “Can you go play with your dolls in your room for a little while? Daddy needs to talk with your mama.” I suck in a breath. He’s definitely heard everything we said.
Adriana takes off, the pitter-patter of her footsteps tapping as she climbs the steps. I find Ivo gazing at me. I hold my breath as he nears. I tilt my head back to keep my eyes locked with his. He bends at the waist and gives me a crooked smile, then brushes his mouth over mine.
“You handled that well, Mama.”
I exhale. “I want Adriana to be happy. I want that for you too.”
“As you can see, Adriana is happy. And as for me, I’m as happy as I know how to be,” he replies. That’s not the answer I wanted, but it will have to suffice.
“Shall I pull together something light for dinner?” I change the subject, not wanting to ruin my good mood.
“I won’t be able to join you for dinner. I have to go hunting,” he says, raising a brow.
“Hunting?” Curiosity gets the best of me, and I ask, “What are you hunting for?”
“Ruggero has gone missing. We’ve had a man watching his house, but when Leno dropped by to deliver a message from Raffaele, his wife informed us that he wasn’t home and hasn’t been since yesterday.”
“Danilla must be out of her mind with worry,” I say. Guido’s sister, Danilla, has always been a shy woman. She’s refined and beautiful and dotes on Ruggero and their children. Danilla was a very good friend to me throughout my marriage to Guido. After Guido’s death, Danilla mourned her brother’s death, and we cried together. Then suddenly, she stopped calling and has been elusively unavailable whenever I tried calling her.
“We suspect that Ruggero’s dirty. I hope to God Danilla isn’t aware of his unsanctioned trips to Italy. Leno and Massimo are checking out all the places Ruggero is known to frequent. Francesco and I are going to the streets to see what we can find out.”
He clasps his hand around the back of my head and gives me a slow, wet, long kiss. “I’m fucking pissed that I have to leave my wife so soon. I’m not sure when I’ll be home. Raffaele has men standing guard, and he’ll be calling to check in.”
“I’ll wait up for you,” I tell him, still recovering from his kiss.
“Regina mia, get some sleep. I’ll be waking you when I get in. I have every intention of making love to my wife.” He lowers his voice and growls in my ear. “I’ve imagined fucking you a hundred different ways. I’m going to get creative, so sleep, baby. You’re going to need the rest.”
I can feel the heat rising in my cheeks, but also the wetness pooling between my thighs. He gives me one more swift, hard kiss before going upstairs to see his daughter. A few minutes later, he comes back down with Adriana. Adriana gives Ivo a wet, sloppy kiss on the cheek and grabs on to my leg as we watch him leave.
“Be good for Mama while I’m gone,” he says.
Adriana looks up at me with sheer happiness. My heart melts.