The news about my engagement to the last most-eligible bachelor in Nostra Casa is the hottest piece of gossip in the city. By one o’clock this afternoon, Mamma has been inundated by call after call. Every well-connected woman in the family has called to offer her congratulations and assistance. That’s never happened before.
Not that I was listening on the other end, but from the tone of the conversation, they were pleasantly nice. They’re probably terrified of the wrath of the Viales. It’s not how I would want to earn their kindness, but as long as Mamma is happy, then I don’t care.
Olivia and Anna are on their way over as well. They want to spend time with their new sister-in-law-to-be. I’m supposed to be helping out at the restaurant today, but Mamma insists that I go.
“It’s a good opportunity to get to know them better. They’re going to be in your life forever, bella mia. The brothers are very close, and I know that Olivia and Anna are quite close too. I’m hoping that these are the sisters you never had.”
“I already have amazing parents and fantastic brothers,” I reply.
“Yes, and our family only grows bigger and better,” she insists. I can’t argue with that. “Dante’s such a handsome young man. Almost as handsome as your father.” She giggles.
Married almost thirty years, and Mamma and Papa are still in love. I long for that kind of love. It’s rare in our midst. Even though Mamma and Papa’s marriage was arranged, it really wasn’t. Papa fell in love with Mamma at first sight, just as she did him. He pursued her and proved himself over and over to my grandfather until he relented and agreed to their marriage.
“You know, Dante looks at you the same way your father looks at me,” Mamma says.
“I don’t think so,” I begin, but she raises a hand to silence me.
“Bella, Dante could have any woman he wants. He chose you. Men have been throwing their daughters at him for years, and he’s sidestepped every one of them. You’re special. Don’t ever forget that, and even more importantly, don’t let Dante forget that.” She gives me a wink before walking out of the room.
* * *
Anna, Olivia, and I arrive at Thai Village. I love Thai food, and they’ve never been to my hidden gem. I discovered this place one night after a late class. I came with a couple of study buddies, and I love it so much that I try to get my fix here once a month.
The place is quaint, with muted cream walls with deep red accents, and the staff is fabulous. Anna and Olivia came with three bodyguards. Normally, Zano would come with me, or Papa would make a point of being in the area.
“Reno is very cautious,” I note, as I watch the men take the table next to us.
“That’s putting it mildly.” Anna chuckles.
“You better get used to it. It seems to be a Viale trait,” Olivia says. “Matteo is new, and he’s your shadow now,” she adds, looking over her shoulder to a burly man in his midthirties who looks like he eats nails for breakfast.
“What?” I exclaim. “He’s never mentioned anything.”
“It’s to be expected, Elena.” Anna pats my hand. “We are a target. The enemies of Nostra Casa look for ways to hurt our men, and that makes us a mark. The Viale men don’t take chances with their families.”
“I heard Dante tell Sebastian this morning that he’s having a man at your Papa’s restaurant daily to make sure your family stays safe,” Olivia says.
“Really. Dante’s protecting my parents?” Maybe I shouldn’t be surprised, but I am. Papa’s no slouch when it comes to looking after us, but knowing that he doesn’t have to do it alone makes me feel tons better.
“And don’t let Matteo’s fight face scare you. He’s really a sweet guy, but he knows how to do his job and will protect you at all costs,” Olivia assures me. I glance over at Matteo and see that he has his eyes glued on the door leading into the restaurant. One guard has his focus set on our table, and another sweeps his gaze toward the back of the room.
When I look back at the girls, they’re already perusing the menu and have shifted the conversation to wedding colors. It’s not long before the waitress comes to take our order and we’re eating and gabbing.
“Are you a traditionalist, or would you try a more modern-style dress?” Olivia asks.
“I’m open, but I think my parents would like something more conservative.” I take another bite of my mango chicken. It tastes heavenly. The succulent tang of their sweet chili sauce and ripe mango with the chicken is a burst of flavor for the senses.
“There’s a new boutique on Main Street, and they have some newer, more modern styles. I think you and your mom should check them out. If you want another opinion, I’d be glad to come,” Olivia adds.
“We haven’t even set a date.”
“Doesn’t hurt to look,” Anna says.
“Once Dante and I decide on a date, we’ll go.” I look at Anna. “You need to come too.”
“I’d be honored.” She gives me a bright smile that suddenly turns into a forced polite grin. I turn to see what’s causing the change in her demeanor and find Renata and Beatrice coming toward us. They’re the daughters of two prominent underbosses, but by the expression on Anna’s and Olivia’s faces, they’re not very excited to see them.
I’ve encountered them only a couple of times at Christmas parties hosted by Reno and Anna. Both times, I was ignored and grateful for it. I can only plaster a fake smile on my lips for so long before my cheeks hurt.
Both women are classic beauties. Both have long dark hair. Renata has dark eyes and is dressed in skin-tight jeans and a blazing red silk shirt, with heels that accentuate her long legs. Beatrice has large hazel eyes and pouty lips and curves in all the right places and has on a super-cute pale-blue summer dress.
Renata greets the queen of Nostra Casa. “Mrs. Viale, it’s lovely to see you. I’m surprised to find you in a place like this.”
“Good to see you, Renata, Beatrice,” Anna responds courteously, but curtly.
“Hi, Olivia.” Beatrice does a little wave after acknowledging Anna first. It takes a moment before either of the women turns to me, and when they do, I recognize the look of disdain. It’s masked, but I’ve seen enough of it to know when someone’s being real with me.
“I hear congratulations are in order, Helena.” Renata knows my name and purposely mispronounces it to rile me. I feel Anna stiffen beside me.
“Thank you. And it’s Elena. I’m afraid you have me at a disadvantage. I don’t believe we’ve met.” Yeah, that’s right! I can play the bitch game too.
Olivia cracks a grin and covers her mouth quickly with her napkin.
“Right. Of course. Our paths haven’t met. We tend to move in different social circles,” Renata retaliates. “We won’t keep you. Beatrice and I have appointments at the spa.” She turns back to Anna, “Let’s make plans to meet for lunch one day next week. It’ll be fun.”
I saw it happening, but didn’t have time to push away from the table. As Renata turned to leave, she nudged her fingers over the water glass, causing it to tip and fall, splashing water into my mango chicken and all over the table and into my lap. I push back my chair. Olivia is already handing me her napkin so I can pat myself dry.
Anna jumps to her feet. She’s really upset, as she too clearly realizes this wasn’t an accident. I tug on her hand to stop her from saying something. With women like this, it has no effect.
“Oh dear! I’m so clumsy.” Renata pretends to be shocked. “So sorry.” Her words are empty, and she’s already taking Beatrice by the hand and leading her outside. In Beatrice’s defense, she looks stunned as she’s being dragged out by her friend.
Olivia starts after them, but I call her back. “Let it go, Olivia.”
“They did that on purpose.”
“I know.”
“How dare they!” Olivia exclaims angrily.
“They’re bullies. Sometimes the best defense is to ignore them.” I stand to dry my pants with the cloth. Matteo is by my side in seconds. “It’s fine. Just a little water,” I assure him. He takes a step back. “I told Dante this wouldn’t work, for just this reason,” I mutter under my breath.
“They don’t matter. The only one who does is Dante, and he chose you,” Anna insists.
“He’ll care when the gossip starts, if it hasn’t already. He’ll be the brother who married beneath him,” I say.
“My father’s a soldier,” Olivia reminds me.
“I’m proud of my parents. I know what my father is and what he’s done for Nostra Casa. Our situations are different. You came from La Famiglia, and whether the idea is true or not, the bond between the two families became stronger and both families benefited. It’s nothing like that for us. I’m a girl who was at the wrong place at the right time. Dante chose me because I happened to jump on Reno and pull him to the floor when the bullets started flying. It’s something I would have done for anyone standing there. It just happened to be our capo.”
“I, for one, am grateful. I love my husband, and the thought of losing him that day if it weren’t for your quick thinking makes me shudder.” Anna rests a hand over her heart. “Don’t minimize your actions. Your warning gave them the split second they needed, and we’re better for having you in our family. Dante’s a lucky man.”
Overwhelmed by her sincerity, I utter a simple “Thank you.” Our guards behind us move to join us. Matteo bows his head slightly, a sign of respect before joining the conversation.
“I’m privileged to be the one to stand beside you and protect you. Mr. Viale chose a real woman with true family values. We’ve”—he moves his hand to indicate the others—“pledged allegiance to Nostra Casa, to the Viale family, and now to you.”
Crap! I don’t want to cry. I bite my lower lip and lower my gaze, hoping they don’t see how close I am to tears. Thank goodness for Olivia and her quick wit.
“I think fudgy pops are in order,” she declares.
“We just ate,” Anna says.
“Elena didn’t get to finish her meal, and there’s always room for ice cream,” Olivia says with an infectious giggle that leads to all of us having a good laugh.
* * *
Dante
I’m on my way to see Elena and her parents. Last night was a celebration, but we haven’t had time to decide on a date. Reno made it clear that we’re sparing no expense. When he married Anna, it was in La Famiglia territory, and a small dinner with only the underbosses present was held in their honor when they came home. Sebastian and Olivia mixed it up. The church service was in La Famiglia territory and the outdoor reception was here.
As I’m the last brother, and as I’ve chosen a woman in Nostra Casa, Reno wants this to be a true celebration. I understand it, but I hate it, but it is expected, and I will concede, not because of tradition, but because it means something to Reno.
Elio’s been my shadow all day. He’s listened, followed instructions, and is taking his new role very seriously. We’ve been through the security systems and reviewed who is on our radar. He’s no techie, but he’s a quick learner and seems to have a passion to learn more about it.
“I can take some evening courses to learn more about computers and programming,” he says eagerly.
“Yeah? Programming’s not for everyone. Sebastian hates it,” I say.
“I wanted to go to college, but my father was injured, and I needed to step up.”
“I know how that is.” And I do. Once we made it back to Nostra Casa, the obligations and pressure to perform and be the best were suffocating. Sebastian and I were lucky to have Reno, who shielded us from the madman known as our father. “Look into it. See if there’s a course you want to try. Once you take it, you’ll know if it’s for you. If you like it, Nostra Casa will pay for you to get your degree.”
“I can’t accept—”
“You can, and you will. We take care of our own. Understand?”
“Yes, Mr. Viale.”
“Dante. I’m only Mr. Viale with the other men present.”
Elio cracks a smile, the first one all day.
A call comes in through the Bluetooth on the car. I hit the button when I see it’s Sebastian.
“Hey, Sebastian.”
“Hey, yourself. I have a wife who is so wound up, I may have to take her to the gym to get out her aggression. Never mind, I got other ways,” he tells us with a laugh.
“You’re on speakerphone in the car, ass wipe,” I remind him. I sigh. “Is there a reason you’re telling me this?”
“The girls went to lunch today, and some chick purposely spilled water on Elena. Elena shrugged it off like it was nothing. Anna is furious, and Olivia wants to go find her and pull her hair out.”
My hands grip the wheel tighter and my blood boils. We just had this fucking discussion this morning, and not a few hours later, some fancy debutante treats my woman like garbage? That shit doesn’t fly with me.
“Who was it?” I grit through clenched teeth.
“Firenze Mandello’s daughter, Renata. The other girl with her was Beatrice Vasso. She was there and, according to Olivia, seemed as surprised as the rest that Renata did what she did,” Sebastian explains.
I veer the car toward a side street and swerve back onto the road, heading back in the direction I came from.
“What’s going on?” Elio asks.
“It seems that we need to teach someone some manners.”
Elio is silent for a second, then cautiously says, “Elena’s used to this. There’s no need to get into it with Renata’s father about this.” He pauses. “Dante, we’re not the only ones who get razzed. It’s all part of life.”
“That makes it okay?” I reply, not expecting am answer. “My wife is to be respected. Hell! All our men should be respected for the work they do and for their loyalty to Nostra Casa.” I slam my hand down on the steering wheel in frustration. “In our world, we must prove ourselves worthy, but once we do, we’re treated right. We have enough enemies out there”—I point out the window—“ready to tear us down. We shouldn’t have to worry about that with our own.”
Elio sees my determination and decides this is a good time to leave it alone and go with it. It eats at me that he thinks this is normal. Then I think back on my father’s days of running Nostra Casa and realize maybe this was normal then. He had his favorites, and he played them against one another. It was a game to him.
Upon arriving at Firenze’s home, I see his men must have alerted him when we reached the gate, because there he is, waiting for us with a smile. Firenze’s been a great asset to Nostra Casa, and I’m going to hate this conversation with him, but it must be done.
“Dante, what a pleasure to have you drop in.” He reaches for my hand and shakes it, then takes Elio’s hand. “Congratulations, young man. I’m very pleased for you.”
Firenze’s a good man. His crew say nothing but great things about his leadership. His men are well trained, ordered, and disciplined. Firenze runs a tight ship, and is highly commended for his efforts.
His salt-and-pepper hair, more salt than pepper, shows his seasoned experience. Like the rest of us, he’s killed many a man, but he’s also a family man. Although he’s careful not to show it, I know he adores his wife. They were a love match, and as the story goes, he fought with his own father to marry his love, Nicola. He went against his own father’s wishes for the woman he chose, and he built a family he’s proud of. Yet another reason why this will be difficult.
“Come in, come in,” he invites, waving us inside. Nicola’s standing in the hallway, eagerly waiting to greet us.
“Dante, dear boy, it’s been a while. I’m so glad you came for a visit.” She gives me a kiss on each cheek, then turns to Elio. “Elio, bello, look how handsome you’ve become. A long way from the teenage boy serving at the restaurant.” She gives him a smile.
Elio returns a grin and says, “It’s good to see you again. Mamma appreciated your visit at the restaurant the other day. She mentioned wanting to have you come by the house next week for dinner one night. Expect a call.”
She clasps her hands together, beaming happily. “It will be our pleasure,” she confirms. “Your mother is a saint. Between the restaurant and her three men, I don’t know how she does it, but she handles everything seamlessly.”
I have to get this done before we become too nostalgic. “I need to have a word,” I say in a low tone to Firenze.
“Certainly. We’ll go to my office,” he replies, and sets off in that direction, with Elio following close behind. Once inside, we take a seat in the chairs in front of his dark oak wood desk, as Firenze sits in his chair. “What can I do for you, Dante?” He sits forward, his elbows resting on the desk.
“We have a problem. Her name is Renata.”
Firenze blinks once and then lets out a heavyhearted sigh. “Renata has been acting out a little in the last year, but I can’t imagine she could do anything so terrible that it would bring you here to discuss the matter. What has she done? I’ll have her apologize immediately. We’ll make this right.” He shifts his gaze between us.
“I’m afraid we’re past fake apologies. This time, there needs to be a punishment.”
He gasps. “Good God, what has Renata done?”
“Earlier today, she and a friend approached Elena, and not only did they belittle her, but Renata purposely caused a glass of water to fall into her meal and onto her lap. Renata has insulted my future wife for the last time. And from what you’ve alluded to, this is becoming a destructive pattern.”
Grappling with what I’ve just said, Firenze begins to make an excuse for her. “This could have been a genuine accident.”
I shake my head. “No. Anna and Olivia were present.”
“Why would Renata do this? She doesn’t really know Elena all that well.”
“Exactly. Why indeed?”
“I’ll call her down. We’ll get to the bottom of this.”
“Regardless of the reason why, she will pay for what she’s done.” I take a breath. “This is very difficult for me. I consider you a dear friend and respect you a great deal, but I cannot let this go. This came directly from Sebastian, and I’m sure that Reno has already heard an earful from Anna about today’s event. Neither of these women is very happy at the moment.”
Without another word, Firenze goes to the door, calling for his wife to send Renata into his office. Elio drops his gaze to the floor. He’s not comfortable with this. Killing a man, sure! Talking to a father about his daughter, not so much! I lean in and murmur, “You’ll learn that, man or woman, no one disrespects the Viales or Nostra Casa.”
He nods, but he still doesn’t like it. He’ll need to toughen up. It hasn’t happened often, but we’ve had a few women who thought they could bring down Nostra Casa by spying and reporting back to our enemies. They paid with their lives.
Renata prances through the door, but stops dead when she sees Elio and me waiting there with her father. She fucking knows she’s in trouble. She reads the room like a champ! She puts on the innocent young girl act, with big eyes and trembling voice. She could win the Academy Award for Best Actress.
“Papa, you called for me?” she asks, gliding over to her father’s side, linking her arm through his as if she’s seeking protection. Her pretense makes me want to slap her silly and tell her to grow the fuck up.
To his credit, Firenze untangles his daughter from his arm and is direct in asking, “What did you do today?”
“Beatrice and I had lunch together and then went to get our nails done. Oh, and we ran into Anna, Olivia, and Elena.” The bitch has some nerve to turn to me and say, “I offered Elena my congratulations on your engagement, and now I will offer you my well wishes.”
“What else happened?” I demand, my jaw clenching in anger.
“You don’t mean my little accident when I tipped the glass over, do you? It was an unfortunate accident. Beatrice knocked into me and—”
I interrupt her harshly. “Bullshit!” Rising from my chair, I take a step forward, and as I do, Renata takes a step back, behind her father. Firenze is caught between a rock and a hard place. He loves his family, but Nostra Casa comes first. He steps to the side, partially obstructing Renata from me.
Renata tries to interject. “Honest—”
“Think carefully before you speak,” I warn.
“I can’t believe Elena would make a big deal about this. What a little snitch.”
“Elena hasn’t said a word. She doesn’t even know that I’m aware of the situation. Consider who else was present. Are you calling both my sisters-in-law liars?” I furrow my brow, tilting my head to one side, watching Renata squirm.
“No, of course not. Beatrice…” She stumbles over her words.
“Not to worry. She’s next on my list, but right now, I’m here about you and your actions.”
“I’m sorry,” she blurts out, and turns to her father. “Papa, I’m truly sorry.”
Firenze is obviously disappointed. He lets out a breath. “Are you sorry for what you did or that you were caught? I’ve not liked the way you’ve been acting out lately. I was attributing it to a rebellious stage. Instead of the loving little girl your mother and I raised, you’ve turned into a pompous princess. What’s gotten into you?” With a hand to his heart, he says, “I love you and always will, but this behavior is unacceptable.”
“You don’t get it,” she cries, hands fisted at her sides as she stomps the floor with her foot.
“Explain it to me. I’m not a stupid man,” her father insists, raising his voice to match her tone.
“You and the other underbosses have worked your asses off for Nostra Casa. Then all of a sudden, these women from La Famiglia arrive and take our most eligible men. It should have been one of us.” Renata hitches a hand to her hip. “I get the whole Anna thing. Peace between families and so on. I can even get over Sebastian choosing Olivia, although I don’t understand it. But the last Viale man finally chooses a bride, and he picks a broken-down soldier’s daughter? How’s that fair? We women in Nostra Casa, we’ve been raised our whole lives knowing we were pawns in a game to elevate our families. Well, what happens to us, to me?”
Elio growls beside me, his anger understandable. Hearing the insults to his sister is bad enough, but to hear her talk about his father is crossing a line. I drop my hand on his shoulder.
“Who’s filling your head with this garbage?” her father shouts.
Judging by her expression, Firenze’s on to something. “I-I’m not supposed to—”
“Renata, as God is my witness, if I must, rest assured, I will beat it out of you. Who turned my beautiful, loving girl into what I see before me?” His face is severe, his tone menacing.
“Firenze, calm down,” I tell him. “One step at a time. You can use whatever methods you choose to get your answers from Renata when I leave. I’ll have to inform Reno about this. But for the moment, there’s still the matter of retribution for her actions.”
“What do you suggest?” Firenze asks, stepping away from his daughter.
I stare Renata in the eye and say, “Ten lashes with a belt to her hands, given by Elio. If you act like a child, you’ll be treated as such.” I watch as her mouth drops open, but I don’t want to waste any more time on this, so I say, “I’m being lenient. I want to do it myself, but I’m so pissed off, I’m sure I’ll make you bleed. Before you ask, I will not put your father in the position to administer such a punishment to his child. He’s a good man and shouldn’t be made to impose a punishment on his daughter. Elio will be fair.”
“Elena’s his sister,” she counters, looking at her father, her eyes begging for him to stop this.
“I trust Elio to do the right thing,” I say to Firenze.
He’s conflicted, but says, “So do I,” then swallows deeply. I hate this for him.
Elio says quietly, “Reno?”
“He’d give her far worse than this,” I assure him.
With a hiccupped sob, Renata tries to barter. “I’ll tell you everything.”
“You will. But that is why Elio will stop at ten. If you aren’t forthcoming with your father with information on who’s spewing this shit so we can shut it down, he’ll be back, and it won’t be your hands this time, and he won’t stop at ten. Am I being perfectly clear?” I wait for her to nod, tears in her eyes. I can see the shudder course through her body as she lets out a whimper of fear.
I’ve made a decision, and even if I wanted to, there’s no turning back. It would be considered an admission of weakness. The Viales have a reputation to uphold. We’re fair, but when wronged, we make them pay.
“Take off your belt, Elio,” I say. When he hesitates, I turn my head to give him my sternest glare. He does as I ask. “Firenze, if you’d rather wait outside, I’ll understand.”
He shakes his head. “No, I will stand by my daughter.”
“Very well.” I call Renata forward. “Let’s get this done.” With a little nudge from her father, she comes to stand in front of me. “Face Elio. Count them out.” I nod to Elio. “Begin.”
With every strike, Renata flinches from the impact. Elio holds firm, but I can see that he hates this. Renata counts out each smack, tears streaming down her cheeks. When the last strike is done, she bursts out in sobs. Elio looks relieved that it’s over, and Firenze takes his daughter into his arms.
I send Elio out to find Nicola and have her bring some salve to relieve the pain and begin the healing process. I wait for the door to shut before I say, “I wish there were another way, but you know our world. This could not go unpunished.”
Firenze raises his chin. “Yes, understood. Before the night is over, I’ll be calling Reno with the information of how Renata’s unseemly behavior came to be.” I leave this to Firenze and trust that he will be speaking with his daughter in great detail. I would expect nothing less than a call in the morning.
Nicola runs in with the first aid kit in hand. This isn’t the first time she’s tended to an injury. Most wives in Nostra Casa have stitched up their husbands and sons at one time or another.
“I’ll leave you to it. We’ll see ourselves out.” I take my leave with Elio. He’s glad to be out of there, closing his eyes as he tilts his head back on the headrest in the car. “You’d better call your mother and let her know we’re going to be late for her dinner.”
I put the phone on speaker. It rings once before Elena’s low, sexy voice comes through.
“Hi, Elio. Are you on your way?”
“We have to make one more stop,” he tells his sister.
“Okay, no worries. I’ll tell Mamma to hold dinner, and I can visit with Beatrice a little longer,” she says sweetly.
“She’s there?” I ask abruptly. I must have caught her by surprise, because she goes silent for a moment.
“Dante?”
“Beatrice is there?” I ask again.
“Yes, she’s so upset about something that happened earlier. She wanted to come and apologize. She’s a mess, poor girl. We’ve talked it out. All’s good now,” Elena says, sounding profoundly sad for Beatrice.
“We’ll be right there. Tell her to stay put,” I order. Elio disconnects, and we head in the direction of Dario’s home. “Today’s lesson, Elio, is that you get what you give. Renata fucked up, and she got what she deserved. Beatrice is going to learn that same lesson.”