Chapter 8: “You're my daughter now”

She shrugs, “My mistake.”

I nod, I've got more time to play cat and mouse with her in our home, she can rest for now.“You can pick out anything from the wardrobe, I bought a few clothes from my sister's collection.” I tell her, gesturing to the closet.

Alessandra watches me silently, her gaze finding the closet but it quickly snaps back in my direction, an unspoken query in them. My wife continues to wound me with her assumptions, it'd be a shame if she let them rule her opinions of me. “They not for Sofia never were.” I clarify.

Her response is quick, a lie. “I wouldn't mind.”

“I would.” I counter, knowing she too minds. I saw the way her nose scrunched up in disgust before she reset her face to factory settings. I'd never make her wear anything that was made for my convenient fiancé, hell I never personally picked her a damn thing but for Alessandra, I went to my sister's boutique and hand-picked most of her items. Gianna never liked Sofia, so having her wear her unreleased collections would be a travesty, a cry for war on my end. “Umm, I'll leave you to change. You can meet me downstairs when you're done.”

“Okay.” she nods, her eyes following me up until the door closes behind me. I swear she sighs in relief and probably does a twirly happy dance to celebrate my departure. My imagination is going wild with all the reasons my wife must be dancing after I left and I'm hardly done with scenario thirty-two when Father calls to me.

“Enzo, where's Alessandra?” he asks, for the fourth time today. More than enough times I'd appreciate him asking about my wife when I hardly ask of his own.

“Sleeping.” I blankly retort, like I had been doing all morning because my family seems very invested in where or what my wife is doing. I can't tell if they want to bomb her with love or tear her apart, I'm going with guess number one because number two will result in the loss of siblings on my end.

Father's head tilts, an eyebrow raised. “Did you murder that poor girl?”

“Oh, do tell Enzo.” my dumb cousin Alessio grins. I don't even know when he got here because he moves undetected, just like me. “What did you do to Romano's princess.”

“Alessio, what the hell are you doing here?” I scan him up and down.

“I'm here as your future right-hand,” he smirks, slapping his hand on my shoulder and then shifting his gaze towards my father. “Don't worry uncle he likes her better than he did the first Romano. If it puts your mind at ease?” he smirks, but that ly seems to worry my father more. If Alessio is involved, there's always trouble and Father knows that all too well. “He didn't tou—”

I hastily shove the piece of bread in his other hand into his mouth to silence him. Father raises an eyebrow, and Alessio chokes a little. “Dad, Alessandra is getting ready, we will be leaving soon."

“Why? Your mother and sisters aren't here yet. You know they went to get her welcome gifts, it's her first time in the house.”

I nod, my father's wallet can never survive the women in his life, they find every excuse to shop. One time Mother decided to go shopping because she was traumatized seeing me kill a spider “Exactly why I'm leaving, I don't want any over-stimulating activities with her, she's not much of a chatterbox, unlike your wife and daughters.” I sigh, “Shouldn't the married ones he gone?”

“They were at their houses but unlike you, my daughters adore me so they came back early for me. And to greet your new wife. No, seriously I'm starting to worry, where is she? I hope she's in one piece.”

I nod over his shoulder, “There she is.”

“Good afternoon, Alessandra.”

“Good afternoon Mr Valenti.” she smiles

Alessio gasps, “You are alive!” he claps. “See, Uncle Vinny I told you not to worry about her, Enzo wouldn't kill his wife. Unless..”

“Shut up.” I grunt, Alessio has been dying to test the limits of Alessandra's fear. He has loved the idea of her since he saw her, stalking her because, in his sick mind, they can be friends but who will tell my idiot cousin that he can't make friends with the girl by scaring her, or simply with my wife.

“Ignore them, do you want something to eat? My wife is out but Alessio and Enzo can whip something up.”

“Me?” Alessio and I both echo.

“I'm still filled up on yesterday's feast, Sir.”

“Please don't be so formal with me, child.” my father sighs, “You're our daughter now, and I love my little princesses.”

She nods, her lips curving into a shy smile.

“We're leaving,” I announce, my father's smile dropping at my words.

“Okay,” he veers to Alessandra. “If this one gives you any trouble? You can tell me and I'll set him straighter than a ruler. You're my daughter now, I will smack him for you.”

“Jeez Uncle Vinny, ever heard of loyalty?” Alessio winces, shaking his head at my father. “No wonder you're not the underboss or Consi, much less the Capo dei Capi.” he taunts, knowing how badly both his father and mine wanted the titles we are set to be given six months from now.

“Alessio,” Father glares, undoubtedly thinking of ways to kill him without facing the consequences or losing him because he is his favourite nephew. “I am telling the guards to shoot your ass next time you step on my property.”

“He's not wrong, Dad.” I jump to Alessio's defence, his logic defies that of my dad in a way. “You disowned me for Alessandra just now,” I tell him, smiling at my poor wife who doesn't know how to take this interaction but soon she'll learn it as normal behaviour from us.

“Out, now!” Father snaps, swatting us towards the door with his hand. “Both of you disrespectful swine's.”

My lips curve into a smile as I nod behind him to where my wife stands, watching us with the lingering emptiness in her eyes. “Time out, let me take my wife with me.”

At the mention of her, he turns back and ushers her my way. “Go on, dear. You have a safe trip.”

“Thank you. My regards to Mrs Valenti.” she grins politely, pausing beside me. I lead her outside, with Alessio a few steps behind. Alessandra stays silent the entire way to my car but Alessio is cussing about a fractured rib from father swatting us, dramatic.

“Ha, can you believe that old grump?” Alessio snorts, following me to my car. The idiot goes as far as reaching for the door but I'm quick to slam the door back shut.

“And where do you think you're going?” I glare.

“Home?”

“Get the fuck away from my car.” I boredly sigh, my gaze finding my sweet docile wife. “Alessandra,” I call out once the door is open.

“Thank you,” she nods. I must say, her not smiling at me as she did with my father has me envious of the man, and I've never felt this way before. My throat feels like it might close up from the cold shoulder my wife is giving me.

The second she's in the car, my bodyguards enter their cars too, and I notice Alessandra stiffen when she sees how many cars are ready to leave. I'm sure she's used to walking around with her bodyguard that Pakhan gave her so my having this many has shocked her. The house is swamped by other guards but I'm sure She's accustomed to that part, Don Romano has a tightly guarded house too.

I'm settled in the driver's seat when Alessio knocks on my window. “What?”

“ I'm on your way home,” he petitions. “Just please drop me off or I'll come to your house and camp outside with my guitar and sing to you all night long,” he smirks, a threat he will follow through on. He has done it before, when he messed up my kill a few years ago, he camped outside my house serenading me with Taylor fucking swift songs while I tried to get my dick wet.

“I should let Matteo have at you.”

Alessio tsks, his head tilting to get a better view of Alessandra. “Come on, that's cruel. Tell me cousin inlaw—”

“She's not your cousin in-law.” I interrupt, but he simply waves me off. Alessio doesn't listen to me unless I'm speaking as the heir to the Godfather's throne.

“Do you approve of your husband letting Matteo..” he trails off, involving my wife in our bickering. “You remember him, my less than handsome brother breaking my legs simply because I happened to fuck his girlfriend?”

Alessandra looks between us, and I smack Alessio upside the head. “Get in, and shut up.” I sigh, and I'm hardly done speaking before he jumps into the backseat, settling in the middle seat and leaning forward to pat my shoulder.

“I promise.” he smiles, but that promise doesn't last long. As soon as I put the car in drive, Alessio begins muttering to himself until his demons can't take it as he decides to engage my wife in conversation.

“You know, Enzo are I are very close.” he tells her, and she doesn't respond, she's probably trying to figure out why and how Alessio who hardly speaks is this chatterbox in our backseat. “We share everything but now he..”

“Didn't you promise you'd be silent?” I cut in, hoping he might actually go silent.