Niko left early this morning, kissing the children and hugging me tightly. “Are you taking some men?” “A few” “Take care of yourself,” I tell him.He leans down, placing a soft kiss on my lips.“I love you,” I say to him and he kisses me again.“Text you when I land”“Okay, bye” Releaseing him, I clap my hands behind my back. Now that he’s leaving I don’t want him to go. It’s only for two days I remind myself.The moment he leaves I get to work, trying to keep busy. Telling myself he’ll be fine. Even with the tension in Chicago, he’ll be fine. And he took some men for protection.I drown myself in emails and paperwork the rest of the morning.“There’s my favorite niece” Tommy appears from behind me chucking a finger under Caela’s chin making her giggle. “She’s your only niece” I correct with a smile, then my face twist in confusion “Right?”I know Niko hadn’t been living a chaste life before we got married, but I just assumed he couldn’t have impregnated a one-night stand when he w
NIKO “What will you do?” Vincent drones on in my ear, I know he is asking about the Rizzos, Lola has been doing more than hinting at me to do something to help her cousin, my wife is nothing if not resilient when it comes to protecting those she cares about, she doesn’t understand my getting involved makes him look weak. A boss that cannot control his territory? I scoffed. The men of La Famiglia are like sharks angling for blood, at the tiniest hint of weakness, they will eat you alive. Not to mention that I don’t feel like fighting someone else’s war. She and the children are my priority, keeping them safe is all I care about. Though she seems to think he would get better given time, I didn't have the heart to tell her that brutality isn't something you learn, you either have it or you dont, and Carlos Cancio sure as hell doesn't or he would have done the needful by now. Damn it. “Should I do something?” I ask my cousin though my mind is already made. He is silent for a few se
My children live in onesies, they have several pretty outfits that were gifted to us and that I had ordered for them, but they’ve not had the opportunity to wear any so today I am definitely taking advantage of the situation. Micaela fuzzed throughout the entire process when I wear her a pretty pink princess dress, and a pair of cute matching sandals, she's almost crying by the time I’m done combing her hair, pulling it into sections, and tying it with white and pink ribbons. As she’s not used to wearing anything with excess material she keeps pulling at the dress and kicking her legs, but she looks like the cutest thing ever. I hand her off to Maria while I get to dressing Angelo. I dressed him in a white cotton shirt with a black bowtie at the front and a black pair of shorts. White shoes and were good to go after a hair comb. “Should we go show Sebby how cute you’re looking today?” I put them in the back of the SUV, ensuring they were comfortable, then got in the front with Iva
Gianna mumbles something under her breath I dont hear. “Huh?” "I hate to be the one to say this sweetheart but you’ve stopped trying” At my dropped jaw she raised both hands in surrender “Not to say that you need it, you’re so pretty it’s annoying sometimes, you would look cute even with a sack over your head and without eyebrows, which says alot. But that doesn’t change the fact that if you dress up and look good it shows that you want to be admired and desired, and in return, the male in him would react to that. I hide my face. “Take a look at you now, you’re wearing mom jeans and a white shirt, the Lola I know, the most beautiful girl in the Italian families would never dress thus” she snapped her fingers at me. I gasped in full dramatic effect. Pointing a finger at her, “I should stop talking to you, just for that statement” Used to my antics she cackles like a witch. But I frowned. “What’s wrong with mom jeans? It’s comfy and cute” I say, looking at the light blue pair I
NIKO My eyes go around the room noting the men, last night after my call with Lola, we discussed the men and which we expect issues from today, Furio and Aldo have shown where their loyalties lay by providing unyielding support to the Rizzos. Baldo hopes the wedding falls through so he can wed his son to the Cancio Girl, so his support is with Cancio, for now. With made men, It's always the case of, for now. The nine heads of each Chicago family are present, I also note some representatives for the other territories. Severo from Atlanta leans forward and whispers something to Stefano, a made man for the Chicago family. Beside him his Blanco, his eyes meet mine and he looks away immediately. Directly in front of him is Samuele Rizzo and his brother a thin as reed man they call Tito. Having spoken to Silvio De Luca and Elio Ferrari earlier they have opted to stay out of the situation and keep their bloody opinions to themselves. “Your father was an honorable man, he understood agr
Katherina left this afternoon. After Maria called me to report that my cousin was held at the door, I rushed downstairs where she Informed me it was fine for her to return. “Your mama said a week, it’d be best for you to return when things settle, you’re staying.” “It is settled” she quipped.Though I don’t know the details I add. “Just to be sure Rafael doesn’t try to reach you or make any trouble” I turned to leave.“He won’t be a problem because he’s dead. Carlos killed him” My jaw drops momentarily, I hadn’t been expecting that, not sure what I was expecting but not that, I suppose I imagined they would put the issue of the marriage to rest and we could all move on. The Rizzos won’t press the issue with Niko present. But with him dead, so is the issue of marriage. “Er… alright then.” I paused as I was still trying to wrap my head around the whole thing, I can’t believe it's done. And issue they’ve been going back on forth on for more than a year now. And why do you say? Father
After dinner, we head into the family room for drinks and to chat. Chase, Danilo, and Vincent are at one side talking, Tommy having said he was sitting this one out, muttering something about how he hasn't slept for three days. Eva isn’t here, and unsurprisingly so is Matteo. Hopefully, they sort out their issues. Peacefully. Niko strides in a moment later, a glass of scotch in his hand, I had come in ahead of him when he went momentarily to receive a phone call. He walks right up to where I’m relaxing back on the couch, enjoying another glass of wine, it’s my second and last one for tonight and I’m determined to savor it. “Scoot over sweetheart,” he says when he stops in front of me. I lean back, bringing my glass to my nose and inhaling the sweet scent of grapes. “Why?” I blinked up at him coyly. “I want to sit with you” Call it what you want but Gianna was right after all, he has barely looked away from me all evening, smoldering me in his heat, and I have had to stop f
The next morning I woke up feeling a little disoriented and a slight tightness between my eyes, my tolerance for alcohol must have gone to nil if two glasses could give me a mini hang over. I go to check on the kids and see Maria in the living room. “Good morning”She is already dressed in a purple top and a pair of black pants, healed pumps at her crossed feet “Good morning, sleep good?”I nod. Looking around before mouthing “Niko?” I don’t know why I’m whispering though. I must have been far gone dreamland when he joined me last night. Guess the men had lots to talk about.“Gym downstairs” I nod, he seems to be working out a lot these days. As the twins are still asleep, I decide on a shower to feel more awake. brushing my hair up into a ponytail.I’m putting on some moisturizer when Niko enters the bathroom. “Good morning” I look at him from the mirror.“Morning baby,” he says, running a hand through his sweat damp hair, the longer strands are down now, falling into his eyes. I