AlexanderElena can’t stop staring at her engagement ring, and I can’t stop staring at her. The wind rustles her hair beautifully, and I’m glad we opted to have dinner on our terrace today. I can’t remember any woman ever cooking for me—it’s always a chef. Yet Elena, a woman that grew up in the same environment I did, cooks for me all the time. She takes the time to find out what my favorite dishes are and buys exotic ingredients to surprise me with. I’m not used to being taken care of this way.“It’s stunning,” she says, her eyes twinkling. “I wish I could show my mom.”Elena never ceases to amaze me. She refuses to give up on her mother, no matter how slim the odds are.“Do you think she’d like it?” I ask.Elena nods. “Yeah, it’s simple but so luxurious at the same time. Mom would definitely love this.”I smile at her. She lights up when she speaks of her mother, of her memories with her. “Tell me about your happiest childhood memory,” I say, my voice soft.Elena looks at me and tak
ElenaAlec and I wake up to incessant knocking, and before we realize someone’s at the door, Lucian and Sofia walk in. Alec sits up, startled, the sheets falling to his waist. He nudges me gently and wraps me in the blankets as I sit up, covering as much of myself as I can.“I’m sorry, my darlings,” Sofia says. “We wouldn’t have walked in, but we had no other choice. Neither one of you picked up the phone, and you were so fast asleep the knocking didn’t wake you either.”“What is it, Mother?” Alec asks, his arm wrapped around me.“Elena… it’s your mother,” she says carefully. My heart drops and Alec tightens his grip on me, both of us bracing for the worst.“I—the doctor asked us to come to the hospital. He was unclear about what’s wrong. He didn’t say. We need to go.”I nod and move to get out of bed mindlessly, but Alec grabs me and wraps me in his arms, sheets and all.“Clothes, Buttercup?”I nod and glance at Lucian, panic rendering me useless. He walks into our wardrobe and return
ElenaI’m restless in the morning, eager to see my mother. Lucian, Sofia, and Alec all look as tired as I do, as though none of us managed to get any sleep.“Mom is going to want to see Dad, isn’t she? How do I explain he isn’t here?”It would devastate her to find out he not only left her, but that he has married someone else already. “Oh God, how do I explain to her that I can’t even take her home?”My heart races, devastation and helplessness constricting my breathing. Alec walks up to me and cups my cheeks, keeping my eyes on his.“Baby, breathe,” he says. “You’re fine. She’s awake now, and that’s all that matters. The rest we can deal with, one step at a time.”Lucian rubs my back gently, his expression as torn as Alec’s. None of us know what the right thing to do is.“She needs to be informed,” Sofia says. “But not now, honey.”I nod at her, my heart aching for my mother. I’ve been wanting her to wake up for so long now, but I haven’t given much thought towhatshe’d be waking up
ElenaI pace in the living room, feeling restless. “What can we do?” I ask.Sofia, Lucian, and Alec are as lost in thought as I am.“What do you want the end result to be, Buttercup?” Alec asks. “Do you want your family to land in jail? Do you want them to disappear? Tell me what you want, and we’ll find a way to make it happen.”I nod, trying my best to decide what needs to be done, to set aside the love I’ve held onto for so long—love neither my brother nor my father deserves.“I need to know if my father was involved. I want Jade and Matthew to go down. I want them, the way they’ve made me feel—helpless, cut off from everything and everyone they’ve ever known. I want their assets, every single thing they own, every single thing they care about. I want it all. But above all, I want everything my mother has ever worked for. When she was declared brain dead, my father inherited her entire estate. I want that rectified.”Alec starts to pace like I am, restless. “We need to attack them
AlexanderI push Sarah’s wheelchair through the garden, stopping to admire different flowers. She loves the feeling of the sun on her face and the fresh air. I can’t blame her, she’s been cooped up in a room for years.We’ve converted one of the guest rooms on the ground floor into a fully equipped medical room for her, so at least we can keep her at home now. We got her an electric wheelchair too, and she’s enjoying being able to move around the house a little.It took almost two months before we could take her home from our private clinic, and even now she requires round-the-clock care. She’s had to learn how to breathe by herself again, how to speak again, and even how to eat. Watching Elena’s heart break every time her mother struggles to relearn something is tearing me apart.“I heard her, you know,” Sarah says, and I pause.She still struggles to move her limbs. In a way, she’s like a baby. Her body is mostly fine now, but she needs to relearn how to do basic tasks and how to ge
AlexanderElena twists and turns in bed, unable to fall asleep. I roll over and wrap my arm around her waist, pressing my lips against her neck.“Can’t sleep?”She sighs and turns to face me, her nose brushing past mine. She shakes her head, looking lost. “I can’t stop thinking about Matthew, about my father… about everything my mother told me. How could Matthew have done this? My mother raised him. Growing up, she always treated us the same. If anything, she’d treat Matthew better. She gave him everything he ever wanted, and this is how he repays her?”I bury my hand in her hair and sigh, not knowing what to say. I don’t think Elena needs me to say anything anyway—she just needs me to listen, so I do.“And my father? My mother saved his company, and thereby his family, from ruins. He’d benothingwithout her. He should’ve been devoted to her, but instead he had an entire second family behind our backs. What kind of person does that?”Elena grits her teeth, her eyes flashing with fury.
ElenaI look into the mirror, admiring my outfit. I opted for a maroon-colored pantsuit, and even I have to admit that it makes me look…powerful.“You look stunning,” Alec says, his eyes roaming over my body. I smile and walk up to him, fixing his matching maroon tie.I place my palms against his chest, my heart filled with gratefulness. “None of this would be possible without you.”He smiles and brushes my hair behind my ear. “Are you ready?” he asks.I nod. Three months. It’s been three months since we took my mother home. It took me that long to get all legal aspects in place.Alec holds my hand as we walk down the stairs. The entire ground floor is filled with men dressed in black suits, guns strapped to their waists. My mother stands in the middle, leaning on her cane, Sofia by her side. She still can’t walk well, and she can’t walk for long, but she’s getting there, slowly.She looks beautiful today, and every time she smiles at me, I’m still struck with disbelief. I almost lost
AlexanderElena stares up at her family home, a sad expression on her face.“Don’t worry, baby,” I say, wrapping my arm around her. “We’ll get you your home back.”Elena shakes her head and rises to her tiptoes, pressing a lingering kiss to my cheek. “No,” she says. “My home is with you. Today, we’re regaining my mother’s home.”My heart stirs and I smile down at her. She considers her home to be with me?“Honey.”Elena turns to look at her mother, her brows raised.“Let me,” Sarah says, her eyes on the property in front of us. “Let me do this.”Elena nods, her hand brushing down my arm until she’s got her hand nestled in mine. I entwine our fingers, the two of us following behind Sarah, a dozen men surrounding us.Elena touches her earpiece and then nods at her mother. “Systems are down.”Sarah inhales deeply and pushes the gates open. She walks slowly, heavily leaning on her cane, but she’s walking. After all these years, she’s walking.I glance at my wife, my amazing wife. Never on
DARIOOne Month LaterIrise to my feet, clapping my hands so hard they almost hurt. Beside me, my mother and father join in on the standing ovation. On the other side, Giulia and Rosa are also clapping, though Rosa can’t stand yet. However, she has far more energy than just a month ago. The small theater is filled with admiration for the play’s first production, and I know that most of it is because of my woman’s performance.“Wasn’t she amazing?” I beam, turning to my mother and father.My father, who’s noticeably less grumpy now that his land grab is complete, is smiling from ear to ear. “Fantastic, son!” he yells over the clamor.“Wasn’t she great?” I grin, turning to Giulia.Elena’s friend smiles at me, nodding. “She always has been, but that was next level!”The curtains close, and the actors walk onto the stage to take their final bow. Elena looks gorgeous in her fifties-style dress,her hair styled as if she just stepped out of an old-timey magazine advert. She nailed the whole
ELENA“Where are you taking me?” I say, sitting in the passenger seat of his sleek sedan as he glides through the city.It’s been roughly two weeks since the standoff with Salvatore in the dining room. Since then, Dario and I have spent so much time together: lying in bed, talking about the future, making love, watching movies—trashyandclassy. We all even had a meal together. Dario, Salvatore, Maria, Rosa, Giulia, and I sat at the same dining room table as we shared stories and jokes and bonded, something I could never have believed was possible.“It’s a surprise,” he says.“Don’t you think we’ve had enough of those?”He glances at me with a smirk. Since all the roadblocks to our love have come crashing down, Dario has seemed so happy-go-lucky, as if he’s been waiting his whole life to let go of the mafioso darkness. I know it’s still in him. I know that if anybody ever threatens the Family or me, he’ll go full savage again. Yet, it’s so sweet to see how happy he is now.“This is agoo
DARIO“I know you didn’t approve at first, Miss Santoro,” I say, sitting beside Rosa’s bed.Over the past week, her health has taken a definite upward trajectory. No recovery will ever be miraculous, but watching my woman become more optimistic has been one of the greatest joys of my life. Just last night, when we were lying sweaty and content in bed, she said,“She’s becoming her old self. I don’t want to get my hopes up, but…”We both share that sentiment, not getting our hopes up, but we can’t help it. Our hopes are flying.“Maybe you still don’t,” I say when the frail woman watches me silently. “I wouldn’t blame you. Elena has told me about the fire. I hope that’s okay.”“It was always hers to tell,” she says, “and you can call me Rosa.”I count that as a victory. “Rosa,” I say, “I need you to know I would never hurt your niece. Just the idea of causing her pain makes me sick. I can’t imagine it. All I want is for her to behappy. When this started, I was a cold, miserable bastard, b
“Please, listen, Salvie,” Maria says. “I can tell you’re thinking about what Dario has said. I can tell it’s affected you. Otherwise, you wouldn’t even still be sitting here.”“I’m sitting here because I love you, Maria, and you look like you may cry if I leave.”“I may cry because the two people I love most are behaving like they hate each other,” she says in a shaky voice.“I don’t hate my son,” Salvatore snaps.“Thenlisten.”“Fine, I’m listening.”Dario looks at me, his eyes filled with emotion. I saw the demon in him before, the savage, but this is something else. I’m peering through the layers of mafiosi bravado at the little boy beneath. I touch his forearm, letting him know I’m here for support. Ialwayswill be.“Your concern about Elena having a career comes from your desire to make the Family look strong, correct?”“It’s more complicated than that.”“If we keep with tradition, if we keep our women in line, it’s a testament to how much control we have. Don’t lie to me, Father.
ELENAWe’ve come full circle. The four of us—Salvatore, Maria, Dario, and I—sit in the same dining room where we shared our first meal. Memories return to me as Clara brings in tea and coffee, the etiquette I completely messed up, the nerves that made me ache like I was going to break down.Once Maria pours the drinks, I say, “Thank you, Maria.” I don’t let myself give a single frick about the look Salvatore gives Dario. Since we’re going nuclear, I don’t have to worry about being too nice to the staff.Salvatore’s sharp eyes flit between Maria and Dario. “You wanted to see me?” he says after a long pause.Dario rests his elbows on the table, almost like a challenge, declaring that he’s finished with his old uptight ways. He looks dashing and capable in his pale blue shirt, sleeves rolled up, his taut forearms taking me back to last night. My body aches in the best way, my inner thighs throbbing as if demanding more. I never dreamed it would be so effortless.“I hired Elena to pretend
“I can feel your virgin pussy getting close. I can feel you throbbing for me. I can feel you wanting to spill more wetness all over my dick. I can feelyou, Elena. All. Of. You.”I pound into her body, making the mattress whine with each thrust, bringing our future closer to the present with each movement of pure, unbridled lust. Maybe she doesn’t want me to promise and thinks I’m not serious, but I know now that I am. I’ve never been more confident about anything.“You’re fucking creaming up for me,” I groan.“It sounds so hot,” she moans with that same tempting fascination.“You’re right … Oh, fuck, look at you. You’re not acting now.”“Nuh-nuh-no …”She bites down, her cheeks turning entirely red as she wraps her hands around my neck and pulls me in for a hot kiss. But the explosion of her release is too overwhelming for us to maintain a kiss. Instead, she opens her mouth, moaning right into mymouth, like she’s desperate for me to share this moment with her.Her entrance pulses arou
DARIOWhen I lay her down on the bed, she sits up on her elbows, her hair falling beautifully onto the bed, her breath coming quick and making her chest rise and fall, highlighting the sumptuous curves of her breasts. She’s wearing loose-fitting PJs and no bra. Her perky-as-fuck nipples poke through the fabric.“Is the door locked?” she whispers.“It’s like I told you in the limo,” I groan. “Nobody gets to see you like this. Only me.”“Like what?” She sits up. “Naked, you mean?”“Oh. My. God.”My voice wavers as she stands up, pulling her shirt over her head. She bites her lip as if anxiety is warring with her, but then she grabs her shorts and wriggles out of them. She stands in front of me naked, her wet haven glistening, her thick thighs tempting me.“Your turn,” she says, her old sass back with full force.My hungry flesh couldn’t be harder. I tear my shirt off, buttons popping, then grab my pants and yank them down. My lust springs up, precome flinging from the head, making her g
“I never said that.”“You didn’t have to.”“What if I do?” I snap. “Is there a problem with that? Are you going to hate me for it? Judge me?”“It was never about him,” she murmurs. “I was trying to exorcise my demons. You’re old enough to make your own decisions. Even before that was the case, you’ve always been mature enough. I can’t stand in your way,” she chuckles miserably. “I can’t even stand.”“Yet,” I say forcefully. “All of that’s going to change soon.”“So you don’t hate me?”“I could never hate you, but this is. So. Messed. Up.”She lets her head fall back on the pillow. “I know. I wish I didn’t have to tell you, but it’s been long enough. I should’ve told you a long, long time ago.”“Yes,” I say firmly. “You should have.”“Can you ever find it in your heart to forgive me?”Yes. I know I will. I could never hold a grudge against the person who’s cared for me for more than half my life. “I don’t know,” I say. “Maybe. Possibly.”“That’s more than I deserve.”“Will you sit with
ELENAI sit next to Aunt Rosa, holding her hands as she sleeps more peacefully than I’ve seen in weeks. We’re in the suburbs in the most prominent house in the neighborhood, with tall walls surrounding us and what feels like an army of Mafia men patrolling the grounds. Aunt Rosa has her doctor and her nurse here, too. For once, Giulia is getting some rest.I talk quietly as she sleeps, mostly to distract my mind from what Dario might currently be going through. I’ve asked Maria, who came to the safe house with us, to tell me if there are any updates. So far, there’s nothing. I guess he’s still handling things in the city, or …Not letting myself think about theor, I whisper, “He said that he loved me, Aunt Rosa. I don’t think he even realized he said it. It’s like it just came out, but maybe that means it’s more likely to be true, right? It’s as if he just said it without thinking, like a reflex. If you were awake, you’d hate me talking like this. You’d say something about him being w