Page 77 of Casino King

“I love it.” I smile shyly, my eyes flitting around to everyone.

“I’m Vinny’s brother, Nico.” A handsome man who looks similar to Vinny stands and shakes my hand. “I work with Leo. Vin likes Jersey more than I do,” he jokes, slapping his brother on the back.

“And I’m Mia, his sister.” She smiles sweetly.

“Hi.” I smile back.

Vinny points at three men who look like Italian models who came straight from an Armani photoshoot. What is it with this family? Everyone is beautiful. “This is Stefano, Marco, and Gabriel,” he says, and they nod their hellos, their eyes perusing me as if I were a threat to them.

“Of course he leaves me as the last cousin to introduce,” another beautiful woman says, smiling. “I’m Elena.”

“Hi.” I smile, and Vinny proceeds to finish off the introductions to all of Alec’s aunts and uncles, including his own mother, Teresa. Her husband is Alec’s uncle that was killed along with his father a few years ago. Her and Anita are the only ones on their own and they both share a loneliness in their eyes. I should know. I saw the same look in my eyes every time I looked in the mirror. Until Alec.

Taking a seat next to Katarina, she pours me a glass of wine, and after finishing it, I’m finally able to relax and join in the conversations around me. I discover Mia just graduated high school and isn’t sure what she wants to study at University in the fall yet. Gia and her sister Aria are nineteen and models with an agency in Manhattan, but they have bigger dreams of starting their own fashion line one day. Elena is seventeen and everyone calls her the princess of the family because she’s the daughter of the only daughter born to Alec’s grandparents. The princess of the princess, they say.

Elena has an older brother, Matteo, who works in Miami with Gia and Aria’s brother, Saverio. The two of them run a club there, and while Gia and Aria are in the middle of inviting me to join the two of them and Katarina on a trip they’re taking there in a couple of months, Alec walks in with his brothers.

“She’s not going anywhere with you,” he states sternly, his eyes hard.

“Why not?” Gia counters, raising her chin. I like her even more now that I see she’s not one to back down from an angry Alec.

“Because I said so.”

“Real original, Alec,” she says, rolling her eyes.

Alec locks eyes with me and walks over. Placing his hands on my shoulders, he leans down and kisses my cheek. “Hi, bella.”

At the sound of his smooth voice in my ear, I close my eyes and lean back against him. I haven’t heard him call me that in days.

“Hi,” I whisper.

He takes the seat next to me and pours himself a glass of wine.

“It’s good to finally meet you, Tessa. I’m Luca.” He sounds sincere, but his eyes are showing all the skepticism he’s not willing to display outwardly in front of Alec.

“Good to meet you, too.” I know his family is probably weary of anyone new. None of Alec’s cousins have a significant other with them, making it seem like he’s the first to ever bring someone here.

That makes me feel slightly better, and gives me hope that whatever is going on with Alec is fleeting and we’ll move past it. He wouldn’t have still had me come tonight if he was going to end this between us. Meeting his family is too important.

Dinner goes smoothly. I love listening to everyone talk to one another. I’ve never experienced such a large family gathering like this, and it’s not even a special occasion or anything. It’s just a Sunday dinner, but to them, it’s important to have everyone gather together.

I help clear the table with Alec’s mother and aunts, and while they plate the dessert, I start placing the leftovers in containers. While dessert is brought out to everyone, Alec’s mom stays behind with me.

“So, Tessa,” she starts, turning to face me. “My son seems to be very taken with you.”

“Oh, well, yes,” I say dumbly, unsure of how to respond to that.

“He’s never brought a woman home before. None of my boys have.”

Snapping the lid in place on the container of pasta, I take a deep breath and turn to look her in the eyes. “I’m honored he asked me to meet all of you. I know family is important to him.”

“It is.” Her eyes hold mine. “My family is all I have.”

“I understand,” I tell her.

She tilts her head slightly. “Do you? Being with Alec is more than just what he can give you.”

“I’m sorry, I don’t know what you mean.” Is she insinuating what I think she is?

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