Page 91 of Dark Truths

“And I am your husband.”

As if I need reminding of that small but huge detail. I doubt anyone in this room will forget it anytime soon, either.

“A husband you love, apparently.”

I pause mid-application of the butterfly strip to his brow. Peering down, I meet his knowing blue eyes staring up at me. Of course he heard me. How could he not have? And there’s no reason to deny it or keep it bottled up any longer either.

“Of course I love you.”

“Oh, that’s good. I wasn’t sure, since you know I’ve said it several times and you haven’t said it back once.”

He’s toying with me. I recognize the playful gleam in his eyes. Not sure now’s really the time, given our company, but I can’t help but meet his challenge.

“I’ve said it twice now.”

“Then you have some catching up to do.”

I lean in closer, tilting his face upwards, his chin finding a resting place on my chest, creating an intimate connection between us. “How about I make it up to you later and show you all the ways I love you?”

“Hey, lovebirds,” Enzo interrupts. He's standing in between us like a referee keeping watch. “Think you could save the PDA for another time?”

Having caught our position, Michael growls, “I hate him.”

Rose snorts. “No, you don’t. You just don’t know him.”

“I know enough,” he snaps back.

“I think you two would probably get along really well if you tried,” Rose suggests.

“Doubtful. I’m not a lying undercover FBI agent.”

I feel Dimitri groan into my chest while Rose and I share a look of annoyance.

“Do you think you guys can try to get along? For me?” I ask my brothers, my tone serious. “I love you both, but I also love him. So, don’t make me choose. Because you won’t like my choice.”

Both of my brothers have the decency to lower their gazes, my threat coming through loud and clear.

Dad enters then with Mom following behind him. He carries a tray of drinks while Mom carries a tray of food. They set both down on the table as Dad asks, “How’s your hand, Raphael?”

Raphael’s shooting hand was hurt during the scuffle, and now his knuckles are torn and bleeding. At Dad’s question, he flexes his hand and barely winces. “It’ll be okay. I have the best doctor looking after me.”

With a blush, Lily reaches for his hand and then sets a bag of ice wrapped in a towel on top of his injured hand. “Here, hold this to your hand. Doctor’s orders.”

Raphael does as she says, bathing in the glow of his love’s attention. It’s nice to see Raphael so happy. There was a moment last year where I feared he would never find it. Before Rose and Liam were found, Dad arranged for Raphael to marry a woman who was younger than me. Shortly afterward, Dad dissolved the contract. Only the girl, Emilia, didn’t seem to understand what that meant. And after what she did to Lily and Mei, handing them over to Xiao, she’s lucky Dad let her go home to Italy alive. My brothers wanted her dead, but they respect crime family politics and the importance of keeping alliances intact. However, she'll never set foot in the states again.

“I want you to know, Dimitri,” Dad says, his voice eerily calm and even as he studies the amber liquid in his glass. “The only reason I did not kill you the second you announced your secret is because you saved my daughter’s life from the Italians. And the only reason I did not kill you for marrying my daughter withoutmy consent is because you also saved the life of a man I consider a son. Consider us even.”

Dimitri nods, the weight and meaning of my dad’s words falling heavy on his shoulders.

“I can’t believe I’m going to be a grandmother again,” Mom exclaims. Her excitement is infectious and lifts the heavy atmosphere a fraction.

“It’s twins, by the way.”

“Are you-are you serious?” Mom stammers.

Dad raises his glass in a toast as his way of saying congratulations. He’s happy for me, for us, I can tell, but I also know that it’ll take some time for Dimitri to win him over completely. But he will. He won me over, after all. Although I think Dimitri will need to try something other than romantic gestures and dates to thePlayground. Something tells me Dad won’t be into that very much.

“So what now?” Rose asks. “If the FBI is looking into the High Table, what do we do?”

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