Page 95 of To Have and To Hold

Isabella trusted me, and I trusted her.

As I turned to my side, Isabella’s beautiful face was inches away, her eyes closed, golden hair a tangled mess over the pillow, and her lips slightly parted. For a moment, I simply stared in awe that she was mine. Memories of the night before flooded my thoughts.

There was no question that the timid girl back at the capo’s was no longer a caterpillar. She was a beautiful butterfly, no longer caught in her cocoon. While I’d watched Isabella spread her wings at the apartments, I didn’t know what to expect on our wedding night. I’d heard stories of couples who didn’t consummate their marriage until further down the road. If my wife had asked for us to wait, I would have complied. I might be a monster when it came to running our streets and dealing with our enemies, but I wasn’t and never would be with the woman I wanted at my side for the rest of my life.

Not only did my wife willingly participate, but she also initiated. The idea of spending fifty more years with her in my bed brought a smile to my face.

Battling with myself about whether to wake her or not, I gently teased strands of her hair from her cheek. Her long eyelashes fluttered, yet she didn’t move.

A check of the clock told me it was nearly seven thirty, Saturday morning. That was much later than I usually slept. No doubt, Jano would want to meet soon with the lieutenants. Hopefully, everyone had a late night—taking the edge off.

Isabella and I hadn’t closed our eyes until after two. I leaned closer, hearing her even breathing and gently kissed her cheek. Again, she didn’t move. If it wasn’t for seeing her eyelashes flutter and hearing her breathing, I might panic.

Quietly, I eased out of bed.

Walking nude to the glass doors, I closed them and shut the curtains, giving Isabella darkness to continue her slumber.

Once in the bathroom, I closed the door. The bloody washcloth on the vanity satisfied an animalistic need in me. I hadn’t set out to marry a virgin, but now that I had, I couldn’t deny the knowledge that no other man had ever been near her moist pink pussy satisfied me. My fingers were the first. My tongue was the first, and my cock will be the last. As I ran the cloth under warm water, rinsing away the blood, I recalled Father Gallo’s question.

Fuck him for asking Isabella and not asking me. Her virginity wasn’t what she pledged to me, although she had given it to me. She pledged her complete self. That was what I wanted—all of her.

After a quick shower, I entered the bedroom. My wife was still sleeping in the exact position she was when I woke. Going into the closet, I scanned the clothes racks. I would need to move my things around to make room for Isabella’s things. Dressing in clean jeans and a different black t-shirt, I picked up my socks and shoes.

While I hated to leave with Isabella asleep, I also couldn’t bring myself to wake her. The flowers on the table caught my eye. I found a piece of paper in my desk and wrote a note. Plucking a yellow and white daisy from the bouquet, I left the flower and note on my pillow before stealthily making my way out of the bedroom, closing the door behind me.

In the kitchen, I poured myself a cup of coffee and turned to the stares of both Mom and Lola. Mom’s eyebrow quirked, and Lola smiled. “Good morning.”

“Good morning,” Mom said. “How is Isabella?”

“She’s asleep.”

“Did everything go well?”

I shook my head. “Not a conversation I’m having with my mom.” I had a thought. “Are there any of Cat’s or Camila’s clothes still here?”

“Sí,” Lola said. “There were things Camila didn’t want anymore. I was supposed to donate them.” She turned to Mom. “Lo siento. I haven’t.”

“No, that’s a good thing,” I said.

Both women looked at me. “Isabella came here last night with literally only the clothes on her back. Could you take her a few things” —I shook my head— “I don’t know. Whatever women need. Later today, she can retrieve her belongings fromel Patr?n’shome. And we can send for her things from Kansas City. Fuck, she can buy a whole new wardrobe. I don’t give a shit.”

“Emiliano,” Mom scolded.

I pressed my lips together. “She just needs something for this morning.”

“Do you have a minute?” Lola asked me.

“I need to get to Jano’s. A minute for what?”

She hurried toward the back staircase. “Come with me. I know there are some items your wife might want. You could take them to her now so we’re not disturbing her.”

My wife.

Leaving my coffee, I followed Lola up the back stairs past the door to Isabella’s and my room and into what used to be Camila’s room.

Lola first went to the dresser. “I only saw your wife from a distance last night.”

“Oh, I’m sorry. You should have joined us.”

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