Page 148 of Married with Mayhem

However, tonight is special and I’m feeling excellent. We have a brand new king-sized bed that needs to be properly tested and when he lays me down, I pull him on top of me.

“Are you sure?” he asks, reluctant to settle his weight.

The way I want him is so intense it should be outlawed. “Are you going to interrogate me or fuck me, Monte Carlo?”

Here comes that devilish flash in his eyes. I love it so much when he doesn’t speak another word before thrusting into me. Monte is still careful to keep his weight off my right side where the wound is still sore. I’m glad to have enough range of motion to brace both my hands on his strong shoulders.

Since we tend to be reckless and get carried away, I’m on birth control for now. Only for now. Someday we’ll be ready to grow our family. Until then, we’re going to enjoy having fun with married life.

Monte pulls out briefly to use his skilled fingers, teasing and stroking until I’m on the edge of losing my mind. Then he enters me again just as I’m about to shatter and I come so hard my legs shake. This is what he was waiting for and he follows me into the abyss, shattering inside me.

“I love you,” I say to him as we’re still breathless from the high.

He turns his head and brushes a gentle kiss across my lips. “I love you too, wife.”

We keep the light on as we hold each other on our wedding night.

There’s only us and the faint echoes of our city.

36

MONTE

Two weeks after my second wedding, the city has begun to cool off with the rapid onset of autumn and I’m about to sign for a delivery of canned tomatoes when a flash of blue catches my eye.

The car comes to a halt behind the delivery truck and my first thought is that it’s weird to see another meticulously maintained four door 1970 Chevy Impala on the streets of the Lower East Side.

This thought doesn’t last for long because a man steps out of the driver’s side door and walks around to lean casually against the hood.

Julian Tempesta looks like he’s playing a part in someUrban Cowboymasquerade with a black cowboy hat sitting on his head. He’s not alone. His brother Getty climbs out of the passenger seat.

“Sign here,” says the driver of the delivery truck.

I scrawl my signature without looking and he starts wheeling the creaky dolly stacked with boxes through the door of Gino’s.

Because I’m working behind the counter this afternoon, there’s no gun on my hip to scare the customers away. This nowfeels like a bad decision. It’s really no fun to get caught unarmed and essentially naked when confronted with your deranged mafia relations.

At least I’m not facing down the Tempestas alone for long. Within seconds, Nico comes charging through the door to stand at my side. He huffs with anger and crosses his arms, glowering at the new arrivals.

“Hey, Nico.” Julian nods to my brother, and then to me. “Monte.”

Getty remains silent but he moves closer to his brother. There’s no one else in the car. This time it’s two against two, although it makes no sense that they’d drive across the country just to start a war on a crowded New York street. There must be another reason.

I glance at Nico. He’s extremely tense, still openly glaring at our cousins. Behind us, the door to Gino’s swings open once more.

“Monte?” says Sabrina from the doorway. “What’s going on?”

When I see the way Julian and Getty shift their eyes to her, I move my body instinctively to block her from their view. I really wish she would have stayed inside until I figure out what the fuck this is but I can’t fault her for getting nervous. We’re a team. Whatever I’m dealing with, she expects to deal with it beside me.

She stands next to me and I drape my arm protectively around her. I’m not happy but I’m not too worried. Other than showing up with no warning while driving my old car, the Tempestas haven’t done anything to show they’re a threat.

“Did you get lost?” I ask my cousins, which is significantly more polite than the first words that popped into my head.

Julian smirks. “We just thought we’d do you a favor and drive your car out so you wouldn’t need to come back for it.”

“Bullshit. The car’s a debt payment. It’s not mine anymore.”

Julian doesn’t blink. “Don’t know what you mean. My dad understood why you had to leave your car behind since you were in such a hurry to get back to New York. But we don’t have the room for it on the ranch and keeping it around is turning into a real inconvenience. You need to take it back now.”

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