Page 71 of Married to the Mafia

“You remember how you wanted me to be Don? Said you wanted to focus on Amelia?”

“Yeah, I remember. You took over, and I thought you were happy with that.”

“I’m thinking the same way as you. The more I think about it, the more I think my father brought me back into the famiglia to fuck with me.”

“But who takes over?”

“Corrado can run things from the city. I’m settling here in Gordon’s Cove.”

“What the fuck? Are you serious?”

“I want to bring up a family with Rose. I don’t want to be looking over my shoulder the whole time.”

“You told the Capo dei Capi about your plans?”

“I reckon he’ll be all right with it. All I want is to bring up some kids in peace. Maybe get a dog. I’d like a dog.”

I hang up and turn around. Rose is standing right there. “You want a dog?” she asks. “I thought you never wanted another dog.”

“When my father killed the last one, he cut the skin off its back, showed me the bug the Beluccis had sewn into the tissue, listening to everything we said. Made me dig the bug out. Told me you can never trust anyone. Told me to never get close to anything. You’d be taken advantage of if you did, but I’m not him, Rose. I want to trust you, and I want you to trust me. Do you think you can do that?”

She looks at me and she goes silent for a moment. Then I see a flicker in her eyes.

“So you want kids then?” she asks.

I nod. “You listened to a private conversation?”

“What about it?”

“That’s a spanking where I come from.”

“And where do you come from, spank town?”

The flicker in her eyes has lit up and is turning into a smile that illuminates her entire face. “You watch your behavior,” I say, wagging a finger at her.

“Or what?”

“That does it.” I grab her and spin her around, landing a couple of quick swats on her ass. “You asked for that.”

“Not in public,” she squeals. “People might see.”

“Let them.” I land another spank, and then I grab her and kiss her. I don’t stop for a long time. “Forgive me?” I ask.

“The new shelter looks like being twice as big,” she replies. “That’s the thing with you men. Always need to be bigger than each other. Not trying to compensate for something, are you?”

“You should know.” I press my hips against her and she can feel how hard I am. “What do you think?”

“I think you better get that mansion built fast because I want to walk around naked inside.”

“I will hold you to that promise.”

“Who was it on the phone, by the way?”

“Leo.”

“Is he back?”

“Yep. Him and Amelia are coming back for your father’s funeral.”

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