Page 85 of Plus-Size Bratva Possession
I ran my hand through my hair and faced everyone. “I…I want to thank you all for meeting tonight.”
No one said a word. They all just watched, like hawks.
The tension in the room was so thick, like a furnace. I knew what I had to do, and there was no point in delaying it.
“I'd like to say something, if that's alright,” I said.
The brothers exchanged glances before Caspian gestured for me to continue.
I cleared my throat, suddenly aware of how dry my mouth was. “First, I want to thank all of you for what you did at the warehouse. You saved our lives, and I'm grateful. But that's not why I'm here today.” I looked over at Elena, then back at her brothers. “I'm here to apologize for everything I believed was wrong about your family. I was a man blinded and couldn’t see the truth.”
Elena moved now to stand beside me, and that slight motion gave me so much strength.
“What I did to you all was unforgivable. I caused you all so much pain, especially you two,” I looked at Gio and Larissa. “Most of all, Elena, to you,” I turned to her and took her hands in my own. The words were difficult to say, but they needed to be said and I turned back to face her brothers. “I was wrong. Not just about Adriana's death, but about all of you.”
“Damn right you were,” Dante muttered, earning a sharp look from Caspian.
“I don't expect forgiveness,” I continued. “I wouldn't forgive if I were in your shoes. But I want you to know that despite how this all began, meeting Elena has been the best thing that's ever happened to me.”
My gaze shifted to her, and the love I saw reflected in her eyes nearly took my breath away. “She's shown me what truly matters in life. She's made me a better man than I ever thought I could be. And I am sorry, truly sorry, for the pain I caused all of you.”
The silence that followed felt endless.
“You intend to stay married?” Gio asked suddenly.
I nodded without hesitation. “Forever, if possible.”
“And you, Elena?” Caspian turned to her. “After everything?”
Elena stepped closer to me, her hand finding mine again. “Yes,” she said simply. “There’s no one else for me.”
The brothers exchanged looks again, some subtle communication passing between them.
Finally, Caspian spoke. “What happened at the warehouse, that was family protecting family. You fought for Elena. Your brothers fought alongside ours. Maybe. That means something.”
“It does,” Larissa spoke up from her place on the couch. “Gastone may be stubborn and bull-headed—” she shot me a look that was half-teasing, half-serious, “—but when he loves, he loves with everything he has. Give him a chance,” Larissa said. “For Elena. For the baby.”
At the mention of the baby, the atmosphere in the room shifted subtly.
I saw the brothers exchange looks, and slowly, their stances became softer.
“Thank you,” I said, meaning it, even though they hadn’t said a word.
Gio stood up then and came to me, extending his hand. “If you hurt her again,” he said quietly, “there's nowhere on earth you can hide.”
I accepted his hand, meeting his gaze steadily. “I know.”
And just like that, the tension broke. Not completely, there were still wary glances, but enough that we could moveforward. Over dinner, the conversation slowly became less strained. We spoke of the warehouse fight and laughed over all the stupid mistakes the Espositos made.
We were friendly.
“You should have seen Gastone when Ricardo had me,” Elena said at one point. “He offered himself in my place.”
The brothers looked at me with new respect after that.
As the evening wore on, I kept glancing toward Larissa and the baby. I had yet to properly meet my niece, and the guilt was clawing at me. The truth was, I didn’t know if I had the right to see Sophia after I had shunned her existence. A sadness crept over me, a fear I might have lost out forever.
But after desert, Larissa caught up with me.
