Page 66 of Christmas with the Mafia
After tedious small talk, my father stands and nods to my mother. “Come, it’s late, and we have visitors arriving tomorrow.”
Mom stands and smiles, her pleasure when we are together evident in her expression.
“Good night. Enjoy the rest of your evening.”
We all stand, kissing her on the cheek, and she follows my father out of the room, leaving us to breathe a little easier.
“Fuck! Thank God that’s over.” Julius grumbles, heading to the door. “I’ll be in the gym if anyone asks.”
Simeon follows him without another word, and Joseph sighs heavily. “This is why I live in London.”
“You do?” Regina’s eyes light up with excitement. “I’ve always wanted to travel there.”
“Then ask Nico to bring you for a visit, your honeymoon, perhaps.” Joseph grins, his eyes lit with merriment, and I stare at him with an irritated growl. “Good night, Joseph.”
He winks at Regina and heads off, and she turns to me, her eyes shining.
“Alone at last.”
“You did well tonight. That wasn’t easy.”
We start walking, and I’m surprised by how natural it is with her. I’m not used to having friends—especially awoman, and yet Regina appears to make the impossible easy.
“Your mom is very talented.”
Regina’s enthusiasm is amusing.
“She showed you her tapestries then.”
To be honest, I’ve never paid much attention to them, and Regina nods. “As well as her talent on the piano. It’s sad she never pursued her dream of playing professionally.”
“She never had a choice.”
It saddens me knowing that Mom has many regrets. Hell, it’s one of the reasons I hatched this plan in the first place. I will break the cycle, be my own man and not my father’s puppet to control at will. That is why Regina is so important to me. She will play her part in that, and yet the more time we spend together, the more I’m not averse to the situation.
“Nico, um–” Regina hesitates, and a prickle of alarm hits me like an itch waiting to be scratched. What now?
“This, um, marriage, well, it’s not real is it?”
“Of course it is.”
“Seriously!”
She stops and stares at me in shock, and I shrug. “You’ve met my father. He won’t be satisfied with a promise. No, the sooner the better really. Possibly early in the new year.”
“But–”
Her mouth drops, and I don’t give her time to process my words as I say confidently, “Come, I have something to show you, remember.”
She is silent as we head through the vast spaces of the mansion. I anticipate a fighton my hands both with her and my father, one I will win because the cost is too high. Desiree arrives tomorrow with her father and will waste no time in asserting her authority and claiming what she believes is her right.
I’m hoping to thrust the problem of Desiree Bendetti onto one of my brothers, possibly Simeon. He is the man best suited for the challenge in my opinion because he’s a cruel bastard who doesn’t take kindly to being manipulated.
We walk in silence, and only when I push open the door leading to the stone steps, does Regina falter.
“Where are we going?”
I must admit the cool breeze that wafts up the stone staircase is off-putting against the cozy warm glow of the mansion, but the view is worth it.
