Page 39 of Sing to Me (Dark Renzetti 1)

Walking through the kitchen doorway, I still hear my father’s chuckles behind me. “Yeah, yeah, old man. Laugh it up, but you should see Marco’s googly eyes when Carla is around.Stronzocan’t look away.”

“Who can’t look away?” My mother’s melodic voice comes from inside the pantry. I look around and see Sia putting something into the oven, so I walk straight to her and pull her in my arms while answering my mother.

“Marco. He’s in his feelings for Carla.” I lay a kiss to Sia’s forehead just as I hear a small gasp coming from the corner of the kitchen. Turning, I see a blushing Carla sitting with an amused Nico across from her. Fuck! Marco won’t be happy about me saying anything, but what’s done is done and I consider it a little payback for his big mouth earlier.

I smile at her and ask, “How are you feeling? Did you sleep well?” I regret asking the question because I know for a fact that Marco slept in the room with her last night and when she turns a shade darker, I have to bite back my smile.

“I’m feeling as good as can be. Raging headache, though,” she says after Nico coughs to cover up his laughter; he saw her blush too.

"Good, good. Marco should be here soon. He mentioned something about getting stronger medicine for your headache," I tell her as she glares at Nico.

The redhead has a temper.

Sia squeezes me before letting go to get back to the open oven. “How’d your day go,bello?” Her voice is like a siren’s call. Sweet, raspy, and comfortable. She’s not afraid or shy to show her feelings for me. It has me wondering if she had a similar conversation with my mother as I had with my father.

As she straightens with a tray of bread and pasta, I tell her, “It went well. Drake got some old newspaper stories for you. He says your family is in quite a few photographs as well. He’ll be bringing them home soon.”

She gives me one of her beautiful, beaming smiles that has my heart galloping. I can’t help but to lean down enough to kiss her. Her flavor invades my senses; the ginger mixed with her coffee is intoxicating. I forget where we are until I hear my father clear his throat and my mother’s soft giggle. I shrug when I pull away, looking toward my parents. My mom is smiling like she can hear the church bells ringing.

Knowing her, she’s probably planning the wedding already.

My father’s phone pings with a notification. “Yes, and I’ll be meeting with Chief Marquez tomorrow for lunch. I’ll get all the records of that night including witness statements and anything else useful,figlia. Also, we have some news to share with you while we eat.”

My mother ushers us to the table. “Sia made fresh bread and Carla made this delicious looking Rigatoni, which is heating in the oven. Sit and I’ll have it all served in a few moments. Will Drake and Marco be here soon?”

Sitting next to Sia with Carla directly across from her, I answer, “Marco is on his way now, Ma. Drake will be here for dinner, but he has some business to take care of right now.”

Just then Marco’s frustrated voice can be heard coming from the side entry door that was once used for the servants in the old days. “Sì zio, lo dirò al capo. I’ll let the boss know... okay. Yeah.... Bye.”

I hear a few more cuss words before my mother yells out, “Watch it,ragazzo! There are ladies present.” I guess that means my little sailor mouth woman hasn’t cussed in front of my mother. Of course my mother is kind of a hypocrite when it comes to swear words because I’ve heard her on more than one occasion cussing and she can put a degenerate to shame, let me tell you.

“Perdonami, Mamma, forgive me.Ziohas been on my back all day about Anastasia,” Marco says as he makes his way over to kiss our mother’s cheek.

Sitting next to Carla, he reaches over and moves her hair over her shoulder and brushes her cheek with the back of his hand. “How are you,rossa? Feeling better? I brought you some migraine medicine so you won't be taking too many aspirins. They should get rid of that headache you have.”

She gives him a watery smile. “I’m good, Marco, thank you.”

I can’t hold my question back, so I interrupt their gooey stare down. “What’s Adriano want and how does he know about Sia?” I sound cold and I know it, but it’s no secret that I dislike my uncle. He is a fuck-up and an embarrassment to this family. He is a deadbeat stepfather and a lousy husband, but my father can’t do anything about it unless it directly interferes with business. Plus, he’s my father’s only brother.

“I have no idea how he knows about her. I figuredPapatold him. He wants to meet her and help look for Luca, but I’ve told him he’ll need to ask you or Pops. I don’t know why he’s pushing to meet her. It's not like he and Frankie got along, right?”

“No, they didn’t,” my father answers, “but to hear of a surviving Romano, possibly two, well, I can understand why. Frankie was our brother. Adopted or not, he was my brother, but with Adriano being the youngest, they didn’t get on as kids. Frankie and I were always into something. As for how he knows, I don’t know either. I haven’t spoken to him. Maybe he heard Tommy and Peter talking about it. Which brings me back to the news we have for you,figlia.” But he doesn't continue; instead he nods to me.

Sia looks at me like she's ready to slap someone if they don't start talking. "You have cousins. Tommy, Peter, Ariella, and Sophia Franco. Your mother was sisters with Marcella, whose husband died in the fire with your parents. She's remarried to our uncle Adriano."

She's silent, but I can see the vein in her neck pulsing rapidly as she lets out a long exhale like she was holding her breath. "Do they know I'm alive? Do they remember me? Were we close as children?"

She fires off questions back-to-back.

“Tommy and Peter want to come visit you. Their sisters and mother don’t know about you as far as I know, but when you’re ready to see them we’ll have them over for dinner,” I tell her as she practically bounces with excitement.

Seeing her happiness making her skin flush and the bright smile on her face makes my chest tighten.

These fucking feelings.

Not unwanted but definitely something I’ll have to grow used to, though looking at Sia, I don’t think I’ll ever get used to anything when it comes to her.

“Oh, girl! I’m so excited for you! You have family here who’ve missed you,chica! This is great!” Carla says while clapping her hands with genuine joy. I’m thankful Sia has a friend in her. She’s good people. She’s going to be good for Marco too, but if he doesn’t stop with the gaga looks I’m going to throw something at him.

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