Page 78 of Taming Nikki

“I’m on my way.”

All this for a woman who can’t stand me. I’ve lost my goddamn mind.

* * *

I pulled to a stop in front of the restaurant. After calling her stepmother a bitch and getting into a fight with her father, I knew better than to set foot inside. I was feeling volatile and couldn’t be trusted around Nicole.

The girls piled out, racing inside. Nonna looked at me with a bored expression. “Well?”

“Mrs. Morelli, I think it’s best if I head back to work. I can send someone to bring you and the girls home when you’re through.”

She sucked her teeth. “Nonsense. Get out of the car, Vitale, or I’ll tell the world you’re a pussy afraid of a woman half your size.”

I narrowed my eyes, but the old biddy just raised an eyebrow. Scowling, I put the car into park and relented. She even waited for me to open her door for her. I was being strong armed by an eighty-year-old woman. She grabbed my elbow, dragging me through the front door like I wasn’t a powerful don but a boy in need of a dressing down. She sat me at a table and leveled me with a stare.

“Now, you may be the head of your family and a powerful don, but you will get nowhere with Nicole glaring like that. So take a minute and pull yourself together. I’m going to speak with my son for a moment.”

No one besides Nicole has spoken to me so brazenly. Dons are afforded respect and yet those two women acted as though they were the ones in charge. And if Nonna was anything to go by, Nicole would never change. She’d be just as challenging and brazen in her old age as she is now. I tried not to let the image of an old wrinkly version of Nicole barking at me affect me, but I had to hide my smile behind my hand.

My face fell when Nicole appeared at the bottom of the stairs, but she didn’t see me. She was focused on her sisters, a bright smile overtaking the tired irritation that sat heavily on her features when she first arrived. I watched her chatting with her sisters, animated and relaxed. Nonna sat in front of me with a smug grin on her face.

“I see the way you look at her. Everyone told me you were the worst thing for Nicole, but I heard the stories. I knew better. You’re in love with her.”

I jerked my attention to her, frowning. She waved a hand dismissively. “Don’t bother denying it. It’s all over your face. It has been since you showed up at my son’s home. You are in love with her and you are trying to figure out how to keep her.”

“Mrs. Morelli–”

“That’s Nonna to you. Now you listen. If you want my girl, you’re going to have to do some serious work. She’s as stubborn as they come and won’t be intimidated into jack shit.” I raised an eyebrow at her language, but she ignored me. “Not only that, that girl has been hurt in a way no child should be hurt. Her mamma dropped her off, cut her out, and hasn’t been seen since. She may act tough, but Nikki has never come back from that. What child could? Especially with the way her family treats her. She may be a mafia princess in your eyes, but she’s been broken and put herself back together the best she could. She’s more fragile than she lets on.”

“So what do you suggest? Because I can’t just let her run wild.”

She pointed at me, her eyes narrowed. “You want that girl to listen to you? To act right? Then you have to give her something in return. She needs to know she’s not the only one doing the work.”

My gaze drifted to Nicole. She was watching me, a frown on her face. “I’ve tried showing her. We made a new deal, and she throws it in my face every chance she gets.”

Nonna shook her head. “Not a deal. She’ll see it at face value. You need to show her you want her for her, not for her title, her name, her job, or her mistakes. It took me a long time to figure her out and her needs are more simple than I expected.”

I rubbed my chin, frustrated. Nonna reached out, patting my hand. “She just wants to be loved, Vitale. Deep down she’s still that little girl who’s mamma broke her. She wants someone to love her just how she is. Why do you think me and Nino have her under control? Because we love her, no questions asked. No matter what she does. If you want her, you’ll need to do the same. If that’s not possible for you, then you better prepare yourself. My son may need you, but Nicole doesn’t, and the people who care about her are ready to go to war for her.”

I huffed out a laugh. “And what makes you think she’ll even let me close? She made it clear she wants nothing to do with me.”

“Never thought the Vitales were afraid of a challenge.” I scowled at her, and she raised her eyebrows. “If you love her like I think you do, you’ll figure it out. I can guarantee she’s worth it, deal or no deal.” Nonna stood, offering me a bemused smile. “Good luck, Vitale. You’re going to need it.”

Yeah, no shit.

ChapterThirty-Five

NIKKI

Leo stuckto his corner of the restaurant through the entire party, but I could feel his eyes on me anytime I moved through the room. Whatever story Nonna had entertained him with seemed to have fired him up. He looked like he was ready to fight and I wasn’t going to engage with him. I said what I needed to say last night. Even if he tries to force me to finish the deal, I had no plans to give in to him. I’d spend the entire rest of the week in my room if I had to. I kept my back to him and ignored him until my family left and he was the only one there.

“You staying here again tonight?” Nino leaned against the booth, blocking my view of Leo. While Nonna had been talking with Leo like they were old pals, Nino had gone the other way. He glared at Leo whenever he came in the room and blocked his view of me at every chance he got.

I gave him a tight smile. “Don’t know. I need to check on the program quick though. It’s been running since this morning.”

“Your papa needs to give you back your computer. I know mine isn’t as powerful and it takes twice as long.”

I snorted. “That seems less and less likely. I’ve searched the entire house and come up empty. It’s possible he trashed it.”

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