Page 150 of Mafia Kings: Dario

Just about everyone in the room gasped (me included) –

Except for Dario and Niccolo.

Niccolo grinned and handed a tiny object to Dario that I couldn’t see.

“I… I…” my father stuttered, then turned to me. “If she wishes to marry you, then yes, I give my blessing!”

I turned to Dario in disbelief –

At which point, he knelt down in front of me and took my hand.

“Alessandra… when you left earlier… that was the first time I realized I loved you. Madly… passionately… deeply. You are the only thing that has brought me true happiness. And when I nearly lost you tonight… I realized that I couldn’t live without you. I love you, and I never want to part from you ever again. Will you marry me?”

I burst out crying – with happy tears, this time! – and noddedyesas I smiled and laughed.

The brothers all cheered.

Adriano, Massimo, Roberto, Niccolo, Valentino –

And Lars. By now, I thought of him as one of the brothers, too.

Dario grinned and held out a stunning diamond ring. It looked old-fashioned, with tiny rubies and pearls in a setting around the diamond.

I gasped at the sight of it and realized it was the object Niccolo had given him just moments before.

“It was my mother’s,” Dario told me, then glanced at his brothers. “I hope you don’t mind.”

They all cheered again and yelled their approval.

“You know you havemyblessing,” Niccolo said.

Adriano grinned, the first time I had ever seen a smile on his face. “I can’t think of anyone I would rather see wear Mama’s ring.”

I cried even harder at his words –

And then Dario slipped the ring on my finger, stood up, and kissed me.

For a moment, the world stopped… and I felt like I was in a fairy tale.

Then I was brought back to reality as everyone clapped: the brothers, the family’s foot soldiers, and the servants who had heard the commotion and come to see what was going on.

Dario smiled at me, and I beamed up at him.

All the brothers gathered round to congratulate us. They hugged me and slapped Dario on the shoulder.

Niccolo was the last.

“So good to have you as my sister,” he said as he hugged me. “I always wanted one… and now I do.”

I hugged him back. “I always wanted a brother… and now I have six!”

Valentino laughed. “Did you hear that, Lars? You’re an honorary sibling!”

“I better be after tonight,” Lars joked.

Niccolo sighed theatrically. “A trueCosa Nostraengagement – love and death in equal measure. All the men beside Alessandra’s father, follow me – we have some graves to dig in the orchards!”

Then my brother-in-law-to-be looked at me and winked. “Don’t worry – I promise the wedding will be abitmore conventional.”

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