Page 287 of Merciless Desires

“Try calling Mamma again,” I said to Gisella, peeking over at her.

Mamma hadn’t answered when Gisella had tried to video called her to show off my wedding dress and veil together.

Gisella pulled her phone from the pocket of her dress and tried, but the call wouldn’t go through.

“It won’t even ring. Ugh, does the reception suck in here? What the hell is going on?” She tried again as we reached a landing, and I drew us to a stop.

“I need her to be a part of this. I can’t do this without her.”

“I know, I know,” Gisella sighed, and tried calling Mamma for the fourth time. “I’m trying.”

“Hi, Papà!” Annabella called, waving at where papà stood near the tall double doors to the grand hall.

I glanced up at him from Gisella’s phone, and he was grinning at me with his hand over his heart.

This was papà’s first look. His first time seeing me in a wedding dress. Well…a wedding dress that wasn’t soaked with blood…

This was his first daughter’s wedding.

The capo wives were picking at their husbands’ suits, making sure everything was perfect. Lucia was crouched, eye-level with her son, Gianni, trying to get him to hold the silly little pillow that the wedding bands were supposed to rest on, but he kept tilting it down.

“Vin, you hold the rings,” Maria sighed, passing her husband the wedding bands.

“Do I get the pillow too?”

Lucia straightened and whipped the pillow at Vinnie’s chest, fixing him with a glare before she turned to us with a smile. “Annabella, are you okay with sharing the flower girl duties with Gianni?”

Annabella nodded.

“Okay! But you can’t throw all the flower petals all at once, Gianni. Okay?”

Gianni just stared at her, and I squeezed Annabella’s hand.

“Go show him how to do it right, okay? Gisella and I are just trying to call Mamma.”

“Okay!” Annabella bounced down the final steps as Papà neared, still grinning up at me.

“Tu sei la più bella nel mio mondo.”

You’re the most beautiful in my world.

“Grazie, papà.”

“I have a gift for you, cara.” Papà reached his hand out, and I glanced at Gisella.

She was still trying to call Mamma, and it seemed like I was going to have to do this without her. An ache settled in my chest that I tried to push aside as I took Papà’s hand and descended the rest of stairs to him.

“What is the gift?”

Papà smiled and leaned forward to kiss both of my cheeks twice. “First…a gift from me. I’m sorry, mi cara. I should have told you about the medical bills. I should have told you much more than just that. I should have told you about Matteo, and the deal that we made at your expense. You deserved to know that you were being married off, and you should have known that by offering you to Matteo, he was paying your mamma’s medical expenses and more. He still pays for everything for us, cara.”

“He…he does?”

Papà nodded. “Yes, cara. Will you accept my apology?”

“Of course, Papà.” I kissed both of his cheeks, lingering a little longer simply because I needed it.

“Your gift,” Papà said and stepped aside.

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