Page 79 of Lethal Vows

“I-I’m sorry,” I stammer, unsure what else to say.

“Mama Monti loves things done on time,” Angel explains, coming up to stand next to me. “So glad you could come. We only have a few days left, and Mama Monti has wanted to meet you all this time.” And my cutting glare in Crue’s direction reminds him of the fact I’m not at all comfortable with being ambushed like this.

“You shouldn’t have left it for so long until I got to meet her.” Mrs. Monti waves a wooden spoon with sauce on it in the general direction of Crue and me. And I’m unsure if she’s mad with her son or both of us.

“I had to meet you. My son has said for a long time he plans to marry you. I’m glad to see him sticking to his word. And I am glad you are so beautiful, not that I expected less. I mean, my son has great taste. Takes after his mother,” she says.

My blood freezes while that constricting feeling creeps up my chest. All I heard out of that wasmarry me.

“We aren’t getting married,” I tell her. And I give everyone a hard look to remind them of that fact and that I have a say in this too.

She stops stirring the sauce and narrows her eyes at me. “No marriage?” She turns to Angel. “Did you know of this?”

“I—”

“Don’t annoy Rya, Mother,” Dominic says, entering the kitchen. “It’s her first night with us.” Dominic puts an arm around me and pulls me in. “We don’t want to scare her off. Crue does a good job of that by himself.”

“Remove your hands from her,” Crue says darkly.

Dominic drops his arm as his mother and Angel carry plates to the table. I feel Crue approach before he circles my waist from behind.

“This is awkward. How dare you put me in this situation without warning,” I quietly seethe at him. When he said we were going to celebrate my winning the case, I thought perhaps a fancy dinner and great sex. Not being bombarded with family. Not that I’m complaining about seeing Angel, but his mother that’s an entirely different story.

“You think this situation is awkward? Is it any worse than your mother walking in while I held a gun over my hard cock?”

“That’s not the same.” I turn around so I can see him. “I didn’t know she was coming. You knew I was meeting your mother.”

“Well, you can’t meet my father because I killed him.”

I huff out a breath as he pulls away and drags me with him to the table, where everyone is already seated. He pulls out a chair for me, and I sit. I note with surprise that some of the meals are vegetarian. I wasn’t hungry until I sat in front of the food. With the excitement of the day, I haven’t had the chance to eat. Crue hands me the platter of garlic bread, starts to plate up some pasta for me, and then does the same for himself.

It's strange to see Crue doing something so… human.

“Wine?” his mother offers.

I throw my hand up so quickly it draws everyone’s attention as a nauseous swirl begins in my stomach. “I’ll skip the wine, thank you.”

Crue chuckles as he takes the wine from his mother and pours himself a glass instead. “Rya here had a little too much over the weekend.”

“An Italian woman who doesn’t drink wine is—”

“Mom.” Dominic flattens her with a stare.

She perks right back up with a smile. “So, Rya, do you plan to move back home soon?”

Oh boy, are we in for a cracker of a night.I start to eat my food and cover my mouth at his mother’s question before I answer while tension ripples through the room, “No,” I state, making it abundantly clear.

Her gaze cuts straight to Crue, and I feel the judgment there.

“How is work?” Angel asks me, trying to change the subject. “I see you won the Torrisi case. That’s huge!”

“Do you plan to have kids one day?” Crue’s mother interrupts with another question.

“Mother,” Crue scolds.

“No,” I answer, then take another defiant bite.

“You can’t marry her,” his mother announces.

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