Page 39 of Pride

“It had to be done, Antony.”

“No it damn well did not. Not by you, anyway.”

“Antony, stop. You did it for your capo. I did it for mine. It went fine. End of story.”

She says it so calmly. I can’t believe it. Jesus, the balls on this woman. Part of me wants to wring her neck. But part of me can’t help but admire her.

“And nobody gave you any trouble?”

She shrugs, one corner of her mouth lifting slightly. “Nope.”

“Amazing.” I shake my head. This girl — thiswoman— is fearless. Crazy, maybe. But fearless. And somehow, she’s doing something she shouldn’t be able to do. She’s actually managing to get some respect in this man’s world. I never would have believed it if I hadn’t seen it with my own eyes.

I already knew I’d never met anyone like Serafina Mucci before. After last night, I know I’ve never been intimate with a woman like her before. She’s more than anything I ever expected in a woman. A partner. A wife.

I was already planning to do this tonight, but now I realize how right it feels. It’s more than just a marriage of our two families, desired by the heads of both our houses. Sera is the woman for me. Together, we can rule Cleveland.

When dessert is over, the waiter clears our plates away.

And then, I do something I never thought I’d do in my life.

I get down on one knee.

“Sera,” I say, taking the box out of my pocket. “This ring was my mother’s. It’s been sitting in my safe for years. Honestly, I never thought I’d find a woman I wanted to give it to. But you,bella mia. You have proved me wrong. I know we started out this thing as a way to get our families off our backs. But I was wrong. Somehow, fate brought us together. I’d say I give my heart to you, Serafina, but the truth is, you already took it.” I open the box, and hold it out to her. “I love you, Serafina Mucci. Will you do me the honor of being my wife, and making me the happiest man in the world?”

“Antony!” she gasps. “Are you serious?”

“As a heart attack. You’re the only woman I can imagine being married to. I want you by my side, sweetheart. In everything.”

She doesn’t say anything, just stares at the ring, and then at me. And then, slowly, her head starts to nod. Tears begin falling down her cheeks. I raise my eyebrows, questioning. She nods harder, and starts to laugh. I take her hand, and slip the ring on her finger. Somehow, it fits perfectly. She breaks down crying but she’s laughing, too. And then she’s in my arms, and I’m kissing her.

My fiancée, Serafina Mucci. For real. Soon to be my wife.

We’re laughing and kissing and talking over each other and kissing some more, so at first we don’t hear the phone ringing in her purse. When she does notice it, she laughs it off, saying she’ll look at it later. But then the phone starts ringing again, and by the third time she rolls her eyes at me. “This is ridiculous. I’ll chew whoever that is a new one so they’ll leave us alone. I’m sorry about this, Antony.”

“Don’t worry about it,” I say, and I mean it. Nothing in the world could ruin this night.

At least, that’s what I think until Sera takes the call.

21

SERA

“It’s my sister,” I tell Antony as I glance at the screen. “I don’t know why she’s blowing up my phone.”

“You think something’s wrong?” he frowns, reaching to squeeze my hand.

“Nah, I’m sure it’s okay.” I smile at him —my fiancé!—and squeeze back. “She probably just read some crazy celebrity gossip she wants to tell me or something. But she’s not gonna stop until I answer it. Sorry.”

“Go right ahead.”

Antony pours me a last bit of champagne as I move my thumb toward the button to connect the call. My stomach flips with excitement when I realize I can tell my sister that Antony and I just got engaged. But then I remember that as far as my family knows, we’ve been engaged all along.

Suppressing a giggle, I answer and hold the phone up to my ear. “Let me guess,” I say by way of greeting. “You’ve decided that you’ve fallen in love with fishing and the countryside, and you’re never coming home.”

I expect a snarky remark back, but instead the only response I hear is a sob.

“Hello? Tina?”

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