by Suzanne Hart
“Let me speak to Mikey, Papa. Please?!”
“Hang on, hang on, let me get the phone here… just right about, there we go. Now! Let me hear you say that again.”
“Say what, Papa?” I mumbled, not wanting to provoke him any further.
“You really, really want to speak to Mikey, eh?” I heard Mikey’s voice in the background. “Don’t say it Natalia don’t…” It sounded like he’d been hit. I started to cry.
“Please don’t hurt him, Papa, please. No!”
“Again, tell me again you little bitch, or I’ll cut his fucking throat like a pig’s. D’you hear me! Say it! Do you really want to speak to Mikey? Huh? Do you!?”
I was sobbing uncontrollably, I couldn’t speak.
“Say it!” he screamed, his voice was so loud and so harsh and frightening, I jumped. I nearly dropped the phone.
“I do! I do!” I sobbed. “I do want to speak to him, just don’t hurt him.”
“Say it again,” he drawled, his voice turning to gravel, wet with the spittle from his own sneer. “Say it one last time.”
“I… do…” I broke down completely, begging him not to hurt Mikey, to let me speak to him.
I heard a third voice, closer than Mikey’s. “That’s good enough for me… I now pronounce you both husband and wife. Amen.”
I stopped crying instantly, and my fear had turned to confusion, the sound of men roaring and erupting with cheers, clinking glasses and smashing others was more than I could take in.
My father sounded as if he had moved away from the noise, the celebrations. His breathing was slow and heavy. I could tell he was beyond rage and was in one of his terrifying moods.
“Papa? Please tell me what’s happening, what’s wrong? Are you alright? Papa?” He had grown so quiet, I was afraid of what he might do next.
“Congratulations daughter,” he said slowly, deliberately. “You and Michael Antonio Leone are now husband and wife. The chopper pilot, he’s also a ship’s captain. He oversaw the ceremony, you said I do. That’s it. He’s a Bernardi now. No daughter of mine will have a bastard child, not a bastard and not to a Leone. Not one with a family who would have him anyway…”
I was shaking my head, stunned by what I was hearing. It didn’t make sense.
“I have his daughter, too, you know!?”
“Whose daughter?” I asked, instantly wishing I hadn’t.
“Leone’s fucking daughter! That’s who! I have his son and now I have his daughter, Mia! He’ll see reason or I’ll kill his whole fucking family!”
There was more movement I couldn’t make out, people had come into the room where my father was, they were murmuring and he gave some clipped instructions.
Coming back to the phone, he seemed a little less enraged, almost cheerful. The swings between his moods were terrifying me. And then I felt helpless, regretting everything again. The deal with Claridge was supposed to save Mikey and me, so we could be together. I never saw anything my father had planned coming. It was like he had lost his mind.
“I don’t think there’s time for a honeymoon, not with you involved anyway, Natalia. The weather here, it’s getting nasty. They say a hurricane, maybe even an earthquake. You’ll see your husband soon enough, I’ll let you know when.”
The line went dead suddenly. I couldn’t tell if he’d hung up or if there was some static before the call had dropped out. I hung up the phone. The dream I’d been having would never be remembered. I was in a waking nightmare now, imagining the worst that Mikey was suffering at the hands of my father.
Alright Mama. Showtime.
Forty
Mikey
The one thing we never grew tired of was being so close together, intertwined and tumbling between sheets, in sand or on furniture, after roughly and hastily clearing it of anything that would prevent us from joining any sooner.
We had stared into each other’s eyes, trying to remain focused, but the forceful charge of climax often meant we had to be separate, only for a moment, as we squeezed our eyes tight, amazed that anything could feel so good so often.
And, we never got sick of each other.
Tell me again, I reflected dreamily, as we lay in the whiteness of a crisp linen landscape, the surf breaking on the rocks in the distance. A southerly squall was brewing, turning the light curtains into teasing ghosts, throwing themselves violently closer to hear again the tale of how it had all ended.
Natalia rolled her eyes, jokingly punching me in the arm. “You know how it goes, I hate telling you. You always interrupt,” she teased.
“Alright, I know I do. Maybe just skip the parts where your dad forced drugs down my throat, kidnapped my sister, oh, and when the island sank in that earthquake. Maybe we don’t need to hear that again, hmmm?”
We laughed about it then, but at the time it was life and death. Natalia’s father had sensed something, or someone was trying to get to his offshore fortune and plant themselves as the sole trustee. Our old friend, Claridge.
Claridge had put the price on every Leone head, putting the notice of the open contract on the street so every villain, hitman, bounty hunter, and anybody with enough guts would kill one or all of us for money. Mia’s price was ten million.
He’d turned everybody against each other, trying to silence them with fear and blackmail. Don Bernardi had his suspicions, but by the time he realized what was happening with his fortunes, it was too late. His own daughter, Natalia, and her mother, his wife, had passed the list of trustees on to Claridge. All Claridge had to do was either buy them out, or, as was his style, he threatened them with terror and blackmail or outright killed them, so he could position himself as the only trustee of the Bernardi’s offshore fortune.
Lucky for Natalia and me, Natalia’s mother had made provisions for our financial wellbeing, knowing that we couldn’t go back to the regular mob lifestyle once it was known that she was carrying a Leone baby, even though her own father had forced a wedding; his final attempt to recoup some of his crippling and inevitable losses. And also to believe he could join the Leone family by marriage and perhaps keep some of his then-current lifestyle.
Once Natalia realized I was trapped on the island and her father was acting like a madman, she swung into action with her mother, herself quite ill, but determined to help her daughter to the bitter end if need be. She had arranged a list of trustees for Claridge, which he eagerly received, checked and began his own plans to take over the Bernardi’s empire.
He never did pay either, no big surprises there, but the trustee list and all the trustees on it were fakes. Phony ids which were generated by the very agency that had been tracking and trying to identify Claridge for years, our good friends, and the IRS.
Sure, he got some access to some of the money, but it was already seized, and still is, by the government. Natalia’s father had to take a permanent holiday to another tiny island, until he was ready to face the IRS for tax evasion and the FBI with how he had managed to get all that money, legally.
My own trust fund from my mother? Well, that was real, still is. It’s in probate court, along with Mia’s share. Mia was generous enough to me, after I got through rehab and was clean and sober for six months at least. With me swearing to never touch the junk again, she gifted me her share of the inheritance from our mother from her own substantial fortune.
She also gave Natalia and me a nice wedding gift to accompany the beach house in L.A. The one that Natalia’s mother had bought for us. A check, for services rendered to Mia Bella, for the part I played in her rescue, which she still gets wrong and makes me out to be some kind of hero, which I wasn’t.
I don’t want to say how much it was for, or to brag, but it starts with two hundred and ends with fifty million. And there’s a dollar sign at the beginning.
We had the official wedding a little while later, once things had settled down, taking our vows before each other and a moonlit sky. We honeymooned at home, with public appearances still not such a good idea. My
own family, apart from Mia, never warmed to me marrying a Bernardi. Some say it was what killed my father, but I never bought that story. I’m sure my dad’s still out there somewhere. Maybe he and Bernardi did team up after all? It’s possible, I guess.
Felix, Pippa and even Natalia’s mom joined us in the huge house by the beach. It was like everybody had their own wing and we never got in each other’s way. But Felix still liked to be close to his own mom and Pippa.
“I’d like us to write the next chapter in our lives, Mikey, not keep going over all that’s happened. I know it was hard for you, losing your dad, and rehab, well… let’s not ever go there again, please.”
We held each other tighter. The memories were still so vivid for me, disjointed and mixed up. When I wanted to speak about it, I was still trying to piece together the parts of a terrible puzzle which had threatened all of us, all of our lives.
Since the end of Claridge, who was seized by the feds after a sting to pay for the head of my sister, well, she tells that story better. Natalia’s mom had made what the doctors called a ‘spontaneous recovery.’ I think that’s medical talk for a miracle.
I was having nightmares about the nurse who got hurt in the botched hit at the hospital, something else I managed to clear up with the feds. Under duress and fearing for my own safety, I had been forced to act in fear of my own life. Judge bought it and we managed to be able to pay for all the nurse’s medical bills and buy her a few nice things with some change in the bank too. She made a full recovery and went on to fund a charity for children of victims of crime. I think Natalia was nominated for the board of that.
News of Claridge’s escape had surprised me, but not Natalia or her mother. They seemed to know a few things that they either didn’t want to, or didn’t bother to tell me about the man and his own circle of influential friends.
“Can you feel it, can you feel her kicking?” Natalia said suddenly, interrupting my reverie.
I placed a hand over her belly and smiled, trying not to shed a tear as I felt the tiny hands and feet underneath the fabric, underneath her own beautiful skin.
“Over here, too!” she squealed, giggling as she was tickled from the inside. I wasn’t sure if it actually tickled, but Natalia seemed awfully happy about something.
I moved my hand from her belly, up to her face and, holding it gently, I drew her face to mine, kissing her gently. I could feel the activity from her belly pressing against my own, it felt weird, but it was so exciting at the same time. I wasn’t afraid of being a father anymore; I was looking forward to it, with the love of my life, the beautiful mother of our child, Natalia.
I pulled back from kissing her, she had started laughing. “What?” I asked, happily confused.
She gently took both of my hands in hers and placed them onto her belly again. I could still feel the movement underneath. It was nice, but I really didn’t see the point of doing it all day.
Natalia seemed even more delighted by my own ignorance. “Feel here, dummy! And here! Now do you get it?!”
At the instant I realized what she meant, the tears I’d held back, probably the truest tears of my whole life, ran down my cheeks, kissing where the twins were moving inside the single most beautiful creature I had been blessed enough to meet.
I looked up at her through blurry eyes; we were both crying tears of joy. “No you can’t call them Mia and Mikey!” she said suddenly, reading my mind.
I pretended to frown. “How about Mikey and Mia!?” I asked. I kissed her again and we felt the union of family, the four of us holding each other on the bed. Felix had wandered in, asking why his mom was crying. As soon as he knew he’d soon have twin babies to share, we all realized we were going to be a family of five.
The perfect family.
The rain had threatened to turn to sleet, but there were slender, golden fingers of dappled sunlight, reaching out to touch the earth below, letting us know it was alright. Winter wasn’t quite here just yet.
I held Natalia closer as the twins ran down the narrow path toward the enclosures that made up the petting zoo. They’d grown up so fast; it was years, what felt like a lifetime since the troubles of the past. Including my own selfishness. All the pain that comes with thinking only of yourself, so therefore, you only have yourself to disappoint.
Having a family, a wife, and three beautiful children to care for and be cared for by, was the greatest wealth we shared. Not a day would pass when we wouldn’t stop and give silent thanks for the wonder and the joy that had replaced the terrible and dangerous lives we had once led.
“Daddy, Daddy! Come quick, a deer!” Miles was calling to me excitedly, his sister Millie had wandered over to look at some lambs. I wanted to run down to them, but Natalia was happy to just watch us and wait for Felix and Pippa to catch up.
“You go on down, darling. I know you can’t stand to be this far apart from them for very long.”
I kissed her softly on the mouth, her nose was cold, but her lips were as warm and inviting as ever.
“Go!” she chided, slapping me on the butt. “I don’t want you to distract me by doing that!” I raced down to the children, feeling more like one myself with each bounding step of my sprint.
I scooped up Miles in my arms, planting a firm kiss on his flushed cheek, and he squealed as I spun him around before putting him back down so he could pet the deer.
Watching the deer crane her neck so Miles could hook both his arms around her, I felt a choke in my throat. The deer was looking right at me, right into me.
“Can you hear the deer, Daddy? I think she likes to be hugged, she told me so.”
I ran my hand through the soft fur of the small fawn, rubbing her ear and letting my hand trace down to her muzzle, right before I crouched down, holding her and my son in an embrace. The embrace I wished I could have given the deer from my own childhood.
“Why are you sad, Daddy?”
“Oh, I’m not, baby. I’m not sad. I’m crying because I’m happy. So happy.” I held them both tighter, feeling the immense weight of my own anger, my own judgment from my old life being lifted away.
Miles and I stood back a little, petting the deer again gently before she moved away. I put my arm around my son and was joined by Natalia and Millie, with Felix making us a perfect five. We all watched as the deer looked right at us, right into us all. There are no words for that moment in time. The deer made me realize that my new addiction was to my family. To perfect love.
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A note from the author
Thank you for taking the time to read my book Dancing With The Mob. I hope you enjoyed reading this story as much as I loved writing it.
If you did, I would truly appreciate you taking some time to leave a quick review for this book. Reviews are very important, and they allow me to keep writing.
Thank you again for your support, I am incredibly grateful.
Thank you very much.
Love,
Suzanne
About Suzanne Hart
Thank you so much for reading my romances. I’m an avid reader who lives her dream of becoming an indie author. I enjoy writing about gorgeous billionaires that love to protect their sexy women.
I hope you love my books as much as I do!
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Also by Suzanne Hart
All books are standalone novels.
Click Here for the whole catalogue on Amazon!
Turning Good Series
Rescuing Single Mom
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Second Chance Ex-Marine
Unexpected Roommate
Untouched Series
Her First Game: A Billionaire & Virgin Romance
Her First Dance: A Billionaire Fake Fiancé Romance
Her Accidental We
dding: A Billionaire Fake Marriage Romance
Her Rough Hero: A Military Single Dad Romance
Claiming Christmas: A Mountain Man Romance Novella
Irresistible Bosses Series
Bossing the Virgin: A Billionaire Single Dad Romance
Bossing My Friend: A Best Friends To Lovers Romance
Bossing My Dirty Enemy: An enemies to lovers romance
Bossing My Fake Fiancé: A Brothers' Competition Romance
Irresistible Bosses Box Set