by LC Taylor
“Well, that’s a good thing because this whole damn family has burrowed its way into my heart. Even Vincenzo who I’ve yet to meet.”
“Looks like you’ll meet him soon. We won’t be leaving Italy for a while now. Are you ok with that?”
“Yes. We need to be here for the family.”
I pressed her knuckles to my lips and kissed the delicate flesh. Her beauty wasn’t just external, it was deep within her soul.
Chapter 40
Madison
Surreal.
That’s the only way to describe the number of people who turned out for Giuseppe’s funeral. He was a man that many people respected. Massimo had warned me the service would be large, but nothing could have prepared me for this. Antonio had insisted on helping me dress, ensuring I was decked out in only the best fashion. I thought it was silly but letting him have his fun seemed to help him bury the grief that I knew he was consumed with.
No matter what I said to him, he was not ready to discuss what made him feel so lonely. I insisted he was wrong in how he would react, but he didn’t want to hear it. In the end, I dropped the conversation, telling him I would be there when he was ready to tell everyone. I loved him like a brother and would do anything to prevent his hurt.
Vincenzo was nothing like I expected. He was one hundred percent alpha male. Massimo told me that Vin was into some dark things. Being a regular member of Fantasia meant he was into some heavy kink, too.
I didn’t care.
He treated me like his little sister and vowed to protect me forever. Plus, he promised me all the free food I wanted. I learned a lot just listening to conversations held between the family and all the visitors. I heard several of the men refer to Vincenzo as The Lama, which I learned was Italian for the blade. I suspected it had nothing to do with being a cook, but I didn’t ask.
Catarina was the oldest of the girls and was completely different from what I’d expected. She was an emergency room nurse in Vegas. Catarina had wanted something different from the typical family business, but being a nurse just meant she got to deal with all the medical issues they encountered. She laughed and said she’d been more involved as a nurse than she ever thought she would be. Stitching up the guys was a regular thing for her.
I watched Massimo stand with several men who made the Godfather from the movies look like Barney. He patted one of them on the back and then pulled him into a hug. I couldn’t hear him, but he said something, causing all of them to look my way. Blushing, I waved, unsure of how to respond.
My gut churned with unease as they drew closer.
“Madison.” Massimo held his hand out, urging me to join them. “I’d like you to meet Filippo Bianchi. His family is longtime friends of ours. They support us in a more physical way.” Massimo smiled at the man.
“Hello, Mr. Bianchi.” I held my hand out, allowing him to press a gentle kiss against my knuckles.
“No, no. Call me Filippo. You are a beautiful lady. What is someone as gorgeous as you doing with this oaf?” he laughed.
I stiffened, cutting my eyes toward Massimo, who winked. “It took some convincing, but I think I’ve managed to convince her to give me a chance.”
“Well,” Filippo grinned, “if you ever tire of him, call me. I’d make you my queen.”
Massimo stepped behind me and pulled me into him. “There will be no need. Madison is already a queen.”
“Thank you, Filippo, but Massimo is being dramatic. I am no queen. I am, however, his.”
We exchanged a few more words before Massimo ushered me off to a private room. His grandmother was sitting alone at the window, staring at the landscape beyond the glass.
“Nonna?” Massimo tilted his head, concern marring his face.
“Why don’t you go get us some drinks?” I patted his cheek and leaned in to press a kiss to his tender skin. “I’ll go and talk to Vittoria.”
Massimo nodded and reluctantly left the room. Moving slowly toward Vittoria, I pressed my hand to her shoulder. She glanced back, finally realizing someone was in the room with her.
“Madison,” she spoke my name, her accent thick with sadness. “Why are you not with Massimo?”
“We came to check on you. He has gone to fetch some drinks.”
“Pffft. I’m fine. You two should be out there celebrating Giuseppe’s life. Not in here with a sad, old woman.”
“I’d rather be in here with you, then pretending to smile at all those strangers.”
“You are a good woman.” She patted my leg as I sat across from her. “When will you marry my grandson?”
I coughed. “We’ve only known each other a short time, Vittoria.”
“Giuseppe and I met when I was eighteen. I knew immediately he was the man I would spend forever with. Three days later, I was his wife. We had sixty-eight wonderful years together and I will treasure every memory made.”
“Three days?”
“Yes. Madison, the heart knows when it finds who it is meant for. Can you imagine a life without Massimo?”
I looked toward the closed door, wishing he’d come back. “No... I can’t, but I’m scared.”
“Fear is a silly emotion. We cannot stop fate, Sweet Girl. Letting uncertainty rule you will only lead to heartache in the end.”
“Well... it doesn’t matter until he asks me.”
“Asks you what?” Massimo’s voice filled the room, causing me to startle.
“Nothing.” I smiled, embarrassed that he probably heard us talking.
“We were talking about when you two will marry. I want to fill this house with happiness—Giuseppe would want that.” She pulled at her hand and reached out to Massimo, handing him something. “Here, I want you to have this.”
Massimo set down the drink he was holding and opened his hand. She placed something in his palm, causing him to look up at her. Vittoria had removed her engagement ring and had given it to him.
“Nonna, I can’t take this.”
“You can and you will. Now, give it to this girl. I want a wedding soon.” She pushed up from the bench and gave a half-hearted smile. “I’ll leave you two to chat.”
Massimo hugged her, “Nonna, I love you.”
“I know, Boy. Make her yours.” She winked at me as she slowly made her way out of the room.
“What just happened?” I watched as the door closed behind her.
“I think I’ve just been given my first order as the new Don,” Massimo chuckled, setting the glass he held in his other hand down. He moved to stand in front of me and squatted.
“Massimo?” I asked, confused about what he was doing.
“Madison, this is not the way I planned on doing this, but Nonna is right. When you know you know...” He went down on his knee, causing me to cover my mouth with my hands and gasp. “You walked into my office like a thunderous freight train. I knew in that instant I would make you mine. You ground me in ways I never thought possible. It’s like you are the lighthouse high up on the rocks in the middle of a storm, and I’m the lowly ship being guided to you. Wherever you are, I want to be. Nonna knew after three days Giuseppe was her soul mate. Until you, I never thought they existed. I know you’re scared of how you feel. Hell, I am, too, but I cannot imagine being without you in this life or the next. Will you take a chance on me and do me the honor of becoming my Goddess?”
“Massimo...” I ran my hand down his face, cupping his cheek in my hand. “Yes. I’ll marry you.”
He stood, capturing my lips, and laced his fingers into my hair. I tugged his shoulders, drawing our bodies closer. He held me, our mouths moving in a fury of hazy lust. Breaking the kiss, he held out the engagement ring that had been on his grandmother’s finger moments before. Carefully easing it onto my ring finger, he smiled once it was seated.
“It fits.” He grinned even wider. “This is proof we are meant to be. I love you, Madison. You own my soul.”
Chapter 41
Massimo
This was supposed to be ou
r moment—she’d agreed to be my wife. The moment Vincenzo burst through the door; I knew something was wrong.
“Vincenzo.” I smiled at him. “What is it?”
Madison tucked herself under my arm, pressing into my side.
“We have a problem, Fratello.”
“What do you mean, a problem?”
“A dead body has turned up at my restaurant.”
“Who?” I stiffened against Madison.
Vincenzo bristled. “Salena Angel.”
“Angel? As in Miguel Angel? Please tell me this is a coincidence. That the dead girl isn’t related to the new boss of the Sureños.”
“I wish I could. It’s his sister. We need to go home, Massimo. Angel is on a warpath. He thinks we did this—I did this.”
“Why would you kill his sister? FUCK.” I turned to Madison. “I’m sorry. I wanted to spend time here, with you, but...”
She pressed her hand to my cheek. “I understand. We need to go home. When I said yes to you, I knew this was part of the deal.”
“Wait...” Vincenzo grabbed her hand. “You asked her?”
“Yes.” I ran my hand through my hair. “Right before you walked in.”
“Oh my God.” He tugged her from my hold and embraced her. “Welcome to the family.”
“You can let go now.” I yanked him back. “Go get Antonio. We need to tell father what’s going on and get back to Vegas ASAP.”
“I’ll take care of that. You,” Vincenzo pointed to me, “need to go tell Nonna the good news. Mom and dad as well.”
“You’re right. Take care of the arrangements. Madison and I will tell everyone the good news.”
I laced my fingers in hers. “Vincenzo?” I cocked a brow at him as we walked toward the door. “Why would they think you did this?”
“She was found in my office at Bellissimo.”
“So, that still doesn’t make you guilty. What aren’t you telling me?”
“She was, uh...” He paused at the door. “Found bound, gagged, and bent over my desk. Miguel believes she and I were... um...” He glanced toward Madison. “Intimate.”
“What the fuck? Are you saying it was staged to look like you were role playing?”
“Yes. But I swear to you, I’ve never seen this girl before. Hell,” he walked into the hallway, “I was here when her death happened. Miguel won’t listen to reason. He is blinded by rage right now and he wants my head.”
“We’ll fix this. He seems like a reasonable man. Our partnership has only begun. Surely, he will see the stupidity in blaming you. Question is...” I paused, “who would want to set us up like this?”
“That’s a good question.”
I patted him on the back. “Don’t worry, we’ll get this sorted out.”
Vincenzo nodded and walked away, leaving me and Madison alone.
“Are you sure you want to marry me still? This is what life will be like.”
“Stop doubting how I feel for you. Am I scared—yes. But I know you’ll protect me and your family at all costs. Let’s go.” She grabbed my hand. “The sooner we tell everyone, the sooner we can return to Vegas and get this sorted out. I don’t like seeing Vincenzo so...” she paused, “worried.”
Her words resonated with me. She was right, Vincenzo seemed scared. That was something he rarely was. He was skilled with a blade, earning him the nickname The Lama. His skill had nothing to do with being a chef.
“You’re right, he was worried.”
“Massimo?” Madison tilted her head. “What did he mean Miguel thought they were intimate? Why would he think that just because she was found in his office?”
This conversation was bound to come up at some point. Madison knew what Fantasia was, what she didn’t know was Vincenzo was a top member. He kept that part of himself private, fearful others would think differently about him professionally. Me, Antonio, and Donny were the only ones who knew what he did.
“Vincenzo has a side to him that few know about.”
Madison looked into my eyes, realization dawning. “He goes to Fantasia.” It was a statement, not a question.
“Yes, Antonio is not the only one with demons. The club allows Vincenzo a way to expel his demons.”
“Demons?”
“Just like you once said to me, it is his story to tell. Maybe one day he’ll open to you as Antonio did. Know this—Vincenzo is a good man.”
“Of course, he is. His sexual preferences don’t change my opinion of him.”
“Good.” I pressed my lips to hers. “Let’s go tell everyone I’ve managed to convince you to be mine forever.”
Chapter 42
Madison
The airplane ride home was filled with so much tension, you could have cut it with a knife. Miguel Angel was on a rampage, threatening to rip the Anastasi family apart. Antonio seemed to be the only one unaffected by the matter. He was on his phone, immersed in texting with someone.
“Who has your attention?” I smiled at him, poking him in the side.
“No one important.” He slipped the phone into his pants pocket. “Let’s talk about your engagement.”
“I see what you’re doing, Antonio.” I shifted to look at him. “But I’ll give you your privacy. I’ve only been engaged twenty-four hours. Can we table this discussion for a bit?”
“Yeah, but know this,” he smiled, “it will be in Italy, so brace yourself for that.”
“I kind of figured that, based on Nonna’s comments.”
“You have no idea what you’re in for, do you?” Antonio snickered. “Don’t worry, I’ll be there to help you.”
Massimo appeared from the back of the plane, Vincenzo following close behind. His face was a mask of worry, Massimo’s reflecting the same expression. He gave me a half-hearted smile before sitting across from me.
“What is my brother filling your head with?” He slapped Antonio’s knee.
“He’s preparing me for our epic wedding.”
Massimo’s eyes filled with a jocose gleam. “Does this mean you’ve given thought to when you’re going to become Mrs. Anastasi?”
The captain’s voice cut off my words, announcing our descent into Las Vegas. Antonio stiffened beside me, reminding me of the reason for our sudden return.
“Miguel will meet us at the club. I’ve asked him there to address this head on. I think deep down he knows it wasn’t you. But like us, he wants answers.”
“Has Donny found anything?” Vincenzo rested his hands on his knees, his head bowed in defeat.
“No. The cameras were disabled, cut actually. So, there is no footage of anyone entering the restaurant.”
“Fuck,” he mumbled.
The plane touched down shortly after, jostling me from my cloud of worry. Massimo ushered us all off to the awaiting cars. Donny was standing by one of the SUV’s waiting for us. Freddy stood by the second one, smiling as we approached.
“Maddie.” He pulled me into a hug. “I’m glad to see you back. Mr. Anastasi.” He turned to Massimo, who was standing near Donny. Their voices were full of tension as they carried on a conversation.
“Freddy,” he paused, “you’ll be driving my brothers. Madison and I will be riding with Donny.”
“Yes, Sir.” He turned toward me. “I’ll be seeing you, Maddie.”
“It’s Madison,” Massimo barked.
“Oh... yes, Sir, my apologies.”
“It’s fine, Freddy. You can call me Maddie. Massimo is just being...” She raised a brow. “A jerk.” I brushed past Massimo, bumping into his shoulder as I climbed into the backseat.
“Oh, she’s going to keep you on your toes.” Donny spoke as he chuckled and climbed into the driver’s seat. Massimo slid into the seat beside me and tugged the door closed.
“You’re probably right.” He laced his fingers with mine, tugging my hand to his lips and placing a gentle kiss on my knuckles.
We pulled down the alley behind the club, the interior silent as Donny cut off the engine.
> “Madison.” Massimo turned toward me, but I put my finger to his lips.
“Shhh, I know. I’ll go to the apartment and wait. If something happens, have Carlisle come and get me.”
“Thank you. I wouldn’t be able to focus if you were there.”
“It’s ok. I know there are going to be times when I cannot be a part of your life. Just come back to me.” I leaned in and kissed him. “I’ll be upstairs taking a bath.”
He groaned, adjusting himself as he slid out behind me. “Now I’m going to have that image in my brain. Maybe you should come with me.”
“Boss.” Donny held the door open. “Miguel is waiting for you in the office. Antonio and Vincenzo are already with him.”
“Bella.” Massimo turned toward me. “I’ll be up soon.” He pulled me against him, his mouth finding mine. While I knew it wasn’t goodbye, my heart stuttered a little. Fear would always be present in our relationship, but love would conquer that every time.
“Be safe. I’ll be waiting...” I turned toward the front of the club and called out over my shoulder, “naked.”
“Fuck me.”
I heard him groan as I walked around the smooth bar top. Carlisle was leaning against the edge. “Madison, you’re here.”
“Carlisle.” I stopped and leaned across the counter. “Give me a hug!” It was an awkward embrace, but I needed it. The last time I saw him, we left on not so good terms. I was pissed that he left me alone on the tarmac with Antonio. “How are you?”
“Me, I’m good. How about you? Everything ok?”
I held up my hand, proudly displaying the glittering diamond on my left hand. “You could say that.”
“No shit! You said yes?”
“Yep, looks like I’ll be around for a while.”
“I am happy for you. He’s a good man, but you make him better.”
“We make each other better. Now, I’d love to catch up, but I’m exhausted. How about lunch tomorrow? I want to know what’s been going on since I left.”