"I'll walk you down the aisle. I'm your big brother, it's my responsibility and it would be an honor to do it."
Tears welled in my eyes, but I blinked them away. I wanted to ask Carlo to walk me down the aisle, but I was so afraid he'd say no that I didn't. Everything was coming together, but it still didn't feel right.
"Gia? You still there?" Carlo asked.
"Yes, I'm sorry I got quiet. I just–"
"Let me be blunt. If this isn't what you want then you need to talk to Dante. It's your wedding, you shouldn't do something you don't want to."
"You're right, you're right. I'll have to talk to Dante. Maybe we can do something different."
"Talk to me about what?" Dante said as he stepped onto the balcony.
"I'll call you back," I said to Carlo before hanging up.
I had to talk to Dante and if I pushed it off I'd never do it. I knew myself too well.
"Can you sit down?" I said, looking up at Dante.
His pale blue eyes darkened briefly before he pulled over a matching cushioned chair and sat down facing me.
"What's wrong? Is it your mother? You're still thinking about her, aren't you?"
He took my hand and closed his hands around it gently. He held my hand so delicately it made me think of catching fireflies as a child and worrying about squishing them.
"Yes, of course I miss her, but there's more," I said. "It's about the wedding. I just don't feel like it's right."
He hung his head down and I knew what he was thinking.
"No, Dante, not that. I want to marry you. I want to be with you forever. I'm just talking about the actual wedding."
"Then we can change that," he said. "Whatever you want to do, wherever. Maybe you'd feel better if we went away."
I looked out at the beach and wished the sky wasn't so dismal. The cloudy sky mirrored my mood. Unfortunately the weather was beginning to get colder so the sunny days and blue skies were gone.
"Where would we go?" I asked.
Even as the words left my lips, I started to feel better. My shoulders felt lighter and my head less cloudy. Getting away from New York was the perfect idea. I imagined warm air and sunny beaches, a world completely different from the one where I was in constant danger.
"We can go wherever you want, my angel. I don't need the big wedding, I just want to marry you. Let me call Betsy and cancel everything," he said.
He pulled his cell phone out of his pocket and dialed. After a quick nod, he placed the phone on the small table between us where my mug of green tea sat, then tapped the button for speaker.
"La Terrazza, this is Betsy Rizzo."
"Betsy, Dante Gambino. Gia is here with me and we'd like to cancel our reservation."
"Oh no! I hope everything is ok."
"Everything's perfect. I know it's short notice so of course I'll cover all expenses."
"Actually, I think I have someone who will take it. I got a call from Phil Palumbo the other day. It ends up one of his daughters is in the family way," she said dropping her voice to a whisper. "He was hoping she could get married right away before she started to show."
"Really? Phil Palumbo?" Dante said, his eyes darkening. "Do me a favor and don't tell him it was my reservation."
"Of course, Dante."
He clicked his phone off and turned to me. His eyes were soft as he looked over my face and I wondered if he was trying to read my mind.
"Have you ever been to California?" he asked.
Today
Gia
Nothing could be more perfect than today. I was marrying a man who would do anything for me, even change our plans at the last minute to get married on a cliff in Southern California.
I couldn't help it, things in New York were depressing me. The weather had grown cold and the skies grey, everything I did reminded me of what I didn't have instead of what I should be happy for. I needed a change of scenery and I didn't realize it until Dante suggested it.
Looking out the window of the bride's room, I was in awe of the view. Purple and red wild flowers grew around the church. They reminded me of All Saint's Convent, but it was the only thing that made me think of the east coast.
Beyond the flowers was the cliff so the flowers looked like they were kissing the ocean. The dark blue water curved along the shoreline, lightening as it approached the coast with it's white froth brushing against the sand. In the distance a surfer sat on his board looking towards the sun over the ocean.
"Snap out of it, Gia," Toni said as she stepped in front of me with a big grin.
Toni wore the dark purple strapless dress I chose for her as my maid of honor.
"I see you got the dress," I said as I tried to keep myself from grinning too much.
"Yes, and I'm happy to say it wasn't the golden olive one you told me it would be. I mean of course I would've worn the Gone With the Wind throwback," she said, cheekily. "And I would've rocked it too, you know."
We both laughed, but then I remembered the news from the day before. Yesterday there was a massive explosion at La Terrazza that destroyed the entire building. Toni's boyfriend had been at that wedding.
"I'm sorry about Chance. I can't believe what happened. You sure you're ok?"
"Yeah, I'm fine," she said, shrugging. "I was getting tired of him anyway. You know me."
"I can't help but think maybe that's why I felt so weird about the wedding. Maybe somehow I knew something bad was going to happen. I think my mother was looking down on me, protecting me."
"I'm sure that's exactly what happened, Gia," she said smiling at me.
Toni's mother slipped into the room with Nonna moving slowly behind her. Mrs. Gambino looked at me, clapped her hands together, and smiled widely. She had the same pale blue eyes as Dante and Toni and even though her hair was a bottled light brown, I could easily picture her with the same black hair.
Mrs. Gambino was dressed in a simple mauve dress with a matching cropped jacket. Her hair was pulled back into a chignon.
"I knew that dress would look beautiful on you," she said.
"Thank you, Mrs. Gambino," I said.
With her mouth pulled to one side, she squinted and shook her head playfully at me.
"Nah uh uh, Gia. What did I tell you?"
"Mom," I said, feeling embarrassed.
"Get used to it, Gia," Toni said. "When we were growing up she had everyone in the neighborhood calling her 'Mom'."
"Well with how your father was–"
"Mom! Not now!" Toni said then let out a dramatic sigh. "You'll get used to this soon enough."
Nonna shuffled her way closer and Toni wrapped her arm around Nonna's stooped shoulders.
"Doesn't she look beautiful in your dress, Nonna?" Toni asked.
"Molto bella," Nonna said as she kissed the tips of her fingers then swept them up into the air.
Mom Gambino steered Nonna to a nearby loveseat while Toni picked up the long lace veil she had ordered for me. It was an old fashioned style veil that draped over my head with a lace edging that matched the dress.
"Ok now," Toni said as she looked me up and down, "you need something old, something new, something borrowed, and something blue. The dress covers old and borrowed, the veil new, did you bring something blue?"
I nodded and pointed to my bouquet which was sitting on a nearby table. She picked it up and admired the orange roses and stargazer lilies, my mother's favorites before handing it to me.
"I don't see blue," she said looking confused.
I turned the bouquet on it's side to show her the stems. The stems were lined up with a white and pale blue ribbon similar to the shade of Dante's eyes. Wrapped around the ribbon was Momma's rosary that Dante got back for me and I rescued before he blew up the house I grew up in.
Carlo knocked on the door and squeezed through, not wanting to open the door too much. He had been doing that all morning and each time it made me laugh.
"They said it's time, Gia," he said as he walked in with a tall box
with a large bow. "Gosh, you look absolutely stunning. Also, someone just dropped this off for you."
Toni took the box from Carlo and eyed it suspiciously. "Were you expecting anything?" she asked as she put her ear to the box.
"Give me a break," I said. "It's a wedding gift. Only our closest family knows we're at Monarch Beach."
I took the box from her and pulled the ribbon and a small card slid onto the floor. Picking it up, I read it aloud.
To Gia,
May this gift bring you warmth and comfort.
"Who's it from?" Toni asked.
"It doesn't say," I said. "It's also only addressed to me."
I put the box on the table and slid my finger under the tape to pop open the lid and looked inside.
"It's a plant," I said as I carefully pulled it out of the box.
"How's a plant give you warmth and comfort?" Carlo said snidely.
The plant had thick dark green leaves and white flowers with yellow centers. I turned it around looking for a clue as to what kind of plant it was.
"Ahh," Nonna said perking up. "Camellia."
"Oh is that what it is?" Mom Gambino said. "It's a tea plant. You can make your own tea from it. What a thoughtful gift, shame they didn't sign the card."
Touching the soft petals of the flowers, I smiled. There was only one person the tea plant could be from, Vic Capuzzo. I would get many wonderful gifts that day, but by far the plant was my favorite. Vic was still alive and I hoped he was finally happy.
Toni fixed my veil after I picked up my bouquet from the table and we lined up ready to leave the room. The church we were in was beautiful. It was a modern looking Catholic church with a high cathedral ceiling and tall stained glass windows.
I would have been happy to get married in there, but I wanted to be outdoors in the sun where Momma could watch from Heaven. I had her favorite flowers and her rosary with me as a way to keep her near. It was the closest I could get to having her there with me, but for the first time in a long time I smiled as I thought about her instead of feeling sad.
We walked to the glass doors at the entrance of the church and I looked down the white linen pathway they laid down for the ceremony. At the end, in front of the flowers and before the cliff was the priest in his white and purple robe. Standing beside him was Dante with Mitcham, his best man.
Nonna and Mom Gambino took their seats towards the front. Once they were seated, Toni straightened my train behind me. The butterflies in my stomach flew around like crazy, but it wasn't from nerves. I was excited to marry Dante and I couldn't wait to say our I do's.
As Toni walked down the aisle ahead of us, Carlo looked down at me and smiled. For the first time I noticed how much he looked like our father. Carlo and his family were the only Carlisis at the wedding and it made me happy to not have to worry about any drama.
When I thought about it, I realized what was really important was having those people who really cared about us and wanted us happy. Our family didn't have to be blood, we could make them out of the people who touched us and were brought into our lives for good reasons.
"You sure about this?" Carlo asked as he held his arm out to me.
"More than anything," I said, wrapping my fingers around his elbow.
The sky couldn't be more blue and beyond it the ocean looked so beautiful it was like looking at a picture. The small crowd stood from their seats in the grass and I felt so much love from each person there, that tears began to fill my eyes.
No, not now, I thought as I blinked them back then laughed at myself. Ahead of me was the man I loved, my protector and my hero. I thought it was impossible but he was even more handsome standing in his tuxedo waiting for me. His eyes were focused on me like I was the only one in the world, which is exactly how he always made me feel.
When Carlo and I reached Dante, Carlo took my hand and held it out to Dante.
"I swear, I don't care who you are," Carlo said, "you hurt my sister and you'll have hell to pay."
Dante smiled and nodded. "I love her too much, Carlo. She's my angel," he said as he turned to look at me and took my hand. "You're my love, my life, my hero. You saved me Gia and I will spend the rest of my life doing whatever I can to make sure you know I love you."
"I love you too," I whispered.
I was choked up and couldn't say anything else. Dante Gambino was a Soldier, a Capo, and now Boss. But to me he would only be my husband and my love.
The End
Thank you for reading Boss, Made Man #3! I hope you enjoyed it.
I've enjoyed Dante's family so much that I will be writing a series of novels, each focusing on his brothers and sister. The first one will be about Sonny and Harper. Sign up for my newsletter for updates and releases.
Continue reading for an excerpt from my bestselling series His Every Whim is Available for Free.
About His Every Whim
While down on her luck, Ashley meets a handsome stranger...
Ashley Monroe is curvy girl having a string of bad luck. Jobless and sleeping on her friend's couch, she takes a waitressing job at an event at the prestigious Boone Art Gallery. While there, she's told one thing–stay away from the mysterious and brooding man sitting by himself. Easier said than done for Ashley who finds herself inexplicably drawn to the gorgeous stranger.
After spending the evening doing things she normally wouldn't–like letting herself be seduced by this enigmatic man she only knows as Xander–she unknowingly opens her world up to the lavish lifestyle of beautiful mansions, fast cars, and expensive clothes. Because when billionaire Xander Boone sees something he wants, he gets it.
*DPGROUP.ORG*
July
Chapter One
Ashley
"Ashley, wait! You forgot your tie!"
I turned around when I heard Jackie call me. Taking the black clip-on tie that was part of our uniform from her then clipping it in place, I looked at the other girls in their pressed white shirts, black slacks, ties and vests. Had anyone told me I'd graduate from college and become a waitress, I would've told them they were full of shit. But there I was, dressed and ready to serve cocktails at the famed Boone Art Gallery, the largest and most prestigious gallery in the city of Canyon Cove.
"Do I look alright? I can't believe you have to wear this outfit whenever you work."
"It pays the bills while I'm in school. Besides Ash, you look great. It really shows off your curves."
I rolled my eyes. She was just trying to make me feel better. I looked like a penguin and I knew everyone thought the same. I glanced over at Jackie with her dark brown hair up in a pony tail just like mine. That's where the similarities ended. Dressed alike, we looked like the before and after of a diet ad.
"Thanks for getting me this job, Jackie. I don’t know what I’d do without you."
"No sweat. I know you'd do the same for me. Plus when I heard this party was at the Boone, I knew I had to get you in. Maybe you can see if they’re hiring."
I nodded and hoped she'd drop the subject. I needed to put my best foot forward and get through the night. I didn't need to be reminded of my inability to get a job because I "only" had an Art History degree and no "real" work experience.
In a matter of days my world came crashing down around me. When my graduate school loans got denied at the last minute, I had to scramble to find a job to keep my apartment. Now, two months later, not only was I still unemployed, but I was sleeping on Jackie's pull-out couch. I really didn’t want to think about it.
As if she read my mind, Jackie put her arm around me and gave me a quick hug. We each grabbed a small tray of champagne filled glasses and headed out of the break room and into the crowded exhibit area.
The Boone Art Gallery buzzed with excitement. The event was invitation only for the grand opening of the Pedro Escamino exhibit–the hottest young sculptor in years. Only the elite of Canyon Cove society made the list. Everywhere I looked, beautiful people posed in their expensive clothes. Men strutted by
in perfectly tailored suits and women glowed in couture gowns. It reminded me that being a waitress was the closest I'd ever get to being at this kind of event.
The gallery's large, open, modern space was white and simple in order to allow the art work to pop and be the focus. Partial walls throughout the room governed the flow of traffic, and gave the viewers either the surprise of the next piece or showcased another. Throughout the gallery cozy alcoves with sleek, low European-style couches and cocktail tables invited the guests to relax.
As I walked around the room with my tray, offering the passing guests a glass of chilled champagne, Jackie rushed over to me, her voice filled with alarm as she whispered even though she had a fake smile in place.
"See that guy over there? In the alcove to the right. Sitting by himself. Don't be obvious about it."
I casually glanced towards the alcove she mentioned and saw a man sitting by himself. His legs were stretched out in front of him as he leaned back into the couch. While he dressed like the other men, in a perfectly tailored suit, he definitely wore it much better. I never realized before how sexy a man could look in a suit.
He looked to be in his forties since his light brown hair had some grey in it, especially at his temples. He wore his hair a little on the longer side, almost shaggy but not unkempt, and he had a closely trimmed beard which made it hard to see his face well. Regardless, it was obvious he was a very handsome man.
Complementing his charcoal grey suit, he wore an ice-blue tie. I couldn't help but wonder what color his eyes were or how rough the hair of his beard would feel against my cheek. With one glance it was obvious to whoever looked that he refused to enjoy himself, but for some reason I felt myself drawn to him.
Boss: A Mafia Romance Page 7