Mafia Protection (Tomassi Series Book 1)

by AA Lee

  “She’s all yours now,” Sullivan said. “Please take care of her.”

  Angelo nodded back at him and gently folded his fingers around hers. His face lowered and his lips touched her ear. “Are you ready for a life with me, little girl?” he whispered. Ella gave him a look that disapproved of the name. It was just like him to ask something like that.

  “Just don’t leave me. I don’t want to see something happen to you.”

  “That’s my line,” he said and kissed the top of her head; then he turned them both to face Harrison, the officiator.

  “Welcome.” said Harrison. “It is a joy to see all of you present with us today. We have gathered here to unite this man and this woman in marriage. The two who stand before me are prepared to accept the bond and commitment that marriage will bring. This unity is not to be taken lightly and shall forever link the lives of both individuals. They have accepted the challenge to marry with all of you as their witnesses, supporting their vows to each other. If any person present has any reason that these two should not wed…it would probably be best if you didn’t speak and forever held your peace.”

  Harrison paused with the hushed snickers but continued when Angelo shot him a silent look of warning. “Very well, no one objects.” Harrison smiled, his dimples deepening, making his expression look baby-like even though his hair was completely gray. “Angelo, do you take this woman to be your wife; to love, respect, and honor for as long as you both will live?”

  “I do,” he said and grabbed her left hand and slipped a small band on her ring finger followed by a diamond. Then he leaned down and spoke softly in her ear. “You know that I would do anything for you. I will make you happy.”

  Ella gazed in his eyes, so beautiful and sincere. She could feel the tears creep to her own. She was standing in front of him, about to become his wife. She never expected this to happen for her.

  “Ella,” said Harrison. She quickly looked up at the officiator. “Do you take this man to be your husband; to love, respect, and honor as long as you both will live?”

  Ella took a deep breath in and answered quietly, “I do.” Then she unfastened the chain from her wrist and made her shaky fingers link it around his neck. Angelo questioned the gesture. The chain seemed to confuse him for a moment. “The necklace will hide your ring, but I don’t want you to forget about me either.” Angelo gave a slight smile that approved and glanced back at Harrison.

  “Very good. May your love grow and bind you closer every day of your married lives. I now pronounce you husband and wife.”

  She gazed at Angelo as he laid his palms around her cheeks. She could hardly believe it as he pulled her face close; her lips felt numb with the delicate kiss. They were married. He started to pull away, but Ella grasped his hands that still cupped her face. “I love you, Angelo.”

  He smiled at her and kissed her again. It was a longer, more passionate kiss than the first. Ella felt perfect in his arms.

  ***

  Nina had decorated the reception hall of the chapel beautifully. Flowers and ribbons surrounded the room. White silk tablecloths covered the tables. There were bottles of wine and glasses on one table in the back; platters of hors d’oeuvres covered another.

  Ella glanced at Angelo from the back of the reception hall. Several men were congratulating him with hugs and some with kisses. As the rules said, his group could not continue to protect her unless they were married. She guessed that girlfriends had a lower status than wives did. Maybe Angelo invited his men to show that he also followed the rules, but it looked like more than just that. Angelo respected them. She could tell that he trusted them by how freely they were able to approach him and shake his hand.

  A group of women pulled Ella’s focus from Angelo. They were strangers to her, but they gave her the same amount of attention as though they knew her for years. She received kisses and hugs. Some complimented her dress. Others wished her a happy marriage. A couple even invited her to lunch at their house. The women were friendly and welcoming. Ella did not know which husbands belonged to them, but the women definitely seemed happy with their lives.

  The musicians started to play again. Ella admired how the different instruments complemented the others. She sipped on wine and enjoyed the rhythm as she waited for Angelo to return. Several couples were in the front of the reception hall dancing. She hoped to be one of them soon.

  Ella had just touched a bottle to fill up her glass when a man walked up beside her. “Allow me,” he said. Ella looked up at the older man and smiled her appreciation. As he handed her the glass, she remembered having seen his face. She would never forget that stern expression, but where had she seen him before? Then Nina walked up beside him and took his arm.

  “You have met my wife, but I never formally introduced myself. My name is Antonio Tomassi.”

  “Yes,” Ella said. Her eyes widened as she remembered the exchange. Now that she knew what the exchange had been about, she felt a little embarrassed about seeing him again. His eyes were dark brown like Angelo’s, and gray colored much of his hair. There were some wrinkles on his face and a scar on the bridge of his nose.

  “So, you caused my son to ignore me before finding out who you were. Then you run, and now the Tomassi Group has to wait until the investigation is over before they can focus on group matters.”

  “It isn’t going to happen again,” Ella tried to explain and gave him an apologetic look.

  “Oh, I’m sure it will from what I’ve heard about you. You know, I only wanted my son to marry you. I never expected him to fall in love.”

  Ella looked away. She did not want to hear those words at her wedding. She knew she had been wrong to run. She already promised Angelo that she would not do it again. There was nothing left for her to say for herself. “Would you rather he didn’t have feelings for me?”

  “Did I say that?” Antonio’s voice made her shiver, and she could say nothing at all. Now she knew where Angelo received his intimidating gaze. Her shoulders slouched as she prepared to hear more of his lecture. “My dear, you must have gone through hell to win over his cold heart. I never thought I’d see any woman gain my son’s affection. However, I was wrong, and you have earned the right to wear this. It is now yours to keep.”

  Antonio hooked a bracelet over her wrist. “This is a valuable family heirloom and will show that I approve of you as a wife to my son. Do what he tells you from now on. That way, he can make clear decisions without worrying about you getting hurt. You both will have enough hard times ahead without your interference, but I know that if anyone can keep you safe, it is my son.”

  Ella’s mouth opened. That was the last thing she had expected from Antonio. She smiled at him as he gave her a hug and a kiss. Nina did the same and winked as they walked away to the dance floor. Nina was happy with him. She could tell that by the way Nina looked in his eyes. Ella was glad that they resolved the problems that they had in the past.

  She smiled and watched Angelo weave through the guests and walk back to her. She hoped the love between her and Angelo would be just as strong at their age. She wanted to be able to look at Angelo and feel exactly the way she did now.

  “I see my father approves of my wife,” he said and lifted up her hand.

  “I don’t understand that. I thought your father wanted you to marry me.”

  “Oh, he always approved of the marriage, but he didn’t know who you were. All he thought about was being able to merge our families and shutting Bonadio down.”

  “I was a business interest,” she said and turned around. She wondered why they wanted to combine the family’s interests anyway. Did they not have enough on their own? She was lucky with Angelo, but others had to marry a stranger as Nina did.

  “Well, if you put it like that,” he smiled and twisted her back to face him. Her head immediately fell against his chest. “If it makes you feel any better, I would have married you anyway.”

  “But you said that you couldn’t marry me.”

/>   “No, I said if I wanted to stick with the rules that I couldn’t marry.” Angelo leaned forward; his firm body restrained her between him and the table. “Do you want to know a secret?” he asked.

  “Yes.” Her voice was hesitant as he moved his face close to her ear.

  “I bought your ring before I knew you were Gregorio’s daughter.”

  “What?” she mumbled and looked at him. Tears instantly pricked the corners of her eyes. “I don’t know what to say.”

  “I think that should tell you exactly where I stand.”

  Her fingers slid around his waist. Her hands rested on his back. Ella would never doubt his love. He was willing to risk his status with his group and his father all for her.

  ***

  Angelo could hardly believe they were at home and finally married, but Ella had been quiet the entire ride to the house. Angelo watched her sit on the bed, her dress gathering at her feet in a gorgeous display of the silky material. He wondered about her saddened state.

  “Are you upset that you’re married to me now?” Ella continued to look at the floor. It bothered him that she did not answer him right away. He walked straight up to her and lifted her chin.

  “No, I’m not upset,” she answered and briefly looked up. “I couldn’t be happier to have married you.”

  “Then why are you so quiet? What’s the problem?”

  Ella fidgeted with some of the material on her dress and then stopped. He knew she did that when she was nervous. “Do you have a lot of members in your group?” she asked.

  “Yes, I do,” he said and hung his coat on a hanger in the closet. “I have a few thousand in all.”

  “How many are in my father’s ranks?”

  “Gregorio,” Angelo thought aloud. He hoped that she would not want more information on her father than that. “More than me,” he said. Her eyes closed at the news. She had never had an interest in numbers, yet she was suddenly concerned. Was she afraid after seeing some of his men at their wedding? “It’s a little too late for fear, isn’t it?”

  “I am not afraid,” she choked. He knew that she was telling a lie. The worried look on her face gave away how she felt.

  “Then why are you shaking?” He pointed out her trembling hands.

  “I don’t know. I never thought about it before, but when I saw you with those men, your position became more real to me. I don’t know how to react.”

  Angelo started to unbutton his shirt. “I guess you start by listening to everything I tell you to do.” He felt responsible for her life. He hoped that he did not have to worry about her trying to run away again. He believed that she now understood, but he was going to worry about it anyway.

  “Do you like what you do? Do you like being a boss? I mean,” She hesitated to continue.

  “I never considered any other way of life,” he answered. “I knew I was supposed to take over my father’s position. I never questioned it.”

  “And you are put in dangerous situations a lot. Is your life always at risk?”

  Angelo looked at her with confusion. “What is with you questioning my position all of a sudden? You already know that I do what I have to do. This is my life. No questions asked. I don’t want you to concern yourself about matters that don’t involve you.”

  “But they do,” Ella argued. “You are always in danger and I’m worried about losing you.”

  “Ella, I’m not going to discuss this with you. Let it go before you make me upset. This life was handed to you, too. You don’t have a choice either.”

  “Then what exactly am I allowed to do? I can’t sit around and do nothing while I wait to see if you come home or not.”

  She looked helpless. For a moment, he considered all the wives that he made to wait at home, wondering if their husbands would return. He could understand Ella’s frustration. He would not like being in her situation either.

  “I can’t answer that right now, but I have an idea. You will have to wait until tomorrow to hear about it. I haven’t finalized it yet.”

  Ella nodded and then stood up. He gazed at her as she tried to unzip the back of her dress. She was beautiful, the most beautiful woman he had ever laid his eyes on. Her difficulty with reaching the zipper made him smile. He watched her for a few more seconds before slowly walking up behind her.

  “Let me help you with that,” he said. His fingers grazed against her skin at the same time as he unzipped the zipper. Her small chills satisfied him. He slid the two ends apart and let the dress fall to the floor at her feet.

  “I know how to take your attention off my position,” he breathed and slid down her white nylons one leg at a time. Ella hummed a pleasured sound. He knew how to sway her mind from her fears and lightly kissed the back of her neck.

  “Most mafia wives have other thoughts on their minds after they get married,” he whispered and tossed the bra from her breasts. “I would worry more about what I will do to you tonight than what somebody might do to me.”

  Ella shivered. She completely surrendered to him as he laid her on the bed. All she needed to do now was to focus on the pleasure he made her feel with his body.

  CHAPTER 49

  The following morning, Angelo let Ella sleep for longer than she probably wished. She had a long day yesterday. He saw no point in waking her since it would be another long day today. He was trying to stay quiet. He closed his suitcase as gently as possible, but the latch made a loud popping sound when the suitcase’s two ends met.

  “Are you leaving?” Ella tossed the sheet to her feet as she waited for an answer. With her bare breasts and smooth hips to taunt him as she sat up, Angelo wished there was more time before the flight.

  “Yes, I am,” he said. He started to smile with the frown on her face. When would she learn not to sulk with him? It nearly made it impossible for him to use self-control. “Do you think I’m going to leave you alone the day after we got married?” He lifted up another suitcase from the floor and set it on the bed. “You didn’t think we were really going to stay here when we have a honeymoon, did you?”

  “Really?” Ella’s eyes sparkled. Her eyes were another downfall for him. “Where are we going?” she asked and scooted to the edge of the bed with no sign of still being tired. She was just like a child sometimes. Anything out of the normal routine excited her.

  “I wanted to keep it a surprise, but you will know as soon as we step on the jet. We are going to fly north to Port Canaveral and stay on the Sea Empress. We have about an hour before we have to leave. Why don’t you take a shower and then you can pack.”

  “You are taking me on a cruise!” Ella beamed. If she were more excited, he would be able to see her thoughts dance around her head. She jumped off the bed. He thought she was going to walk past him, but she threw her arms around his neck and kissed him on the cheek. “Thank you so much for taking me. You don’t know how much this means to me.”

  He shook his head as she walked away. He was right about the cruise. When he thought about where to take her, he remembered the picture of a ship on her wall in Key Biscayne. He looked forward to spending time with her there. He also had something important to ask her, too.

  ***

  His private jet was high in the air. Ella sat on the cushioned recliner near the window and rested her head against his chest. He was quiet. He gazed out of the window at the clouds whisking by and simply enjoyed sitting next to her. His fingers slid up and down her arm. He liked the feel of her skin.

  “Excuse me, Mr. Tomassi. May I offer either of you a drink?” an attendant interrupted.

  Angelo was enjoying the silence. His neck stiffened with the disturbance but then relaxed as he thought about Ella. Maybe she wanted a drink. “Do you want anything?” he asked. She never looked away from the window and shook her head, so Angelo briefly glanced at the attendant. “We won’t need anything for the rest of this flight and wish to be left alone.” The attendant nodded and walked away.

  Angelo pulled the lever on the chair and
reclined back; then he pulled the lever on Ella’s and brought her down with him. He enjoyed having her next to him and laid his left hand on her lap as he twisted to face her more.

  “I have never travelled anywhere just to enjoy myself. This is completely new for me,” he said. His tone was distant with the reflection on his life.

  Ella looked from the window and over at him. Except for Key Biscayne, Gregorio probably let her do nothing out of the normal. She must have been a lonely child. She might have been lonelier than he was.

  “Will you enjoy yourself?” she asked. He stared at her. Her expression seemed worried by his answer, but Angelo slid his right arm behind the back of her neck and brought her face closer to him. He was satisfied with this view. It was much better than looking out of the window at the clouds.

  “I’m going because I enjoy spending time with you,” he assured and gave her a light, gentle kiss. “My father,” he started but paused in thought. “He was a good man and always provided well for me and my mother. After I turned twelve, our relationship changed. He focused on who he wanted me to become. In the back of my mind, I knew I was supposed to take over his role. It wasn’t a huge shock, but my life was a lot different from then on. I started to see people differently than before. There was no reason to make or keep friends. What was the point? I was born in a life that they wouldn’t understand. We went on vacations all the time, but that was only a guise. My father always took care of business during the entire trip. He never left me out of his business meetings either. By the time I was seventeen, I pretty much handled his decisions myself.”

  “That is why you are so serious all of the time. All business and no play will make you like that.”

  Angelo chuckled. “That was true; then I met you. You made my mind entertain other ideas instead of only business. You are my play.”

  He smirked at her shocked expression. She stared at him with disbelief that he said what he did. How surprised could she be? Ella knew what he was like. She could have left him in the beginning, yet she stayed.