by Lux Miller
I nod slowly. I have no idea where he’s going with this, but I don’t dare say anything to stop him from speaking. “But you’re not Italian, Emily. Any child of mine that comes from your womb… would be ineligible to ever hold any position of power within the family. Despite his father, if you gave me a son, he could have the life that I was denied. He could be normal, live a normal life. And maybe, by the grace of God…” Luca sighs as he performs the sign of the cross, then finishes, “...he might be spared the demon blood that runs through my veins.”
My mouth falls open as Luca makes his grand statement. I blink as my mouth hangs there, and he slides a hand onto my stomach gently. He leans down to me and nudges my cheek with his nose. “I’m not saying that I want to go and knock you up tonight, Emily. I just want you to know that… it wouldn’t be the end of the world… if it happened.”
I’m still sitting in my seat in shock when I hear the annoyed flight attendant’s voice again. “Sir, ma’am… we’ve arrived at Inouye International Airport. Can you please gather your carry-ons and belongings and disembark with everyone else?”
Luca tenses beside me, but I glance over at him and shake my head quickly, patting his knee. I turn back to the flight attendant and nod, replying apologetically, “Of course. I’m sorry we got distracted in our conversation. May we have just one more moment, then we’ll hurry up and get out of your way?”
The flight attendant scowls. She’s probably trying to figure out if I’m being serious or sarcastic, but the look of resignation on her face tells me she’s going with the former. She nods and turns on her heels abruptly and walks away, spouting off barely-veiled irritation at the other passengers. At least her hate is universal.
I turn back to Luca and grab both of his hands. “Luca, are you sure? You… want a child?”
Luca nods slightly, and I feel a twinge of guilt twist in my gut. “Is this… because of my desire for a child?”
He shrugs slightly, but I can see the look that flashes across his face, even if it’s only there for a moment. He sighs, “I see the way you look at my sister. You want what she has, and the only thing she has that you don’t… is the baby growing inside her. Despite being an asshole, I want you to be happy, Emily.”
A smile blooms across my face. “Luca, I am happy. I’m happy just being your wife, for however long God plans for us to be together.”
Luca narrows his eyes at me and shakes his head. “The only way I’m leaving this marriage is in a body bag.”
I nod my head as I stand up to reach up into the overhead bin. “I know.”
A darkness passes over his face, but it’s gone quickly as I find myself too short to grab our bags. I grumble to myself and start to climb up onto the seat, but Luca stops me. “I’ll get them.”
I back off and step out into the aisle as he snags both of our carry-on bags down. His narrowly misses whacking me in the head. He shakes his head at me as I pick up mine and asks, “What’s in that thing?”
Shrugging, I recite off a list of things that I packed, “Erm, about six bikinis, a couple sun hats, a couple pairs of shorts in case we go somewhere… just stuff…”
Luca chuckles and shakes his head. “All you’re gonna wear is shorts over a bikini if we go somewhere?”
I look dead at him and nod. “It’s Hawai’i. I mean, I packed a rash guard and a couple dresses, about five pairs of sandals… and I’ll still be overdressed most of the time.”
Luca shakes his head. “So, I guess the dress slacks, jeans, and button downs are going to make me look like I got lost?”
Pursing my lips together, I try to stifle the laughter that swells in my chest, but the truth is, he’s going to look like he took a wrong turn on the way to Las Vegas and somehow ended up in Hawai’i. I pat his arm and smile. “I’ll make sure you don’t look like a tourist. We’ll get you some board shorts and you’ll be fine when we’re doing stuff like Diamond Head and Wa’ikiki, but that’s all on O’ahu and mostly in Honolulu which might be more touristy than any other city in the US.
“Where I’m from… the people are simpler. Farmers and craftsmen, mostly and the majority of them make their living in markets, selling to each other. Sure, Hawai’i gets her fair share of tourists, but her heart is still the people. Just wait until you see the difference between the beach here…” I point to the ground, even though we’re still on the airplane, “...and there. It’s two totally different worlds.”
As I finish speaking, I notice that Luca is staring at me intently. I feel my skin growing hot as a flush of color creeps up my cheeks. “What?”
He smiles and steps into the aisle with me, grabbing his carry on bag in one hand and putting the other on my lower back. “I’ve seen you happy, sad, angry and just about every other emotion in the gamut in between, but I’ve never seen you glow the way you’re glowing talking about Hawai’i. I’m just mystified as to why I didn’t think to bring you here sooner.”
I nod slightly and finally disembark from the plane, much to the relief of the poor flight attendant who is waiting at the door to shut it. She gives me a curt nod and a forced smile as we exit the plane. As we step into the terminal, I notice Luca looking around like something’s out of place.
Bristling, I nudge him, watching his hands to see if he reaches for the gun that isn’t on his person. He’d been rather upset about being forced to fly without his gun, but when I’d pointed out the air marshall sitting three seats up from us, he’d relaxed somewhat. Plus, I know for a fact that he packed three of his guns into his checked luggage. He refuses to be unarmed for any longer than absolutely necessary, so at first I think he’s looking for the baggage claim location. But when he turns back to me with a pout on his face, I realize it’s something else entirely. He looks… disappointed. I slide my hand into his and squeeze it gently. “What’s wrong?”
Luca shrugs and motions around the busy terminal. “I thought you’re greeted by islanders with those fancy flower things to put around your neck?”
I snort and slap my free hand to my face to cover it up, but he stills hears it. For the briefest of moments, his guarded, dark, and broody demeanor falters, and I see the slightest hint of uncertainty. He shakes his head quickly. “Let me guess, that’s only in the movies?”
Shrugging, I nudge his side. “I have no idea. There’s certainly nothing like that on the big island, or there wasn’t where my father and I stole away in the middle of the night a long time ago. I think it happens, but I think it’s something you have to set up ahead of time.”
Luca nods sullenly, and I smirk as I spot a bathroom a few feet away. I squeeze his hand and motion to it with a grin. “Come here for a minute. I know what you need to turn that frown upside down.”
Luca quirks an eyebrow. “It’s our honeymoon. I thought you’d be itching to get to the rental house?”
He rakes his eyes down my body in an obvious explanation of what he’s wanting to do. I nod and tug him by the hand to the single stall bathroom tucked away in a corner. “I do, but there’s something else I need to do first. You’re obviously disappointed over the leis, which we can totally get from this cute little place once we get to the big island. Much nicer than the ones I’ve seen in movies. They’re huge and made of real flowers that are hand-strung. And you didn’t even get to join the mile-high club since it wasn’t a private flight. So far, your vacation has been full of let downs… while I can’t fix those, there’s one thing I can do…”
He worries his bottom lip as I step into the bathroom and tug him inside, locking the door behind us. I glance around the room and nod, deciding that we’ll have more than enough room to do what I want to do. My voice is light and airy as I unbutton my jean shorts and push them down to my knees. “Do you trust me?”
Luca swallows so hard, I can hear it. I glance over my shoulder as I turn my back to him and pull my hair aside, bending over in front of him slowly. His eyes remain glued to my ass as I do, and I wiggle it against his crotch just enough to make him c
lose his eyes. “Emily…”
“Do you trust me, Luca?”
He groans, and I can feel his body responding to my actions in a way that even the Don of the New Orleans mafia can’t control. He grunts as he grabs one of my hips and nods. “Yes, I trust you… completely…”
I grin and put my hands against the wall in front of me, lowering my voice as I grind my ass harder against his erection. He growls as he loops his fingers into the tiny strings of my panties and pulls them down to my mid-thighs. Groaning, he leans his body over me so that his hands are on my hips and his lips are pressed against my ear, “Here? Now?”
His body’s tense, but mine shudders underneath him as I nod. I close my eyes and respond, playing on words, “Here. Now. Because every man deserves to get laid in the airport in Hawai’i. And my husband’s no exception…”
TWO
By the time we made it to the rental house last night, the sun was already setting below the horizon, and the jet lag was beginning to catch up with us. We trudged inside, dropping our bags just inside the front door and retreated to the bedroom. I don’t even know what the inside of the house looks like yet, because we breezed through like a man on a mission.
That was Luca, at least. The first thing he did was unpack and load his guns, strapping one to his side before he set out to check out the house. Once a mobster, always a mobster I guess. Luca trusts very few people implicitly. One of the select few in Luca’s inner circle is Mike. Dante and Kyle stayed behind to keep the business running in Luca’s absence, but Mike arrived to the airport just behind us, and we found him waiting for us outside the bathroom. I’m not going to pretend to know how the hell he figured out where we were, but he did.
Mike has never been a chatterbox, but he’s been eerily quiet since he was released from prison. I know that time on the inside can mess with people’s heads, but I suspect his change in demeanor goes far deeper than his stint in jail. All charges against him were dropped, and he was released on his own recognizance, but regardless of the formality of charges, the fact remains that Mike killed his own brother, the last family he had left. Like me, he’s an orphan, and I can’t even imagine ending the life of my sibling, no matter how evil they may have been. He’s reassured me more than once that he has no regrets and that Marco dug his own grave, but I have my doubts.
Luca trusts Mike implicitly, and it’s not that I don’t. Mike did what he did to protect me. I have no doubts of his loyalty to either me or Luca. My fear is that he resents me for it happening. If Parker hadn’t had Marco kidnap me for his own devious purposes, Marco might still be alive. Then again, Marco being alive would have put both Luca and I in danger. He was filled with hatred for Luca, and I was an easy target for him.
It sucks because my mind is torn in so many different directions, and I don’t know what Mike’s thinking. That kills me inside the most. Mike’s the closest thing I have to a father, and I can’t tell if he’s still around out of loyalty or out of duty. I know they’re basically the same thing, but they’re not. If he’s still here out of duty, it’s because of the oath he took to serve la famiglia. If he’s still here out of loyalty, it’s because of the promise he made to Matteo and Bianca to protect their children.
Mike is so unquestionably loyal to Luca that he was willing to spend the rest of his earth-side life in prison to protect Luca’s secrets. And Mike harbors over thirty years of Barresi secrets, yet he hasn’t spilled even a single one that I’m aware of. Even as a grown man, Luca’s still the son Mike never had. Hell, I’m pretty sure Mike basically raised Luca in Matteo’s stead. Which was probably for the best. If Matteo had raised Luca directly, he’d be even more ruthless than he already is. I believe that Mike was the only thing that kept Luca in touch with his humanity.
“Penny for your thoughts?”
I jump as a familiar, deep voice startles me. I bring my hand to my chest, breathing heavily as I stare straight ahead into the face of the gentle giant I was just thinking about. He looks concerned and stands up from where he was sitting at the granite counter in the kitchen. I hold one hand up and shake my head, “I’m fine… you just startled the shit out of me. What’re you doing up so early? It’s not even daylight out yet. Luca’s still sound asleep.”
Mike shrugs and levels his gaze at me. “It’s my job to be alert and aware, even when you’re otherwise engaged, like at the airport last night. It’s rather odd to stand there and guard a public bathroom, especially when the walls aren’t very soundproof.”
I feel my cheeks burn with embarrassment as Mike chuckles. “I do believe Luca has met his match in that department. It’s your honeymoon, so it’s not completely unexpected. I’m an old man, Emily, but I’m not dead. If I was married to a beautiful woman, I wouldn’t hesitate to enjoy her.”
The longing look that flashes across Mike’s face catches me off guard. It comes and goes faster than I can process it, but I know there’s more to what he’s saying than the words that are actually coming out of his mouth. I narrow my eyes at him, but any hint of emotion that his face betrayed just moments ago is gone as his expression returns to its normal stoic stoniness.
I slip around him and sigh with relief to find a steaming hot pot of coffee waiting for me. I glance back over my shoulder at Mike and point at the machine. “Do you mind if I get a cup?”
Mike shrugs with a chuckle. “I certainly wasn’t expecting to drink that whole pot by myself. Creamer’s in the fridge. I had them deliver that cheesecake one you like along with french vanilla for Luca and I.”
I grin as I climb up onto the gorgeous countertop to reach the overhead cabinet. I grab the biggest mug I can find and slide back down off the counter, then traipse over to the fridge to add my customary half a mug of creamer. I sit down across from Mike and sip on the soul-awakening beverage, my gaze focused beyond Mike on what lies outside the crystal clear, plate glass windows.
When Luca told me we’d be staying on O’ahu for a few nights, I must admit I was a bit disappointed. As a native islander, I’ve no desire to see the tourist traps sprinkled along the island that most people believe is the extent of Hawai’i’s offerings. Don’t get me wrong. I love my islands, but my island holds my heart.
However, peering out the giant windows sets my soul at ease in a way I didn’t expect. Down a manicured walkway, as far as the eye can see, is water blanketed under the cover of the still-dark sky. It was dark out when we pulled up to the rental house last night too, so I haven’t seen any of the beauty of its setting yet. From what I can see, though, it’s magnificent. I’d expect nothing less.
I nod my head at Mike as gather up my mug and step out onto the stone path that appears to lead down to the beach. I get about halfway down the path and chug down half of the coffee before the sea breeze kicks up, blowing my untamed hair all around my face. I giggle and hold my coffee in one hand as I try desperately to brush the wild hairs out of my face. A few strands stick to my moistened lips, and I turn around to attempt to put my back to the source of the breeze.
I finally yank the last few bits of hair out of my mouth and glance back at the house. That’s when I realize just where we are as my mouth falls open, and my eyes slowly trek upwards to the sky. Looming above the house is a sight that any native Hawai’ian would recognize - the 500,000 year-old Le’ahi, otherwise known to the rest of the world as the dormant volcanic vent called Diamond Head Crater.
An involuntary shudder cascades down my body, and I close my eyes, relaxing as the breeze whips my hair about. I stand there in silence for what feels like a few seconds, but apparently it’s a lot longer. His voice envelops me seconds before his arms do. “When you told me there would be incredible beauty here that would take my breath away, I completely believed you. What I didn’t expect, was to find it on the pathway to the beach at six in the morning.”
I can’t help the smile that spreads across my face as Luca holds me against him. His familiar scent invades my nose, blocking out the crisp salt air, but I don’t min
d it. Luca’s scent is something that comforts me, and it’s actually something I’ve come to expect when he’s near me. “You flatter me too much, Luca.”
His breath is warm on the back of my neck as he replies, “Never. That’s like telling the sun it shines too brightly. Or telling the ocean that it gets the sand too wet. It’s what I do. I remind my queen that we’re equals.”
His strong arms tighten around my waist as he pulls me tighter against his hard body. “Do you like it?” He pulls one arm off my waist and motions around us, ending his question with a flourish of his hand in the direction of Diamond Head.
I nod, smiling as I relax back against him, sipping my coffee as the breeze picks back up. “Surprisingly, yes. I never thought I’d feel the ease of serenity on O’ahu, but you’ve succeeded in reminding me of O’ahu’s natural beauty. It’s something that tends to get lost in the commercialism of Honolulu and her tourist traps.”