by Ali Parker
"I miss mine too, angel." He kissed her a few times and released her as the door opened behind them. "We'll get through it. Just look for the good memories and hold on to them."
"Okay. I love you."
They turned as a large Sicilian woman came bounding down the stairs, the smile on her face warm and welcoming. "Sis! It's so good to see you." She hugged Sicily and gave Drake the once-over. "And you must be the handsome asshole she's dating."
"Maria. Jeez." Sicily moved back and gave Drake an apologetic expression.
"I'm just teasing." She moved toward Drake and extended her hand. "It's so nice to meet you. I'm Sicily's little sister, Maria." She laughed and glanced back at Sicily before turning her attention back to Drake. "Well, I used to be littler until you got her in the gym."
Drake chuckled. "She got herself in the gym. I loved her just like she was, and honestly prefer a little more meat on her bones. Can you help me out with that this Christmas? Got anything she can eat?"
Maria laughed and moved in for a hug. "I like you already."
"Good. Let's get everyone else to like me and we'll be doing fine." Drake hugged her and looked up as Johnny walked onto the patio, his scowl deep and focused on Drake.
Being the cock that he was, Drake lifted his hand and waved. "Hey, brother. You doing good."
"Fuck you too, DeMarco." Johnny reached for Sicily and picked her up as she squealed.
"He'll come around." Maria glanced up at Drake as she patted his tummy. "He always does."
Chapter 10
Sicily
The house was full of family, not just her siblings and their kids, but a few random aunts and uncles too. It was like it always was around the holidays - suffocating, and yet fun.
"Did you guys hit any of that storm?" Sicily's brother, Paulo, moved into the kitchen doorway and leaned against the frame.
"No. We got out just before it hit. We got some really bad snow last night though." Sicily turned to face her brother and smiled. "You've lost weight."
"Hell yeah. Wendy said I could lose thirty pounds, or she would find someone else to make her howl at night." He shrugged and walked into the kitchen, going straight for the fridge. "I told her to lay off my ass for the holidays. I love Momma’s cooking, and I assume you're going to make everything she used to make?"
"Sure am." Sicily chopped an onion, a little worried about Drake, but knowing it was silly. Her two youngest brother's had him on the couch, watching something on TV that had all three of them yelling at the top of their lungs and laughing loudly. It was sweet. It was right.
Maria was setting the table, and Johnny was on a beer run to the store. Why Sicily wanted Johnny and Drake to get along was beyond her, but she did. More than anything else, she wanted common ground between her older brother who'd protected her from anything and everything growing up, and the man she would marry. They were a lot alike. Maybe that would draw them together rather than push them apart.
"Good. You need me to get Maria or Wendy to help out?" He pulled out a jug of orange juice and drank from the container.
"No, and if Johnny sees you doing that, he's likely to bruise your pretty face." Sicily turned back to her cooking, enjoying the sounds and smells of Christmas all around her. Just beyond the window in the kitchen she could make out a few of her nephews and nieces running around in the middle of a snowball fight. She itched to get out there and have a good time with them, but dinner came first. Food was always at the forefront of her family's mind. It was just the way they did things.
She smiled as a memory moved across her mind. Her mother always loved shopping on Black Friday, which was a nightmare anywhere, but especially in the heart of New York City. They would plan the day, not around where they wanted to buy this or that, but around when and where they were eating breakfast and lunch.
"No wonder we were overweight." Sicily smiled and glanced up to find Drake watching her.
"You need me in here?" He moved up beside her and snagged a piece of celery from a pile of veggies she was using to make her stuffing.
"I always need you." She lifted her chin and closed her eyes as he moved down to kiss her a few times, his fingers soft against the side of her face. "Where is Johnny?"
"He's not back from getting beer. You want me to go check on him?" Drake's eyebrow lifted.
"No. I'll go see what's going on. I just want to finish chopping this stuff up." She turned back to her task as her brothers yelled for Drake to come back into the living room.
"Feel free to save me anytime, okay?" He laughed and walked toward the living room.
"I think you're doing just fine on your own." She chuckled and let out a soft breath, waiting until the kitchen was empty again to speak from her heart. "I wish you were here, Momma. I would love for you to meet Drake. He's a good man with a bad past. A lot like Daddy was."
"You talking to Momma?" Johnny's voice scared her, and she jumped, nipping the end of her finger with her knife.
"Ouch! Damn. You scared me." She wrapped a cloth around it and turned as her brother moved toward her and reached out, his face filled with concern.
"Shit. I'm sorry, Sis. Let me get a Band-Aid from the bathroom and we'll get it wrapped up for you. I just came in the back because the kids are throwing snowballs up front. Shit's cold. No way I'm getting smacked in the face with one of those things. Tony's little boy has an arm on him. He needs to be playing ball." Johnny smiled and moved back, turning and jogging toward the bathroom before Sicily could reply.
He was back in a few minutes and had her finger bandaged up and took her place chopping veggies.
She laughed and rubbed his back. "I should take a picture of this. No one that doesn't see it would believe it."
"Yep. I wish Momma were here. I'd probably shock the shit out of her." He chuckled and scooped up the veggies.
"That was one of your favorite things to do."
"Still is." He pursed his lips and turned to face her, his dark hair slicked back, and black eyes filled with hard emotions. "I miss her so much." He glanced around as Sicily swallowed her tears. "I sometimes feel like she's in here with me."
"I wish you would move to another place, Johnny. It would be healthy to let all of this go, don't you think?"
"Fuck no." He stiffened. "I love being here. I can almost hear her yelling out my name when I do something stupid. Jonathan Ryder Moretti!"
Sicily chuckled and moved behind her brother, pressing her hands into the thick muscle of his back. "She would be very proud of you."
"Would she? I'm the oldest and am the only one without a wife and kids."
"I don't have-"
"The only boy, Sis. You know what I mean."
"What happened to that girl you were dating? Tina?" Sicily tried to keep the disdain out of her voice.
Johnny laughed loudly, filling the kitchen with the deep, rich sound of his laughter. "That's funny. You hated that bitch."
"I still do, but if she made you happy." Sicily wrapped her arms around her brother and leaned in, pressing her cheek to his back. "That's what Momma would want for you. It's what we all want. Happiness."
"Are you happy? You're dating the biggest thug I know. This fucker is seriously dangerous."
"So are you." She kissed the back of his shoulder and released him. "I'm so in love with him, it hurts. If he asked me to go back to Chicago with him, I wouldn't hesitate."
Realization rolled over her. She would be sad, terrified, but she wouldn't hesitate, not even for a moment. Drake meant everything to her, and family was a close second. That had to include his family too, as weird as it seemed.
"That sounds like a horrible idea." Johnny turned to face her. "Is he asking you to go back?"
"No, and you know I can't talk about this. It's too dangerous." She bumped him with her hip and took the knife out of his hand, scowling at the horrible chop job he did on the carrots. "Give me this and get out of here."
"What? I'm a biker. Not a chef." He chuckled lifting his hand
s. "I use these to rebuild cars and make women scream, Sis. Come on. Cut me some slack."
"Does the law know you're scaring unsuspecting females?" She gave him a cheeky grin.
"Law? Woman... I am the law."
She rolled her eyes and turned back to her cooking. Johnny needed a woman like Lisa to keep him on the balls of his feet in all areas of his life. Strong, independent and not willing in any way at all to put up with his shit.
Chapter 11
Drake
"You sure you're ready to go?" Drake reached up and touched the side of Sicily's face.
Her brother Johnny walked by and gave Drake a nasty glare. "Hands off my sister, punk ass."
Drake chuckled and moved toward Johnny as Sicily turned and pressed her back to Drake's chest. "Stop it. The two of you are going to have to stop walking around this place like you both own me. I'm my own woman and I own my damned self."
Johnny's eyes widened.
Drake had to guess that the cute little woman pressed against him didn't usually stick up to her family too often. He knew quite well that she wasn't going to put up with any shit, but maybe her family was new to this side of her?
"Hey, man," Drake started and moved around Sicily, "I'm in love with your sister. Regardless of how you feel about me, I'm going to love her like no other man would. I'd give her the moon, the house of her dreams, anything she wanted."
"And what if all you can give her is death and destruction? I know who you are, asshole." Johnny moved toward him, and Drake turned back to Sicily and lifted his hand.
"Leave us be for a few minutes, Sicily." He lifted his eyebrow, challenging the tough little thing to come against him when he asked her to back off.
Her eyes moved over a little and she nodded and took a step back. "Don't hurt each other. Promise me."
“I would never hurt your brother, baby. I promise.” Drake waited until she walked to the house to talk to her brother.
The look on his hard face was one Drake had used on many people in his past. He wasn't going to budge, but truth be known... he didn't need to. Drake and Sicily weren't planning on living in New York and Johnny wouldn't really be a part of their lives.
"I'm not backing down, DeMarco. I live life on the streets, in the bars and the dark alleys. I would never wish my sweet baby sister to end up with a bastard like me. You remind me more of myself than I care to explain."
Drake nodded and rubbed his chest. "Yeah, I get it. I wouldn't want my sister dating guys like us either, but people change. Sometimes you're thrown into a shitty situation or born in the wrong family. The only way out is to turn your back and walk away forever. You'd be wise to stop digging in my shit, because it won't be me coming after you, but Joseph Castaletta."
Johnny stiffened. "You threatening me?"
"No, and if he comes after you, it will be me standing in front of you. Stop being a prick and listen with more than your pride. I'm marrying Sicily this next year. Whatever the fuck happens, happens. I control my future and who I associate with. If we go back to Chicago, it's because my big brother is standing at death's door. Nothing else would force me to put Sicily in harm’s way. And if we do go back," Drake poked the big behemoth in the chest and moved closer, "it's because she agreed to it because she loves me."
"Let me tell you something." Johnny puffed up and pressed against Drake's hand. "If anything happens to her, I'll slit you from dick to throat. You understand me?"
"Yep. I'd prefer you not touch my dick, but whatever." Drake patted Johnny's chest and turned to walk toward the truck. "Send your sister out and tell her that we're not going to kill each other. She's got enough to deal with this Christmas having lost your mom."
"What the fuck do you know about the pain of losing your mother?" Johnny snorted.
"My mom died at the end of October. She's all I had left in the world. Fuck you too." Drake flipped him off and walked to the truck. They'd be friends in a few years, but that time wasn't now. Johnny needed an enemy, one that he could talk shit to in the comfort of knowing that he wouldn't be judged, and Drake wouldn't put a bullet in his skull.
It was a start. It was something.
***
"So what do you think about getting dressed up and going out with me tonight?" Drake glanced over at Sicily, who hadn't said more than two words since leaving her mom's place.
It was obvious that she was upset about her brother, but Drake couldn't solve that. He wasn't backing down as the relationship with Johnny was just forming. He had to stand strong to remind the punk ass that he wasn't a criminal, nor did he have anything to be ashamed about anymore. They had to be equals. Nothing else would work.
She glanced over at him. "Where did you want to go?"
"I don't know. I'd love a good steak, and they're pretty easy to find here in the city. Maybe we go do that and then go see a show? Watching you prep for dinner tomorrow all afternoon left me starving."
"You should have eaten a sandwich, silly. " Her expression softened. “Are you talking about a show, like a movie?”
"True, and no, I’m talking about a Broadway show or a ballet. I told Jasmine to get us two tickets to something. Check in my glove box. If you don't like what she picked, then we'll hand them to some homeless guy and go see a movie." He smiled as she let out a little squeal, her disposition changing completely.
She opened the glove box and opened the envelope. "Yes! I've always wanted to see the Nutcracker, but mother didn't have the money when we were kids, and as I got older, I kinda forgot all about it."
"Good." Drake squashed the need to growl over Jasmine picking a ballet. He would suffer through anything for Sicily.
"How did you know we would be able to get away from the family for something like this?" She put the tickets up and reached over, brushing her fingers down his arm.
"I didn't know, but I figured if your family was anything like mine, we would be looking for a way to get the fuck outta there after a couple of hours." He chuckled and she smiled.
"I'm sorry about my brother. I'm not mad at you. I'm just upset that he's being so damn difficult. He runs a motorcycle club. He's done much worse than you have, and he-"
"Mmmm... I wouldn't say that, but he's probably kept up if nothing else." Drake gave her a sly smile. "But, let's not go comparing my demons to Johnny's, okay? I'm a different man, and don't want to go back to that life. He's living it and still loving it from what I can tell."
"Yeah. I wish he would settle down, but I just don't see it happening." She ran her free hand through her dark hair.
His heart fluttered in his chest. Such an odd sensation after so many years of fucking women for pleasure and working hard not to fall in love.
"You sure are beautiful." He licked at his lips.
"You're changing the subject." She lifted her eyebrow as if challenging him to disagree.
"No, just stating the obvious." He gripped the steering wheel as they stopped at a red light. "What time did the show start?"
"Nine, I think. The hotel is up here on the left. The big blue one." She tugged at her seatbelt. "I didn't bring anything too fancy."
"Just wear something nice and we'll go have fun. No one is going to ban us from the theater because you're not decked out in sparkly stuff."
"I will never be decked out in sparkly stuff. Don't ever count on that."
"Thank God." He smiled and pulled into the hotel. "You're going to need to change in the bathroom though."
"Why is that?" She unbuckled as the valets ran up and opened their doors, letting the freezing winter wind in the truck.
"Because those little pink panties you have on drive me nuts." He reached out and cupped her face, leaning in to kiss her hard and ignoring the guys waiting on either side of them. Sicily needed to know how much she turned him on, how every time he looked her way his body flipped its shit.
"I'm glad you like them." She brushed her nose by him. "But I took them off before we left. I kept getting wet and they were ruined."
/> "Wet?" His eyebrows lifted and the air seemed hard to find. "Wet, how?"
"You'll have to find out." She nipped at his mouth and moved back, getting out of the truck and talking sweetly to the valet.
He chuckled and got out, giving the guy a tip and walking toward his woman. He didn't hear her as she turned and said something over her shoulder, probably a tease of sorts. He was too busy calculating how much time he had to test out her promise of being wet before dinner.
Chapter 12
Sicily
"Wow. This place is..."
"Fancy?" Drake asked as he pulled out her chair. "I heard they have the best steaks in New York."
"Something tells me that you're probably right." Sicily sat down, feeling way underdressed for the steakhouse Drake had brought her to. He had on a sports coat over his jeans and white polo, and looked like a million bucks. The best thing in her suitcase was a plain white skirt and a blue sweater with winter boots. She felt cute, but that didn't seem like enough.
"Evening, folks. Glad to have you in the city and here with us tonight for dinner. May I make some suggestions?" The server wore a white pressed shirt, black slacks and a tux jacket.
Sicily sat quietly as Drake encouraged the guy to give his spiel. Once he was done, Drake ordered their drinks and an appetizer. He moved his seat closer to hers and draped his arm over the back of her chair. "You look amazing."
"You're just being sweet." She smiled and worked to get her napkin in her lap, not wanting to overanalyze anything, but unable to stop herself. How quick she was to slip back into judging herself as not enough.
"No, I'm really not very sweet at all." He leaned over and kissed the side of her face just in front of her ear. "You're the most magnificent thing in this city tonight. Stop acting like you're not and let's have some fun together."
She turned toward him, sliding her cheek along his. "I'd like that."