I nodded, urging her on.
“When they were young, my children kept me occupied,” she continued. “And now that they’re grown, I have other interests. Knitting groups, book clubs, spa days. I’ve never wanted for anything, but I do sometimes get lonely.”
Wondering how to tell her I knew Dominico was in the mafia without actually saying those words, I nodded again.
“You see, my husband… I have never relied on him for company or happiness.” Her frown clued me in on all the unhappy details she left out.
“Do you love him?” I asked. “Your husband, that is.”
She stared at me.
Realizing how rude my question sounded, I slapped a hand over my mouth. “I’m sorry. Don’t answer that. It’s none of my business.”
She smiled. “No, dear, that’s okay, it just surprised me. Few people are so open and honest around me. I can see why Dom likes you.”
I blushed. “I need to be more careful. My honesty tends to get me in trouble.”
“Yes.” She nodded. “But not around me. My husband is another story. You’ll want to be very careful what you say around him. Speaking of which, I will answer your question. Love is a luxury most of us cannot afford. My marriage to Giovanni was arranged, as were most of my sisters’. The only sister who married for love was cut off from the family.”
Rosalie’s eyes darkened, making me feel like she wasn’t telling me everything. I thought back to the conversation I’d had with Dominico over the girl with the pink dress. “Dom’s father has picked out a wife for him, hasn’t he?”
“Yes. The engagement hasn’t yet been announced, so we still have time. Not much, mind you. Gio will not be happy, but that’s not for you to worry about. What you need to consider is what you want. Do you love my son, Annetta?”
I nodded. Even thinking about Dominico made my chest constrict. I’d been so terrified he’d reject me and the baby, that I hadn’t given myself much time to consider the option of being with him. But since the last time we’d spoken, it was all I could think about. “More than anything.”
“But is it enough?” she asked.
“What do you mean?”
“There’ll be times he doesn’t come home for days and can’t tell you where he’s been and what he’s been doing, or even who he’s been with. Your life will never be easy or safe.”
Was she trying to talk me out of choosing him? I opened my mouth to ask, but she cut me off.
“You don’t have to make any decisions today, dear. I just want to make sure you understand the decision you will have to make soon. You have options. Should you decide you want out…that you want a normal marriage with a husband who can give you more than love, Dom will understand. I will set you and the baby up somewhere safe, somewhere away from here. You won’t have any contact with my son, but you and the baby will be taken care of. You’ll never have to worry about a thing.”
“But I’ll never see Dom again,” I said, understanding what she meant. “And the baby will never know him.”
“It’s unfortunate, but yes. If you decide this life isn’t right for you, Dom will have to move on. He still has duties, expectations, you understand.”
I did understand. Dominico’s mafia boss father would force him to marry that little tramp in the pink dress and I’d never see him again. “Yes ma’am.”
She let out a breath, straightening her dress. “Good. Now let’s put this unpleasantness behind us and enjoy the rest of our afternoon together. My grandchild needs a sweet, and the desserts here are to die for.” She grabbed a menu from the table beside her and handed it to me. “I promise you will not be disappointed with anything, but the tiramisu is especially exquisite.”
Rosalie ordered dessert and then spoke of a trip she’d recently taken to Italy. She prattled on about scenic vineyards while my mind and heart churned about the problem at hand. Was love enough for me and Dominico? Could I be in a relationship where I couldn’t count on my other half to be home at night? The wives of truck drivers and undercover police officers did it all the time. I didn’t need Dominico coddling me, and I knew not even the most attentive man would ever be responsible for my happiness. That was on me. And so far I’d handled Dominico’s absence pretty well. Soon I’d have the baby, and from what I’d read, would have my hands more than full. Especially if I planned to keep working. Which I did.
After dessert, Rosalie took me home. Before I exited her car, she grabbed my hand. “Think about your options, Annetta,” she said. “Whatever you decide, I will help you. But Dominico cannot know about our talk today. If you decide to leave I will need to hide you from everyone, including my son, for the safety of you and the baby. There are people who would use you and the child to hurt Dom, and I cannot allow that. But it would also hurt him to know I’ve made this option available to you. You understand?”
I nodded.
“Good. One more thing. You can’t tell anyone about the baby. Not your father, your employer, no one. In fact, you need to quit your job.”
I loved my job and I’d worked really hard to get the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and I wasn’t about to let it go. “But—”
“You must,” Rosalie said, giving my hand a little squeeze. “You’re beginning to show, and people will start asking questions. Nobody can know about this child until everything’s in place and we’re ready to tell Gio. Trust me on this, dear. I’m only looking out for your safety.”
I patted my stomach absently, wondering why one little life required so much secrecy and sacrifice. “I have to quit my job?” I asked to make sure I heard her correctly.
She nodded. “I know it will be difficult, but you can do it. Never underestimate what you can and will do for your child, Annetta.” She released my hand and passed me a piece of paper with a phone number written on it. “Take care of yourself and my grandbaby. That’s my house number, but only use it from a payphone and in case of an emergency. Don’t speak to anyone at this number but me.”
Strange. Still, I pocketed the paper and thanked her before heading into the house to think.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
Dominico
“GIVE HER A little time, Dom,” Mamma said before taking a sip of her wine.
Mamma had spent the day with Annetta and asked me to meet up with her in a restaurant on the outskirts of Vegas to discuss a game plan. So far, the only plans my mother seemed to have involved waiting.
“I can’t give her time,” I replied. “If he finds out about her and the baby—” I gulped back the rest of the sentence, because I honestly had no idea what my father would do. Would he kill Annetta and our unborn child to keep them from getting in the way of his plans? Yes. I was certain he would. “You’re sure she’ll be safe if she agrees?”
Mamma nodded. “He can’t kill her. Not unless he plans to kill you as well. But that would cause too much unease and distrust in the family right now, and he cannot afford that sort of dissension. He’ll have to play the whole thing off like he knew about it and supported your decision, otherwise he’ll look like a fool.”
“And what about the Pelino family?” I asked.
“Ciro is a hothead. He will be angry, no doubt. But he can’t throw too big a fit, or your father will have to cut him off,” Mamma replied. “As much as Ciro spoils Valentina, he won’t risk his profits or his life for her. At least not without a better offer.”
“But will he cause problems for Father?” I asked.
Mamma tapped the table. “Probably. But he’ll fall in line. Gio will not tolerate any sort of an uprising right now. Your father has his faults, but he is a strong leader, Dom.”
I blew out a breath, still unable to believe what we were planning. Going against my father made both fear and excitement course through my veins. Afraid to put too much hope in the idea of marrying the woman I loved and helping her raise our child, I wouldn’t be able to focus or sleep until it was all said and done and Annetta was tucked safely away. I stood. “I need to go talk
to her now and get everything started.”
Mamma grabbed my hand. “This is a lot for both of you to take in. She’ll need time to process, and you will, too. You can’t just march in there and propose to her.” She smiled. “As romantic as that sounds.”
I’d never been a romantic before, but everything about Annetta made me want to get down on one knee and slide the fattest rock in existence on her finger. Which reminded me I still needed to take care of that little detail. “You’re right,” I admitted. “I need to get a ring first.”
“I’ve got it handled,” Mamma said, pulling a small white box out of her pocket and setting it on the table. “This was my grandmother’s. She was a strong woman, an anchor for my grandfather. I think she’d like Annetta and want her to have it.”
Inside the box was a gorgeous round diamond on a unique vintage band. “Thank you,” I said, admiring the ring. “It’s perfect.”
“And it will keep you out of jewelry stores that would cause your father to ask questions. I do want you to wait a couple of days and let her think on everything first. You know this life isn’t easy, Dom, and she’s such a sweet girl. I’d hate to see her lose that.”
Guilt pierced my chest. Annetta was a sweet girl and I was a bastard for wanting to pluck her out of her life and put her in mine. But with the baby coming, I didn’t see any way around it. When Father found out about the child, we’d have a lot more to worry about than Annetta losing her sweet disposition. But another concern tickled the back of my mind. What if Annetta didn’t want to marry me? I’d have to send her and the child away and somehow take care of them without my old man finding out about. I didn’t know if I could do that.
“Do you think she’ll say no?” I asked, suddenly terrified about the possibility. As frightened as I was for her security as my wife, sending her away from what little protection I could offer seemed a hundred times more dangerous.
“She loves you.” Mamma smiled reassuringly. “I’m already working on wedding arrangements, dear.”
Relieved, I sat back down and drank my beer. “Okay, I’ll give her a couple of days.”
“Good, because now we need to figure out where the two of you will live after the wedding.”
***
Two days later I stood on Annetta’s doorstep, clutching the ring in my pocket with a sweaty hand and clinging to the hope she wouldn’t say no. I couldn’t sleep, so I’d gotten up early and parked down the street, where I watched her father climb into his truck and take off for work. I wasn’t afraid of her old man, but no matter what Annetta decided, I wanted it to be between me and her first.
She answered the door wearing a summer dress that hid her expanding belly, but not much else. My gaze traveled down the straps to her breasts, which were bulging against the fabric. The dress ended midthigh, showing off her perfect legs. Pregnancy looked very good on her.
“You look amazing,” I said.
She blushed and patted her stomach. “I look fat, but thank you. Come in.”
She stepped aside and I walked in, closing the door behind me. Annetta started to walk away, but I caught her hand and spun her back around to face me. I was nervous and I needed to taste her lips and know for sure how she felt about me. She opened her mouth to me and wrapped her hands around my waist, pulling me closer. Encouraged, I kissed her senseless before setting her on the sofa. Then, heart in my throat, I dropped to my knee, pulled out the little white box, and popped the question.
Annetta’s eyes misted over as she looked from me to the ring. “This isn’t about the baby, is it? I mean you want to marry me, right? I don’t want you to feel obligated, because you don’t have to—”
She was scared, worried, uncertain. I kissed her again. When we pulled apart, her gaze searched mine.
“I love you, Net. Yes, I want you to marry me. In fact, I’m kinda grateful to the little peanut because he kicked my ass into gear and made me realize how much I want this.”
She flashed me the most beautiful smile I’d ever seen before turning away. “It’s so soon.”
I grabbed the sides of her face and gently turned her to face me again. “Look, I know we’ve only been together a few months, but you and me… We can do this. I know we can. Marry me. Please?”
Cheeks wet with tears and eyes full of trust, she nodded. “Yes. Okay. I will.”
Time was against us, so we moved quickly. A handful of days later, I stood beside the priest and watched my beautiful bride walk down the aisle on the arm of her smiling father. She wore a vintage white dress and all I could think about was getting it off her. The wedding was quick and small with only my mother, Annetta’s father, Mario, Adona, and the priest in attendance. We said the customary words, followed the traditions Mother insisted on, kissed, and then were announced as Mr. and Mrs. Dominico Mariani.
We’d done it. Annetta had my name, ensuring the safety of her and our child…even from my father. I’d never felt more happy and relieved in my life as I did when we left the church and she climbed into the passenger seat of my car.
I’d booked a hotel room for our first night as a married couple, and I was really looking forward to using it. Unfortunately, Father must have found out about the wedding, because he and Michael were waiting by the front desk.
“Annetta?” Michael asked, his eyes wide with shock. “From the restaurant?”
The look she gave me told me she couldn’t believe I hadn’t told my brother about us. To him, she said, “It’s nice to see you again, Michael.”
Father stepped forward and introduced himself, hugging Annetta and kissing her cheeks. She had to be confused. Mamma and I had told her Father and Michael couldn’t make it to the wedding because of work, yet here they were.
“It’s nice to meet you, Mr. Mariani,” she said.
“And you, Annetta. But if you’ll excuse us, we have some business requiring your husband’s assistance. We’ll try to have him back before the sun comes up.”
Annetta looked to me, her eyes full of questions.
“Please let me take her up to the room,” I said.
Father nodded. “Hurry.”
“But we just got married,” she said, the second the elevator doors closed.
“I know. I’m sorry, Net. Something important must have come up.” But I couldn’t think of a single thing they’d need me to handle. This had to be some sort of power play to put me in my place. Worried I might have pushed him too far this time, I stayed calm and tried to reassure Annetta. “I’m sure it won’t take long, but why don’t you call Mamma and have her come sit with you. Maybe the two of you could watch a movie or something.”
The elevator doors opened, but she made no move to follow me out.
“This is my wedding night, Dom. I don’t want to watch movies.”
And I didn’t want to go defend my decision to my father. I closed the distance between us and kissed her, tugging her into the hall with me. “You think I want you to?” I picked her up, earning a little squeak, and carried her toward our room. After unlocking the door, I set her on the bed and checked the room to reassure myself it was empty.
It was dangerous to keep my old man waiting, and I was already in enough trouble, so I kissed her one last time before hurrying out to see what he wanted.
Father didn’t say one word as we piled into his Cadillac. He drove northeast on Highway 147 until we were outside the city, then turned down a little dirt road and parked. We all got out of the car and he had Michael beat the shit out of me. I knew my brother didn’t want to hurt me, but he’d learned long ago not to pull his punches. The old man could always tell. By the time they were through with me, I could barely get off the ground. The two of them returned to Father’s car and drove off, leaving me there alone.
By the time I made it back to my bride, it was long past sunup.
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
Dominico
ANNETTA HAD BEEN spitting mad when I finally showed up, beaten and bloody, the morning after we got married.
She’d spent most of the night on the phone with Mamma and the second she made sure I was okay, she had her hand on the phone ready to call my father and give him a piece of her mind. It took far more energy than I had left to dissuade her, so I used my weakness and convinced her to track down a medical kit and some painkillers instead.
By the time we had our first dinner with my parents, Annetta’s temper had cooled off enough that she regarded my old man with a forced friendly disposition. The rest of the family accepted her immediately—no doubt Mamma had something to do with that—and Father seemed resigned to let her stay.
Over the next few months, Annetta and I were ridiculously happy. I bought us a modest four-bedroom house in town, and she made it into a home like I’d never known, full of laughter, music, and comforting food smells. I cherished every moment I got to spend there with her, and resented all the times work pulled me away.
I was helping the family move a couple of televisions which had “fallen off a truck” on the crisp February morning I got the page I’d been waiting for. I called the house and Mamma told me Annetta was in labor.
“These things take time, Dom. Sometimes even days,” Mamma informed me. “I’m taking her to the hospital and I’ll page you again when you need to come.”
Mamma paged me four hours later, and I barely made it in time to robe up and cut the umbilical cord. Born healthy and with a powerful cry, D’Angelo had a full head of dark curls and the tiniest hands and feet I’d ever seen. I was the first to hold him, and terrified I’d drop him or squeeze him too tightly. When I handed him off to Annetta, the way she looked at him made my life feel complete. We’d done it. We’d beat the odds and found some measure of freedom inside my father’s world. I didn’t think I’d ever be happier, but life got even better.
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