Alessia
Fat rain drops smack against the car, drowning out the low volume of the music playing on the radio. Puffy dark gray clouds fill the sky keeping the sun hidden and bathing the city of Landon in a dark, broody hue. With how heavy the rain pours down against the windshield it's hard to see the road as we make our way to the church for Edoardo's funeral.
A layer of grief hangs heavy in the air, so thick it's nearly suffocating. I try my best to ignore it but it's pointless. The weight from losing my own father settles deep into my chest making it hard to breathe.
I glance over at my husband who sits behind the wheel, pale green eyes swirling with emotion as he keeps his focus on the road ahead. He left his hair down, the dark wavy strands brushing the tops of his shoulders. He almost always wears it half up to keep it out of his face and I can't help but wonder if he left it down to be used as a shield today.
He's been quiet since I woke up. I was startled to see him standing in front of one of the windows in our room when I opened my eyes. He had been staring at the glass with a blank look on his face, his hair still slightly damp from a shower and his body fully clothed in his funeral attire. He had said good morning once he noticed I was awake and then he'd informed me of what time I should be dressed by but that was it, that's all he's said to me.
I have the urge to comfort him, to reach out and take his hand as he drives, but I don't. I know there's nothing I can do or say that will lessen the emotions he's feeling.
Ten minutes later we arrive at the church and Dante parallel parks by the curb. Gabriele exits the building, two umbrellas open as he makes his way down the stairs toward us. He walks around the car to Dante's door and opens it, offering him one of the umbrellas in his hand. Dante takes it and exits the car, coming around to the passenger side to open my door for me.
"Thank you," I say, taking his hand and stepping under the security of the umbrella.
The rain is loud and freezing cold, the wind blowing droplets against my bare legs as we make our way up the steps. I wrap my peacoat tighter around me and lean closer to Dante, seeking the warmth of his bulky body. He immediately notices, swapping the umbrella to his other hand so he can wrap the one closest to me around my shoulders and I sink into his side. His coat is soft and I can smell the scent of his cologne over the rain.
"Has anyone else arrived yet?" Dante asks Gabriele.
Gabriele nods, holding the other umbrella above his head. "A few people but not many."
We enter the double doors of the church, the strong scent of flowers greeting us followed by the sound of gut wrenching sobs. Dante collapses the umbrella we'd used and places it in a stand nearby to dry. I take his hand in mine, much to his surprise, and we make our way through a set of open double doors and down the aisle, wooden pews lining each side of the room.
Edoardo lies in a marble casket right in front of the priest's podium, red silk padding the interior and a large casket spray placed on the closed end where his legs lie. There's a picture of him placed to the left of his casket and various flower arrangements throughout the room.
Lucia's laid over the casket, her back heaving with sobs as she mourns the loss of her husband. Her cries echo through the vaulted ceiling, ricocheting off the stained glass windows, the sound eerily haunting.
Only around a dozen people sit in the pews, most not arriving yet since the ceremony shouldn't start for another hour. Isa is seated in the first pew to the right of the room, her husband and children beside her. Camilla and a man, whom I assume to be her husband, sit toward the end of the pew, leaving space by the aisle.
Isa looks relieved when she spots Dante and I. "She's been stuck there since we arrived ten minutes ago. Nothing I've said or done has gotten her to sit down. She refuses." She says quietly when we approach, her eyes filled with worry as they meet Dante's.
I release Dante's hand, encouraging him toward his grieving Mother and take a seat on the pew by a solemn Frankie.
Her dark eyes meet mine as Dante walks away but she doesn't say anything. My heart aches for her having to deal with the loss of her Nonno so young. I give her little hand a squeeze and muster up a small smile. My eyes go to Dante and Lucia at the front of the room. He has one arm wrapped around her waist, his big frame nearly swallowing her up in his embrace as he speaks to her in a low tone.
The sound of the door to the church opening and closing catches my attention and I turn on the pew to look behind me. Lorenzo stands in the entryway with Luca at his side, both dressed nicely in black suits. It feels strange to see a familiar face in this city, especially Lorenzo's of all people. I haven't spoken to my brother since the Jamie issue two days ago but I guess not hearing from him is good news since he seems to only contact me when he's upset with me.
I spoke to Leo this morning, he apologized for not calling sooner but I brushed it off because I know how busy he is. I expected Mamma to call me before Leo but she'd still yet to even send a simple text, I guess in her eyes her duty as a parent to me is done. Nolani isn't even related to me by blood and even she has inquired about how I'm doing along with her daily pictures of Rome. And then of course there's Emilia who has texted me every day since I arrived asking if I've had sex with my husband yet and was disappointed each time I said no.
I do have people here to talk to though. Three women that I've seemed to instantly click with. Dante's sisters. Their group chat keeps me entertained when they all have a chance to text. They send funny memes and videos and pictures of their kids and they're constantly checking in to make sure their brother hasn't stepped a toe out of line. I didn't tell them about Jamie because I don't really like thinking about that whole situation and I also worry about how it will make me look in front of them.
I rise from my seat and make my way down the aisle toward my brother and one of his partners.
"What are you two doing here?" I whisper the question so no one overhears.
"Dante is part of our family now, why wouldn't we be here?" Lorenzo cocks his head at me. "But even if he wasn't family, Edoardo was a Don, what kind of leader would I be if I didn't attend his funeral?"
I don't exactly trust that it's his only reason for being here but it's not like I can question it. And what proof do I have other than he's known to always be scheming?
I glance at the empty space behind them. "Where's Polina?"
Usually where one of them is, the other two aren't far behind.
Luca answers this time. "She couldn't make it but it's not her duty anyway. Being Pahkan comes first." He shrugs.
"How are... things?" Lorenzo asks, his eyes flicking to Dante who's still consoling his Mom and then back to me. "Any more problems?"
"Things are fine." I brush the question off and quickly direct the conversation away from my marriage before my brother can pry deeper. "Why hasn't Mamma called or even texted me?"
Things were rough between us during the preparation of the wedding but I naïvely thought our relationship would go back to normal since I did what she'd wanted.
"Maybe she's trying to give you space to step into your new role as a wife." Luca suggests.
Doubtful.
"Or maybe she needs a vacation from your attitude and all the little schemes you pulled." Lorenzo smirks, his eyes flat and cold so I can't tell if he's joking or if that's really what's going on.
He can be annoyingly unreadable, I guess it's a good trait to have as a leader.
I feel his presence behind me before I ever hear him approach, his hand gripping my waist as he steps beside me and offers his other hand to Lorenzo and Luca to shake. I hadn't even realized Lucia's cries had turned into quiet sniffles until I looked over my shoulder to see her now seated on the pew beside Frankie where I had sat. Whatever Dante had done it had worked.
"Any leads?" Lorenzo asks Dante after they shake hands.
Leads? I don't stick my nose in family business, I learned a long time ago how messy it could get just by overhearing a debriefing between Rafael Junior and one of his men when he was alive. I can't help but be curious though.
"Still looking." Dante replies vaguely, his face pure stone. "But there are a few things we need to discuss."
The doors to the church open and a group of people enter, Nico and Giovanni stepping in behind them.
"Know anywhere we can talk privately?" Lorenzo asks Dante and my husband nods, giving my waist a squeeze as he pulls away and Lorenzo and Luca follow him toward a door at the back of the church.
My gaze goes to my eldest brother and his best friend, the two of them polar opposites beside one another with Nico's dirty blonde hair and green eyes to Giovanni's dark hair and amber eyes. Nico's got a smirk on his lips as he speaks in a low tone to my brother and Giovanni rolls his eyes at whatever he says, a mask of indifference on his face.
Nico's green eyes meet mine and his smirk morphs into a smile. "Alessia, looking beautiful as ever." He says as he and Giovanni come to a stop in front of me. "Being a wife looks good on you." He winks playfully.
Nico is the most shameless man I know. My brothers, as far as I'm aware, were never playboys. Mamma would've strung them up by their balls if she ever got word they weren't their lovers as they should be treated in her eyes. But Nicolas was a playboy through and through, I'd never seen him with the same woman twice and he flirted with any beautiful woman within his vicinity no matter their relationship status.
"Everything looks good on me." I smirked back at him just before he pulled me into a hug and placed a kiss on each of my cheeks.
"How have things been?" Giovanni asks.
I cross my arms and scowl at him. "I'm sure you're well aware."
His facial expression remains stoic. "I told you not to do anything stupid, we all did."
"Ah but she's learned." Nico nudges Giovanni with his elbow playfully. "Right?" The question is directed at me.
Giovanni releases a huff as if in disbelief that I'm truly done with my scheming and steps around me to go pay his respects to Dante's family.
I'm already married. What is there for me to scheme about now?
Stealing Dante's keys from his pocket while kissing him and locking him out of the house afterward comes to mind and I fight a wince.
Right.
That.
"What were you thinking, Alessia? I thought you were done with Jamie. What if Dante would've killed you?" Nico hissed quietly now that Giovanni couldn't overhear.
He's the only one who knew about my relationship with Jamie. By accident not by choice of course. He'd walked in on Jamie and I kissing one day at Raf's when we were supposed to be home alone. He was pissed, pulled his gun and pressed the barrel to Jamie's head. I'd never been so terrified in my life. Thankfully I'd talked him out of killing him by promising to break things off with Jamie. Nico had always had a soft spot for me so he'd eventually calmed down and put his gun away. I'd lied, obviously, but Nico hadn't known because we had been overly cautious after that.
"I was thinking I didn't want to get married and I was scared, Nicolas." I retorted in a dry tone.
He shakes his head in exasperation. "If I would've known you were lying when you said you'd break things off I would've killed him the day I caught you two. I should've reported him to Giovanni."
"Well it's over, no need to worry about me now." I flash him my left hand. "I'm married."
He eyes the wedding ring on my finger. "How are things between you two?"
A disaster at the moment.
"Good." I lie straight through the smile on my face.
Nico looks relieved. "Great. I'm glad things worked out for you."
"What about you?"
His brow furrows. "What do you mean?"
"When are you going to get married?"
Although he's a playboy he's still a good man. I could easily see him treating his wife like a princess.
Something passes through his eyes but just as quickly as it's there it's gone. "Never." He smirks and for the first time I feel like I see the expression for what it is, a facade. "You know I enjoy being single too much for that."
I guess he's a liar too.
Dante, Lorenzo and Luca return from their chat a few minutes later. My husband takes my hand and keeps me by his side until everyone arrives and the funeral begins. My heart aches for Lucia, she keeps her head buried in Dante's side for most of the ceremony. It's like she can't stand to see Edoardo in the casket and I don't blame her. I'm sure it's a devastating sight seeing your husband like that.
It's still pouring when we leave the church, following the hearse to the cemetery through a rain streaked windshield, the wipers barely managing to keep up.
"Have you ever had a relationship with Nicolas Leonardi?" Dante asks, breaking the silence in the car.
It's the most he's said to me all day and it catches me off guard.
"Nico?" I question in surprise, glancing over at him. "No. Why?"
He shakes his head. "I don't like the way he looks at you."
Oh my god he's jealous.
My eyes widen. "Really Dante? You're jealous of a man who I see as nothing more than a brother?"
His jaw clenches. "He looks at you like he knows a secret only you and he share."
That's because he does.
My gaze goes back to the rain pelting against the windshield and for a second I contemplate how to proceed.
"If I tell you something you have to swear you won't tell my brothers."
"I don't like the sound of that, Alessia."
I scowl at him. "It has nothing to do with anything sexual between Nico and I."
"Fine." He mutters.
"I mean it, Dante I want to trust you." I can't hide the plea in my voice.
If he tells Lorenzo I'm not sure how well he will take the fact that Nico knew and didn't Giovanni when he found out.
He lowers his tone. "You can trust me."
So I tell him that Nico knew about Jamie and I and what happened with that whole situation.
"I still don't like the way he looks at you." He grumbles once I'm done.
I release a surprised laugh, I didn't expect that to be his reply at all.
"What are you gonna do, Dante, cut off his finger next? Is that your kink?" I scoff.
He looks over at me as we park and his eyes darken with lust. "No. Do you wanna know my real kink, piccolina?"
His low voice drags across every nerve ending on my body, sending a shiver up my spine but before I can reply he exits the car. I push the feeling of lust away, this is not the time or place for those thoughts, and take his hand as he helps me out of the car and under the umbrella in his hand. I feel his eyes on me as we make our way up the sidewalk but I don't meet them. Just because I eased up the cold shoulder I'd been giving him doesn't mean I've forgiven him for his pissing contest with Jamie.
Thankfully there's a large tent covering the burial site in the cemetery. We manage to squeeze everyone under it so no one ends up soaked. I hold Dante's hand as the priest says his last words, giving it a squeeze as the casket gets lowered into the ground.
My brothers tell us bye before they leave and Dante's hold on my hand tightens when Nico gives me a hug before following them. I try my best to fight a smile at his jealousy not wanting to encourage it but when it's not being shown in a violent way I don't mind it.
When it's time to leave Dante helps Lucia toward Isa's SUV but she clings to him the whole way and my heart breaks for her.
"Maybe she should ride with us?" I suggest.
I'd say he should ride with them but Lucia has the only open seat available with Isa's three girls taking up all but one backseat.
"Do you know how to drive?" He asks me.
I shake my head in response, feeling embarrassed. It's something most people are taught as teens so not knowing as an adult makes me feel childish.
"I can drive, I rode with Chiara." Gabriele says, stepping beside me.
Dante nods in agreement and guides Lucia toward our car. He gets in the back with his mom and I slip in the passenger seat while Gabriele starts the car.
"When things settle Alessia should learn how to drive, it's an important skill." Gabriele suggests as he reverses out of the parking spot.
I glance at Dante in the backseat, Lucia's face pressed against his arm. "That's a good idea." He agrees, his eyes meeting mine as he adds, "If you want to learn, that is."
"I would." I agree immediately.
And for the first time since I got here it felt like Dante was telling the truth about what my life would be like with him. I was never taught to drive because it was never needed due to the constant security guards I'd always been surrounded by. Even my brothers rarely drive themselves around and I've never seen Mamma drive either. But knowing that's something I can do here makes me feel less trapped.
We go to Lucia and Edoardo's house where everyone is gathered for food and drinks and more words of comfort for the family. Although it's a sad day and you can see grief written on most people's faces, there are multiple happy conversations going on at once. Kids are running through the house squealing and giggling as they play with one another. It makes me realize how much I missed the noise and the chaos it is to have a full house of people. Our house is quiet and I feel so alone with Dante not there most days. Nadia thinks she's bothering me if she lingers although I've told her many times I enjoy the company, she doesn't listen.
Frankie sprints by and a second later Elena follows, tears welling in her eyes as she releases a frustrated squeal. They both disappear down a hallway and a minute later their father follows them.
I stick close to Dante's sisters for most of the night not wanting to disturb Dante as he spends half his time consoling his mom and the other half speaking to his family members. Eventually he talks Lucia into turning in for the night and told her we would sleep here tonight. Once he was done he took my hand and held it as he told the last of his family members goodbye. The house is eerily quiet after so much noise as he locks the door and sets the alarm.
Dante shows me to his bedroom and gives me one of his shirts from the closet to change into. I strip out of the black dress I'd worn to Edoardo's funeral and tugged the soft cotton shirt over my head. A minute later Dante comes back with two unopened toothbrushes, a pack of floss, toothpaste and makeup wipes. If Lucia's anything like Mamma she always keeps extras in case we have a surprise visit from family.
I follow Dante into the ensuite and take the pack of makeup wipes from him. Once my face is clean I floss and brush my teeth right beside my husband while he does the same. When we re-enter the bedroom Dante strips his shirt over his head and I try my best not to stare too hard. It's almost unfair how attractive he is. The entire right side of his chest is covered in various tattoos. I spot a gun on his ribs, a knife slicing through his pec and a snake stretching up toward his neck before I force myself to look away.
I hear his shoes hit the floor and can't fight the urge to look as the noise is followed by the sound of his zipper. He tugs his slacks down his thick thighs, bending forward as he works them down his legs, giving me an unobstructed view of his tight boxer briefs clad ass. Jesus Christ, this man. I blindly find the bed, unable to avert my eyes as he goes to remove his socks next. My fingers find the soft duvet as the first one comes off and I climb onto the bed as he follows with the second. He rises to his full height, clothes in hand and I quickly avert my gaze as he turns around and tosses them in the laundry basket that sits in his open closet.
How was I ever supposed to resist this man, it's like my family knew I would fight the arrangement so they gave me Dante knowing it would be a hard battle to win.
I lie back, my eyes on the ceiling when he shuts the light off and climbs in bed.
This is the first time we've gone to bed at the same time, usually I'm asleep before he even gets home.
"When did you move out of here?" I ask curiously.
There were still clothes in the closet and various items around the room almost as if he never left.
"The day of our wedding." He answers.
I turn toward him although I can't even see his silhouette, it's so dark. "You didn't already live in our house?"
"No, I bought that house for us to live in as a couple."
My mouth falls open in shock and I'm glad he can't see me. I also lived with my family obviously but if I had the choice to move out before we got married I would've. I'd assumed it was his house beforehand, not that he had bought it just for us as a married couple.
"What?" He questions when I still haven't said anything in response.
"I... I don't know. I'm shocked." I admit.
And also happy knowing no other woman has been in that house with him but me.
The room goes quiet again and the weight of the day feels almost suffocating all over again, the shock from our conversation fading into sadness.
"Are you okay?" I ask him, my voice low.
He sighs, the sound laced with exhaustion. "I'm worried about Mom, today was really hard on her."
"You could ask her to move in with us if you want to." I suggest.
The house is plenty big for the three of us and I wouldn't mind the company.
"I would but she wouldn't do it. She wouldn't even stay with Isa for a night." He huffs an exasperated laugh. "If I suggested we stay here with her until things settle she wouldn't want that either, I'm surprised she didn't protest when I told her we would stay tonight but she was also pretty tired." He pauses. "I don't know what to do."
"All you can do is be there for her and hopefully her grief will ease up soon."
"Yeah." He agrees quietly.
I can't help but think of how I felt attending my own fathers funeral. I slept with Mamma for months afterward for both our sakes. We would wrap each other up and cry for a while before ever falling asleep. So, although I'm still upset with how he handled the situation with Jamie, I scoot across the bed until I find his warm body and I tuck myself against his side, my hand resting on his bare stomach. His arm comes around me, pulling me in closer, his face pressed against my hair. I tuck one of my legs between his, his thick thighs trapping it in place and I sink into his embrace.
"I'm sorry." He whispers.
About Jamie.
"I know." I murmur back.
He gives me a squeeze in response and my eyes flutter closed, the sound of his heartbeat against my ear lulling me to sleep.
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Hey babe's!
This one took me forever because I kept rewriting it. 🙄 y'all have no idea how ready I am for the smut lmao I've had to remove it twice because it isn't time yet.
Hope you guys have a great weekend!
Love youu🖤🖤
— Katy