Total pages in book: 82
Estimated words: 77998 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 390(@200wpm)___ 312(@250wpm)___ 260(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 77998 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 390(@200wpm)___ 312(@250wpm)___ 260(@300wpm)
“Hey,” he says, waving to me. “Wasn’t going to come by until later, but your mom needed a ride from the airport.”
Motherfucker. It only gets worse.
“Picked her up, she’s getting settled now. Tonight you’ve got the big shindig? You’ve got—”
Marialena’s wide eyes look at me. “What shindig?”
“Shut it, man,” I tell him, shaking my head at him. “Don’t give her any details. Yeah, that’s tonight. Didn’t know my mother was joining us.”
He grins. “She wouldn’t miss it for the world. Plus, it’s her birthday next Tuesday, so…
Fuck. I forget her birthday every year.
“Right.”
“Preparations are underway, let me go check on things while I’m here, sound good?”
I nod, my teeth clenched. Behind me, the telltale click of my mother’s heels in the foyer warns me she’s coming as well.
“Can we go back to the island?” Marialena whispers.
I turn to Cristiano and give him a few instructions. After his fuck up a few weeks ago, I sentenced him to menial labor in one of our retainment facilities. He wasn’t a fan, but he got it done. Now I want him to finish up there so I can send him and my mother to secure a wine deal in Tuscany.
I smile at her, drag my fingers to the back of her neck, and pull her forehead to my mouth so I can give her a kiss. “Soon, baby. Soon.”
Though she nods, her eyes look a little doubtful. “Can you give me a hint about the surprise?”
“Only because you’re being a good girl.” I play with her hair, the thick, dark brown length like silk in my fingers. I watch as I wrap it around my index finger. She smells like dew drops and misty rain, so clean and fresh. “The hint is, we have a party tonight. A big old party with punch and canapés and music. And I invited some people you may know to join us.”
I don’t expect the way she stares, open-mouthed, the look on her face incredulous but hopeful. “Salvatore…” she whispers. “Did you… do you mean to tell me…”
“Your brothers and sister will join us this evening, yes. That’s exactly what I’m telling you.”
Tears brim in her eyes so quickly, I feel a pang hit my heart. If I’d have known how much this meant to her…
I swipe my thumb under her eye to catch a stray tear.
“Baby,” I whisper. “Are you crying?”
“Happy tears,” she says, her voice cracking. “I can’t believe you did this for me.”
“You’ll pay me back,” I promise.
“With obedience, my undying devotion, or blow jobs?”
I lean in closer, feeling her skin, still hot from sunbathing. Inhaling her scent. “Yes.”
The clack of heels grows louder.
“I can start now,” she says, her eyes on mine. “If your mother catches us doing nasty things out by the pool, maybe she’ll leave us alone.”
“Ha. Ha.” I gently push her off my lap and give her a teasing smack. “Towel on, do not show yourself to anyone, and go get some clothes on, too.”
“I hear and obey. Can I help with anything? It gets tiresome doing nothing but sitting around looking pretty, you know.”
I haven’t given her any jobs yet because I’ve wanted to make her comfortable and I wanted to see how she’d behave.
But maybe it would be nice to have myself a First Lady, someone to make sure shit gets done…
“How are they getting here from the airport?” she asks. Tampa International is only about forty-five minutes from here. The clicking of heels is right outside this patio, but she pretends as if she doesn’t hear it at all.
“Romeo rented a car.”
She nods. “And when will they be here?”
“Around five. We’ll have a quick dinner together before everyone else arrives at seven.”
The sliding glass door opens and my mother strolls out, her chin in the air and head held high.
“Hello,” she says with a chilling smile before she gives Marialena a once-over. Marialena looks at me, her hand on the edge of her towel, and I know she wants to shock her so badly. I give her one stern shake of my head. So help me, I don’t care if her brothers are coming, if she—
Grinning at me, she winks, then turns to my mother, walks straight toward her, and tosses her arms up in the air. My mother shrinks back, cringing, but Marialena goes off full throttle. “How are you? What would you like me to call you, by the way? Agnesia? Mother? Or is Mom appropriate?”
She tosses her arms around my mother’s rigid shoulders as if she’s completely oblivious to the fact my mother’s standing as still as a mannequin.
My mother shoots me a furious look, but I only smile and shrug. “My new wife’s effusive,” I say, which she actually isn’t, but I like her style and I’m game for playing along with this. “Aren’t you, sweetheart?”