“And that’s when you screamed?” Mario says, spearing a piece of roast that’s as big as my forearm with his fork.
Marialena nods triumphantly. “Exactly.” She turns to me. “Orlando knew, too.”
He nods, and gently eases his hand along my lower back. I move closer to him.
My friend, my best friend in the entire world, is being kept prisoner. But I know if she’s to marry Tavi, they’ll take care of her. It isn’t what I hoped for her. It isn’t what we planned. But even though this family may be terrifying in the eyes of the world, I feel as if Elise will get along just fine.
I look at Tavi, easily the sternest in the bunch, and that’s saying something next to Romeo. He watches over everyone with a cool, detached look, then glances at his phone. I wonder what he’s looking at. From here it looks like camera footage, though it’s too dark to see. Just when I get a glimpse, he puts it away again. I’d bet good money he has a camera trained on Elise so he can watch her.
I want to go to my friend. I want to see her. But I know I can go only when Orlando allows it, and it’s too soon to push my luck. I’ve only been released from imprisonment myself within hours.
I’m distracted, though, and Orlando knows it. “You’ve been through so much, babe,” he says while the staff clears our meal. I can’t believe after everything they’ve been through, they actually ate that meal.
I’ll admit I did, too, though. Maybe I’ve been affected by being in this crazy family already. But damn, I was starving.
Nonna walks over to us, a tray of pastries in each hand. “Mangia,” she says, holding a tray out to me. “One for you, one for bambino.”
I take a pastry in each hand and slide them onto my plate in front of me.
“Italiano,” she says with a laugh. “Eat like one, though.”
Orlando laughs out loud, this deep, sexy, booming laugh that makes my belly dip and my heart beat faster. I turn to him and stare, hardly believing that the nightmare has almost passed.
“What’s on your mind, baby?” he says gently, swiping a finger through my pastry and stealing a dollop of frosting.
I draw in a deep breath as I think about where I am, all that’s happened. He’s my husband, and I’m his wife. I’m carrying his child, and I’ve been accepted, no question, into his intense, crazy Italian family.
“Angelina Rossi,” I say with a little smile. “There’s a certain ring to it, isn’t there?”
“It sounds like music,” he says. “But that’s not what’s on your mind.”
I bite my lip and look away. It may be too soon to push my luck, and my own nerves are fraught after everything we’ve been through today. But before I can articulate my concerns, he leans in and takes my hand. “You want to see Elise?”
I feel odd about it, admitting that I want to see the woman he was supposed to marry. But I nod. It doesn’t feel right to sit here with my hot husband, after he killed my best friend’s father, stuffing my face with pastry. Though that is, I now know , what the Rossi family does.
“Let’s go upstairs,” he says. “I can assure you, if Elise is to be Tavi’s wife, he’s taking good care of her. She’s done us wrong, and you know that. She won’t have an easy go of it, not right away anyway.”
I nod. I know. That they’ve spared her life after this is nothing short of a miracle. “Yeah.”
“But he won’t hurt her. Let’s give them the night together. I don’t want to interfere. Then tomorrow, I’ll talk to Romeo and Tavi and see what I can do.”
I nod. Agreeing seems like the most intelligent choice right now.
“It’s definitely a luxury pushing back from a delicious dinner with no dishes to wash, no kitchen to clean,” I say to Orlando. “I could get used to this.”
“Good,” he says with a tired smile. “Let’s just say it’s one of the perks.”
His hand comes to my lower back in a possessive move that I love and crave. Romeo watches us from where he sits beside Vittoria. He crooks a finger at us, and we walk over to him wordlessly. Orlando gives my fingers a little warning squeeze.
I nod. “I know, I know. Believe me, I am not stepping one toe out of line right now.”
“Let’s try yes, sir,” he whispers in my ear.
My cheeks flush pink. “Yes, sir.” He has kinky plans for me tonight, I know it.
Romeo has his arm resting casually behind Vittoria’s seat. She’s so lovely, sitting straight as an arrow with her hands folded in her lap. Her eyes gentle when she sees me and she slowly nods.