Istood at the sliding glass doors, overlooking the vastness of the partially frozen lake and cloudy sky, contemplating what our next move should be. Mia and I had spent the remainder of our wedding day relaxing, the one thing I could do for her since a honeymoon wasn’t in the cards, given the danger she was in.
I’d drawn us a bath, and we’d soaked in it to ease her soreness, her back resting against my chest. Candles glowed throughout the large en suite while we sipped wine and talked. I’d ordered delivery for dinner, and we spent the rest of the evening cozied up together on the couch.
The only dark spot on the night was earlier, when I’d enclosed a copy of our marriage certificate and a picture of the ceremony with the capo present and had it hand delivered to her father. By then, Joey Tucci would’ve received the package, along with the handwritten note explaining that Mia was my wife—he no longer had any claim to her.
The next day, I counted the minutes until Joey called. I had to head him off in the best way possible. I’d already contacted my family, and they were headed over.
I was ready for his call and craved the confrontation. I preferred to deal with him myself. Once that happened, we needed to have a plan in place, specifically with all the details Mia had promised to share about infiltrating the Tucci sex ring.
Flurries danced outside the glass panes, soon to blanket the landscape. I loved the snow’s freshness and the symbolism of a new start, something I wanted Mia to know she had. It struck me seemingly out of nowhere that if she wanted to finish college in person, I wanted to give her that. Not some online bullshit.
When I heard her bare feet padding down the hallway, I turned. She took my breath away every damn time. She’d left her long black hair down after showering. It only accented her purplish-blue eyes, high cheekbones, and those full lips that I craved to taste. I doubted that I would ever get enough of her, which still shocked me. Maybe it wasn’t love yet, but the chemistry, the attraction between us, wasn’t something I’d experienced before.
She was of average height, so the top of her head came to my shoulders. She appeared delicate, but I knew she wasn’t—no one raised in our world was. The Mafia bred fighters, killers, and sometimes psychopaths. When my sister arrived, I wanted her and the others to work with Mia and assess her fighting skills to see if she could improve. I never wanted her to be vulnerable if I or one of my brothers wasn’t there to protect her.
“Morning.” Her voice was raspy from sleep.
I grinned and pulled her into my arms, kissing the top of her head as I squeezed her. “Morning. Need some coffee?”
“Desperately,” came her muffled reply.
Trailing my hand along her arm, I grasped her fingers and led her to the island, where I fixed a cup for her. Not even a second after I set it down, my phone rang. I glanced at the caller ID, noting a few texts from Trey and Marco, saying they were on their way up, and a pissed-off one from my sister about leaving her out.
It was too early to deal with her ballbusting. I would have to thank Trey for blabbing about coming here because I was sure he had. We were all close, but she and Trey were closest, just as Marco and I were. But I loved my sister and wanted to protect her as much as possible from whatever would happen with the Tucci family, even though it looked like she would be in on our plan too. A part of me swelled with pride at her willingness to aid Mia and do what was right.
The ringing blared through the open space, nearing when it would roll over to voicemail. I winked at Mia’s knowing stare. It was her father. I was going to enjoy this. On the fifth ring, I answered. “Nico La Rosa.”
“Nico, this is Joey Tucci.” His gravely self-assured voice boomed through the speaker. “It seems we have unfinished business to discuss. You married my daughter without my blessing or any negotiation. We can rectify that now, or I will be taking her back.”
I laughed. “Go ahead and try. Mia is mine in every way. The marriage is binding, and there will be no negotiation between you and me or my family.”
“It’s unfortunate you think that, boy.”
I snorted, amused that he thought he could put me in my place. He kept tabs on the Chicago Mafia, but he didn’t know what I was capable of. “We have nothing to discuss.”
“Then it’s a war you want. Mia is my daughter.”
“She’s my wife. You don’t have any right to her, and if you try to take her from me, you’ll wish for death long before it’ll come.”
“I have every right!” Joey shouted. “If she isn’t delivered to my home by the end of today, I will retaliate.”
I couldn’t keep from grinning. I relished the confrontation after learning about the isolation Mia suffered. He viewed her as property, not at all as a loving parent should. “War it is.” I hung up, uninterested in hearing more.
Mia regarded me with raised eyebrows. “So that went well.”
I shook my head, amused. “It went as expected.”
The elevator’s soft ping sounded, and Mia’s head whipped in its direction, her body tense.
“It’s family. We need to meet today to address what’s next with your father.”
I rounded the island to her side as the doors swooshed open, and my sister, Enzo, Trey, Hailey, Marco, and El entered our living room. Understanding flashed in Mia’s eyes before she greeted them. It was time she told us everything.
Sofia flung her coat over the back of my couch. “I smell coffee.”
“You know where to get it.” I shared a smirk with Trey.
Sof tossed her long hair over her shoulder with a flick of her wrist. “What kind of hospitality is that when you drag us here at this ungodly hour?”