Page 32 of Vicious Union
I scowl. “I wasn’t drunk.” I pause. “Ok, maybe I was just a little bit. I fell asleep in my wedding dress, so that was fun. And then I woke up and had to run to the bathroom to keep from throwing up on said wedding dress.”
Lara laughs as we take our seats. “I’m sorry to hear that. My wedding night wasn’t much fun either.”
“We don’t need to talk about that,” Rocco says.
“No, I want to know,” I say, resting my chin on my hand. “Give me the tea.”
“We got into a fight,” she tells me. “It wasn’t fun. But we eventually found love.”
Rocco looks at her with warmth in his eyes. “We did.”
“You’re so cute,” I say. “I hope Emilio and I have a love story like that someday.” I flash my new husband a smile. He only sighs and shakes his head.
“I can’t wait to get back to work,” Emilio says.
Rocco and Lara share a look before Rocco turns to him. “Actually, Emilio, you’re not going back to work. At least not for this week.”
Emilio frowns. “What do you mean?”
“I’m sending you and Caterina on a honeymoon.”
“Sweet,” I say, while grabbing a roll and buttering it.
Emilio, on the other hand, does not look so pleased. “What? Why? You and Lara didn’t have a honeymoon. Massimo and Ophelia didn’t either.”
“Well, Lara convinced me it would be a good idea,” Rocco explains. “You two need some time to get to know one another away from the distractions of daily life. And I know you, Emilio. If you had your way, you’d bury your head into work and never spend time with your wife. I want this marriage to work for the alliance between Francesco and me. So, you two will make it work.”
“Who says we’re not?” I ask.
Rocco huffs. “Even a blind man could tell things are not working between you two.” He sets his eyes on Emilio. “You’re too stubborn. Give Caterina a chance. This honeymoon will do you both a favor.”
“I’m down,” I say.
Emili grumbles under his breath.
I smile. “I take it that’s his way of saying he’s down, too.”
* * *
“I can’t believe this,” Emilio mutters as we sit in the airport terminal, waiting for our flight to Italy. “I could be at work right now. I could be dealing with Dante, not dealing with this.”
“Who’s Dante?” I ask.
He looks at me for a second before shaking his head. “It doesn’t matter.”
“Well, it sounds like it matters because you’d rather spend time with him than your wife.”
Emilio’s expression screams “I hate you,” but he answers, “Dante is a problem for my family. He tried to kill Rocco and take over. He kidnapped Gabriella and Lara. He even tried to befriend Massimo and gain information from us. He’s still out there, plotting who knows what. Rocco tasked me to find him, but I can’t do that because I have to be on this honeymoon. With you.”
I snort. “Thanks. I appreciate your enthusiasm.” I slip through the magazine I bought. “You know, Emilio, neither of us asked for this marriage. You don’t need to take your anger out on me.”
“You’re the one who drives me crazy.”
I put the magazine down and turn to him. “How do you think you make me feel? You’re constantly bossing me around. Trying to control me. I’m a woman, Emilio. I have a mind of my own and my own wants and desires. If you can’t appreciate that, then you should never talk to another woman again because you’re insufferable.”
“And how do you think you make me feel?” he hisses. “Always contradicting me. Always getting into trouble. You’re the insufferable one.”
I huff. “What are we? Twelve? We’re fighting like children. We’re going on this honeymoon whether we want to or not. So, let’s try to make the most out of it. It’s Italy, for Christ’s sake. Who can’t enjoy Italy?”