Page 30 of His Vicious Vow
My mom ushers me into the house ahead of Celia and Milos, her hand tight around my arm. I’m forced into Carlo’s office.
He’s waiting behind his desk. “You’re going to behave tonight, Carina. Don’t fucking embarrass me or your fiancé.”
I refuse to say a word, instead picking a spot behind him not taking my eyes off it.
He sighs, “Get her out of here, Cassandra. Keep an eye on her.”
The house is packed. I’m guessing more than two hundred people, maybe even three hundred as people are spilling out onto the back lawn.
Sandro appears in a black silk suit with a vibrant white dress shirt and a black and green silk tie. How does his tie match my dress? Why does he have to be so freaking hot? It would me so much easier to hate him if I didn’t also want to lick his face. “My dear wife, you look beautiful tonight. And you too Ms. Parker.”
“Suck up.” I mouth. Annoyed with him and myself for the way his sincere compliment grazes up my tummy and down to my core.
My mother’s nod at Sandro is stiff. “Thank you, Mr. Leonetti.” She does the formal thing when she’s annoyed.
How am I just now learning his last name? I also wonder what he did to piss her off.
“Champagne?” He offers me a flute.
Taking it I fight not to down it in one go. There’s something in his eyes. Something I don’t trust.
Carlo calls for attention. He gives a long, boring speech about how awesome Milos is, gives Celia two sentences before thanking everyone for coming to celebrate their engagement.
Bella appears, the man beside her is wearing an eyepatch. She hugs me in greeting. “You look beautiful. This is my husband, Luca.”
He nods and smiles down at me. “I get why you have my friend in such a state, little one.”
I blush as he slaps Sandro on the back and says something in Spanish to him. Sandro however doesn’t even look slightly annoyed. He says something in Spanish. While Spanish and Italian are close, the pronunciation combined with how fast they speak keeps me confused.
“You speak Spanish?” Bella is stunned.
His grin is wicked. “Ah, yeah I forgot to tell you. It’s helped in the past.”
Sandro chuckles at me. “He’s congratulating me on my good luck at having you thrust on me rather than me picking someone we both know isn’t good for me.” He says to me. But the eyes he turns to Luca are serious. “It’s rude to speak Spanish when she doesn’t understand the language.”
Luca grins widely at me. “I apologize for my rudeness. I hope you can forgive me.”
Blushing again, I only nod.
Tony Sabatini appears at Luca’s side. “Luca, my son, don’t tease her. Carina, my dear you are looking beautiful as always. You have your fiancé quite tight tonight ready for him to defend your slightest displeasure. Careful, Luca, best friend or not Sandro will make you bleed.”
Sandro’s reply is a flat. “Yes, Luca, careful.”
I’m stunned by how clearly Sandro means it. He’d fight his best friend over insulting me? Bella catches my eye, lifts an eyebrow and smiles.
Carlo appears out of nowhere. I shrink away from him and my mother into Sandro. Sandro’s hand is at my shoulder drawing me close.
The gunmetal gray eyes of Carlo miss nothing as they flick between me and Sandro. Sandro’s hand tightens. Suddenly the air feels thick and dangerous.
Dominic Sabatini is at Carlo’s side. A large hand slaps Carlo on the back. “I can only hope my daughters make me as proud as yours do tonight. Blindingly beautiful, the both of them. Carina, my wife is sad she could not attend. She didn’t feel well all day. I believe I’ll also need an early evening so as not to leave her alone in her misery. I believe the expression morning sickness should be retired as it rarely ends once morning has past.”
I give him a smile, grateful the weird thick air has cleared. Carlo grumbles something under his breath before he moves on.
Tony shakes his head. “What the hell with the guest list? I swear this feels like Apalachin all over again.”
The shiver that runs down my spine at the mention of the famous meeting where the FBI identified a bunch of mafia out of mere curiosity about why so many slick cars and men in suits were in the middle of nowhere New York isn’t one I can hide.
Sandro whispers against my temple. “No worries, my dear wife, everything will be fine.”