“As you now know, I run the east coast, all except for New York. Which also means that Dante does too and when Dante takes over from your father…” The sooner the fucking better in my opinion. “Then Dante and I will run New York too.” I turn to Dante, “Your Granda still the Capo dei Capi?” He nods, “Okay so, when the old man kicks it, Dante will take over. Which will mean he’ll be looking for Underbosses.”
Romero leans forward in his seat, eager to hear where I’m going with this.
“I need an Underboss for Connecticut. I want you to take the position and when the time comes and Dante becomes Capo dei Capi, I hope that you’ll then in turn become the Underboss for the Italian Mafia for New York.”
I sit back in my chair as Maddie starts to walk over to us. I’ve given him my offer now it’s up to him to think it through and let me know what he decides.
“Fuck, Kenna.” Dante’s voice is husky and full of heat. “When I get you home, I’m not letting you up for air. I hope you fill your belly now, it’s the only chance you’ll get today.”
I laugh as Maddie places our plates onto the table in front of us. “If you guys need anything, just yell.”
“Thanks, Mad,” I tell her as I pick up my knife and fork.
“Anytime, Kenna. Enjoy.” She saunters off and I bite my lip as I notice that Alessio watches her ass sway as she walks away.
“What’s the catch?” Romero asks and I smile, he’s smart as hell. “I’m not stupid, Makenna. I know you wouldn’t offer me the position if there wasn’t something in it for you.”
“Actually there’s nothing in it for me,” I reply instantly. “The position is yours, you’ll have to deal with the ignorance of the Irish men. They will not want an Italian leading them. It’s bad enough that I’m married to one.” I turn to Dante. “Their words, not mine,” I tell him in hopes of softening the blow. “But ultimately, Romero, it’s your decision. You could marry an Irish woman. It would give you the respect that not marrying one would have. It would also mean you’re part of the family and all the perks that come with it.”
He’s silent, carefully watching me, so I say what I need to and then leave him be. “Look, I don’t care if you hate that I’m the Boss. It doesn’t bother me. I haven’t offered you this position because you’re my husband's brother. If it were that reason, I’d offer Alessio the position too. You have a lot of potential, Romero, and right now, you’re standing in the shadows when you really shouldn’t be. Dante is going to lead, that was a given, but you? You deserve to forge your own path. I’m giving you that opportunity. As I said, you can go it alone or you can marry a Gallagher. We’re not all raving psychopaths. Some of us are more docile than others. The choice is yours; just think about it and let me know.”
I start eating, and let what I’ve just said linger in the air. If Romero is smart he’ll take the position and the opportunity to marry into the family. I have the perfect person lined up for him. She’s sweet and soft, she’ll bring out his protective instincts.
Twelve
Dante
Everyone is silent as we finish our food. Romero’s still in shock, I was surprised that she offered him the position, but it makes sense. I also believe that she has a hidden agenda and when I get home, I’m going to find out what the hell she actually wants.
“Are we going to Makenna’s or are we going to ours?” Alessio asks and I don’t answer. After spending just a night in Makenna’s house, I don’t want to go back to my fucking apartment.
“You can stay with me until I find a bigger house,” she says not lifting her eyes from her cell. She’s been engrossed in whatever the hell is on the screen for the past five minutes.
“Bigger house?” Romero echoes.
She sighs as she taps her phone and places it down onto the table. She finally looks up. “Yes, a bigger house. I may only be married to your brother for a day, but I know that you three share a bond and that means your asses are where we are. So yes, I’m going to find a bigger house, something that all four of us can live in and we won’t be ready to kill each other within a few days.”
Both of my brothers stare at her, the respect they have for her isn’t just because she’s the Boss. We’ve only been married for twenty four hours but she’s shown us who she is and how loyal she is. From saving Alessio and not breaking a sweat, to sharing her home with us all, giving Romero a position that means he’ll have power and not just as my brother, but now, she wants to get a house where we all can live.
She says she doesn’t know how to love but she does, every single thing she’s done for us so far has been out of love. Oh, I know that she’d never admit it, hell most of the time she glares at Romero like she wants to kill him, but deep down she cares and for that reason alone, we’ll always have her back.
“Kenna, would you like anything else?” the server asks and I see Alessio giving her his panty-dropping smile.
“No, thanks, Mads,” Kenna replies with a smile.
The server nods and picks up our empty plates then walks away.
“Owww. What the fuck?” Alessio glares at Makenna who’s smiling sweetly at him. “Why the hell did you kick me?”
She raises a brow at his tone, “Keep your eyes to yourself, arsehole. She is not someone you fuck with.” Her voice is darker and harder than I have ever heard before.
Alessio glares at her, he’s always hated someone telling him who he can and can’t fuck.
Makenna reaches for my hand under the table and squeezes. “Listen to me, Alessio. Maddie is my friend, she’s not just some random woman you can fuck. She’s had enough of arseholes to last her a lifetime. You want a quick screw, go find someone else, I’m sure there’s plenty of willing women. Just not her.”
The table is silent as we wait for either of them to say something. When Alessio sits back in his chair, I know that he’s not going to respond to her. She turns to me, a small smile on her face. “Ready to go?”
I nod and slide out of the booth pulling her with me, her smile widens and she leans into my body. Her softness and curves makes my dick stir, as it does whenever I’m around her. “You okay, baby?”
Her eyes flash with irritation, “Baby?”
Ah so that’s what she’s pissed about. “What would you like me to call you?” I ask as we leave the restaurant.
“I can name a few,” Romero comments. “Psycho is the most obvious one.”
Makenna’s lips twitch, “It takes one to know one, Romero.”
He scoffs, “Please, I’m perfectly normal in comparison.”
Both Alessio and I chuckle at their banter, Makenna throws her head back and laughs, “Wrong. I’m well-adjusted to what I am Romero. I don’t hide behind the darkness, in fact, I embrace it. It’s who I am, who we all are. Let your crazy come out to play sometime.” She fucking winks at him leaving him standing there slack-jawed, watching her walk away.
I slap him on the back as Makenna climbs into the car. “What the hell?” he mutters once she closes the door. “How the hell does she know so much about us?”