Making mistakes was all well and good as long as you learned from them. And that was what I’d done from the moment I’d become boss. I’d made mistakes, but they were ones that I’d never repeat. They made me stronger, more capable of becoming the boss my family needed.
No one spoke as we exited the meeting place and got into the SUV. I’d already known someone had their hands in what happened with the FBI, and after Mateo’s contact confirmed it today with the evidence I needed, I hadn’t wasted a single second calling the impromptu meeting. The longer Piero was out there, the more damage he would have done. At least with Gio at the helm of their family, I’d have some sense of control over him.
My dad had built his legacy, but it was time for me to build mine. I wasn’t walking in his shadow anymore. I wasn’t only Luca Beretta’s son. I was Lorenzo Beretta, the Mafia boss you didn’t dare fuckin’ cross.
I glanced down at the few red spots on my shirt as we pulled into the gates, cursing at the sight of Aida’s dad’s delivery truck already being here. “Fuck.” If she saw the evidence of what I’d just done on my shirt, she’d kill me. She’d spoken nonstop about the meal with both of our families, and now here I was, about to enter with another Mafia boss’s blood on my shirt. I darted out of the SUV, ran across the stones, and straight through the front door, hoping I could make it by unseen.
“Uncle Lorenzo!”
My eyes widened, my body freezing at the bottom of the stairs. I should have known Vida would have caught me. “Hey, princess.” I turned and smiled at her, trying to keep my body pointed toward the stairs. “I’ll be back down in a minute. I just need to get changed.”
She stepped forward, her head tilted to one side as Christian and Mateo walked in the front door with matching grins on their faces. “But you’re already dressed.” Her little face screwed up in confusion. “Why do you need to get dressed again?”
“Well…” I cleared my throat, feeling like I was being interrogated. Not even my Uncle Antonio had made me feel like that when I was a kid, and he grilled me on whether I’d understood how to electrocute someone or not. “I…erm….”
Noemi appeared behind Vida, planting her hand on her shoulder. “Hey, Lorenzo,” she greeted, and I begged her to distract Vida, but instead, she asked, “Where you heading?”
What was with this family and asking questions?
“I’m going to—”
“Lorenzo?” I breathed a sigh of relief as Aida appeared. “What are you doing?” She walked toward me, meeting me at the bottom of the stairs. “Where—”
“Something smells amazing,” I said, interrupting her and turning my body. “I wouldn’t want to stain my white shirt with the pasta sauce.” I had no idea if that was what we were having, but I hoped she’d read into what I was saying. “I’m going to go get changed.” I hooked my thumb toward the stairs, widening my eyes at her.
“What?” She laughed and shook her head. “You…” Her gaze flicked down, her attention zooming in on the blood splatter. She glanced back up at me, lowering her voice so only I could hear her. “You couldn’t leave it until after we’d had dinner?” she ground out.
“It couldn’t wait.” I tried to communicate with her silently. She knew we were looking into what had happened when we got raided, and she was there when I’d received the call to confirm my suspicions.
“Fine.” She narrowed her eyes at me, then flicked her attention to Vida and Noemi. “Shall we go make wishes while we wait for Uncle Lorenzo?”
“Yes!“ Vida jumped up and down, grasping Noemi’s hand and pulling her toward the door. “The fountain outside is magic,” she told her. “Last time I made a wish that Auntie Aida would fall in love with Uncle Lorenzo.” She turned back to face me, her huge grin flashing my way. “And it came true!”
My stomach dipped at her words, my attention snapping toward Aida, but she was walking away with her head down. I wasn’t sure what to do, what to say, so I turned, heading upstairs and preparing for the first joint family meal since we’d married.
CHAPTER 18
AIDA
I rolled over as the sound of the shower drifted into the bedroom. A strip of sun shone through the curtains, hitting the partly open bathroom door. I stared at it, wondering whether I should roll back over and get more sleep or whether to get up.
We’d slipped into a routine the last couple of months with me going to college and Lorenzo making his mark in the city as boss. I’d accompanied him to countless events where he made friends with politicians and donated money to their campaigns. He walked a fine line, managing to sit on both sides of the track without falling. I wasn’t sure how he managed it, but I was fascinated watching him achieve it as if it was nothing.
It wasn’t, though. Normal people didn’t do what he did, at least, not successfully anyway.
His soft humming rang out, and I smiled. He didn’t realize he did it, but it was one of my favorite sounds, and that was what had me slipping out of our bed and walking toward the bathroom.
I wrapped my arms around my waist and Lorenzo’s T-shirt that I was wearing, unable to take my gaze off him. He let his head dip back, the water washing over him and through his inky black hair. Each of his perfectly chiseled muscles moved as he tilted his head side to side.
Slowly, I dropped my arms from my waist, stepped forward, and pulled the T-shirt over my head. I didn’t make a sound as I stepped into the shower with him, but from the way his body tensed and then relaxed, he knew I was there.
“Morning,” I murmured, trailing my hands over his sides and around to his stomach. His abs jumped at my touch.
“Morning, baby.” He turned, his wet body pressing against mine. “You’re up early.”
I couldn’t get enough of his dark eyes and the way he leaned forward, caging me in. “I am.” I felt his erection press against me and moaned. “I wanted to save water with you.”
“That right?” he asked, his voice deeper.
I planted my hand on his chest, feeling his heart beating an erratic rhythm at my touch. “Yeah.” I pushed closer, biting down on my bottom lip as my nipples scraped against his chest. “I also wanted to do this.” I didn’t think as I got down to my knees, my face coming level with his hard cock.
It jumped as I dragged the tip of my finger along the underside and up to the head, a drop of pre-cum escaping. My tongue flicked out, lapping up the salty liquid. His hand moved to the top of my head, his fingers pushing their way through my hair and holding me there.
My lips parted, and I dipped forward, taking all of him in my mouth. I twirled my tongue around him while at the same time, cupping his balls and humming, the vibrations causing his hand to grip my hair harder. He pulled, trying to set the pace, but I wasn’t going to allow him. This wasn’t just about him. It was about me too.
I halted as the head of his cock hit the back of my mouth, unable to get him all of the way in, then reached between my legs, finding my bundle of nerves and strumming. I moaned louder, pulling my head forward and backward harder and faster, knowing it would drive him crazy.