“I would be honored, Don Leone,” Steven said.
“Thank you, Don,” Dante said.
“Good. Now, I’m going to get a doctor in here to make sure that idiot doesn’t die on my couch. You people get out of my sight and go start making the family some money.”
The men all bowed their heads and I joined in. Then Dante turned and left the room as a fast march, followed by Steven and Biagio. I followed behind again, and Roberto took us back through the house, following the same route as before. When we reached the main entry, Dante paused on the threshold.
“You two go first,” he said. “We’ll be out in a moment.”
Biagio and Steven hesitated, but did as Dante asked. I lingered next to Dante as he looked at Roberto.
“Could we have a moment?” he asked the security man.
Roberto grunted. “Just a moment,” he said, and disappeared back down the hall.
I was left alone with Dante in the gorgeous entryway of the most powerful man in the city. I felt a chill run down my spine as I stepped up to my man and put my hands on his chest. He pulled me against him and kissed me, deep and slow.
“It’s over,” he whispered.
“No, I think it’s just starting.”
He laughed. “You have no clue.” He reached into his back pocket and took something out. He moved back and showed me a small black ring box balanced in the center of his palm.
I reached out and touched it like the thing might disappear at any moment.
“Is this real?” I asked.
“Open it,” he said.
I took the box and opened it. A single, enormous, teardrop-shaped diamond sat in a band of white gold with more small diamonds scattered down along it. I sucked in a gasp of air, and he took the ring from the box.
“Marry me,” he said. “Be my bride.”
“Yes,” I whispered.
He pushed the ring down my finger and I let out an elated laugh as he kissed me. I kissed him back, pushing myself tighter against him.
This felt right. It felt like I was finally finding myself. He said he was going to make me his bride, and now that was coming true. I was going to marry Dante, run his businesses, be his mob wife, and give him all the children he could ask for.
I pulled back and stared into his eyes. “I love you,” I said.
“I know you do.” He pulled my hair and I gasped. “I love you too, my Aida.” He kissed me again, deep and slow, and I savored that moment.
So much had happened since we first met. I was a different person then, a different girl. I was so scared all the time, so lost and angry. But now I can see my place in the world, so clear and so obvious. My place is by Dante’s side, with my man, in his world.
I pulled away and held his hand, the diamond ring sparkling in the light. “Come on,” I said. “Let’s go celebrate.”
“Exactly what I was thinking,” he said.
We walked out of the house together, hand in hand, looking forward to our new life.
32
Aida
Two Years Later
I stood in front of a small picture in a black frame that sat on a bookshelf in the back of our living room. It was quiet while Dante was upstairs packing, and the swell of my pregnant belly pressed up against the wood of the bookshelf. Early morning light slanted in through the windows, illuminating the light brown hardwood floors, the chic modern style furniture, the antique lamps, the working fireplace.
I picked the frame up and smiled to myself. In the picture, Dante stood with his arm around Gino. They both looked so young, both of them wearing baggy jeans and t-shirts way too big for them. They were in some park, maybe near some swing sets, I couldn’t tell since the background was blurry, but they looked so full of adventure. It was taken not long after they’d first met, and I found it shoved in the back of Dante’s closet one day a few weeks after we’d moved into our new house together.
I barely knew Gino. He was my guard for a few weeks while I was living with Dante, back before we got engaged, back before we got married and started an empire together. But Gino had saved my life, and I thought about him often.
I wished I could’ve known him better. He seemed like a decent man. Quiet and kept to himself, but he listened to Dante, almost looked up to Dante in a way that very few people did. They had history together, and I knew Gino was loyal into death.
“There you are.”
I turned around at the voice and smiled. Dante smiled back, leaning up against the wall, his arms crossed in over his chest. He wore a black suit, form-fitted and perfect, with a little red pocket square and shiny black shoes. He never wore a tie, but he somehow always managed to make himself look perfectly put together.
“Hey,” I said, putting the picture down.
He walked over and tilted his head. “Thinking about him again?” he asked.
“Can’t help it. Especially around now.” I touched my belly and felt a spike of nerves.
“You okay?” he asked.
“I think so.”
“We’re going to be fine.” He pulled me against him and kissed my cheek. “Trust me, Aida. I’ll make sure you’re taken care of and our baby’s perfectly fine.”
“I keep thinking about the baby,” I said. “And the name.”
“I thought we were going to do Dante, Jr.,” he said.
“I don’t know.” I frowned at him, tilted my head. I reached up and touched his cheek. “I’m not sure I could survive two Dantes.”
He laughed and took my hand. “Okay then. What were you thinking?”
“Gino,” I said.
He frowned a little bit and looked at me for a long moment. Then slowly he nodded his head. “Yeah, I think that’d be good,” he said. “That’d be fitting.”
“Since he saved us,” I said. “You
