Page 156 of Broken Mafia Bride

I have no choice but to reveal myself from my hiding spot. I face the man in the wheelchair. “How did you know I was here?”

His smile is cryptic. “Congratulations, and welcome to the family.”

I stare at him for a moment, a little unnerved. Eventually, I spin around and hurry away, leaving him sitting there alone. I’m not exactly sure what to think of Edoardo. He’s neither a good guy nor the villain—but we’ll see how things play out.

All we have is time, after all.

“There you are!” Raffaele reaches out from the corner and grabs me by my waist, pulling me into his arms and into a kiss. “Our car is ready.”

I stare at him. “Where are we going to?”

We never discussed anything about a honeymoon. I assumed we’d be staying back in Chicago with our new family. I’ve beencontent getting to know everyone and basking in the feeling of being part of something bigger than just me.

Going to the animal shelter with Val, trying out new bakeries with Sienna and the twins in tow, going to the range with Matteo, sitting out in the cool evenings with Mr. Amato and my dad, Noemi and the dog, making large family dinners with Mrs. Amato, and falling asleep and waking up in Raffaele’s arms—it’s a life I never thought I’d have. And now that I do, I never want to give it up.

“It’s a surprise.” He presses a kiss to my forehead, pulling me away.

“Wait, what about Noemi?” I ask, wary.

“Here, Mama!” I glance around and see her on Pepe’s shoulder, waving at me with a wide grin. “Bye!”

“B-but we can’t just leave her here,” I argue.

“Giulia, look around you,” Raffaele tells me. “Our daughter will never be safer than she is right now. She’s surrounded by family. Do you really think anything is going to happen to her under their watch? Do you think any of these people would let anything happen to her? I’m far more terrified she’ll be spoiled rotten by the time we get back.”

I glance from one face to another, and I can’t help the overwhelming love and gratitude that wells up inside me.

“And anyway,” he continues, “we’ll be back before she even starts missing us. I just want to spend some alone time with the woman I love, my wife, and the mother of my amazing daughter, before we jump back into the thick of things.”

I nod. “Okay. Let’s do this.”

This time around, I’m the one who tangles our fingers together as we race to the waiting SUV, laughing excitedly, with our family right behind us, cheering us on.

EPILOGUE

GIULIA

“Welcome home, Mrs. Gagliardi,” Raffaele whispers as we step into the cabin we’ve been inhabiting for the past three days.

“Thank you, Mr. Gagliardi,” I whisper back with a smile.

He steps up behind me and slips off my light cardigan, hanging it on the coat rack by the door. I shiver slightly as the cool breeze drifts in from the Andaman Sea.

After we left the reception, Tommaso drove us straight to Raffaele’s private hangar, where a plane was waiting to take us away. After a long flight, which we spent eating wedding cake off each other, we finally arrived in Thailand, and a long ride later, we arrived at the beach resort in Koh Lipe.

Tonight, Raffaele took me to dinner at one of the five-star restaurants a little way inside the town. Dinner was electrifying. Each time our eyes met, current zapped through me. I had to clench my thighs together under the table as heat pooled low at the base of my stomach.

“Cold?” he asks, breath wafting over the shell of my ear.

I suck in a breath as desire skitters over my skin, buzzing like a live wire.

“Don’t worry, I’ll heat you up,” he promises, spinning me around and slanting his mouth down on mine in a searing kiss. I gasp into the kiss, hands fisting the front of his dress shirt to hold him close.

It only takes a second for the kiss to go from light to scorching. We stumble backward into the house. He grabs me by my hip, lifting me into his arms. I kick my heels off as he pushes me against the wall, sliding my dress up until it’s hunched around my waist.

I feel his hard length trapped against my covered pussy, and I rock against him desperately, moaning into his mouth.

I reach down blindly for his shirt, hastily undoing the buttons with clumsy fingers. It takes far too long to finally get all the buttons undone. I drag my palm over his toned chest, feeling the muscles bunch under my touch. I urge the shirt off his shoulders.