Page 158 of Scorned Beauty

Christmas

Dom

The De Luccimansion was bright as fuck. The women went on a shopping spree for new Christmas lights. Also, there were not one, not two, but three Christmas trees in the mansion, fully decked out with different themes. It was Christmas Day and everyone had just finished exchanging presents.

Like Thanksgiving a month ago, there was a lot to be thankful for this Christmas.

Luca found Natalya. They flew in with Elias and their entourage to spend Christmas Day with us. They were staying for three days. They’d just spent two weeks in Paris. Something about December being the rainiest month of the year. It didn’t make sense, but I had stopped making sense with husbands and their obsession with their wives.

Sandro and Bianca announced they were pregnant without waiting for the requisite twelve-week wait before sharing because both were over the moon with the pregnancy. Baby would be due in August next year.

And since that kind of put the pressure on Nico and Ivy, they declared they were not in a hurry to add to the family despite grumblings from Uncle Cesar and Aunt Ava. The two seemed happy to remain the cool aunt and uncle for now. Although Nico once told me he was too selfish to share Ivy with a kid yet. In a way, he made sense.

Pop made a full recovery from the cardiac contusion he sustained months ago.

Lucy was moving back to New York to my parents’ delight and conflicting feelings on my part. She was determined to live on her own and bought Nico’s old apartment on the Upper East Side. She said she might work as a paralegal or take the bar. I wouldn’t put it past my sister to use her return as a smokescreen for an altogether different reason.

And finally, of course, my engagement to Sloane. We broke the news to my parents and Harriet first.

Pop and Ma were thrilled. Ma couldn’t wait to start wedding preparations and was sending a flood of bridal magazines and websites to Sloane, so I had to rebuke my mother—gently, of course—to let this holiday craziness pass first.

Speaking of Harriet, she and Sloane visited Billy’s grave this morning. So yes, it wasn’t all joy, but the melancholy didn’t last long. Harriet was part of this family and was currently being entertained by the girls who shared her interest in true crime.

I sighed. All was well in the De Lucci, Moretti, and Rossi crime family.

“You look disgustingly content.” Luca approached and handed me a coquito. The drink made of Puerto Rican rum and cream was the preferred Christmas drink of the De Luccis over the classic eggnog.

“I could say the same about you.”

Luca chuckled and exhaled the same contented sigh I expressed earlier. “What a difference a year makes.”

“Yeah.” I took a sip. “Thanks, by the way.”

My uncle raised a brow. “I’m sure you’re not referring to the drink.”

I grinned. “No. Your advice last year.” New Year’s Eve seemed so long ago. “About making a choice and protecting it.”

“It seems we Morettis have a lot to learn about the consequences of power.” He nodded to Ma. “How’s Lottie? Is she giving Sloane a hard time?”

“Nope. What happened to Pop was her wake-up call.”

“She and Lucy appear to be okay. Which is expected. Lucy is a well-rounded girl.”

I nearly choked on that. “You would say that. Your stubborn niece can do no wrong in your eyes.”

“She’s not stubborn, she’s strong-willed,” Luca said, but he had a smirk on his face.

“Who are you two talking about?” Sera asked. She and Matteo joined our huddle.

“Luca Junior,” I deadpanned.

“Our dear cousin,” Matteo said. “Uncle Paulie is trying to recruit her for our legal department.”

“I don’t know,” I muttered. “She doesn’t like structure, routine, and has a problem with authority. Makes me wonder why she studied law.”

“She wants to make sure we have free legal representation when everyone bails on us,” Luca said with a trace of humor. “She may shun her Moretti side?—”

“The criminal side?” Sera deadpanned.