Page 150 of Vows of a Mobster

Mateo and I knelt down. “Emma, sweetie,” I started. “Can I have a hug? You’ll stay with your aunts and Giovanni.”

She giggled and came over giving both of us a hug. I raised my eyes to Giovanni.

“I’ll take her and Marissa home.” His eyes traveled to his sister and he frowned.

“Thank you, Giovanni.”

“Declan told me he’ll be leaving in thirty minutes,” Mateo informed Giovanni. “There should be no issues there.”

“My sister and the Irishman.” The way he said Irishman made it sound like a bad word. To say he didn’t like Declan was an understatement.

“Giovanni, keep your cool,” Mateo warned. A shared glance and a jerky nod by Giovanni.

Emma pulled on Giovanni’s hand and his face softened. “Okay, I have to dance with a princess.”

They both waved at us and carried on with the dance.

“And I’m taking my queen for the night,” Mateo pulled me up, and we held hands as we walked under the soft lights to his car.

* * *

We arrived at the car, the driver and Mateo’s men were already waiting.

“Are they coming too?” I half-joked.

“Only till we get there,” he replied secretly.

“Shouldn’t I pack an overnight bag? I can’t wear my wedding dress all evening, night, and tomorrow. Although I love it.”

He took my left hand and pressed a kiss on it. “Everything is already there.”

“Okay, I see you won’t spill,” I teased him.

“It is a surprise,” he grinned. “You’ll see it soon.”

We drove the next twenty minutes in silence, our fingers intertwined. Just as our life would be. I have been waiting for the right time to tell him about my surprise. But now that the time was nearing, I was getting increasingly nervous.

Would he be happy about it? We haven’t talked about love, but I knew without a doubt he’d take care of us. Love was overrated anyhow. Right? Then why did it feel like my heartbeat started and ended with this man. I watched his hand holding mine. Even with that simple gesture, it felt like his grip protected me. His bigger, stronger hand appeared even larger when over mine, his golden skin tones contrast to my fair skin.

“We are here.” His voice had me lifting my eyes. I glanced around, the view of docks and luxury boats all around us. I froze.

The Boston Harbor Marina, in East Boston, was a luxury boat slip dock, housing the most exclusive sailboats and yachts. It was also where we’d come two years ago to steal a sailboat, in order to dump a body out at sea.

“What are we doing here?” My own voice sounded strange, high-pitched with a slight undertone of trembling. Or maybe I was the only one to notice it because Mateo’s smile was relaxed.

He couldn’t know. Nobody knew except for Marissa, Daphne, and I.

“We are going to take my boat out and spend our wedding night alone.” His door opened, he exited the car and reached out his hand for me. I placed my fingers into the palm of his hand, and absentmindedly, I noticed another contrast… my fingers were cold against his warm skin. “It will be just the two of us, and we’ll dock back at our house tomorrow around noon. Seeing all those pictures of you with your father and stepfather, I knew you enjoyed the sea.”

I did, till that night two years ago. From that moment, I dreaded ever getting on a boat. I forced a smile on and swallowed hard.

I was already imagining my body being dumped in the ocean, just the way we got rid of Kyle’s. Would he put the weights around my dead body, the way Marissa did on Kyle?

Shit, I better get a grip. Mateo would never do that to me… not if I told him I’m pregnant. Oh my God! If that was my only saving grace, I was in deep trouble.

“Brianna, are you alright?” Mateo’s concerned voice pulled me out of my dreadful imagination and to present. “If you don’t want to-”

“Yes. This is wonderful,” I barely choked the words out.Keep your shit together, Brianna.