Married to the Mafia Boss

Sofia

I worry when five p. m. rolls around and there’s still no sign of Dominic. It’s not that I don’t expect him to be out late, but he said that he would be home in time for dinner tonight. I hope something didn’t come up.

I take my food to the living room and eat alone, watching a romantic comedy while I wait.

I think about messaging him, but at the same time, if he’s busy with something for the family, I don’t want to irritate him or sound like a nag. I don’t know how I feel. I just…I guess I miss him.

The front door opens just as I set my plate on the coffee table, and I get up, hurrying out of the living room. Arianna turns and grins at me.

“Hey, Sofia, how are you?”

There’s something sad about her smile, and my stomach plummets.

“Is everything okay?” I ask, wringing my hands.

Arianna looks taken aback but shakes her head. “I just came over to keep you company because Dominic’s been taken to hospital.” She quickly adds, “He’s fine. He just got a little beat up by some guys. He’ll be out by tomorrow.”Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive © material.

My heart feels like it’s breaking in two. Poor Dominic. I feel like this is my fault. He’s been getting hurt ever since he rescued me, and this all kicked off.

“There are extra guards,” Arianna says, “So you’re safe, don’t worry.”

I give her a brave smile. “Do you want some coffee?”

“How about I make us something? I used to live here, you know,” she comments, leading me through to the kitchen. “We all did, growing up before we moved to the bigger family home where Alessandro stays now.”

“Do you stay with Alessandro?” I ask, trying to keep the conversation going.

She shakes her head as she takes out two mugs. “No, I have an apartment that I pay for. Despite my brothers trying to convince me otherwise, I wanted it that way. I did, however, agree to a security detail.”

There’s something wistful about the way she looks, and I remember the bodyguard drinking with us at the club. “Do you have feelings for your security detail?”

She grins mischievously. “A topic for another day. For now, I want to know how you’re holding up.”

“I’m fine. I’m just really worried about Dominic. He keeps getting hurt because of me.” I look at her sadly. “I feel terrible.”

“Don’t,” she says matter-of-factly, “This is the life my brothers chose to pursue. This is an inevitable outcome. If it weren’t you, it would be some other reason. Don’t beat yourself up about it.”

There’s a moment of silence. I stare at my hands when her next question catches me off guard. “Sofia, do you care for my brother?”

I look up quickly. ‘I…”

“Like, do you like like my brother?” she asks, and she gives me a small smile. “Because he wanted to kill you the first couple of days, but now he seems to only care about your comfort.”

I blush. “Your brother is being very kind to me at the moment, but he’s still an ass.”

She giggles. “You can still care for him, faults and all.”

I look back at my hands and then take a deep breath, revealing the truth, “I don’t know how I feel. I don’t know how to reconcile my feelings for your brother with the fact that he kills innocent people. It’s just something that makes me hesitate.”

She sets her coffee down and sits beside me, facing me. “My brother only does what is necessary to protect the family.”

“He says that,” I say, sipping my coffee. “But it’s like he doesn’t feel remorse.”

Arianna shakes her head. “Could you imagine having to feel remorse for that, though? Don’t get me wrong, it’s a shitty thing for anyone to do, but it has to be done, and if you don’t pack that away, if you don’t compartmentalize that, it will drive you mad.”

I nod slowly. “I mean, I get it’s hard to deal with, but I just feel like it makes him so inhuman.”

Arianna and I sit there for a moment, thinking about our conversation, when she perks up. “You know…if you don’t fight it. If you treat the family as your own, something to protect and be loyal to. Something to be committed to like a relationship, it is easier to think of the horrible things that happen because they become a necessary evil.”

“A necessary evil,” I echo, finishing my coffee. “I’ll think about it.”

Arianna smiles warmly. “I mean it. Think about it. If you really like him, you should accept him warts and all.”

She stands and takes her mug to the sink. “If you need me, call me.”

“Can I go see Dominic?” I ask and then quickly follow up with, “To take him things from home to make him more comfortable.”

Arianna nods, and I blush. “Thank you,” I say.

“I’ll chat to you soon.” She comes toward me and envelops me in a hug, and I hug her back, feeling comforted.

Once she’s gone, I pack some food into a container because I’m sure the hospital food is absolutely disgusting. Then I go upstairs and pack him some fresh clothes for tomorrow. I’m not sure how hurt he is, so I go with something easy to get into, slacks and a t-shirt.

I also pack his toothbrush and some toiletries. While standing alone in the bathroom, I see his cologne and spray some in the air before I sniff it. I immediately feel a sense of warmth spread throughout my body.

I take everything to his bed and sit there, looking at where he sleeps. I feel like I’m some kind of creepy stalker at this point, but what he doesn’t know won’t hurt him or me.

I think about what Arianna said. I close my eyes and picture them as my siblings and their parents as my own. I try and feel it with my entire being. Then I imagine someone threatening that, and I’m instantly filled with rage.

I open my eyes, and I sigh. I know what it is that I want. I don’t know if he wants the same thing as me, though, and confessing my feelings to him might just lead to heartbreak. It would be so awkward to live together afterward.

I think about the sex we had and the hungry look in his eyes when he was inside me. I lick my lips.

I have to try.

He is a pain in the ass. God, he is so annoying. He’s bossy, controlling, and overprotective, but the more I think about it, the more I appreciate the lengths he’s willing to go to for the people he cares about. I mean, shit, he nearly got killed for me and he didn’t even know me at all then. Now, though, I know he would kill anyone who came near me. I don’t know if I’m okay with that, but I know I need to try. I need to try because I think I’ve fallen hard for him.

I pick up his things and go downstairs, grabbing the container of food.

I walk out the front and smile at the guard standing there. He’s new. I don’t recognize him. I walk to the car where the driver is waiting for me, and suddenly, everything just goes black.