Married to the Mafia Boss

Carmine

I’ve never been a church fan, mainly because of the line of work I’m in. I don’t like the idea of any deity judging what I do, regardless of why I do it. I go, though, because we’re expected to keep up appearances. I sit behind my boss, next to my best friend, Dominic. As the priest is praying, when our heads are supposed to be bent and our eyes closed, I glance over to the row in front of me to the right. Arianna has her head bowed, but her eyes aren’t closed. She has those beautiful blue-gray eyes. The Sorvino eyes, but somehow on her, it’s different.

I’ve loved Arianna since I was a child, not that I would ever admit that to anyone. Her brothers would surely put a bullet in my head if they knew what I was thinking about their sister. I would never act on those feelings. I am loyal to the Sorvinos. They have been my family since my parents died when I was young.

They died, but not before exposing me to an endless amount of trauma. The abuse still shows as physical scars on my body. They’re faint now but still there to remind me how grateful I should be Romero took me in. They are my family now.

Still, I can’t see Arianna as my sister. She’s always been more to me, and I think, on some level, her brothers know that I would die to protect her. But I can’t cross a certain line.

The service ends, and I wait as the front pew files out before I follow behind. Dominic sighs heavily and whispers, “Every Sunday, it feels like this takes longer and longer.”

“I know,” I whisper back. “It’s so painful.”

“At least there’s food waiting at home,” Dominic says cheerfully.Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDrâ/ma.O(r)g!

We thank the priest as we exit, gripping his hands briefly. Alessandro is standing off to the side, lighting a cigar. We move over to join him. I glance up as Arianna moves toward the vehicles with Helena and some of the other females of the family. Katya, Alessandro’s wife, was among them. The women are going ahead to make sure everything was ready for lunch.

“Carmine, care for a cigar?” Romero offers me, standing next to his son.

“Thank you,” I say, taking the thick cigar from him. I clench it between my teeth as he lights it, inhaling.

“We have business to attend to after lunch,” Alessandro comments.

“Not while we’re at church,” Romero chides him. Alessandro might be Don now, but he still minds his father on certain matters, like church. He doesn’t apologize, though. He would never do that.

We stand and smoke, talking about baseball and football. I don’t say much. I observe our surroundings, ensuring no one will try to take out my family while their guard is down at church.

Soon enough, we are clambering into vehicles and on our way back to the estate.

The women rush around the tables in the garden, putting out loaves of bread and various snacks as the men stroll in. Some stand in groups and speak while others find their places to sit and talk.

Kira, one of the older cousins, bumps into me by accident and blushes. “Oh Carmine, it’s so nice to see you again. Are you working out more than usual?”

She’s trying to flirt. The cousins always try and flirt, but I’m not interested. I used to make more effort in my twenties when I was more flexible with my feelings, but now I don’t feel the necessity.

“Hi, Kira,” I say, giving her a gentle smile. I don’t want to hurt her feelings after all. “Just the same as usual.”

“Well, you look great.” She tucks a curl behind her ear only for it to escape again and hang in her eyes.

“Careful, Kira,” Dominic says, joining us. “This player will break your heart into pieces.”

He claps me on the back, and I roll my eyes. I’m about to tell him off when Alessandro gives a hearty chuckle. “Better Kira than our sister. Carmine could use some settling down, I think.”

Dominic laughs, and Romero comes through to the garden. “What’s so funny?”

“We’re trying to marry Carmine off to Kira,” Dominic says.

Poor Kira is now crimson and hurries off. “Aw, I was just joking,” Dominic calls after her.

I look at him. “Who breaks whose heart? Good job, dumb ass.”

If he weren’t my best friend, if this weren’t an informal family setting, I’d be put in a world of hurt. But he is my best friend, and we’re joking around.

He chuckles, and we both walk to where Alessandro is. I sit next to Dominic as the women start to bring out various dishes for us to eat. Roasts, plates of pasta, and bakes of all kinds. They always overdo it on Sunday lunch.

Alessandro looks over to Dominic. “What news do we have about our South American friends?”

“They’re doing well, and they’re closing in on Jose Catalan, and soon, he won’t be our problem anymore,” Dominic says.

I interject, “That’s not our only problem, though.”

Romero, Alessandro, and Dominic look at me, so I sip my wine and continue, “There are whispers that a Russian family wants to invade our territories. Apparently, they make Katya look like a Disney princess.”

Alessandro snorts and shakes his head. “Have you met my wife?”

“That’s what worries me. I have,” I say. “What do you want me to do?”

“We’ll deal with it as it comes. Best not to play our hand before we see what cards are on the table.” Alessandro looks up as Katya joins them. “Apparently, you’re a Disney princess.”

Katya frowns, not getting the joke, and Dominic laughs a bit too hard, choking on a piece of food. Alessandro and I slap him on the back until he coughs it up.

Most of the women are sitting down to join us for food now, and my eyes briefly meet Arianna’s. She gives me a small smile as though she and I share a secret. I guess we do because I know from the looks she gives me that we would be together if it were an option.

I look away and back at Dominic. “Are you alive?”

“Yeah,” he croaks out, “I just imagined Katya in a poofy yellow dress.”

A few of us laugh, and Katya shakes her head. “Even in a poofy yellow dress, I’d torture you so badly you’d be kissing my glass slippers in no time, Dominic.”

Dominic holds his hands up. “I do not doubt that, Kat.”

Everyone falls into a rhythm of eating and having genial conversations. Every now and then, my eyes flit to Arianna, to how her mouth moves as she smiles and chats with her cousins. I think about the times I’ve been close to her, the smell of her perfume, and then Dominic smacks me.

“Hello, are you listening?”

“Sorry, no. What did you say?” I ask, looking at him.

“I said stop staring at Kira. You’re going to give her the wrong impression,” Dominic says. “Unless you really are interested in her.”

I chuckle. “I’m not interested in being in a relationship right now. I actually just spaced out a bit there.”

Thank God he didn’t notice it was Arianna I was looking at. I don’t think I’d live past this meal. I try not to look at her for the rest of the afternoon.