Vow to Me: A Mafia Arranged Marriage (The Romano Empire Book 1)

Chapter Twenty-Six

The past few weeks have been nothing short of bliss. Ever since the gala—and the amazing sex me and Luca had—we’ve been closer than ever before.

About a week after the mayor’s event, I was watching the news and a story about the man who attacked me that night, Elias Williams, had been victim to a break in which resulted in his death. I had no doubts in my mind that my husband was behind it and when I asked him what happened he just shrugged and said, “that’s what happens when someone touches what’s mine.”

Turns out Luca is extremely possessive, it wasn’t enough for him that I bruised the assholes balls and his ego, Luca needed his blood for himself.

And I’m pretty sure I shouldn’t find that wildly romantic.

As well as being possessive, it seems my husband also has a softer side. Luca is attentive, he cares about my day, and he takes care of me. It was fucking strange at first, I’m not used to having someone care so deeply for me and it put me on high alert, looking for a lie but after a while I realized that’s just him, he’s the kind of man who will take care of those close to him, and he fucking hates when I’m in pain or hurting.

I stand in the bathroom mirror and smile to myself as I remember Luca’s need to take care of me while I was on my period.

Fuck, these cramps are killing me.

Every month I end up out of commission for a couple of days. I’ve always had bad cramps, according to the doctor I’m just one of those women who get them really bad.

It’s two in the afternoon and I ended up having to come and lie down in bed, figuring I wasn’t going to get much work done today anyways.

I’m flicking through Netflix, trying to find something to watch when the bedroom door flies open, and Luca walks in with a frantic look in his eye.

“Iz? What’s wrong? You never spend time in here during the day,” he says and makes his way over to me.

Last night he must have found me asleep on the couch because I woke up this morning snuggled into his side.

“Stop your stressing, I’m fine. I’ve just got cramps and needed to lie down for a while.”

“Is this normal? Should I call a doctor? Have you taken medicine? What do you need from me baby?” he asks, his tone desperate.

“What I need is for you to calm the hell down, it’s completely normal so don’t you go fucking calling any doctors,” I say sternly, “and why are you here anyway? You’re not normally home during the afternoon.”

“I just wanted to check on you.” He removes his suit jacket and I’m about to ask what he’s doing but he leaves the room before I have chance.

He comes back a couple of minutes later, arms full of snacks and he piles them on the bed before climbing in next to me. He grabs a heat pack from the pile and lifts the blanket so he can place it on my stomach.

“What are you doing? You need to work,” I say to him, completely confused as to why he’s still here.

“My wife is in pain, you’re staying in bed for the rest of the day, and I’m not going back to work. We’re gonna spend the day watching shit on tv while eating snacks, don’t bother arguing because it’s fucking happening,” he says before he kisses my forehead, gets himself comfortable and pulls me closer to him.

“I’ve told you before, I’ll always be here to take care of you.”

We ended up spending the rest of the day in bed, snuggling up under a blanket while watching the latest Marvel movie.

I’ve never been this happy before, and I feel like this is the calm before the storm.

I apply the last of my lipstick and check myself in the mirror one last time. I’m wearing simple black skinny jeans, a pale blue blouse and classic black Louboutin heels with my hair curled and light makeup covering my face.

We’re going to his father’s estate for a family dinner. To say I’m nervous would be a fucking understatement. I’m fine when it’s just me and Luca alone, I feel like I can just be myself, but around others? I’ve been acting a certain way for so long it’s hard to get myself out of that cycle. Luca says I should just be me, but he doesn’t understand what it’s like to suppress yourself for so long around others.

You’ll be fine, Izzy, stop your worrying.

I take a deep breath and walk through the apartment to meet Luca at the elevator. He’s stood waiting for me, wearing one of his usual suits. It’s rare I see him wearing anything else, when he’s in the apartment he’ll wear sweats or shorts, but he never leaves the apartment unless he’s in a suit.

“Ready?” he asks.

“Ready,” I say with a nod.

“You look beautiful, mia regina. They already love you. You’ll be fine.”

He presses a quick kiss to my lips before taking my hand and leading me into the elevator.

Once we’re in the car, Luca places his hand on my thigh as he drives us to his childhood home.

“Have things calmed down since you took out Novikov?” I ask, he doesn’t mention his work much, which I don’t mind—I just don’t like the idea of him being in additional danger.

“Yeah, Mu?oz has gone underground to regroup for now, he knows it would be suicide to hit us right now, why? You worried about me?” he says with a raised eyebrow.

“Of course, I am. Who’d give me so many insane orgasms if you were gone?” I tease.

“If another man touches you, I’ll come back from the dead and rearrange his fucking organs. No one, and I mean fucking no one touches what’s mine, Izzy.”

“Relax, no one could replace you. But use that as an incentive to not get yourself killed.”

“No one could replace me, huh?” he says as though he’s joking but I can sense a hint of vulnerability. Is he really worried about that? Surely, he knows no one could mean anything to me like he does.

“I promise you, no one but you Luca,” I say, and he gives me a blinding smile that showcases his dimples and gives me butterflies. He takes my hand and presses kiss to my knuckles before he rests out interlocked hands on his lap.

We pull up to his father’s estate and I stare up at the structure, I didn’t take much in the last time I was here, considering it was my wedding day, I was a tad preoccupied. It looks like what I always imagined the Pemberly estate from Pride and Prejudice would be like.

Luca gets out of the car, and I open my door and do the same before he can come and open my door for me. He gives me a stern glare but lets it slide, he should know by now that I don’t need him to protect me, but there’s no telling him that.

Luca takes my hand, and we walk up the steps to the entrance. A small woman—who must be in her fifty’s—opens the door she gives Luca a warm smile before doing the same to me.

“Beatrice, this is my wife, Izzy. Izzy, this is Beatrice, my father’s housekeeper.”

“It’s nice to meet you,” I say with a smile, and she returns the sentiment before guiding us to a sitting room accompanied by Salvatore and Marco.

Salvatore stands and walks towards us. “Son,” he says to Luca and gives him a nod.

“Thank you for joining us Izzy,” he says to me and squeezes my shoulder. “Dinner should be ready in a moment, Enzo stepped out to make a phone call, he can meet us in the dining room.”

We sit and wait at the dining room table for Enzo to join us. Salvatore is at the head of the table with Luca on his right and Marco on his left while I sit next to Luca. Enzo strolls in without a care in the world and takes a seat next to me, I furrow my brows, why would he sit next to me instead of Marco?

Just as I think it, Luca tenses.

“What the fuck are you doing, Enzo?”

“What? I have business to discuss with my favorite sister,” he says, nonchalant.

“You’ve never had a sister you idiot.”

Enzo shrugs but mumbles something that sounds like “I nearly did” under his breath. I know Luca has never had a girlfriend before, does that mean Marco did? I’m sure Luca mentioned Marco has never been in a committed relationship before.

The evening turns out to be surprisingly comfortable, not at all like the family dinners me and my father would have. We eat dinner and Salvatore and Luca talk about business, Enzo switches between adding in to their conversation and trying to rile Marco up while he sits there like a man made of stone, a cool expression marring his features.

“Hey Bella, about that business we need to discuss,” Enzo says to me with a boyish grin that makes him seem even younger.

“It’s Izzy, asshole, not Bella,” Luca says from beside me making Enzo roll his eyes.

“What business?” I add before Luca can say anything else.

“What do you like to do in your free time? Do you go shopping? Save puppies? Or do you… read?” he says with a look of innocence. What the fuck is he up to?

“I hate shopping. No, I don’t save puppies and yes, I like to read. What’s your endgame Enzo?” I sigh.

“No endgame, just wanted to get to know my new sis,” he says, acting innocent but I see a calculating look flash across his face before he masks it.

I swear he gets fucking weirder each time I talk to him.

After dinner, Salvatore announces he needs to speak to Luca in his office so the rest of us move to the sitting room to wait for them.

“I need to make a phone call,” Enzo says with a furrowed brow before stalking from the room and leaving me with Marco.

He stares at me from where he sits opposite me. There’s no malice in his gaze but his stare threatens to send a shiver down my spine, nonetheless.

“Is there a reason you dislike me?” I say, breaking the silence.

He cocks his head, and he appears contemplative. “I don’t dislike you Izzy, you make Luca happy so I could never not like you. I’m not much of a talker, I observe.”

“I’m the same, but the stare you usually give me is anything but welcoming, you don’t like being around me, why is that?” I ask and cock my head the way he did.

“It’s not you, you just remind me of a different time in my life,” he says in what’s almost a whisper, there’s pain in his eyes and I’m brought back to what Enzo said earlier. I’m starting to think Luca was wrong about his brother, I think he has been in a relationship, and there’s a reason he hid it or hasn’t been in one since. But it’s not my place to pry, no matter how curious I am.

I give him a nod of understanding and his shoulders drop in what I think is relief just as Luca emerges from the office and comes and stands behind me where I’m sitting in the armchair. He bends down and presses a kiss to my temple before straightening.

“You ready to go?”