Page 44 of The DeLuca Crime Family: Vol. 1

“What Daddy?” she hollered back.

Our gazes swung up to the top of the stairs, where we found Sophia standing at the top. She was dressed up for her date in a swingy, black skirt that hit just below her knees, pale pink top, and strappy black sandals. Her dark hair was pulled back in a low ponytail, and the only makeup she was wearing was a swipe of pink gloss over her lips. She was naturally beautiful and didn’t need anything else—which was a good thing since her father forbade it anyway.

Natalia stomped over to where Sophia was standing, but her sister had distracted Nic from his anger at learning she’d had a crush he hadn’t known about. Our youngest child was smart as a whip, so she didn’t ask him what he wanted again. Instead, she followed her sister down the stairs with an angelic smile on her adorable face.

“You’re beautiful,” Stephen said from behind us, where he and Niccolo stood near the doorway.

“Preziosa.” Nic met Sophia at the bottom of the stairs and bent down to kiss her cheek. “Look how gorgeous you are.”

“Thanks, Daddy.” She grinned up at Nic before her gaze shifted to Stephen, and her smile widened. Her voice was soft as she said, “Hi.”

“Hi,” Stephen echoed her greeting, staring at her in awe. Niccol0 elbowed him in the side, and he held out the pink roses that were clenched in his fist. “These are for you.”

“Thank you.” Sophia moved past her dad to take the bouquet from her date.

I took pity on her about a minute later when she just stood there looking as though she didn’t know what to do next. “Here, I’ll take those and put them in water for you.” I pulled the flowers from her clenched hand and nudged her forward. “You two better get going, or you won’t have time to grab drinks and snacks before the previews start.”

“Do you have your cell phone?” Nic asked.

Sophia nodded. “Yup.”

“Is the battery fully charged?”

She rolled her eyes. “Of course, it is.”

“Do you need extra cash?”

Stephen stepped closer to Sophia and slid his palm against hers. His voice cracked a little as he said, “She doesn’t need any money, Mr. DeLuca. I’ve already bought our tickets, and I’ll be paying for whatever snacks she wants during the movie.”

“If she isn’t with Anna or me, my girl knows better than to leave the house without cash on her,” Nic disagreed.

“Exactly, Daddy.” Sophia wiggled her purse. “Like you said, I know better. Now, are you going to stop asking me questions you already know the answer to and let us leave, or not?”

“Fine,” he bit out, a muscle in his jaw jumping at the effort it took for him to agree. “I’ll be there before the movie lets out to pick you up, and I’ll have my phone on me in case you need me to come earlier.”

“I’ll take good care of her, sir,” Stephen promised.

“You better,” Nic growled.

“Yeah,” Niccolo agreed.

I glared at the males in my life before ushering Sophia and Stephen out the door. My husband, son, and youngest daughter gathered around me as we watched him help her into the car and drive away. I had a feeling the next two hours were going to feel like forever as Nic watched the clock until it was time to pick up Sophia, but they’d still be the best because I’d spend them with my family.

Extra Epilogue

NIC

“Wow. It’s beautiful,” Gianna breathed as she stared up at my cousin Raffaele’s house. Although mansion was probably a more appropriate word for the place.

I nodded, placing my hand on her lower back and guiding her up the steps of the giant wrap-around porch. “My great uncle Gino built part of it when he moved down here to establish the Family branch in Georgia. When our territory expanded into all the other southern branches, he added to the house. Then he was killed, and his brother, Salvatore—Rafa’s father—moved here to take over. After he married Guilia, they built the rest of it.”

“Mammalives in a smaller house on the property, though,” Gabriella added as she bounded up the steps behind us. Rafa’s nineteen-year-old sister had been staying with us in New York for the last year while she completed an internship at our art gallery in Gramercy. Now that she was home, she would finish school and eventually take over managing our biggest gallery in Atlanta.

When it was time for her to return to Georgia, we decided to bring her back ourselves and visit with everyone. Gianna had met most of my family when they’d come to New York over theyears, but I’d never brought her with me to the south because I was always here to handle…business.

This trip was a vacation, but I also needed to meet with some of the men beneath me. Including Rafa, who was my current underboss and head of the family for the southern territories. There were rumblings about another organization trying to push their way into our antiquities import/export business. It seemed a show of strength might be needed.

Just as we reached the front door, it flew open and Chiara, Gabbi’s twelve-year-old sister, came flying out to throw herself into my wife’s arms.

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