Page 41 of Made for Sinners

Dante, as always, was composed, his attention split between his plate and the quiet conversation he was having with Rafe, his eldest brother.

I, on the other hand, was trying not to scream.

I hated this.

I hated the way they all acted like this was normal. Like I belonged here.

I didn’t.

And I never would.

I took a slow sip of my wine, letting the bitterness settle on my tongue. Just get through the meal, I told myself. Smile, nod, play the part.

“Still can’t believe it.”

Gio’s voice snapped me out of my thoughts. He leaned back in his chair, arms crossed over his chest, a half-eaten piece of bread in his hand. His dark eyes locked onto mine, a teasing smirk playing on his lips.

“What?” I asked, raising a brow.

“This whole thing,” he said, gesturing vaguely to the table. “You. Married. And to him, of all people.” He jerked his chin in Dante’s direction, who didn’t even flinch, his focus still on Rafe.

I sighed, setting my glass down. “Is this really the time?”

Marco chuckled, leaning forward as he grabbed another piece of bread from the basket. “Oh, it’s exactly the time. Do you know how pissed Ma was that she didn’t get to see her only daughter walk down the aisle? She’s still talking about it. Every day.”

“Every day,” Gio echoed, nodding solemnly. “It’s like she’s mourning. ‘My Emilia,’” he said in an exaggerated version of our mother’s voice, pressing a hand to his chest like he was on the verge of tears. “‘Married in secret! Not even a picture for the family! What did I do to deserve this?’”

Marco snorted, nearly choking on his bread. “You’re lucky you’re not in the will anymore. She’s probably leaving everything to the dog.”

I rolled my eyes, but the corner of my lips twitched despite myself. “Okay, okay, I get it. It wasn’t exactly… traditional.”

“Traditional?” Gio barked out a laugh. “You didn’t even invite us. Your brothers!”

“Yeah,” Marco chimed in, pointing his fork at me. “You could’ve at least given us a heads-up. We could’ve crashed the ceremony, you know, made a scene. That’s what family’s for.”

“Trust me,” I said dryly, “you didn’t miss much.”

Marco raised a brow, his grin widening. “Oh, come on. It’s gotta be a good story. Did he drag you to a courthouse?” He gestured at Dante, who still hadn’t acknowledged the conversation. “Tie you down until you signed the papers?”

Gio smirked. “I’m picturing Vegas. Quick vows, shady officiant, Dante glaring at anyone who looked at you for too long.”

“Very funny,” I said, my voice flat, though my cheeks burned.

“Hey, I’m just saying,” Gio added, leaning forward now, resting his elbows on the table. “If you’re gonna spring a surprise wedding on us, the least you can do is throw a party. A real one. Big. Loud. With actual food, not this… whatever this is.” He gestured at the table, though I knew he didn’t mean it—he’d already helped himself to two full plates.

“You’ll get your party,” I muttered, taking another sip of wine.

“Good,” Marco said, sitting back in his chair. “Because if I don’t get to embarrass my baby sister in front of the entire family, what’s even the point?”

I threw a piece of bread at him. He caught it mid-air, his grin never fading.

“You two are insufferable,” I said, shaking my head.

“Yeah, yeah,” Gio said with a shrug. “But you love us.”

I didn’t respond, but the small smile tugging at my lips said enough.

Across the table, Dante finally glanced up, his dark eyes flicking between me and my brothers. “You’re very loud,” he said evenly, though there was a faint edge of amusement in his tone.

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