She cupped my cheek. “Now, my niece is married to a boss.”
“Why didn’t you?”
She glanced over my shoulder and beamed. “Paulie was too charming.”
My uncle walked to our side and gave my aunt a fond kiss. “You were my perfect fit,cara.” During her heyday, Carlotta Moretti wasthesought-after mafia princess. She was the gorgeous, spoiled daughter of Emilio Moretti from his first wife. Paulie wasn’t even a consideration because he wasn’t in the mafia or a made man. Offers came from top crime families all over the world, but she fell in love with my uncle and fell out of favor with Emilio because she followed her heart.
Before his death, Emilio got his wish, though. Dom became a made man and the chill from the Moretti side thawed, especially since Dom and Luca dealt with a lot of inter-organization business.
Speaking of Dom, he joined us by the door.
“You’re leaving, too?” I asked.
“Duty calls. Sandro wants a word. Apparently, he had a meeting at the Wisteria with the Blind Don.”
Anxiety bloomed at the pit of my stomach. “It all went well?”
He glanced at his parents and winked. “We’ll discuss later.”
Paulie rolled his eyes. “Stop rubbing it in. You’re making Cesar and his boys nervous.”
And as if not listening to his dad, Dom hugged me and said loudly, “Welcome to the dark side, cuz.”
“Fuck you, Dom.” That came from Nico.
He and Ivy were behind me. Matteo and Sera, Renz and Liz with Sam were behind them.
“What is this? A mass exodus?” I asked.
“I think you and Dad have plenty to talk about,” Nico replied.
“Not sure I’m ready for it,” I spoke through the corner of my mouth.
Sera pulled me into a tight hug. “You got this.” Besides Lottie and Dom, Sera was the most pleased with my marriageto Sandro. She teased Matteo that she was living vicariously through me.
“Congrats again on the pregnancy.” Sera was three months pregnant with the baby due in April.
Her face glowed. “Thank you.”
“I’m sure you’re going to spoil her,” I told Matteo. He scratched a brow and breathed out a rough laugh that held a tinge of anxiety but I had no doubt he would make a great father. He was known as the Raptor of Wall Street after all. Laser-focused on a goal. And right now, that was creating his own family with Sera.
Before my thoughts could veer into the direction of Sandro and me starting our own family, Renz and Liz were next to say goodbye. I became teary-eyed all over again. Those two days Renz and I had spent in captivity forged a different bond. Hard to define, it stretched between us whenever our eyes locked.
“Hey, no more tears,” Renz said in a tone that steadied my unraveling emotions. It was as if he wanted to put the whole experience behind us so I could stop blaming myself. “I’m stronger. And I always had faith in Sandro.”
“Is that why you didn’t add your two cents and kick his ass?”
“Oh, I intend to challenge him in the boxing ring when I get back into fighting form.” He glanced at his brothers. “Like grown-ups would do.”
Matteo coughed into his fist. “Like Dad?”
Sam tugged on my arm. I glanced down at her. “Yes, sweetie?”
“Can I be your flower girl?”
“Well…”
“You know you’re going to have another wedding, right?” Ivy’s eyes danced with laughter.