Page 144 of Scorned Obsession

“Husband, huh?” Renz teased. I stepped back so he could transfer the tray to the cooling racks.

I rested my elbows on the counter, watching him move around. His movements weren’t as quick. He’d lost weight, but I heard he’d been working out again and Nico had been helping him regain muscle mass.

“Can you believe how things have turned around in less than two months?” Things were so bleak in the beginning, I neverthought Sandro and I would be at this point celebrating with family. I drew the winning number in the lottery when it came to family. No one blamed me for what happened and that included Liz. I wanted Sandro to be part of my support structure because he’d had nothing like it growing up.

“It’s hard to believe you’re married.”

I lifted my hand with the new ring. “Does this prove anything?”

“Whoa!” His brow arched. “Does this have anything to do with the girls’ night a couple of weeks ago?”

“You heard about it?”

“Liz told me. Sera and Ivy spilled the beans about our brothers and Sandro being there.”

I wagged my finger with the ginormous rock. “What do you think? Overkill, right?”

“You’re asking me?” His gaze lowered to another tray of aromatic baked goods. My mouth watered, but I needed the answer to my question. Renz’s mouth twitched. He crossed his arms and leaned against another counter. “Think about why I elected to be good at something that would allow me to be with my wife twenty-four-seven.”

Why did I even bother to ask? Renz was the original obsessed De Lucci among my brothers. He embraced the whole idea from the start. “You do takeobsessedto the next level.”

He nodded to my ring. “So I understand Sandro. And I’m not surprised he’s involving you in mafia business, even if it’s peripheral. From what I know, most wives prefer total ignorance of what their husbands do, but not you. And Sandro wants to share his day and not have to keep it from you.”

“That’s how I want it.”

Renz gave a brief nod. “And that’s what Dad is coming to terms with.”

I looked at the entrance to the kitchen. “I think he’s doing better.”

“And…that’s why the boxing gym is a good idea.” Renz circled back to how our conversation started.

Liz walked in with Sam trailing behind her. “Are you done here?” she asked Renz. “Uncle Paulie is about to say blessings.” She grinned at me. “Hey, Bianca.”

Sam skipped directly toward me and grabbed my hand. “Aunt Sera told us to look at your new sparkly.”

I laughed and showed off my ring.

Her mouth dropped open and her eyes rounded like saucers. “It’s big.”

“Yep.”

Sandro

The girls were talking about where to celebrate after this. They were trying to get Liz to go, but she declined and instead offered their apartment to hang out instead.

I was all for it. And so were Bianca’s brothers.

“You’re pregnant,” Matteo told Sera. “You can’t drink anyway, and you say your feet swell up when you stand for long stretches. Why not hang out on the second floor?”

“Because, Mr. Overprotective, once this baby comes, it’ll be late nights and diapers.”

“She has a point,” Liz said.

“Let’s just move to the third floor,” Cesar proposed. “That way Liz and Renz won’t have to kick you guys out, since they have that opening tomorrow.”

“Very sensible,” Renz muttered.

I stood in a corner observing Bianca’s family interacting. My family now, too. A heartburn like I’d had too much of Renz’s espresso experiments burned up my diaphragm. The De Luccis had always grudgingly accepted me into the family because of my friendship with Bianca. Dom and I were good. Nico and Matteo didn’t scowl as much anymore whenever they saw me. Ava had always liked me. But Cesar…Cesar was still pretty neutral. I shouldn’t take it personally. It wasn’t that he thought I was beneath Bianca. He’d never been a snob about money. It was always about Bianca’s safety and quality of life.

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