Page 50 of Born into Mayhem
Mia gives an irritated grunt and lifts up enough to take the espresso I hand her.
“It’s not as good as mine,” I warn her. “I’ll be able to make you a proper one once we get to the house.”
While she takes her first sip, I hand her a plate of breakfast. She moans her approval at the sight of thecornettoand grabs it so she can take a bite.
“A girl could get used to this,” she says while still chewing.
“I know what my wife likes.”
She narrows her eyes at me, and I give her a wink before sitting back down in the chair so I can watch her.
“We’ll be landing soon. It’ll take about an hour to get to the house, and once we’re there I’ll get you situated before I meet with our men.”
After she finishes the espresso and takes another massive bite, she says, “I’m not going to just sit on my ass, Dario. Don’t you dare try to push me off to the side.”
“I’m not planning on it. You have a big part to play. I just don’t need you to play it yet.”
That seems to satisfy her. I watch her finish her breakfast, and then stifle my groan when she gets up, revealing her legs and the imprint of both nipple piercings. When she goes into the bathroom to shower, Iknow I need to leave the room. I can’t be trusted to not go in there after her.
Stepping out into the main area, I find my brother nursing what’s most likely his third espresso. His suit is rumpled, and when he sees my appearance, he grunts and lifts an annoyed brow.
“I hope you slept well and enjoyed that really large bathroom and shower,” he says before finishing the espresso and setting it aside. “I slept like shit, thanks for asking.”
I grin. “I slept like a baby. It’s so peaceful back there. I almost forgot I was flying.”
“How fucking nice for you,” he mutters. “No matter how big these leather seats are, they still aren’t a bed, and I had to share a tiny bathroom with the crew and everyone else on board.” He stops so he can glare at me. “Rocco is lactose intolerant. Guess who ate the Fettuccini Alfredo last night?”
I laugh while Sasha says, “Not fucking funny, Dario. If you had been in bed with anyone other than my sister, I would’ve barged in there and slept on the floor.”
Meeting Sasha’s eyes I say, “I won’t ever be in bed with anyone other than your sister.”
If he’s surprised by my confession, he hides it beneath the unreadable mask he usually wears. My brother couldn’t hide his shocked face even if he wanted to. He points at the wedding ring I’m wearing. “You know it’s fake, right?”
“For now,” I say, making him shake his head before his eyes take on the same mischievous look he’s been giving me since we were kids. I turn, knowing what I’m going to see before my eyes even land on Mia. She walks out from our room freshly showered, her wet hair pulled back in a ponytail, giving me a clear view of the piercings along her ears and the delicate line of her neck. She’s in jeans and a T-shirt, and today she’s wearing her green Converse sneakers.
“Oh, Mom and Dad are going to love this,” Sandro mutters from beside me before nodding to Mia. “Did my brother let you get any sleep?”
“All we did was sleep,” she tells him. Tossing her bag near the seat she’d originally taken, she plops down and lifts the cover so she can see out the small window. Bright light filters in, lighting up her face like the angel she definitely isn’t.
“All you did was sleep?” Sandro asks. “Seriously?”
I don’t bother explaining about the piercing, because that’s for only me to know about. Well, meandBenny apparently, but I plan on killing him when we get back, so I’m not sure he counts anymore.
Sandro looks over at Sasha. “We slept out here and endured Rocco’s lactose intolerant ass for nothing. On the flight back, we’re all sleeping in there. I’m pretty sure that bed can hold four.”
“That’s not going to happen,” I tell him.
He grins at me. “We’ll see.”
I ignore his laugh when I walk away to go and take my seat next to Mia. She’s looking out the window, and when I lean over, I catch sight of the sea beneath us.
“Keep watching. You should be able to see land soon,” I tell her before kissing her cheek. “I’m excited to show you my country,streghetta mia.”
“This isn’t a vacation,” she reminds me.
“For everyone on the outside looking in, it is a vacation. This is a trip to my home country, a trip where I’ll be introducing my wife to my parents and the men who keep things together for us when we’re not here. Above all else, my sweet wife, we have to make this believable.”
I run my finger along her jaw, amazed yet again that anyone can look so beautiful while putting so little effort into it. I know Mia well enough to know she didn’t pack a makeup bag. She effortlessly knocks me on my ass without even having to try. It’s disconcerting to say the least, and I’m still getting used to it.
