Page 56 of Mafia Heiress
He nods and now it’s my turn to sit on the bed. This is worse than I thought. We may do illegal stuff, but never girls. Never taking the innocent. This needs to be stopped.
“I’ll talk to Ciro. Let you know.”
He purses his lips and reaches out for me, but stops. Turning he leaves the room and I hear the front door shut. Sighing, I go into the closet. Time to get dressed for my fitting.
* * *
My motherand bridesmaids meet me at Kleinfelds in Manhattan. It’s the premier dress shop and the only one that can accommodate my timeline.
Everyone has a champagne flute in hand, but only Ana has a scowl on her face.
“Where the fuck did you disappear to last night?” she whispers, grabbing my arm and leading me over to a rack of dresses.
I glance back at my mother to make sure she’s not listening before I turn to Ana, dropping my voice low.
“Vito took me home.”
Her eyebrows shoot straight up and her head pops back. “What in the actual, Jack?”
“I know, but apparently I was super drunk and he didn’t want me to take a cab. He also stayed the night, but not in the way that you think.”
“I thought he was off the list?” she says, taking another sip of her champagne.
“He is, but there’s something.”
“Oh come on. How many of them are you going to collect?”
“Collect what?” Giovanna says, from behind us.
I jump, but manage to plaster a smile on my face. “Nothing important.”
“It is true then,” she replies, a smirk on her face and her french tips tapping on her champagne glass.
“I’m not sure what you heard, but I’m sure it’s not true.”
I try to avoid this conversation as much as possible. Giovanna is my mother’s sister’s daughter. She’s also the biggest pain in the ass. If it wasn’t required of her to be in this wedding, I’d have booted her a long time ago.
“So you’re not sleeping with Ciro? And Marcello isn’t coming to your house late? And Vito didn’t take you home from the club last night?”
A coy smile spreads over her face like she just solved the mysteries of the world. I want to smack it right off her.
“How is this any of your business?”
“It is when it concerns the Family. You can’t afford to be called a whore. You represent all of us and I’m not trying to be associated with aputana.”
“If my mother wasn’t here I’d punch you in the fucking throat, damn the consequences. Since she is, I’ll let you off with a warning. Keep your fucking mouth shut and what you think you know to yourself, otherwise I’ll come find you regardless of who’s blood runs through your veins.”
Her false eyelashes flutter as she comprehends my words. I don’t give her a chance to apologize or explain. I walk over to my mother giving her a big hug and to all my other bridesmaids, who happen to be all family. Nikki is here too. She’ll guarantee we can do a flattering hairstyle with the dress I choose.
“Ladies, are we ready to get started?” the attendant asks.
“Yes!” they all scream in unison causing a smile to come to my face.
“Then let’s do this. Jack, come with me. I’ve chosen some dresses based on your email that I think you’ll like. You ladies sit and drink. We’ll be back shortly.”
I follow the attendant whose name is Mary into one of the dressing rooms. There is another woman there, ready to step in and help set up the dress if needed. It’s like a fairytale and for one moment I stand still and think about this whole thing.
I’m attempting something no one has done before. A female Don married to one man and in a relationship with two others. For power. For the freedom to turn my life and the lives of my family around. I crave it, this power.
