Page 100 of Sweet Addiction
“Good,” I murmur as we walk into the kitchen, and the smell of tomatoes, onion, garlic, and basil makes my mouth water.
Mom stops in front of me and kisses my cheek. “Dinner will be ready in fifteen minutes, and I’ve got grilled chicken and fresh lemon and garlic broccolini for you.”
“Thanks, Ma.”
I sneak past her and over to Nonna, who’s stirring the sauce. I swear, half my memories of my great grandmother are of her in front of this stove with that wooden spoon in her hand. Her stark-white hair is up in a tight bun, and her black-and-white checkered apron never changes. “Myprincipe.” She smiles and cups my cheek in her hands, a mischievous spark in her sapphire-blue eyes. “Where’s the newest Beneventiprincipessa?”
And damn if those words coming from her mouth don’t crack my heart wide open.
“She’s upstairs with Lexie talking about something,” I tell her, unsure she’s ready for my family to know her secret just yet, and Nonna’s grin grows.
“Are they talking babies?” she asks hopefully, and I laugh.
My older brother and sister have already started pumping out kids, but I have a feeling they’re going to have to wait a bit for Lucky and me to add any to the mix. “I don’t think so, Nonna.”
She shrugs. “A woman can only hope. You and yourprincipessawill have beautiful babies one day. Two boys and one girl. I know it in my old bones.”
I drop a kiss to the top of her head, hoping one day she’s right.
“You know anything else in those old bones, Nonna?” I ask as she holds the sauce covered spoon up to my lips.
“One more thing.” She looks up at me, her tiny stature making even Dillan look tall, and winks. “You’re going to win this weekend.”
Acar picks us up the next day to make the two-hour drive from Kroydon Hills to New York City, and Dillan is asleep within minutes of us leaving the house. Not surprising. She spent most of the night up and writing last night after dinner.
Not that she kept me up. But sleeping with her in my arms has become as necessary as fucking breathing. And not having her there—yeah, that’s not going to work for me. She doesn’t know it yet, but we’re going to talk about that once the fights over and I’ve lifted the championship belt because there’s no longer any part of us that isn’t real. And no part of me is willing to let her go. Not back to her own place or her own life. Not when she’s quickly become my life.
My phone vibrates in my pocket, and I adjust to pull it out without waking Dillan up.
Liv
I’m at the hotel and checked us all in.
Rome
Anyone else from the team there yet?
Liv
No. Remember what I said. No comment is your friend for now. Do not discuss the tape. Don’t answer questions about it. Everything goes through me. I speak for you.
Rome
Gotcha, boss.
Liv
Be serious, Rome. You’ve worked hard to get here. Don’t let anything fuck it up now.
A separate message appears from an unknown number.
Unknown
You should have paid me when you had the chance. You’ll both be sorry now.
What the actual fuck?
Rome
