Page 117 of Attraction (Mobsters + Billionaires 3)
“You make my brother happy,” he says, hugging me tightly. “And that means I get another brother. I couldn’t have asked for a better one.”
“Love you, Hop,” I say, returning the hug.
After a few minutes, we all settle down, and Joe presents us with lobster ravioli, ensuring I have plenty of bread for my sauce.
“Thank you for making sure my family was here for this,” I say, looking around the crowded table.
“Thank you for saying yes,” Luca says, holding up a glass of wine. We clink and drink and hold hands, staring into each other’s eyes until the joyful conversation brings us back to the rowdy group of people who make this life richer than my money ever could.
* * *
Luca
I’m Gio’s best man, and it’s a real full-circle moment for us. We were inveterate single men with nothing but a string of one-night stands until love came and kneecapped both our asses.
It hasn’t even been six months since our fated visit, and Gio’s getting hitched. What a world.
Gio doesn’t have much family, but Darnell’s family is large and warm, and then there’s, of course, my group of friends. Since all of the cabins at Gio’s estate were taken up by Darnell’s family, we anticipated renting a place nearby.
That’s when Ford surprised us with thevillahe purchased next door.
“Remind me never again to call you a millionaire because this billionaire with a B stuff is pretty fucking cool,” I say, grinning.
“If I can’t use it to have fun with my friends, what good is it for?” Ford asks, sitting on my lap.
He admires his ring, which he hasn’t taken off since I gave it to him. He’s also gone alittleoverboard with wedding preparations, even though it’s still a year out. There are a million different flowers, two classifications of doves, and three wardrobe changes for both of us.
I was able to get Yo-Yo Ma to agree to play our wedding march, and keeping that a surprise from Ford has been surprisingly difficult. Rand, however, is on it.
Turning my attention back to the wedding at hand, I smile as Darnell makes his way down the aisle. His mother and father are on either side of him, and everyone is wreathed in smiles.
I lean over to my friend. “We’re very lucky, you and me. To be here with men we’ll happily spend the rest of our lives with.”
Ford wipes a tear from his eye. “Love is grand.”
Indeed, it is.
* * *
We’re backat the villa after Gio and Darnell’s gorgeous ceremony, and Anthony fields a call from Ryder. After months of stubbornly hanging on, Liam Hughes’ grandfather died this morning, leaving him the entire Robin estate.
The reading of the will happens next week, and it’s strange—awful, really—to know that fact before Hughes does. As far as Ryder can tell, he still thinks he’s just getting the house and a stipend with the rest going to a charitable trust.
A lot of people would think they’d won the lottery with that much cash falling into their laps, but I know how dangerous it’s about to get for him. I’ve had Anthony put a team together for him, and I’m hoping all the groundwork we’ve been laying on Wednesday nights will mean he’ll take our help when we offer it.
He’ll, of course, grieve his grandfather’s passing, but I think giving up his career is damn near gonna kill him. Especially now that he’s so close to taking down Dominick, whose last name is now O’Shea. He’s rebranded and is far more ruthless and cunning than the brothers ever were.
After exchanging a few words with Ryder, I lead Ford to our suite. It takes up the entire top floor, which is good because, as it happens, he tends to get a little loud in bed these days.
Tonight, he surprises me with a request.
“Are you sure?” I ask, cupping his face. “We don’t need that position. I’m not missing anything with you.”
“I know. But I’m taking back everything from that night and from that man. Everything, including this. If it’s too much, we’ll do something else. But I want to try.”
“Okay. But can we alter it slightly?” I ask, kissing his eyelids
“What did you have in mind?”
