Married to the Mafia Boss

Arianna

After I’ve showered, I come to the kitchen, where my mother is busy with dinner. I take over kneading the dough for the bread for her. I work steadily, and we don’t say much to each other. After a while, though, she stops and looks at me. “Are you okay, Cup Cake?”

I give her a warm smile. “I’m fine, Ma. How are you holding up?”

She smiles back. “I feel much better. Always worried about you kids, though.”

I shake my head. “You don’t have to worry about me. I’m the good one of the family.”

She kisses my head and pokes my nose with a floury finger. I rub my nose roughly on the back of my sleeve. “Ma!” I draw out the word in a whine, and she laughs. It’s a sweet sound that I love to hear.

Once the bread is in the oven and we’re preparing the lasagne, Katya comes in.

“Need help?” she offers, already reaching for plates.

“You can set the table,” Helena says gently. “Thank you, Kat.”

“Pleasure,” she says. She may be a mafia boss, but she still has a lot of respect for her elders. My father would say it’s the tell-tale sign of a well-raised woman. I layer pasta and ground beef, and cheese in a dish with a bechamel sauce on top and more cheese. I pop it into the second oven to cook and wash my hands.

Once we’re done cooking, we carry the dishes to the table Kat set earlier. Katya is just uncorking a bottle of red wine to serve for dinner.

Alessandro, Dominic, and Carmine walk in with my father, laughing and joking. Sometimes I think I’m envious that I’m not part of their world.Exclusive content © by Nô(v)el/Dr/ama.Org.

Sometimes, although rarely, Alessandro will let me help with the legit business side of the club, especially now while Frankie is away. However, he never gets me involved in anything serious.

We all sit down and take up hands. My father says grace, and after we all say amen, the men pass their plates down for the women to dish for them.

I look at Carmine, who is passing his plate to my mother. His eyes meet mine, and I’m drawn in by the fire I see burning in them. Such dark eyes, yet so bright, so alive.

Especially when we’re looking at me.

“Ma,” I say casually as I dish up for myself once the men are fed, “Can we go do our nails and hair tomorrow?”

Alessandro lets out a grunt as though his food went down the wrong pipe, then he points a piece of garlic bread at me. “You just can’t sit still and stay home, can you? Can’t you, I don’t know, watch horror movies or something for a day and just relax?”

“Alessandro,” our mother chides him, “Don’t speak with a mouthful of food.”

Alessandro swallows. “Sorry, Ma. Arianna, answer me. Why do you have to get out?”

I shake my head, sipping my wine to wet my mouth. My brother is so intimidating sometimes. “Because it’s boring. Maybe if I had something to do, like maybe something to do with the family business, I wouldn’t be so restless.”

Everyone falls silent, and surprisingly, it’s my father who speaks. “Cup Cake, why do you need something to do? You want for nothing.”

“Like I said, I’m bored,” I point out.

Alessandro shakes his head and hands his plate to our mother for more lasagne and salad. “You’re not getting involved in the family business. It’s no place for women.”

“Excuse me?” Katya says, raising an eyebrow, and I smirk. Katya would definitely defend me on this front.

My brother looks at his wife wearily. “You’re different. You run a family. I couldn’t stop you if I tried, but I’ll be damned if Arianna gets messed up with all this.”

Katya eyes him out. “Doesn’t mean she can’t. I respect your decision but let’s not act like women are useless.”

Alessandro wisely doesn’t answer that; we all resume eating in silence. When I look up, I see Carmine eying me curiously. I know he knows I’m not staying home and being a good girl.

I help clear the table, and Alessandro corners me. “I mean it, Arianna, no getting involved in the family business.”

“I understand, I don’t like it, but I understand,” I say, just wanting to keep the peace. He takes out a cigar and heads toward the garden area, followed by the rest of the menfolk while we good womenfolk know our place and wash the dishes and pack them away.

Katya stands near me as I’m washing dishes and says, “Don’t take it personally. He had no faith in me at first, either. He would cross me every chance he could get.”

I smile gratefully at her, but she just doesn’t understand. She was raised to lead a family, and I was raised to be a princess, not welcome in the light of the world but not a part of the dark. I’m in limbo, between spaces with nowhere to fit in.

I wait until everyone is tucked in bed before I quietly sneak downstairs. I go out the back door to the garden and around the estate slowly. I open the garage door and, standing, well, leaning with their backs against Tia, are my brother Dominic and Carmine. Their arms are crossed over their chests, and frustration rises within me. I can’t believe I’m being babysat like this.

“Didn’t Alessandro tell you to stay home?” Dominic asks.

I bat my eyelids at him. “Dom, come on. We all knew that wasn’t going to happen. Let’s not act like this is a surprise.”

He chuckles and shakes his head. “Arianna, it’s not safe for you to be out and about in the city right now.”

I look at Carmine, and an idea strikes me. “What if I take Carmine to the races with me?” I ask. “He can protect me, and we both know I’ll outdrive anyone who tries to take me on behind the wheel.”

Dominic and Carmine look at each other. Carmine shrugs. “Alessandro suspected you’d say something like that. He said as long as I protect you, you can go out, but we’re to come home at the first sign of trouble.”

Dominic gets off my car and walks to me. “I promise I’ll find something for you to do that Alessandro will approve of. Just don’t get killed until then.” He kisses my head affectionately and turns to Carmine. “Look after her, or I’ll cut you.”

Carmine smirks. “You know I will.” Dominic walks back toward the house, and Carmine and I climb into my car. I pull out of the estate and start driving toward Long Beach.

“Do you want to stand on the sidelines while I race, or do you want to be in the car with me?” I ask.

“You know I need to be with you, just in case,” he says. “Besides, I’d love to be in the car while you’re doing your thing.”

We both laugh, and I relax for the first time since this morning’s car crash. I miss the gear stick, and my hand brushes against Carmine’s leg. We both fell silent for a moment before bursting out laughing again.

The awkwardness of the situation quickly dissipates, and we fall into a comfortable silence together as I hit the highway.

“Long beach, here we come,” I say.