ARIA
I grabbed the wig and positioned it on my head. It took me a couple of minutes to make it look natural.
I had chosen a hairdo I’d never be allowed to have because Luca would never agree for me to cut or dye my hair. The wig was a dark brown bob that was longer in the front than in the back. After spending our second anniversary on our yacht in the Mediterranean, my skin was tanned enough that the dark hair color didn’t look unnatural despite my blue eyes.
The wig changed my face completely, made me look more edgy, less sweet. I had chosen tight black jeans with a tight black-and-white striped shirt and white sneakers. I didn’t look anything like myself. This was the look of a college student and not a mafia princess. I grinned, ridiculously happy.
I stepped out of the bathroom and into the bedroom, where Luca was pulling a black dress shirt over his chest.
Luca halted when he spotted me, his eyes wandering the length of me.
I twirled around. “And? What do you think?”
“That’s not you,” he said.
“I know.” I grinned. “Nobody will recognize me like this.”
“You look happy,” Luca said quietly as he fastened his gun holster on his chest.
“I am,” I admitted. I’d finally go to college. I’d pretend I was a normal woman, not the wife of the Capo. It was strange that I was on my way to attend college while Luca would be heading out to deal with whatever problems the Famiglia was facing.
He was still tense, so I moved toward him and touched his chest. “Everything will be okay. Romero will be at my side.”
Luca nodded. “He will have to keep his distance now and then so he doesn’t attract attention. You are supposed to blend in.”
“I will,” I said.
Luca touched my wig, his lips twisting. “I miss your hair.”
“It’s only for college,” I assured him. “I’ve been thinking about how to make sure guys keep the distance you want them to.”
Luca’s eyes became attentive.
“Romero could pretend to be my boyfriend. He’s only two years older than me.”
Luca didn’t look convinced. “How would you pull that off?” Jealousy rang in his voice.
“We could hold hands. That would be enough because people will always see us together anyway.”
Luca nodded. “That could work. And I trust Romero with you. He will be respectful.”
I laughed. “He will refuse to hold hands, trust me.” I paused. “Don’t talk to him. I want to take him by surprise later.”
Luca smirked. “You are devious. Romero is loyal. He will lose his shit if you make a move on him.”
I rolled my eyes. “I’ll ask him to pretend, that’s all.” I tilted my head. “So it’s okay if I hold Romero’s hand, or if he wraps his arm around my shoulder?” I wanted to make sure Luca could deal with it and wouldn’t make Romero’s life hell for it.
Luca kissed me possessively. “With anyone else, no, but Romero, yes. He knows you are mine.”
Everyone in our world knew I was Luca’s.
I couldn’t stop staring at Romero. He looked like a college student in his dark jeans and checkered shirt. The girls would be throwing themselves at him. He drove us in his own car, a dark gray Dodge Charger.
Romero glanced my way. “I will attend as many courses with you as I can. We will have lunch together, and you won’t walk anywhere without me.”
I sighed. “Yes, I know. We’re practically attached at the hips.”
He parked the car, then got out, but was too late to open my door for me. “Stop it,” I muttered. “Pretend you are my boyfriend and not my bodyguard.”
Romero’s eyes widened, and he gave a shake of his head and took a respectful step back.
I held out my hand. “I think it’s the best way to get men to back off, Romero. You are intimidating. Don’t be a coward,” I said teasingly, wiggling my fingers at him.
He eyed them as if they were poisonous snakes about to attack.
Deciding to cut this short, I moved toward him before he had a chance to back away, grabbed his hand and pulled him toward me. Caught by surprise, he rocked forward and steadied himself with a hand on my hip.
My God. The look on his face would bring me through many dark hours in the future. I laughed and he withdrew his hand as if he’d been burnt. “Aria,” he murmured imploringly, tugging at my hand, but I didn’t let go.
“Calm down, Romero. People will get suspicious if you refuse to hold your girlfriend’s hand.”
Anger filled his eyes, and I felt guilty for making him think he was doing something Luca wouldn’t approve of. I released his hand.
I sighed. “I talked to Luca about this. He thinks it’s a good idea if you pretend to be my boyfriend so other men back off.”
Surprise banished the anger. “He said that?”
“Call him,” I urged him, and of course he did. After getting Luca’s okay, he relaxed visibly.
“I told you so,” I muttered.
“Luca is my Capo,” Romero said firmly. “I can’t go against him, especially not when you are involved.”
“I know,” I said, growing frustrated. “I’m well aware that I am your Capo’s possession.”
“You aren’t Luca’s possession. You are his.”
I wasn’t quite sure if there was a difference, and it wasn’t like it still bothered me much. After two years of marriage, I’d come to terms with Luca’s possessiveness. Romero held out his hand with a small smile. “Come on, Aria.”
I flashed him a grin, deciding not to let anything ruin this day for me, and slipped my hand in his, then we walked toward classes. Even without my blonde hair, several guys stared at me. I hadn’t expected it.
Romero grew rigid. “If they knew who you were they wouldn’t be leering.”
“They don’t know, and that’s exactly what we want.” I peered up at them. “Your death glares will scare them off soon enough.”
He chuckled. “I have to do what Luca would do.”
My chest tightened. I sometimes wondered how it would be if Luca wasn’t who he was and if I wasn’t who I was. If we were normal people, if we could stroll these halls together like a normal couple. Tears prickled my eyes because that was never going to happen. Luca had never had the choice to go to college. From the day of his birth, his path had been determined, a path of darkness, full of enemies even among our own.
“Are you okay?” Romero asked, stopping a few steps from our class, letting go of my hand.
I shook my head. “I wish Luca could be here.”
“We are all bound to the path we were destined for.”
A group of boys my age walked past, and one of them turned and grinned at me. Surprise shot through me at his obvious flirting.
“Okay. I don’t like this,” Romero growled.
“Then show them that I’m your girlfriend. Trust me, they will back off if you give them that look. They are full of themselves, but anyone with eyes in their heads can tell that you aren’t a man to be messed with.”
Romero hesitated.
“How would you treat me if I were your girlfriend?”
He frowned.
“Without kissing,” I added quickly, flushing.
“Trust me, Aria, I would never dream of kissing you. You are like my little sister.”
I smiled, because Romero was like a big brother I’d never had.
He moved closer and circled my waist with his arm, his palm resting lightly on my hip. I tensed at the unfamiliar closeness.
Romero regarded me, murmuring, “Is this okay?”
“Yeah. I’m just not used to being this close with anyone but Luca,” I admitted, embarrassed.
He nodded. “I know. Are you ready to go in?”
I took a deep breath and together we strolled into my first class as a college student, and like I’d predicted the guys backed off the moment they saw me with Romero.
I was giddy when we were on our way back home. I couldn’t wait to tell Luca about my day. For the first time I had more to tell him than just about my shopping adventures or the book I’d been reading.
Romero’s phone rang and he picked up after a glance at the screen. “Luca,” he said.
I turned, curious.
Romero nodded. “Will do. Yes, everything went well.”
“What did he want?”
“He is still in the Sphere. He wants me to take you there because he wants to take you to our dojo for training when he’s done.”
My eyes widened. It had been a long time since Luca and I had practiced, but me going to college obviously made him reconsider. It was unusual that Luca had told Romero to take me to the Sphere. I pulled off my wig and smoothed down my hair. It was wilder than usual.
After picking up gym clothes, we headed for the Sphere and Romero parked the car right in front of the entrance. This time he was quick enough to open my door, and I gave him a look before I headed for the entrance. It was only late afternoon so the club wasn’t open yet, but Jorge guarded the door nevertheless. His dark face registered surprise when he saw me, especially dressed in jeans and sneakers. That wasn’t my usual outfit. He didn’t comment though.
We entered the club, went past the cloakroom, then into the main area. Blue and white and black were the dominating colors. The bar counter looked like it had been carved from frozen water, a pale fluorescent blue. “That’s new,” I said, surprised.
“Luca had it renovated recently. To stay at the top, we need to keep our clubs up to date.” My eyes were drawn toward the platforms with poles in the middle. “And pole dancers are a must for that?”
Romero shrugged. “They send the crowd into rapture.”
Luca hadn’t mentioned that he’d renovated his club. I wished he’d share more of his daily life with me. I’d have to talk to him about it, make him see that for us to be partners all the way he had to involve me more, and not shield me from everything Famiglia related. Perhaps him inviting me over was a start.
Romero led me to the back of the Sphere where several private rooms were located and then into a sort of office. I remembered it dimly from the roofie incident. Luca and Matteo both perched on the edge of the desk, deep in conversation. Luca looked my way when I stepped in, his eyes lingering on my hair, and a pleased look passed his face.
“Gianna has been asking about you,” Matteo said by way of greeting. Guilt tightened my stomach over keeping my going to college a secret, but Luca had insisted we involve as few people as possible for as long as possible. She would find out soon, of course, because we usually spent every day together.
“He knows,” Luca said.
“You realize the moment Gianna finds out you are attending college, she’s going to want that too,” Matteo muttered.
I gave a shrug. “Then let her.” Luca sent me a warning glare. I knew he still didn’t trust Gianna, but that was his problem.
“How did it go?” Luca asked as he walked toward me and pulled me against him for a possessive kiss. His eyes were drawn to Romero, not me.
“It went well,” I said. “Romero was the perfect boyfriend.”
Luca chuckled.
“Did Aria at least put out?” Matteo asked with a grin.
Romero laughed.
Luca smirked, then he lowered his dominant gaze to me. Mine, that’s what his eyes said.
Romero joined Luca and me in the gym, but a few other soldiers were there as well when we entered the old warehouse.
Before I joined Luca in the ring, Romero whispered. “Use your speed. Luca will never be able to move as fast as you with your small body.”
I sent him a smile before I climbed into the ring. Luca hadn’t bothered with a shirt this time and was only wearing fighting shorts. My eyes trailed over his six-pack, his pecs, his broad shoulders. Looking at him, I could think of many things I’d rather be doing than fight. Luca’s answering smirk made it clear he knew exactly what I was thinking.
Even my speed wasn’t enough to outsmart Luca. He seemed to guess my every move, and when I landed on my back for what felt like the hundredth time with him crouching over me, I let out an exasperated sigh. Luca’s eyes were dominant but soft as they looked down at me.
Then I heard one of the teenage boys, who had been doing bench presses, say something along the lines that he wouldn’t mind fighting me either, and my body tensed at Luca’s expression.
He pushed to his feet and pulled me with him.
It was like a switch had been turned as he faced the group of three boys. They were perhaps sixteen or seventeen, and their faces flashed with fear the moment they realized Luca had heard them.
I touched Luca’s wrist lightly. “Luca, they are boys.”
His eyes settled on the boys, ignoring me. “They are my soldiers.”
Romero moved toward the ring and parted the ropes for me. “Come on, Aria.” I let him help me out of the boxing ring.
Luca motioned for the boys to come closer. “Show me your tattoos,” he ordered.
One after the other the boys pulled their shirts over their heads, revealing the Famiglia tattoo over their hearts. They were more muscled than I’d thought.
Luca pointed at the tallest, and the boy didn’t hesitate to climb into the ring even though he looked like he was going to wet himself. He was tall but only reached Luca’s nose.
“He isn’t going to hurt them, right?” I asked Romero, who had his arms crossed over his muscled chest and was watching without mercy.
“They are his soldiers.”
As if that answered my question. “They are boys.”
“They stopped being boys when they were inducted into the Famiglia.”
“You wanted to fight,” Luca said coldly. “Now fight me, Demetrio.”
The boy hesitated only a second before he attacked. Luca dodged the attack, gripped the boy and flung him into the ropes. Demetrio tried to catch his fall but Luca punched him in the ribs. The boy went to his knees with a pained gasp, yet Luca knew no mercy. He gripped the boy by the throat and punched him in the stomach. Demetrio fell to his knees, wheezing. Luca got behind the boy and wrapped his arm around his throat with a look that sent a shiver down my back. I flinched when he tightened his grip until the boy’s head turned red. Romero gripped my wrist because I had made a move to interfere. Was he going to kill the boy?
Luca stepped back, relaxing his hold and Demetrio fell forward, coughing. For several moments, he lay sprawled out on the floor of the ring, then Luca held out his hand and Demetrio took it. Luca jerked him to his feet and released him. The boy scrambled out of the ring. Luca pointed at the next boy. “Orfeo.”
The boy hung his head and climbed into the ring. I turned around and walked back into the changing room. Luca had to make sure his soldiers respected him, but it was difficult to watch him being like that. These were boys. I wasn’t naïve, I knew boys in our world were raised from a young age to be tough. They had to be to become Made Men, but I couldn’t help but wonder if Luca would be the same way with a son. Father had always been hard on Fabi, and I doubted that had changed since I had moved to New York.
I took a quick shower, always uncomfortable in the changing room because I knew I was blocking it for everyone else as long as I was inside. I pulled my clothes on when the door opened. I didn’t have to look up to know who it was. When I raised my eyes Luca stood across from me, his chest covered in sweat and blood, but his expression had lost the brutality. I stepped up on the wooden bench between us to bring us to eye level.
Luca’s gaze flickered with questions. I traced my fingers from his temple down his cheek to his throat. One second monster, the next loving husband. I would never understand Luca.
He touched my waist. “They needed to be taught a lesson. They are young but it won’t stop them from getting killed.”
I didn’t say anything, and Luca’s brows drew together. “Aria?”
“I can’t stop wondering how you will treat a son one day.”
He became rigid. “I don’t want children.”
My eyes widened. We’d never talked about having kids. I’d just assumed we would have them eventually—after all, Luca needed to produce an heir.
He shook his head. “Right now,” he amended. “Or in the next ten years.”
Ten years? I’d be thirty then, still not old, but I’d thought we might start a family sooner than that. “Oh,” was all I managed.
Luca searched my eyes. “You want children before then?”
“Well, not right away, but perhaps in five years?”
He didn’t say anything, and I decided not to push the matter now. We could still bridge the subject when the time was right.
