Deliverance (#2) | ✓

twenty-three: very pretty

"Oh." Is the only thing I can say upon the sight of Luca's family home. My apartment is probably the size of a bathroom in here. "So everybody lives here?"

Luca nods, "On occasion. We all have our own places elsewhere though."

I steal a glance at Jori who's staring out of the window, legs crossed in his car seat. "Where's yours?"

"New York, Chicago, Los Angeles —"

"Sorry I asked." I joke as he looks like he was about to continue. He chuckles and takes my hand into his before pressing a kiss to the back of it, "Are you usually this affectionate?"

He pauses, "No." A huff of amusement escapes me when he parks behind the SUV Adriano was driving and leans over the center console to fully press his lips to mine. "You're very pretty today." He says when he pulls away, "Not that you aren't pretty every day, but you're especially pretty ... today."

He pulls back and I can't help but stare at him in surprise. He's acting so different from when we first met. My brows furrow as I press the back of my hand to his forehead, "Are you okay?"

The corners of his lips lift as he rolls his eyes. Jori jiggles with the seatbelts around him and I turn to him, silently thankful he interrupted us because this feeling in my belly is close enough to making me want to act up.

"Luca's right, mommy," Jori says with his adorable voice, "You're very pretty."

Adjusting my body so I can lift him over the console and onto my lap. I hold under his arms and kiss his cheeks, a smile growing on my face. "Thank you, baby. Both you and Luca are very very handsome."

The young boy giggles at my words and I can feel Luca stare at me. I look at him with an arched brow. He says nothing, just stares at me with a smile on his face before exiting the car.

I turn back to Jori with dramatically furrowed brows, "What was that about?"

Like a cartoon character, he shrugs with his bottom lip poked out. "I don't know."

•••

"You must be Remi, hi." The woman that greets me by the door has a baby in her arms and a wide smile on her dark face. My eyes catch a glimpse of the diamond on her finger and the cross tattoo on the inside of her wrist. "I'm Farrah, world renowned sister-in-law."

My eyes widen. As the first (only) person to greet Luca, Adriano, Jori and I at the door, I'm taken aback by how absolutely beautiful she is. Her skin is glowing and her smile is bright with joy and a bit of worry.

Another black woman? These Santinos gotta be collecting them like Infinity Stones or something.

I stare ahead past her to Jori who's trying to convince Luca that he can lift one of the suitcases before turning back to her.

"Hi, Farrah. It's lovely to meet you." I go to shake her hand only for her to pull me into a warm embrace, her baby — Serina — babbling happily. "Lovely to meet you too, sweetheart." I tickle her stomach, hearing as she laughs.

"You're beautiful." Farrah swoons before she turns her head to the men behind her, "Luca, I'm stealing your girlfriend."

"She's not —"

Before he can finish, she wraps a hand around my wrist and pulls me into the massive kitchen. It's practically shimmering under the sunlight that shines through a glass ceiling. I'm so caught up in the beauty of this cooking space that I didn't even notice Adriano munching on cookies at the island.

"Adri, how do you feel about hanging out with your favorite niece for a couple hours?" Before Adriano can respond — which I doubt he would've denied considering how his eyes lit up at the sight of Serina — she gently puts him in his already prepared arms. Instead of complaining, he immediately starts kissing her cheeks with dramatic mwah sounds and the sound of her boisterous laughter fills the halls as he walks away.

That was easy.

"They really love her." I observe, sliding into one of the seats cautiously.

Farrah smiles, "Yeah, they act all big and bad but they're great with kids. Good babysitters — if you don't count the occasional fire."

I laugh, "I won't."

A moment passes as she reaches into a cupboard and pulls out a bottle of sparkling apple cider. She offers it with a raised brow. When I nod, she grabs two glasses and places one in front of me.

"Sorry it's not alcohol — still breast feeding." She excuses but I shrug. Doesn't matter much to me.

She pours the glasses and I thank her. "So where did you move from?" I ask.

"Chicago."

"Have you been back since?" I ask in interest.

She shrugs, "Not since I've had Rina. Kinda like it this way though. There's not many people that want to cross a Mafia Don so it's as safe as it gets."

I nod in understanding and watch with a smile as she eyes the ring on her finger, "How did you two meet?"

She smiles as she reminisces, "In a restaurant. I was on a blind date with this guy who I'm pretty sure had never seen a black woman before and I went to the bathroom where I bumped into Nico and the rest is history."

I tilt my head in a playful dreamlike manner, "Sounds like a romance novel."

She laughs and sips her cider, "Look who's talking, Miss I'm Falling For The Mafia Second-in-Command —"

I hold a finger up, trying not to bust out laughing, "I ain't say all that now."

She winks, "You didn't have to."

now how miss farrah know and remi don't?? come on nowww