Dinner with the Mafia ✔

Chapter 57

I took a deep breath and prayed. "Dario, calm down." I tightened my grip on his arm, and the unusual couple stood before us with tight smiles. "Welcome," I said with the best smile I could summon, and they nodded, not knowing what to say. One person was responsible for killing Dario's dad, and the other abandoned his family. I did not know if I could control my rage for a long time.

The man held out his hand for Dario to shake, but nothing happened as Dario refused to touch him. "Ottavio, Alice," Dario acknowledged them coldly, without their titles, and they entered without saying a word. The woman looked troubled as she saw Dario's expression.

"You did good, baby," I encouraged as I kissed his cheek. "She's your mom, right?" I asked, although I was sure she was, but I needed to hear him say it.

"She gave birth to Enola and me, that's it. She should have died the day she walked out on us," he replied coldly, giving me goosebumps. I felt my stomach twist in knots from his emotionless face. It had been a while since I last saw him like this. I got used to the teddy bear who loved to cuddle. "Let's hope they don't do anything stupid. If I could kick them out, I would have done so already, but my hands are tied. I can't break the Mafia rules."

"Just ignore them. If they do anything stupid, I will kick them out." My determination and rising anger made him crack a smile, and I relaxed once I saw the Dario I got used to seeing—the loveable one. 

"Let's just go," he whispered, gently kissing my forehead. We entered as graciously as we could, head held high, and the main door was shut behind us.

~~~

Dario was speaking with the Russian Don when a blonde woman stood beside me as she literally eye-fucked my man. It had been a few hours, and I was actually surprised that this was the first woman to do this tonight. I was not thrilled, to say the least. 

"You know," she began with her heavy English accent. "Dario is a beast in bed. Last night was one of the wildest nights I have ever had with a man," she finished, patting her eyelashes. I just stared at her for a moment to see if she was serious. And based on her expression, she had the delusion that what she said was true.

"Really? What did he do to you?" I asked, going along with her story.

She blushed at my question, and I almost laughed. She was a good actress, I must give her that. "He tied me to the bed and used sex toys to satisfy me," she answered, faking a shiver, and sighed dreamily. 

I could not hold it in any longer. I laughed so hard, grabbing Dario's and the Russian man's attention. "Honey, a real man doesn't need toys to satisfy his woman. Besides, Dario is a- was with me yesterday, so cut the bullshit and walk away before I have my men kick you out," I said calmly with a smile.

I almost declared that my man was a virgin. She pissed me off.

"Mom! What did we agree on before we came here?" the Russian man asked harshly, and I almost choked.

His mom? She has no shame.

The British accent threw me off course.

"Can't I have fun without your dad nagging me?" Her reply made me grab Dario's hand tightly, and he grinned. She scared me. 

How unfaithful can she be?

Her son sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose in annoyance. "That's not having fun. That's trying to ruin relationships. I am sorry, Mr. Romano. We will sign the deal when we meet again. You have my word." He looked at his mom one more time and shook his head. "Again, I apologize for her rude behavior."

Dario chuckled, waving him off. "I am glad that you'll sign the deal. Now, go and have a lovely evening," he replied as we walked to the bar, leaving the mother-son duo arguing. I placed my elbow on the bar table and looked at my man. He was so handsome. 

"Does that mean my fingers are enough to satisfy you?" he casually asked as we grabbed two glasses of white wine.

I got so immune to his remarks that I did not blush, so I grinned and took a sip. "Not just," I replied with a wink, and he understood what I meant. He groaned while adjusting his pants, and my eyes widened when I looked down. "Contain yourself, will you?"

"How can I when you say things like that... looking like that?"

I laughed as I kissed his cheek. "How many deals did you settle?"

"Four so far, and two promised to work with their governments to take down corrupted organizations. Things are going smoothly, and it's bugging me."

"Why?"

He sighed and wrapped his hand around my waist. "Because it is going too smoothly. There is usually a fight by now, but nothing happened yet. Plus, Alice and Ottavio did not move from their seats the entire time, making me wonder if they know something I don't about Atlas. Besides, Alice is with my dad's killer. Her ex-husband. How absurd is that?"

He was breathing heavily, tightening his grip on the glass. "You are overthinking, Dario. Breathe, please," I whispered in his ear as I patted his shoulder. He kissed my cheek. "Everything will be alright, even if Atlas shows up. We have weapons. We can fight him. Enjoy the night! It's a success. Look, even Andrea is having fun with the chocolate fountain."

Enola and Mattia were looking at their baby with such adoration, making me envy their bond. Even though Andrea had chocolate all over his clothes, Enola did not care as she saw her son's smile.

"Cleaning him would be a pain in the ass, for sure," Dario exclaimed and chuckled. "But, it's nice seeing your kid so carefree and happy. I hope our future children are as happy as Andrea." His words were like arrows to my heart, shocking me to my core. 

Our future children...

Our.

I could not help but tear up at his wholesome words. They felt genuine. "Why are you crying, Bambi?" he asked, worried at my sudden shift.

"I am just happy you are thinking of our future like that," I admitted, sniffing my nose, which probably ruined my makeup. He smiled at me like I was his most-priced treasure, and my heart almost burst with happiness. "I love you so much, Dario."

He kissed me quickly and wrapped his arms around my waist, swaying slowly to the background music. "I love you, Jolene. More than words could ever convey."

The power went out as he said those words, and everything turned dark. From the initial shock, I let go of Dario, but not a second later, I felt a hand wrap around my neck, and the lights returned. Everyone stared at me with fear and worry, stepping back. Instantly, Dario's men pointed their guns at me, and Dario held his and aimed it in my direction.

Not me, exactly...

They aimed at Atlas, who held a gun to my head.

When I tried to grab my weapon under my dress, Altas pressed the safety trigger from the gun, and I froze. That click was in my ear and I knew that moving would kill me right away. "Atta girl." I gagged at his words. "The next time you move, the bullet is out, darling."

His vile breath brushed my back, and I felt violated. "Don't breathe so closely to me. That's disgusting," I remarked, unphased by the gun near my ear. The scar on my back took the fear out of my system. He did this to me, and I would not let him win again.

This ends today.

~~~ 

7.11.2023

 I hate Atlas so much!