Bella Mafia

Chapter 14

Luca and I walked in silence as we boarded the elevator.  I was still trying to digest the kiss that took place between Vincent and I and to be honest, I liked it, sh*t no, I loved it, if I'm truly being honest.

It was, well it just was.  I had no other words to describe how he made me feel and on top of that I found myself wanting more with him, whatever that entailed.  I just hoped that he wouldn't grow tired or bored of me, because frankly if one more man cheats on me, that's it.  I'm switching sides.

I scoffed as my thoughts ran rampant through my cluttered mind, trying to bring them to bear, but just couldn't seem to.  Then Luca broke the silence.

"Are you alright, tesoro?" he asked kindly.  I shrugged and said "I think I will be, Luca.  I'm just still kind of in a tailspin over all of this and to be honest with you, I thought that arranged marriages were something of the past.

But I guess since we Italians live in a different world than everyone else, we do things more traditionally to this day.  I'm not against marrying Vincenzo, Luca.  I just wished that it had been handled in a better manner.  

I know it's not his fault as he was put in an impossible position, but damn it all, my f*ucking parents.  That's what hurts the most.  Not even what nona did hurts that much" I finished, my voice showing the hurt.

Stopping our forward momentum, Luca turned and looked at me.  All signs of the carefree Luca were gone and now it was more like Mr. Adamo was in the building.

"Calli, I've known Vin for a lot of years now and to be honest I've seen him with his fair share of women, but rest assured when I tell you this, gattina, that man is smitten by you.  You will see him be protective, he can be possessive, he can feel smothering at times but it will all be coming from a pure place and that is his caring of you and for you.

He will never deliberately hurt you and God forbid that someone else does because he will only see red and that's never a good thing.  I really feel strongly that if you give him a chance, a real chance, you will see that side of him as well."

I knew where he was coming from and I applauded that he believed in his friend and because I had come to  trust Luca, I would take to heart what he had said.

I knew there was trouble brewing as soon as we stepped off the elevator and i saw James, standing by the door to mine and nona's suite, his arms crossed tight against his chest, looking like he ate a bowl full of nails.

Luca's demeanor changed when he saw the bodyguard as well but nothing would prepare me or Luca for what James was about to do.

"Where the f*uck were you all night?" he asked heatedly and like he was talking to an errant child instead of his employer.

I bristled.  "I beg your pardon?  What business is it of yours?  I let nona know were I was and that's all you need to know" I hissed trying to get by him and then he attacked.

He grabbed my arm, the same arm he had twisted the day before, so he re-injured it, causing me to grunt in pain and then came the hateful words spewing from his once beautiful mouth.

"You shacked up all night with Siranni?" he yelled, twisting my arm harder while Luca tried to get him off me.  They were the same build and everything but James, when he was mad, was like the hulk.

"I was with him but nothing happened" I sobbed, trying to get him to loosen his grip but to no avail.  "I don't need to explain to you that I was with my fiance' because it's none of your business!" I yelled back.

By this time, nona had heard the commotion and opened the door about the time that James hauled off and smacked me across the mouth and down I went, dazed to the floor.

My head was hurting and swirling around but I could vaguely make out that Luca was on the phone calling for Vincenzo to come right away and I knew, if what Luca had told me just minutes before, James was in a sh*tload of trouble.

I was still on the ground when I heard the ding of the elevator and I saw Vincenzo, Domenico and another man that I didn't recognize run towards James as they were able to finally subdue him.

I heard nona tell Siranni that James needed to be sent home, to not do anything to him, for my sake and that seemed to calm him down for the moment.

I knew that Siranni's men would escort James home and I would probably never see him again and after this trip, that was okay by me.

I was finally able to sit up but getting up was going to be all together more difficult as I held my injured wrist to my side.

All at once, Vincenzo was by my side, picking me up bridal style and carrying me into our suite.  After asking my nona, which room was mine, he brought me swiftly to my bed and placed me gently on the comforter.

"Are you okay, baby?" he asked softly as I just looked at him.  It was funny that the only thing I heard him say was baby and it wasn't just the word, it was how he said it that made my stomach flip.

I nodded.  "Yes I think so.  Damn I should have known after yesterday that he would escalate but I never dreamed he would hit me" I said, tearing up again.  I could feel Vincent stiffen at my statement.

"What do you mean after yesterday?" he asked me.  So I told him about yesterday and I could see him wanting to handle it in his fashion but I begged him not to.  I told him that I didn't want to be responsible for someone getting hurt.

He looked at me in disbelief.  I guess I was too forgiving but that's just how I was wired.  It never brought me joy to know that someone else was in pain because of me.

Nona's voice brought me out of these thoughts as my eyes fell on her worried ones.  "Tesoro, why didn't you tell me that James was making advances towards you?  I would have sent him home immediately."  

I knew she was rebuking me, gently of course, but she had every right to ask me that and so I just answered honestly.

"I didn't tell you, nona, because we talked, cleared the air, or so I thought and I wasn't worried about him anymore until yesterday when I got ready to leave for dinner with Vincenzo.

He started with my dress, telling me that I had to change, that he didn't want other men looking at what was his.  And then it just got uglier from there.  He grabbed my wrist and if it hadn't been for Luca showing up when he did, I don't know how much further he would have gone."  I just shook my head as I told my side.

I watched Vincenzo pace back and forth like a caged animal and realized that Luca was completely correct in his observations of how he would relate to me.

I looked at nona, saying silently between us, if she would give us a moment.  She smiled and backed her chair from my room.

I stood and approached Vincent slowly.  He, of course, had to stop his movement once I placed myself in front of him and when he did, I put my palms on his chest, I could feel his heart beating like a drum.

The only thing I said was "Calma, Vincenzo."  He closed his eyes at my words and when he opened them, I could see that I had my Vincent back.  Funny, I mused to myself at calling him my Vincent, but I guess going forward that's exactly who he was.