Seductive Salvation (Book One of The Mafia Heiress Series)

Chapter Six

Giovanni

I got home and decided to give Val a call, just to make sure she was okay after whatever it was that happened this morning. It rang and rang but she never picked up. I chalked it up to her not having my number so I decided to leave a voicemail. "Um, hey Val, it's Gio. I know you said you would call me but you didn't get my number so I'm just calling to give you my number. Hope everything is okay. Oh and I hope we get a chance to talk about last night, I definitely don't want you to feel like it was a one time deal. Hopefully, you'll let me take you out on a date sometime. Well, anyways, call me. Bye!" I hung up and realized that I had just left the most nervous sounding voicemail in the world. Oh well, can't go back and change it now.

"Hey Gio, who were you leaving some sappy voicemail for? Did you finally get a girlfriend? Mom's going to be thrilled! My sweet little brother is all grown up." My older sister giggled from around the corner of my door.

"For the record, I don't have a girlfriend, she's just someone I hung out with last night and got to know a little bit. Please don't go blabbing to mom, Isabella, she'll never leave me alone if Val actually calls me back and we start talking more. Besides, doesn't mom have another pure blood girl to throw in front of me and say 'Giovanni Roberto Ricci, you're getting old and you need children, pick a woman already and get her pregnant! I'm not getting any younger and neither is your father, we want grandchildren!' In which I will respond with 'Mother, you and father already have seven grandchildren! Why do you want more?' She'll roll her eyes, throw her hands up in defeat and start all over the next day." We both broke out in laughter as we heard our mother yelling at our poor younger brother about him finding a wife already too.

"Well, at least somewhat appease mom and tell her that you're pursuing a female that you could see yourself marrying. If you tell her then she might hold off for a little while, maybe."

"Oh yes, let me tell her all about the girl who's last name I don't even know." Isabella and I walked downstairs to rescue poor fifteen year old Matteo before our mother beat him to death about marriage. He didn't even need to be thinking about marriage, he had his studies to focus on and the family business to work.

Matteo was running from the kitchen by the time we made it downstairs. "Whoa big guy, where's the fire?"

"She's infuriating. Are they all like this? Nagging and complaining all of the time?" He stopped and raised his hands up in defeat.

"Unfortunately, we are related to some of the craziest women around. Take our dearest sister for example, she is just like mom. She nags, complains, nags some more, and continues to complain. Hell, she'll nag the sun for being too bright and complain that it's too hot because the sun is too bright. You'll get used to it, especially when you find the one you're going to be with forever. At that point, it just goes in one ear and out the other as you learn to ignore it." Isabella shoved her elbow into my rib so hard that I was probably going t have a bruise.

"I do not nag and complain that much! Now, you two need to march your tail ends into the kitchen. Matteo, apologize to mom for running off and being a brat! Giovanni go and tell mom about your girlfriend!" As soon as my name and the word 'girlfriend' came out of Isabella's mouth, my mother's head poked around the door frame of the kitchen. Great, just great, how are you going to get yourself out of this one, Gio?

"Giovanni Roberto Ricci! Since when do you have a girlfriend? You didn't even want to tell your poor old mother that you had a girlfriend?! Isabella, you knew and didn't even tell me! What is a daughter good for other than gossip and grandchildren?!" Isabella threw a dirty look my way as our mother nagged her too.

"Mom, I don't have a girlfriend! She's just a girl that I spent some time with this morning."

"If you mean you spent time in your bedroom with her then oh yeah you totally have a girlfriend." Matteo piped in and the mortified look on my mother's face almost sent me to my knees begging for forgiveness.

"Giovanni! You brought some girl into our house and made a baby with her?! You aren't even dating her and you are making babies with her!! Oh Santa Maria, mi ucciderai prima che io debba morire! You are going to be the death of me, my son!" My mother shook her head in disbelief as I shot a nasty look over at my sister, who in turn shrugged her shoulders and smirked.

"Mom, I'm not making babies with her. I know better than to make babies with someone I'm not married to, let alone make babies with someone I'm not even dating. I wouldn't disgrace our name like that and break traditions that are hundreds of years old. I do have respect for our family and for our traditions." My mother smiled and I knew that I was forgiven for the moment. I honestly hadn't even planned to have sex with Val. We had just gotten caught up in the moment and neither of us stopped it. I sent a quick text to Val's number. Hi, it's Gio. Hope your day is going well. Call me later.I wanted to see if want to catch up and grab a coffee? I felt like I was maybe worrying too much but with the way she left the car and how scared she seemed to be, maybe I  wasn't worrying enough...