Mafia Marriage

XXVII

"What the hell is going on?" Giuliana yelled from the kitchen doorway. She couldn't believe what she was seeing, her cousin and her brother-in-law were completely wrapped up in each other. The usually stoic Vinnie was passionately kissing the typically shy Laura.

"I said, what the hell is going on?" Giuliana said again, resisting the urge to physically pull the two of them apart. When they finally broke apart she expected for them to look embarrassed but Vinnie was staring at Laura with a longing look in his eyes, while Laura looked flushed and had suddenly found the floor particularly interesting. "Are either one of you going to answer me?"

"I'm sorry Giuliana, I swear it won't happen again," Laura wiped away wayward tears.

"What the hell do you mean, it won't happen again?" Vinnie glared at Laura, "This wasn't some impulsive mistake!"

Laura turned to look at him with tears streaming down her face, "Yes it was, I'm married Vinnie."

"I know that," he clenched his jaw. "I'm fully aware that you are now Mrs. Matteo Ricci," he spat out. "You don't need to remind me."

"I can't do this now, I'm so sorry Giuliana," Laura rushed out of the kitchen. She avoided Giuliana's worried gaze and Vinnie's harsh glare.

Vinnie sighed and ran a hand down his face before turning to look at his sister-in-law who was still waiting for an explanation. Giuliana crosses her arms across her chest and tapped her foot impatiently, "Well? Aren't you going to explain why you and my cousin, my married cousin, were all over each other just five seconds ago?"

"Let me start off by saying that you shouldn't be pissed at Laura, if you're going to be mad at anyone then be mad at me. I took advantage of her-"

"Oh please," Giuliana rolled her eyes. "I saw the two of you, she was as into that kiss as you were. Besides, you aren't the type to take advantage of a woman, much less in your own brother's house. So why don't you just tell me the truth?"

"Alright, well to start off Laura and I met awhile ago."

"How many years is awhile ago?"

"Eight."

"You two met eight years ago?" Giuliana asked incredulously. "How? My father always kept the girls in the family away from mob stuff."

"My father and Salvatore were had an impromptu meeting, Sal had taken Laura somewhere and had no choice but to bring her with him. She sat outside of the meeting room and I was acting as water-boy for my father at the time. I saw her sitting on the bench, reading a book and it was like a lightening bolt had hit.

"Colpo di fulmine," Giuliana murmured, referring to the old Italian phrase of that means love at first sight.

Vinnie nodded in agreement, "I couldn't move and when she looked up and saw me standing there I couldn't speak, I couldn't form any words. But Laura just smiled, she stood up and shook my hand and introduced herself."

"What happened then?"

"When I was able to finally form a sentence, we talked nonstop. We started sneaking around to see each other. I'd meet her in hole-in-the-wall diners and in back alleys, we were willing to see each other anywhere, it didn't matter where as long as we were together. We never slept together, we just liked being together. But after a year Laura was tired of hiding our relationship, she said that she felt like she was my dirty little secret." Vinnie heaved a sigh before continuing, "When I went to my father and asked him to talk to Salvatore about allowing Laura and I to get married he said no. He said that he already had a bride lined up for me in Philadelphia and that Laura was Salvatore's niece by marriage, not his daughter, so she wasn't as valuable as a Bellucci daughter. I must've spent hours arguing with him, it was the first time that I had ever had a disagreement with my father, but he was not going to change his mind."