CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

DALIA

We have barely spent five minutes apart for the last month. Every moment we are away from Sierra is spent together. She is doing well, and has interviewed a few prospective adoptive couples. Aries is pleased that she has chosen to give her baby up. It won't be easy but if she thinks that's the right decision for her, I'm happy to support her. Aries had calls to make, so I've been lounging in bed by myself. We will go see Sierra later today to start making her release plans. She's finally going home and her mom couldn't be happier.

Aries comes running into the room with a panic stricken face.

"Is Sierra okay?"

He runs a hand through his hair, "Tell me you love me."

I flash him a questioning look, but say, "I love you."

He breathes out a long sigh, "Check your email."

"Aries, what's going on? Why do you look terrified?"

Standing before me with fists clenched, his jaw tight, and a look of pain in his eyes, he finally says, "Please, baby. Let's get this over with. Just check your email."

I ignore the fact that he's acting so strange and grab my phone. Opening my email from my lawyer, I gasp, "Final Decree of Divorce."

He kneels in front of me, "Marry me. Not because I force you, but because you want to. I can't imagine an existence without you. I swear to you if you say yes, I'll never hurt you again. I'll never make you regret loving me. Marry me, Dalia. For real this time."

I nod emphatically while the tears roll down my cheeks, "Yes."

Grabbing my hips, he pulls me onto his lap, "Yes?"

"Aries, I love you. Of course I'd say yes, but I have a stipulation."

He reaches a hand into my hair and pulls gently, tilting my head back, "I'll fucking give you anything. You know that."

I sigh with nervousness, "I want a wedding and I want my brothers there."

Aries smirks at me, "If I have to put up with dickheads one, two, three, and four to have you forever, I'll make the sacrifice."

After a quick kiss, he declares, "Get dressed. We'll go tell them and get it over with, because I can't go very many days without you being my wife."

ARIES

It turns out that it's family dinner, and Dalia's shooting practice with her brothers. There is little room for doubt about how they will feel about this news, however, every one of them adores Dalia, so I hope they choose to simply support her.

We walk into the living room where they are all sitting, all conversation stops when they see me, and I can't help but wonder what they were discussing.

"Sorry we're early," Dalia says excitedly, "We have news."

Domenic closes a folder with papers that he was looking at, "I already know you're divorced."

She places her hands on her hips, "Yes, it went through already. No doubt my darling brothers had a hand in that, but we are staying together. We're getting married again, and I want all of you there."

There's an exchange of glances amongst the four men, and a nod from Domenic, and suddenly the lump in my throat grows so much I can't swallow it down.

Damian rises, "Shorty, listen to me. If that's what you want, we will support you, but we all agree that you should have all the information before making this decision."

It's like watching a fucking train wreck, knowing the car is barreling down the tracks, and just before the crash you realize you're tied to the fucking track. It's coming, I know it and so do the brothers, but it's far too late to stop what's happening. The worst part of losing someone is seeing it coming. You can't say it was a surprise. Hindsight is not only 20/20, it's an absolute bitch.

"What are you talking about?"

Damian shakes his head at me, "You still haven't told her."

Dalia's head snaps to mine as she gazes at me with pleading eyes, "No."

"You already know?"

Tears fall down her cheeks, "You wouldn't cheat on me."

I sigh with defeat, "No, baby, I wouldn't and I didn't."

Damian says, "It's worse than that, Shorty. When you and mom were taken, things were different in our world than they are now. The Lombardis were a bigger, stronger family. We went to them, and all but begged for help, to find you and mom. We wanted to find you before everything that happened, happened. They refused. This man that claims to love you could've saved you from the trauma you endured. And had he, mom and dad might still be alive."

Dalia turns to me with a face filled with pain, "Aries," she whispers, "Is this true? Tell me it's not."

"Baby, let me explain."

Crossing her arms over her chest, she shakes her head, "Yes or no, Aries. That's all I need right now."

She wipes at the tears on her cheeks, "Answer my question."

"Yes," I admit, "But-"

Looking at her brother Domenic, she speaks in a low shaky yet resigned voice, "Get him out of here."

"Dalia! Please!"

She gives me one last glance, "You broke me twice. It will never happen again."

I watch her turn and walk away from me, the three De Luca wives holding onto her, the anguish is so all consuming, I don't even notice Domenic and Damian grabbing my arms and nearly dragging me from the house. I scream for her while I fight their hold, "Dalia! Dalia! Dalia!"

All of my pleas to hear what I have to say go ignored.

It's not that I wanted to keep this secret from her. I didn't. The urge to come clean about everything was strong. My reasoning was simple. I knew it'd break her heart and that she'd likely never forgive me. There are things you don't come back from and this is one of them. We all know secrets have a way of coming out, but I was sure this one was tucked safely away. Her brothers would never tell her because the assholes that they are, adore their little sister, since they were the only men living that knew, I was safe. She was safe.

The problem with hindsight is you only see it from the rearview. You never see it coming even if maybe you should have. When you look back you suddenly see all the red flags glaring at you like a neon sign. Yet, at the time they may as well have been white.

She is everything I never wanted. I didn't want a wife. There was no part of me that wanted to fall so madly in love with Dalia De Luca that I'd never recover. But I did and I haven't. The day she said her final words to me was the day my world stopped turning. I'm a strong man, the head of a notorious mafia family, I don't fall easily. For her I did. She brought me to my fucking knees.