3.

M ATTEO

“Before we find my friends, let me introduce you to the eighth wonder of the world.”

Instantly, my mind went to something dirty. Actually, filthy might be a better description, depending on who you asked.

However, I managed to choke down my initial reply that was an addition to my thoughts earlier when I wondered how she might taste and said, “And what would that be?”

“‘Nana puddin’.”

“As in your Nana’s recipe or . . .”

“Look at you resisting the urge to mimic my accent.”

“It damn near killed me. I’m assuming you think I haven’t ever tasted banana pudding before.”

“Have you?”

“I’m sure it’s the same thing as banana cream pie, which I hate.”

“I can’t wait to see your face when you realize that there’s no correlation between ‘nana puddin’ and banana cream pie.”

“They’re basically the same thing except that one has a crust and another has cookies, right?”

“There’s no sense in explaining when I can demonstrate the difference with just a spoonful of the magic that is my brother’s recipe for ‘nana puddin’.”

“Lead the way, Twang. I can’t wait.”

“Twang?”

“It’s a reference to your non-existent accent.”

“Ha! You just admitted that I don’t have one!”

“I did nothing . . . Shit! I didn’t mean for it to come out like that.”

“I’m sure you say that to all the girls,” Bella said before she took my hand and yanked me through the back of the tent into what could only be described as controlled chaos. She led me over to a small cooler, then grabbed a serving spoon and a plastic cup from a nearby box. Once she had a good amount scooped into the cup, she thrust it toward me and then made another one.

When she started filling a third, I asked, “Are you hungry?”

“Not particularly, but once they put these out for the masses, there’s not a chance we’ll get a decent-sized serving. Besides, once you taste it, you’ll want your portion of that second serving.”

“I already told you that I . . .”

Bella swept her finger into the pudding and then thrust it into my open mouth. My eyes widened in shock before I closed my lips around the digit and sucked the delicious goodness into my mouth.

I wasn’t sure which one was better: the taste of the pudding or the look in her eyes. Both were surprising, but since I didn’t want to call her out about her reaction, I exclaimed, “Holy shit! What is that? ”

“That, my doubtful friend, is called ‘nana puddin’.”

I looked down at the cup in my hands and said, “Get another one for my dad.”

“Do you think he’ll like it?”

“He’s going to love it.”

Bella scooped out another cup full of the delicious dessert and then nodded toward the open flap where the catering staff was hurrying in and out, refilling the buffet as needed and getting ready to serve dessert.

As we walked by a cart filled with plastic utensils, Bella grabbed a few spoons and then smiled at me and asked, “Do I get to meet Mr. Russo now?”

“I can’t wait for him to meet you.”

“Why do you say that?”

“Because you’re the breath of fresh air he was telling me about not ten minutes before you appeared.”

“I’m not sure that I’ve ever been called a breath of fresh air before. Pain in the ass? Yes. Smartass? Also yes. Breath of fresh air? Probably not.”

“Believe me, Bella, that’s exactly what you are,” I said honestly. I held the two cups she’d handed over with one hand and reached out for her hand with my other. She juggled the cups she was carrying so that she could take my hand, and I led her straight to my father and some of his friends.

Dad saw me coming and smiled when he glanced down at our joined hands before he said, “Looks like the sun came out from behind that cloud you were standing under, son.”

“Dad, this is Bella Conner. Bella, my father, Valentine Russo.”

“Call me Stamp, sweetheart,” Dad said as he extended his hand. Bella let go of mine, and with stars in her eyes, accepted my dad’s hand. With his casual charm, something I’d obviously not inherited from him, he lifted her hand to his lips and kissed her knuckles before he said, “It’s a pleasure to meet you, bellisima.”

Bella’s cheeks reddened at the same time she laughed softly and pulled her hand away to grab one of the cups of dessert. As she held it out toward my father, I said, “I know you’ve eaten food from all kinds of restaurants and I’ve loved every dessert you’ve ever made, but this stuff is magic.”

My dad looked down into the cup he’d taken from Bella and then lifted it to smell the contents before he shrugged and took the spoon from her. He put a heaping spoonful into his mouth, and I watched his eyes get wide as he chewed the soft cookies and chunks of banana, a perfect ratio to go with the rich pudding.

“This is fantastic,” my dad said before he took another bite. “The caterer made this?”

“He’s my brother, Dylan,” Bella said with a proud smile. “He owns a restaurant back home in Rojo.”

“I’ve already asked Bernadette to introduce me. Every part of dinner was delicious, and I’m dying to know how he makes his sauce,” Dad explained.

“He’s not going to tell you,” Bella said with a grin.

“Do you think he’ll share this recipe with me?” Dad asked before he took another bite. “This is so good. Light, but rich. That’s vanilla pudding, isn’t it?”

Bella shrugged and then turned to me and winked. I laughed because she might not have a poker face, but she apparently knew how to keep a secret. “You’ll have to ask Dill.”

“He’s her twin brother,” I marveled.

Dad smiled because he knew how close Luca and I had always been, and since Bella was a twin herself, she’d understand that bond.

Bella didn’t see the look Dad gave me because she was busy pulling her brother’s phone out of her pocket. She grimaced when she looked at the screen but then looked over her shoulder when someone called her name. She took a few steps closer to the table of people she obviously knew and handed the phone to one of the women before she said, “Have fun with that.”

The woman looked down at the screen and asked, “It’s over?” When Bella nodded, she narrowed her eyes and asked, “For real this time?”

“Even if he’s not quite ready to get rid of her, I am, so let’s make that happen.”

The woman giggled, and as she lifted the phone to her ear, she said, “This is gonna be fun. ”

When Bella looked back over at me, she shrugged and said, “I was always taught never to play with my food, but Mom and Dad never had a problem with me sharing it.”

I burst out laughing, and Dad looked confused until I explained, “Her brother’s ex is apparently a pain in the ass that needs to be removed.”

Dad’s eyebrows raised, and he looked at Bella in a completely new light before he said, “And you’re going to do that for him?”

“Only if she remains stupid or gets worse,” Bella said honestly. “If she’ll go away quietly, we won’t have a problem, but I know that’s not in her nature.”

Dad looked from Bella’s smiling face to mine and then grinned. “I like you, Bella. I like you a lot.”

“Good,” Bernadette, my father’s girlfriend, said as she stepped up beside him. As he rested his arm over her shoulder, she said, “If I have my way, she’ll be moving into my old house and running the business once Alexandria moves to Florida.”

“You offered her a job?” I asked, my eyes shooting over to see that Bella seemed uncomfortable now.

“I did,” Bernadette answered.

“We didn’t really talk about all of the details,” Bella hedged. “That’s an awfully long way from home.”

“Are you considering it?”

Bella smiled nervously and then winced before she said, “Honestly, I’m trying to resist.”

“Why?” I asked.

“My life and my family is in Rojo.”

“Give it some thought, Bella. I’ll get with you in the next few weeks with an official offer, but until then, just enjoy the success of this wedding and reception and then add the happy couple to your list of references because I know they’re thrilled with how their special day went.”

“I probably won’t be able to think of much else,” Bella said before she looked over her shoulder at the woman she’d spoken to a few minutes ago. She smiled at me and asked, “Are you ready to mingle?”

Even though that was something I hated to do when I was forced to go to an event, I found that I didn’t seem to mind at all this time, and it had everything to do with the woman who was reaching for my hand.

“Lead on, Twang. I’d love to meet more people who probably don’t think they have an accent either.”

Bella squeezed my hand and gave me the side-eye before she said, “Yous guys aaah such smaahtasses.”

“That’s Boston, honey.”

“Whatever!”

We approached a table full of women, and all of them watched us walk up, some of them with looks that were nearly predatory. I wondered what that was about but soon realized it was just a group of women protecting their dear friend from the unknown.

“Matteo, I’d like you to meet some of my club sisters and oldest friends. This is Lark, Cydney, Gracy, Zoey, and Janis. Please be on your best behavior, ladies.”

“You act like we’re animals at the zoo,” the woman she’d pointed out as Janis said.

“More like out in the wild, hunting down prey and ripping out its throat at the first sign of weakness, I’m sure,” I quipped before I grinned at Janis. “It’s a pleasure to meet you.” I looked around the table and said, “All of you.”

Janis rolled her eyes and turned back to face the other women at the table before she grumbled, “It’s no fun when they’re not afraid.”

I burst out laughing and then put up my hand and let my voice waver as I said, “Please don’t hurt me. I promise I’ll be nice.”

“That’s a little better,” Janis said with a smile before she pushed out the chair next to her. “You can sit down since you’re a tad bit entertaining.”

I realized that there was only one chair at the table, and my first thought was to insist that Bella sit down, but then I had an even better idea. I sat down and cocked one leg to the side before I tugged on Bella’s hand to let her know she could sit there. She didn’t even hesitate, which made me smile, and perched on my leg before she let go of my hand and rested her arms on the table.

“So, what are we talking about? I could tell y’all were irritated, so give me a target.” When the women glanced at me but stayed silent, Bella said, “He’s chill, believe me. A guy like him knows how to keep a secret.”

“Are you friends with Dub?” a woman who I thought might be named Gracy asked.

“In a roundabout way. He’s a nomad in my dad’s MC, so I’ve met him a few times.”

“You’re not one of them?” another woman who looked very much like Gracy asked.

“No, Squid. He’s not an ex-con,” Bella assured her. She looked over at me before she said, “Not that there’s anything wrong with that . . . well, depending on what the crime was.” She waved her hand as if to dismiss the subject before she said, “That doesn’t matter. What I mean is that in his line of work, he knows the importance of secrets.”

“Is that so?” Janis asked.

“International spy,” I quipped, causing Bella to giggle.

“We weren’t talking about anything too incriminating, just plotting a death,” Janis said as if that was the most normal thing in the world.

“Someone hacked my laptop and copied some of my design ideas,” Squid, who I thought must be the one that was introduced as Cydney, explained. “I’m almost positive that I know who it was, and Zoey made a few phone calls to the department to get an investigation started. I’ll connect with them when I get home.”

“Did you call Warren?” Bella asked. “He stayed home.”

“I didn’t even think to call him!” Cydney exclaimed before she picked up her phone and started texting. “He’ll figure it out.”

“Is Warren your tech guy?” I asked.

“As good as,” Bella said vaguely.

“He’s sort of an honorary uncle to all of us,” Zoey explained. “He’s a whiz with computers.”

“If he can’t find anything to help you, I’ve got someone who can,” I assured her. “What kind of designs were stolen?”

“Squid and Gracy are in the fashion industry,” Bella said with a grin.

“So, Mr. International Spy, what’s your last name?”

I cleared my throat and glanced up at Bella before I answered, “Russo.”

“You are his son!” Cydney exclaimed.

I smiled as I nodded and then burst out laughing when Janis asked, “Does he ever cook shirtless?”

“I’ll have to ask my stepmom.”

Janis just gave me a bored expression before she sighed and said, “Don’t bother.”

“He’s from New Yawk ,” Bella said, trying again to get the accent correct.

In an exaggerated Southern drawl, I said, “And I assume all of y’all are from Tayxes. ”

Janis glared at me before she argued, “We do not sound like that.”

I could feel my phone vibrating in my back pocket and did my best to ignore it because once I answered it, reality would kick in and I’d have to leave this illusion that I fit in with all of these people, especially Bella.

We had been talking for at least twenty minutes about a vast array of subjects, from which car one of the women should purchase to where one of them could find the perfect couch when she redecorated her living room, when one of my men appeared at my shoulder and leaned down to whisper in my ear.

“Your brother’s on the phone.”

I looked over at Salvatore, the man in charge of my protection, and saw that he looked very tense. Bella and her friends were studying him, some with curiosity and others with interest, so I said, “Ladies, this is my friend Salvatore.”

Janis smiled at him in that predatory way I’d seen earlier and asked, “Are you an international spy too?”

“Something like that,” Salvatore answered, but he didn’t return her smile. Instead, he looked down and said, “Would you come with me, please?”

“I’ve gotta go take a call, Twang. I’ll be back as soon as I’m finished.”

Bella stood and gave me room to stand before she sat back down in my chair and smiled up at me. “Tell Mr. Bond I said hello.”

“Mr. Bond?”

“I’m a fan of the Sean Connery version, but Daniel Craig will do in a pinch.”

“I’ll let them know,” I said before I smiled at Bella and nodded at the other women. As soon as we were out of earshot, at the edge of the crowd, I asked Salvatore, “What’s going on?”

“We need to go home. Carlo collapsed on the street and was rushed to the hospital.”

All of the air left my lungs. I wasn’t able to take another breath but managed to gasp out, “He’s not . . . is he . . .”

“He’s awake and talking. All signs point to a heart attack but they’re going to do testing to make sure and then decide on the next steps.”

“Fuck. Is Luca with my mother?”

“He is.”

“Let’s go.” I glanced over my shoulder and saw Bella watching me, but the second she saw the look on my face, she rushed my way.

“Is everything okay?” she asked as she reached out to touch my arm.

“My dad collapsed, and they took him to the hospital. I’ve got to go home.” Bella looked over to the group of men where she’d just met my biological father and then back at me in confusion, so I explained. “He’s the father that raised me.”

“Oh no.”

I looked over at Salvatore and asked, “Where’s Elmo?”

“He went to get the car.”

“Can I have you . . .”

“Give me your . . .”

We spoke over each other and Bella gave a nervous laugh. Finally, I said, “Give me your number so we can make our travel arrangements.”

Bella pulled out her phone and typed in the number I gave her. My phone buzzed with a text just as I pulled her into my arms. She tipped her head up, and I gave her a hug as I whispered in her ear, “Even though the tunnel just got longer and much darker, I still think you’re the light at the end.”

“That’s the sweetest thing anyone’s ever said to me,” Bella said as she pulled back and looked at my face. “I’ll keep your dad in my prayers.”

“Thank you.”