3. Belonging

THREE

Belonging

JULIAN

I must have drifted off to sleep. Every muscle in my body aches, and my head hurts. I brace my hands to pull myself into a sitting position and feel the touch of someone holding my hand. I force my eyes open and see Milana asleep in a chair, her fingers entwined with mine. She must be uncomfortable, all twisted up as she is.

She looks haggard. I take a good look at my bride-to-be. Her long, dark hair partially covers her oval face. Milana has full, pouty lips and high cheekbones; even asleep, she's a beauty. Her emerald eyes are mesmerizing, and I have seen for myself how they change with her mood, adding flecks of gold to the beautiful green. It has me imagining how her eyes would shine brilliantly when she comes. Milana is fit and her legs are toned, probably from standing on her feet and waitressing all day. She's not tall, at least a head shorter than me. Her body has been blessed with tits and ass, a complete dream for a man like me.

The creak of the door opening diverts my attention. Gloria, Marco's wife, comes in carrying a tray with several panini and what looks like soup.

"Stracciatella soup," she says barely above a whisper. "You need to regain your strength." She glances at Milana. "I knew her as a child. Her mother and I met several times after she was married. I never trusted her father, but Milana had always been a good girl. Her mother was just as beautiful before she married. That man destroyed them both. Milana was a sweet and dutiful young woman. For her sake, I hope that Raffaele agrees to give her to you. I know that men have a different way of looking at these things." She let out a heavy breath before continuing. "I believe her, you know."

"Believe her?"

"She didn't know what her father was planning. She panicked and ran. Who's to say I wouldn't have done the same under those circumstances?" Gloria admits.

"Thank you for understanding," I say. "Alessio is very persuasive." I'm counting on Alessio to make the deal that will allow Milana to come back to Las Vegas with us.

Gloria places the tray on the empty side of the bed. I'm not willing to release Milana's hand just yet and reach for the panino with my other hand, taking a bite. "Thank you." Gloria sees our linked fingers and gives me a small smile.

"See if you can get her to eat. She needs to keep up her strength," Gloria says before leaving.

* * *

I finish my sandwich before waking Milana. Her eyes flutter open, and she looks around in confusion, trying to figure out where she is.

"You need to eat," I tell her. "Come sit next to me." Milana moves and sits stiffly beside me with her back to the headboard with the tray between us. She reaches for the soup and takes a spoonful, then another. She finishes the soup, and I insist she eat half the sandwich Gloria made for her. "We don't want to insult our hostess."

"This might be my last meal," she says sadly. She looks at the contents between the two slices of her ciabatta bun. "Prosciutto and bocconcini. My favorite. At least I'll die full."

"Alessio's making the deal," I remind her.

"Raffaele might not want to take the deal. I've heard stories about him. They say that of all the capos, he's the most volatile."

"Don't let the other capos hear you say that. To be a capo is not only a position of power; it's a position of leadership. Being kind doesn't come into it if you know that thousands of men and their families are relying on you to keep the family intact and prosperous. Each one of those leaders has responsibilities that are incomparable to anything you may have had to deal with," I tell her sternly.

"I'm not criticizing," she replies quickly.

"You need to learn to think before you speak. Raffaele isn't my capo, but from what I hear from his men, they're loyal to him because he puts the well-being of Ultimo Morte before all else. Well, except for his wife, Evangeline." She leans closer and listens. "Reno is a dangerous man, and he runs Nostra Casa through his own hands-on methods. He doesn't expect his soldiers to go into a battle without him, and his brothers, Dante and Sebastian, would lay down their lives for their brother. Marco is wise, and he is grooming Nero to be a very smart and lethal leader. Alessio is his own man, but still has underbosses that are old school, and what your father did was the ultimate betrayal. Your mother and father paid the price, and he can't let you back into the fold, with a good reason. It would be seen as weakness, and that would cause irreparable damage. You will have to prove yourself to him and the rest of the family that you are not your father."

"Alessio won't trust me, will he?" she asks.

"He's a lethal man with a very bad temper and will not hesitate to kill if his family is attacked. He had an army of men looking for me, and I'm just a soldier. He's firm but fair, and I couldn't ask for a better capo. I am and will always be faithful to Alessio and Il Destino , and so will you."

She nods slowly and swallows deeply. I feel I need to impress this upon her so that she understands the severity of the situation. "Alessio is giving up a marker for your life. A marker that could be used for a big business transaction or to barter for the life of a soldier, or anything that Alessio deems crucial for the family. I've requested he use his marker to relinquish Raffaele's hold on you. If you embarrass me or Alessio, then you've just signed my death certificate and yours. He'd have the right, and I wouldn't fight him on that. I would hand him my own blade for him to finish me off." I pause and hold her gaze. "Are you understanding this?"

"Yes," she whispers.

"Louder," I command.

"Yes. I understand. Don't make me regret this decision."

* * *

N ot long afterward, Niccolo, Alessio's consigliere, my brother-in-law and someone I consider a good friend, comes up to get me. I leave Milana sitting on the bed and follow Niccolo downstairs.

"Jesus Christ, what are you thinking? Valentina is going to lose her mind when she finds out her brother is getting married. Are you sure about this?" he asks when we reach the last step. "Is she worth it?"

"Milana saved my life."

"A marriage is more than an obligation. This is forever in our world. Till death do us part is real for our family. You'll have several hurdles to jump. Acceptance as one of our own being one of them. Your family being another. I'm sure your father had other women in mind to be your ideal bride."

"The only one who matters is Alessio. I don't want him to think I'm weak or careless in making this decision." I sigh. I decide to try another approach. "You saw my sister at her worst. We were all losing our minds and couldn't figure out how to help her. Valentina needed you, and you gave her what she needed. I'm doing the same."

"Alessio isn't angry with you. He's pissed at the situation. He's not sure he can trust this woman, and it will be her job to convince him otherwise. Alessio has made his choice, and he makes it willingly. He knows who you are, Julian. He believes in you," Niccolo confirms, then adds, "You didn't hear that from me. If all goes well, I'll speak to Valentina later tonight." He grins and pushes his shoulder into mine. "They're waiting."

Niccolo opens the door for me, but doesn't follow me in. The four capos are sitting and waiting for me to enter and sit before commencing.

"You understand what Alessio is giving up for you?" Raffaele asks.

"Yes, sir."

"Very well. I consider my marker cleared, and Milana now belongs to Il Destino. " He smiles. "We didn't leave a guard outside the door. What makes you think she didn't make a run for it?"

"She didn't. Milana has been alone for so long, she doesn't know she needs a family. I'll give her one, and she'll earn the trust and respect of our peers," I tell him.

"And if she doesn't?" Alessio asks.

"It will be me who ends her life," I say, looking directly into Alessio's eyes with my hand over my heart.

"It needs to be said, the information about where to find Boris that Milana delivered in the envelope was right on the money. She gave us all a very important gift. It won't stop the Russians from regrouping, but it will slow them down and give us a chance to take out some of their lower-level dealers," Marco tells us. "That's something. Perhaps Julian is correct. Milana hasn't belonged for quite some time. This may be exactly what she needs, and we can all benefit from this union."

"I expect a wedding invitation," Raffaele says with a chuckle.

Alessio lets out a roar of laughter. It's the first time I've heard him laugh since this all started, and I take it as a good sign. Alessio looks at me. "Your mother will finally get to plan a wedding."