Epilogue

Zola

I could hear the thunderous sounds of bullets the closer I got to the shooting range. Finding Dante here was a very easy indication to me that he was worried or unhappy about something, and this time around, I was very aware of what it was.

I felt the same unease too as it was the very first time we were accepting people into our home. However, it was a time for celebration, and I didn’t want my paranoia to get the better of us.

I watched him in the cage for a little while, not wanting to bother him.

A few minutes later, after emptying his clip on the target, he took the headset and gloves off. As he turned around, I waved and he saw me. Immediately, the corners of his mouth tilted into a smile, and he came out toward me. I felt his arms encircle me and was grateful and happy to be held inside his safe warm embrace.

He hugged me tightly before pulling away and crouching down to place a kiss on my growing belly.

"You’re so tense. Relax, my beauty. This party's for you."

I rubbed his hair. “You’re such a liar.”

“You are beautiful. More beautiful than any woman, living or dead.”

I shook my head. It amused me whenever I heard him refer to me in this way. I was not one of those blessed with a glowing pregnancy. My hair was always greasy and because I was always hungry, I had put on a ton of weight in the last couple of months.

He looked around him quickly, his eyes alert and suspicious. He wasn't much different from how he had been when he hadn't completely cut off all ties with the mafia. His vigilance remained in all ways, but it was such a joy to see him happier and more relaxed than I'd ever thought possible. It had taken a while for us to get over everything that happened after the move from New York, but now we were both ready to open up our lives and welcome new people in again.

I took a peek at the gun range. "I can't believe I still don't know how to shoot.”

He held my hand and began to lead me up the main stairs. "You'll learn after the baby comes.”

I gave him a look. "That's what you said before our wedding, and then during the honeymoon. Then the first year went by, and the second ..."

"You had some lessons."

"Well, I'm still not as proficient as you are."

"You don't need to be." He paused to stare into my eyes.

"But I do," I said, as my hand went to my belly. “Especially now.”

He completely understood my fears and proceeded to comfort me. "We're fine and we’ll always be so. It's been three years, Ugo is where he belongs.”

“At the bottom of the sea?”

“No, burning in hell with all the other psychopaths.”

“Mmmm …”

“And most of his men have been given sentences that will keep them in prison for many years to come. And we have all the security at hand that we could ever need. For the first time in my life, I'm truly living, and sometimes when I first wake up, it seems too good to be true and I think that I was dreaming. Then I turn over and I see you sleeping next to me and I remember I’m the luckiest guy on earth."

"You’re right. I should stop being such a killjoy. I came out here to assure you the baby shower will go well, and I end up being the anxious one."

He walked back to the house and he rubbed the small of my back as we arrived at the kitchen.

“I’ll just go check that everything is fine,” I said.

“Okay. See you later.”

I went into the kitchen and instantly Marie came up to me and began to shoo me away.

“Go upstairs and make yourself beautiful. Your guests will be arriving soon,” she said, and gently pushed me out of the door.

I leaned against the door. Clearly, there was nothing for me to do and still plenty of time left, so I should head upstairs and change or go and bother Dante. So I did just that and found Dante in the shower. Immediately, I stripped down and joined him.

He wasn't surprised at all to see me, but somewhat amused.

"Is everything ready?" he asked.

I nodded and turning around, leaned against him. His arms wrapped around my belly, and then he began to stroke me. I left all my anxiety about the party and slowly became aware of the man behind me. I turned around and stood slightly on the tips of my toes and gently brushed his hair out of his face.

"I know that look," he said.

I couldn't help the laugh that bubbled out of me.

"I don't know what you're talking about," I replied. My knees felt decidedly weak, but as always, he was there to support me.

I shut my eyes and melted into his warmth and strength.

"Has Tommy gotten back to you on the audio account you asked him for?" he asked as he positioned his cock between the folds of my sex. I shut my eyes to savor the feel as he slid in, and then I sank completely down onto him.

"No," I whispered hoarsely.

"Want me to send someone to pay him a visit in New York?" he asked.

I stopped moving. "That sounds like a threat."

"That's exactly what it is.”

I turned to meet his eyes with an ‘oh yeah’ expression on my face.

"Fine. I'll let him keep making things difficult for you."

"Tommy doesn't respond well to threats of any kind," I told him. "You know this. Last month, I told him any further delays in cooperating with me in putting his book together would cause the publishing house to lose faith in him, but he pretended as though he didn't even hear me speak. When I mentioned it again, he told me to tell them to fuck off. Who does that?”

He laughed softly as he buried his face in my neck and began to press soft, passionate kisses along my wet skin.

"I still can't believe he agreed to a tell-all book with you," he said. "But then again, I don’t know how anybody ever says ‘no’ to you."

His arms circled around my waist to hold me even more securely in place because his thrusts were slow, but each one of them was delivered with a force that I felt to my very core.

“I'm sorry,” I breathed when I realized that my nails were digging into his arms.

“I told you before, when you hurt me, it’s like two spoons of sugar.”

Slowly, he fucked all the stress and anxiety out of me. By the time we were done and showered I lay on the bed too weak to get up.

“Hey, sleepy head. Aren’t your guests arriving soon,” he reminded me, as he sat down by my side.

I laughed, knowing full well I was going to use my pregnancy card to not show up on time.

“They’ll have to wait.”

He kissed me on the top of my head. “Rest a bit then, I’ll get this underway.”

With my heart filled with joy and peace, I shut my eyes so my baby and I could steal a few more minutes for a very much-needed nap.

That’s All Folks!