Chapter Twenty-One

Jillian

For the first two weeks after I was released from the overnight observation, Damon barely left my side. Knowing that the only remaining threat had been eliminated didn’t console him in the least. The video Geno sent to Damon’s phone struck a chord deep inside him, ringing a bell that wouldn’t easily be un-rung. Even when I went with Mama Lina and Carrie to pick out my wedding gown, he insisted on going with us. But he knew how important keeping the dress a surprise was to me, so he agreed to stand guard outside the enormous dressing room without peeking.

Choosing the one dress I’d wear for my one and only wedding was more than a little daunting. Besides finding the perfect gown, I also had to find one that would fit my ever-growing midsection and still look halfway decent on me. Damon claimed I was overreacting, but he only said that to placate me. The reality was, I could tell a difference in the size of my belly every morning when I woke. Our wedding day seemed so close yet still so far away. At that rate, I wasn’t even sure the dress would still fit when the day finally arrived and it was time to wear it, yet I didn’t want to get a size so big it swallowed me whole either.

There was no one-size-fits-all dress or solution to my conundrum.

“Good morning, gorgeous. Did you have trouble sleeping last night?”

“Good morning, my love. I slept like the dead between the fifty times I had to get up to pee in the middle of the night. Did I wake you?”

“I’m naturally a light sleeper, doll. Comes from years of sleeping with one eye open.”

“Good to know. I’ll try not to disturb the eye that’s asleep in the future.” With a smile for my fiancé, I slid into my seat and began devouring the scrumptious breakfast he cooked.

“By the way, I have a pre-wedding gift for you.” The words rolled off his tongue so nonchalantly, but I sensed the undertone of excitement he tried to hide from me.

“What is it?” I was intrigued. There weren’t many material possessions that excited him.

He smirked at me for a moment, considering his extortion options. What could he get from me in exchange for information? How much should he hold out for? All the old negotiation tactics I’d seen in contractors over my years of professional experience. But I was good at negotiating for what I wanted too. With my fork held in midair for added emphasis, I arched one brow and pursed my lips, waiting for him to make a decision and daring him to make the wrong one.

He reached into his breast pocket, pulled out a key fob, and held it out in the palm of his hand. “I’m sorry it took me so long to do this.”

I took the key fob attached to a leather keychain from him and ran my finger across the four connected circles at the bottom. “An Audi?”

“Yes, ma’am. A dark blue Audi RS7, to be exact. It’s a luxury sedan—sporty but still very safe for you and the twins.”

“I would jump into your lap and cover your face with kisses right now if I could fit between you and the table.”

Without hesitation, he pushed back from the table using his legs then patted his lap. “Problem solved.”

After I’d smothered him with kisses for several minutes, we walked to the garage together where my new car waited. After I’d checked out all the buttons, knobs, bells, and whistles, I wrapped my arms around Damon’s neck and kissed him again.

“I love this car. It’s perfect. Thank you, babe.”

“My pleasure. I should’ve done that a long time ago. It finally occurred to my thick head that you may want to drive yourself somewhere instead of relying on me or one of the guys. Luigi won’t be able to drive for a while. He’s lucky even to be alive. As much as I want to keep you safe, I don’t want to keep you prisoner.”

“I don’t feel like your prisoner, but I do appreciate not depending on someone else for everything I want or need.”

“Yeah, I get that. I’m the same way. The car made me realize I should’ve already given you this, too.” He pulled an envelope from his jacket’s inside pocket. “We’ll update the name after we’re married, but these will work until then.”

I opened the envelope and pulled out lots of plastic. “You added me to your bank and credit card accounts?”

“What’s mine is yours, doll. Maybe you’ve noticed the lack of any lawyer involvement or requests to sign prenuptial agreements. I told you before, once we’re married, it’ll be forever. You’re the only one for me for the rest of my life, doll.”

“No keeping secrets or leaving me in the dark about anything?”

He shook his head. “No way. Two heads are better than one. Besides, I want you by my side in everything I do. Sometimes figuratively, sometimes literally—but always with me just the same.”

“That’s where I’ll be—always with you. But I have a warning of my own.”

“Oh yeah? Let’s hear it.”

“If you double-cross me, I’ll make sure your enemies know you’re secretly a huge romantic.”

He threw his head back in laughter. “Trust me, doll. None of my enemies would ever believe I have a single nice bone in my body, much less a romantic one. That side of me is reserved for your eyes only.”

He kissed me goodbye and walked to his car. “You should take your new toy for a spin while I’m out today. Make sure you like it.”

“I’ll do that—if I can fit behind the wheel and still reach the pedals.”

He laughed, amused by my self-deprecating humor. “I’ll be home late, doll. We’re meeting with some of the smaller factions that aligned with the Sanfratellos a few months ago. They want to play nice with us now.”

“Please be careful, Damon. You’re a bad influence on me—I don’t trust anyone now, and I definitely don’t trust someone who used to be your enemy.”

“Don’t worry about me, doll. I’ll be fine. If we can use them, we will. If they don’t prove their loyalty soon enough, we’ll get rid of them. I consider everyone a potential enemy until they give me concrete proof showing they’re not. I’ll call you later and check in.” He blew me a kiss as he climbed into his car. I watched him drive away, wondering if I’d ever get used to the danger he faced in his line of work.

I grabbed my purse from inside the house and took Damon’s advice on taking my new car for a spin. As with every other high-end item, Damon also had impeccable taste in cars. I’d racked my brain trying to come up with a wedding gift for a man who had the world at his fingertips. He, on the other hand, had no problem coming up with extravagant gifts for me.

Driving through our township, I saw a sign in the window of a women’s boutique, of all places, that gave me an idea. Something he didn’t already have and wasn’t likely to initiate for himself. Something that could be completed within a day, with Mama Lina and Carrie’s help. After a brief phone call and quick explanation to each, they were both on board to make my idea a reality.

Our basement was finished, but it was initially slated to be the last room on the list for furniture shopping. But I changed my mind when I saw the “Babe Cave” sign. Damon deserved a true Man Cave where he could unwind and de-stress after a long day. A playroom for adults, where problems didn’t exist and troubles took a back seat.

When I reached Mama Lina’s, she’d already assembled a small army of Vincenzo’s men to be at our beck and call.

“Tell me, bella. What do you want to get first?”

“I want to get the biggest flat-screen TV we can find and hang it on one end of the room, with rows of recliners like his own theater, and a sectional sofa on the opposite end of the room. We need a fully stocked bar with stools along one of the side walls, a pool table in the middle of the room, and a card table off to the other side. Can we make all this happen today?”

“No sweat, Miss Jillian. We’ll make sure it’s finished well before he gets home.” I recognized the man as one of Vincenzo’s most trusted lieutenants. If they trusted him, I knew I could trust him too.

“Thank you, Joseph. You’re such a good man. We need to find you a good wife, no?” Mama Lina patted his cheek, and I could’ve sworn he blushed from her attention.

Carrie pulled up just as Mama Lina and I were getting into my new car. She jumped out of hers and into the back seat of mine. “Where to first? This is exciting. I love spending my brother’s money.”

We laughed and took off on our shopping spree with the day’s work crew behind us. From one store to the next, I picked out every item to accomplish the room’s exact look and feel I had pictured in my mind. The men stayed with us, doing all the heavy lifting and immediately taking the items available to carry out of the store to my house.

I learned a few new negotiation tactics from Mama Lina to get the bigger delivery items dropped off within the same business day—mainly dropping the Marchetti name in the store and watching them scramble to make it happen. The furniture store was more than willing to take the sectional sofa and leather recliners right away, considering I’d already spent a small fortune there and they knew I’d be back for more.

With all the big-ticket items being assembled and secured by the family men, Mama Lina, Carrie, and I spent most of the day shopping for decorations to add the finishing touches. When we finished and returned to my house, I was beyond thrilled with the progress the guys had made. They unloaded the pictures, lamps, and throw rugs from my trunk and made quick work of getting those items into place.

I couldn’t wait for Damon to get home. His late night at work would mean a long night of anticipation for me.

“You guys did such a great job today—and you were so fast! I couldn’t have pulled this off without you. Thank you so much for all your help.” I made sure to make eye contact with each man while I spoke, letting them know their hard work didn’t go unnoticed. Their mumbled replies and uneasy glances left little doubt they weren’t used to receiving accolades.

“I’ll drive Miss Lina and Miss Carrie back so you don’t have to make the trip, if you’d like.”

“That would be great, Joseph. Thank you.”

Joseph gave one quick nod of his head, but I didn’t miss the appreciative smile that flashed across his face just before he turned away. After a hug and kiss goodbye from Mama Lina and Carrie, I was alone in the enormous house, impatiently waiting for Damon to walk in so I could surprise him. To help pass the time, I decided to tackle the bags of nursery decorations Damon and I picked out together. When I finally heard the garage door opening, I rushed out to greet him.

Damon looked tired, with his unkempt clothes, disheveled hair, and heavy eyes. When he looked up at me, standing in the doorway waiting for him to reach me, his expression brightened. “You’ve been up to something. What have you done?”

“Stop reading my mind!”

“Doll, I don’t have to read your mind to know you have something to confess. It’s written all over your face.”

“I actually don’t have anything to confess. But I do have a surprise for you. I’ve been waiting for you to get home for days now.”

“For days? Really now?”

“It felt like days anyway. Now, come with me. I can’t wait any longer.”

“That’s exactly what you said to me last night.” That mischievous grin covered his handsome face, making me instantly quiver inside from the simple reminder alone.

“Follow. Me.” I tried to maintain my stern tone and face, but that was impossible when he smiled at me that way.

“Yes, ma’am. Lead the way. I’m all yours, wherever it is you’re taking me.”

When we reached the door to the basement, I glanced over my shoulder at Damon, intentionally keeping my face passive as I turned the doorknob.

“Now, this is what I’m talking about. You can meet me at the car every day so we can finish initiating every room in the house. The basement is a great idea for tonight, doll.”

“I’m glad you think so.” The stairs were lit with scattered night-lights. When we reached the bottom stair, I flipped on the overhead lights and closely watched his reaction.

He was speechless as he slowly walked through the room, checking out all the new additions and décor. When he finally turned back toward me, I held up a sign that read My Cave, My Rules. My Wife Said So.

He threw his head back in laughter before covering the ground between us in two long strides. “You did all this for me?”

“Of course. You’ve done so much for me, I wanted to surprise you with something I knew you wouldn’t do for yourself. It’s my turn to spoil you, and you deserve it. Do you like it?”

“Like it? I fucking love it. This is awesome, doll. It’ll be put to good use, believe me.”

“I was thinking, as you start to take over from your dad, your brothers and your men could come here for the family meetings. They could even bring their wives or girlfriends so I’d have more friends than just your mom and sister. This room is isolated enough from the rest of the house that you wouldn’t be bothered by us upstairs, and then you wouldn’t have to stay gone so much.”

“You wouldn’t mind all of them coming over every week?”

“Not at all.”

“You know, doll. I have no idea how I ever lived without you before, but I know without a shadow of a doubt, I can’t do it now. You’re the absolute best, and I love you more than I love my next breath. Come here.”

He placed his palms on my cheeks before he slanted his mouth over mine, teasing my lips open with a seductive slide of his tongue. Then he delved deep inside, and the rest of the world faded away. It was a soft and slow kiss, unhurried yet commanding as he melted me from the inside out. My heart raced and my chest heaved as my need for him increased. With every pass of his lips, the tingles inside me increased until I was certain my body would detonate from his simple touch.

“You’re absolutely perfect,” he murmured against my lips, his masculine voice sending goose bumps fanning out across my skin in response. “And right now, I want to fuck you on that pool table more than I’ve ever wanted anything in my entire life.”

“How do you want me? On my back or on all fours?”

The sexiest growl rumbled through his chest and worked its way up his throat. I loved when I made him lose control—no matter how brief it was.

“Both. Fucking both. Right now.”