Marry Me Mafia

The Proposal

Renee thought about the proposal for a quick second. "OK, but I have conditions," she said. Nico's head popped up with a huge smile, "Absolutely, I understand we can discuss everything tonight after dinner at home." "Home?" Renee repeated back to him. "Yeah, you can pack a suitcase, some dog food if you need it and follow me back down to the house. We can talk about it all tonight." Nico was moving fast. "I'll wait for you to get some things together." He walked into the living room and sat on the leather sofa, crossing his long legs. Without another word, Renee walked through the living room into the master suite. She walked to the century-old wardrobe and pulled out a change of clothes; a pair of slim jeans, and a black tee shirt. She realized she needed to shower but didn't think her fiancée had the patience to wait. She could shower in his house. She quickly changed clothes, pulled a single suitcase from the closet, laid it open on the four-poster bed, and started laying out her necessities. Undergarments, night clothes, shorts, tops, pants, a couple of skirts, some simple dresses and a simple cream suit for court, if necessary, three pairs of shoes, her cosmetics bag, a flat iron, brush, a small case with minimal jewelry, and her bathroom necessities. Curiosity must have been killing Nico, because a moment later, she looked up and saw his frame in the doorway. He noticed she had changed clothes, a little put out that he missed it. "Just grab the basics. I can send my guys here in a day or two for anything else you need." Renee stopped and glared at him, "Nobody walks into my home, without my saying so, ever." She continued filling the suitcase, mumbling just under her breath, "The last thing I need is a bunch of testosterone filled brick s**t houses dirtying up my place, or breaking things." Nico just raised an eyebrow, and turning walked back toward the living room. After he left her view, she pulled a smaller go bag out; she already had a small bag of dog food, Benadryl, a leash, and a pinch collar for Bug. She also grabbed her purse, wallet, and a large manila envelope she had for safekeeping with 10K dollars in emergency cash inside and shoved it all into the go bag. She made two phone calls, one to her neighbor, Gary, a former Marine, to tell him she was going to New Orleans for a few days and asked if he could pick up her mail and maybe cut the grass if he saw it needed it. Gary didn't ask questions but agreed. The second call was to her niece, to ask her to stop by the house next week to check on things, as she was going on a week-long trip and wanted to make certain everything would be secure. She also agreed and said she would call if she needed anything. Renee whistled for Bug, who had settled herself on the dog's bed beside the fireplace, watching their visitor cautiously. The dog jumped up and, with missile precision, ran to Renee, turned sharp and went to her left side and sat. Nico was impressed, "Jesus, is that thing for real, no really, you can tell me because, damn, that's crazy." Renee smiled and laughed to herself; she had trained Bug from the time she was 12 weeks old, for security, but also to help her combat the demons from her past in the military. Bug was 12 years old now, but the dog's corded shoulders and 12 pack abs, it still looked like she did Cross-Fit. "No, just well-trained. We've been together for 12 years now," Renee replied. She looked down at Bug, with a broad smile on her face, "Shotgun!" Renee called, and the dog broke into a run for the back kitchen door. Nico looked around, "What?" "Sorry," Renee glanced in his direction as she carried her suitcase, "that's her cue to get in the car." Nico made an amused face and stood up, reaching over to take the suitcase. Renee started for a second, then handled the cases over, "Um, thank you." Nico's smile just reached his eyes, "Your welcome." He replied. Renee walked into the kitchen and picked up the keys to her other car. She had thought about just grabbing her truck keys, but the old 2011 Silverado might look too out of place beside Nico's luxury cars. She and Nico walked out the back door, with Bug, who took it upon herself to have a full bathroom break before going to the 6ft gate beside the garage. Renee opened the garage side door and hit the button to open the garage doors. The old roller doors slowly came up and what greeted Nico's eyes was a sexy black 2-door Roadster the make he had never seen. Renee mashed the key fob, unlocking the gull-wing doors, revealing black and red custom leather seats and a 6-speed manual transmission. The dog hopped into the plush leather surroundings of the car and settled in as if it was completely normal. Renee buckled a harness on the dog and secured it to the car's seat beat, before gently closing the door behind it. Nico didn't realize his mouth was slightly open, until Renee came over and tapped his chin. "Don't want to catch flies." She remarked. "What is that?" Nico asked, finally getting his senses back. Renee looked quite proud when she answered him, "Oh, this is a vintage 2007 Saturn Sky Redline, customized with a 5.3L V8 engine, and gull wing doors. You like?" "That's a Saturn. As in American-made soccer mom, Saturn?" He seemed dumbfounded. "Yes, there were only a handful ever made, but this is the only one on Earth with a small block V-8 engine in it," Renee continued, "and as my fiancée, you might get privileges to drive it. I haven't really decided yet," Renee smirked at Nico and batted her eyes for a moment. Nico was beginning to enjoy her style of flirting, if that is what this was. "I'm sure we can come to an understanding." He replied. "We can discuss it after dinner." She repeated back, smiling. Renee stepped into the low driver's seat, closed the gull-wing door and pressed the start button; the engine roared to life, with a deep predatory growl. Something in Nico's stomach reacted on instinct to the sound of a powerful engine and a beautiful woman at the wheel. Renee slowly pulled the sports car out of the garage, Nico following her to the end of the driveway, before walking back to his own silver Mercedes-AMG Roadster parked beside the picket fence. He opened the trunk and carefully placed her luggage inside. The two pulled out of the drive, and it seemed to be a race back to the house on Magazine St.

Nico realized he was smiling as they pulled onto I-12 and headed back to New Orleans. Damn, she could drive, even in his Mercedes he could barely keep up. They weren't driving recklessly, but even he had to admit, she had serious skills. She let him get just close enough to see her through the window, before finding another gear, and rocketing forward. Her black roadster slid effortlessly between lanes. This was easily the hottest and longest kind of foreplay he'd had with a woman, and they weren't even in the same car. The chase went on all the way over the Pontchartrain bridge, through side streets, until she finally eased off the pedal, letting him move in front of her. When he came alongside, she just smiled sweetly and waved him along as if he were asking permission to pass, and she was granting it. Yeah, Nico knew he would have his hands full, keeping this tiger caged. He tapped the gate button as he approached the house, Renee following behind him. Four security guards, sporting barely concealed MAC-10s and shoulder-holstered pistols, stood waiting as they parked side by side in front of the carriage house; the gate closing slowly behind them. One crushed out a cigarette as their engine turned off. Renee unbuckled her dog, and they both stepped out of the car from the driver's side. Nico walked over and met her as she stood up, wanting to take her in his hands already. "Well, that was, exhilarating." He said with a single eyebrow raised, "You're a hell of a driver, Chief." He smirked using her Naval rank, knowing a few of his crew had served and might respect the rank first. "You're not too bad either, but I'm going to give most of the credit to the car." Renee retorted. One of the guards smiled, but lowering his head, he covered it well. Nico acted as if he hadn't noticed and ordered the men to get her bags from his trunk, and to bring them up to the upper apartment above the carriage house. He took her by her free hand and walked her up the outer stairs into the apartment. It was a cottage really, with a small kitchenette as you entered, with a bedroom directly across. The bed was a queen wrought iron dressed in a white down comforter. A small painted dresser sat directly across from the bed with a TV mounted to the sloped wall above. A full-length gilt mirror leaned in a corner. There were simply white train china dishes, and the small fridge had been modestly stocked with the basics; milk, eggs, bread, and some fruit. Bug had already taken up residency at the foot of the bed and looked quite comfortable. Renee narrowed her eyes at the dog, "You, traitor." Nico stood just inside the door. "Will this be OK? We have guests' rooms in the house." Renee smiled at Nico for his concern, "No, it's lovely, and I don't want to confuse the girls by living in the same house." Nico nodded, "I understand." He turned to leave but stopped at the door, calling over his shoulder "Dinner is at 6pm and the girl's curfew is 8pm. We can talk in the study after dinner." Renee just nodded, as she opened her suitcase and began organizing her clothes. When the dresser was organized with her clothes, Renee decided to take a quick shower before dinner and change clothes. She took the dog bowl out of the second bag along with a zipper bag of dog food. She placed the bowl in the kitchen and poured some into the bowl. She then took a small glass bowl out of the cabinet, filled it with water, and set it on a kitchen towel beside the food. Renee walked down the short hallway and found the bathroom. Equipped with an old-style clawfoot tub and brass shower ring above, fitted with a soft white cloth shower curtain. She turned the water to hot, closed the curtain and turned to the cabinets where she found a stack of huge fluffy towels in peach and white. Pulling one out, she disrobed and stepped into the shower. She noticed a small shelf niche in the wall complete with a bar of new soap that smelled like lavender and vanilla, along with a small bottle of shampoo. The steaming shower washed the travel grime and tiredness off. Washing her hair after a morning of yard work felt even better. The bathroom was starting to steam up considerably, so when she was done, Renee stepped out of the tub, turned off the water and opened the small round window facing the house. She toweled her hair dry, then herself before wrapping up in the towel and walking back into the main living/sleeping area, her bare feet tapping wetly on the floorboards. In the bedroom, she took out one of the dresses she brought. Renee had never been the frilly-dressy kind of girl, but surely a crème sundress with sleeves and a scooped back and her tan strappy-heeled sandals would be appropriate for dinner. She finished drying her hair upside down, throwing her head back and brushing it smoothly. She stepped into her simple beige lingerie set, followed by the dress and sandals. Makeup for dinner in a stranger's house was simple too. Tinted moisturizer, a touch of blush, powder, mascara, and lip balm. She added a simple pair of thin gold earrings and one of her few luxury items; a 14K gold cuff bracelet she was lucky enough to thrift years ago. She took a deep breath, looked around the small apartment; Bug had finished eating and had gone to sleep at the foot of the bed. Renee licked her lip and checked her phone. The time said 5:50pm. She opened the door and walked down the outer staircase. Another security guard was standing near the corner of the house, earpiece in. He caught her from the corner of his eye and flashed her a smile and a thumbs up. Renee laughed, and mouthed the words, 'Thank you.' She stepped across the courtyard and opened the door to the lower kitchen.

The lights were warm and soft in the kitchen. Something was bubbling away on the back burner of the stove; a small round bald man was busy preparing what looked like a salad. Two small child plates had already been prepared with what looked like Rotini pasta, a tomato gravy, steamed sugar snapped peas and two pieces of boneless baked chicken tenders. The man saw Renee out of the corner of his eye and looked up with a broad smile, "Bellissima!" He put down the knife and walked over, taking her hand in his and placing a small kiss on her knuckles. "What a lovely woman! You must be Nico's Amore. Please come sit?" Renee blushed; no one had ever referred to her that way. "Yes, thank you. My name is Renee. Is there anything I can do to help?" Renee loved to cook, and the smells wafting through the kitchen were divine. "Bella, you may call me Antonio. I am the cook." He wagged his finger as she continued, "No, no, you are a guest, and I could not impose." "Please," Renee begged, "It's no imposition. I love to cook, and it smells like heaven in here." Che sovrastima," he quickly translated, "You overstate, but it is OK, I like you, Bella." He leaned across the counter and patted her cheek. "The boss is upstairs," he motioned to the set of stairs to the left of the pantry doors "but you are welcome to have dinner with me, as I enjoy the company of a beautiful woman." Renee walked over to Antonio and kissed him on the cheek. "I'd better not keep the boss waiting for his dinner." Renee stole a cherry tomato from the salad and popped it into her mouth, its sweet, bright flavor exploding in her mouth. Antonio, called out after her, "Diavolessa! Naughty thing, you are a bad influence, out, out." He shooed her up the stairs with a kitchen towel. The stairway was steep with the atmosphere of a tunnel complete with an arched ceiling. As she reached the top of the stairs, Renee could hear Nico talking to what she could only assume were his nieces. 'Yes, I invited the pretty lady who saved you both to dinner tonight. She is going to stay with us until the nice lady from the state court says you can both come and live with your uncle Nico forever. She and I are going to play a game, and I want you two to help us win the game, OK?" The voices of two little girls chimed in together, YA! Uncle Nico, are you going to marry her? "She is so pretty and brave." Hannah squealed, "I want to be like her one day." Renee topped the stairs behind the girls, directly in Nico's line of sight. "It takes a lot of guts to be brave." The girls spun around gasping; Renee continued, "You are already brave though, because you were fighting back pretty hard when I showed up." The girls, who were usually standoff-ish around strangers, ran up to Renee with a million questions ranging from are you a superhero, to are you married to the one that made Renee blush even deeper, don't you think our Uncle Nico is handsome? "My goodness that's a lot of questions." she looked to Nico for help, only to see him standing there with a self-satisfied look on his face. "Why don't we sit down for dinner, and I'll try to answer some of those." She looked at Nico under her lashes for a brief moment, before ushering the girls to a set of elevated chairs at the dinner table. Nico had changed for dinner as well; he wore a pair of dark blue trousers, a crisp white button-down shirt and a matching dark blue dinner jacket. The blue suit looked decadent on his frame, accented with a Patek Philippe gold watch and small round gold cufflinks. His hair was still damp from the shower, but he'd taken the time to comb it back. The girls each wore pink dresses with flowers and butterflies done in a printed cotton fabric, Hannah wore light pink jelly sandals, while Ava had on a pair of sea foam green Velcro tennis shoes. It was obvious Nico had his hands full with those two. Looking back at Nico as he pulled out her chair beside his own, she felt a little self-conscious. "I wasn't certain of the dress code for dinner..." She trailed off as she sat. Nico placed his hand on her bare back, "You look beautiful, tonight." Renee wet her lips before she answered, "Thank you." Before the girls could begin their game of 3000 questions, however, there was a tiny chiming bell sound, and the wall beside the stairway opened revealing Antonio with a rolling cart of plates, juice cups, a bottle of wine and two stemmed glasses. Renee filed the elevator access to the back of her mind, as Antonio started describing dinner. "For the adults, Spaghetti Bolognese with roasted Brussels sprouts, and a simple salad." Antonio pointedly looked at me before continuing, "For the princesses, Rotini Bolognese, extra cheese, sugar snap peas sautéed in butter, and tenders of chicken, baked. Auguro un buon pasto." Antonio winked to the girls, and patted Nico's shoulder. Nico smiled, thanking Antonio before motioning to the tale to eat. The girls carefully picked up their napkins, tucking them into the dress collars, carefully before beginning to destroy the plates, all hands in. They looked like a pair of feral children dressed as princesses for Halloween. I followed Nico's own motion, placing my napkin in my lap carefully, picking up my fork and spoon, and began to enjoy the exceptional dinner. Nico watched his hand on his chin, as I carefully wound the pasta onto the fork using the spoon, before taking it into my mouth, carefully not to spill. He stood carefully, taking the opened bottle of red wine, pouring us each a glass, before placing the bottle on the table, and returning to his chair. The meal was delicious and uneventful. The food made the girls completely forget about their questions. Nico, however, asked things that were directly linked to tomorrow's visit from DCFS. "So how are we going to handle the interview tomorrow, my fiancée?" Renee took a sip of the wine and answered him. "They will likely ask questions about how we met, how long we've known each other. Have we set a wedding date, anything about planning the wedding? If we get custody, will we be moving soon after? Do I live with you, or do I have my own place, and not to be crude, Mr. Frenetti, but they will ask if we have been intimate, or do we want kids of our own one day." Nico took all the information in stride. He figured the questions might go into the more personal areas of their lives, and he hoped the girls would be helpful, considering the minions wanted Renee and him to get married anyway. "That leads me to ask if you would be OK if I proposed to you in front of the girls? That way they could relay it in detail to the interviewer?" Renee dropped her head for a moment to think; it made sense after all. The girls had already asked if they were getting married, and wasn't that her entire reason for being here? She looked back at Nico, and whispered, "Yes. If you want to," Nico smiled, and Renee could see a slight dimple form on his cheek; he looked up at the girls, who were in a deep conversation of their own at the end of the table. "Girls? Can you both wipe your paws, and come down here? I want you both to see something." Hannah and Ava pulled their napkins free from their collars and made a big deal of wiping their faces and fingers carefully before sliding out of the chairs and walking towards Nico and Renee. "Uncle Nico, are you going to ask her to marry you?" Nico stood up and answered, "Well in truth..." He turned to me before continuing, "I am." Nico slowly dropped to one knee and took a small blood-red velvet box from his pocket. The girls fell silent instantly, as if they realized something very important was happening, and they needed to pay attention. Renee's heart caught in her throat. She knew it wasn't real, but the idea of this incredibly sexy man going down to his knees for her just made the tears want to come. "Renee", he started, "Ti Amor, you have in the time I have known you, protected my family, brought warmth, and life into my home, and made me desire things I did not think I required. This family is only complete with you in it. Will you marry me, Bella?" Nico looked hopeful, his eyes soft, and his hand calloused by years of God knows what held a beautiful ring. It was set low with a 3ct oval pigeon blood ruby circled by tiny round diamonds. For an act, Nico deserved an Oscar. Renee's eyes betrayed her by a single tear. She brushed it away, nodded quickly, looking down for the briefest second to collect herself before answering, "Yes, Nico, yes." Nico slid the ring onto her finger, and it was a perfect fit. The girls began cheering and jumping up and down. Nico brushed a kiss at her temple and whispered on her cheek, "Perfecto. Thank you." Renee didn't respond right away but looked at the girls who were holding hands and dancing in a circle. She could only smile at their joy. She looked over at Nico and for the briefest moment she thought she saw a look of gentle pride on his face. That was quickly replaced by the typically unreadable gaze of a deadly mafia lord.