A Bond by Marriage

Chapter 16

Dino’s POV-

I felt my phone vibrate in my pocket. It was Umberto’s. I could already guess the reason. The decision for his elder son ascending to his position had been around for months now and finally I saw it fit to have a new successor as did the others.

“Umberto,” I picked up the call and acknowledged.

“Dino, how are you?”

“Good.”

“That is indeed good to hear,” he said before sighing. “I’m sure you can imagine it’s a big day for my boy Aldo tomorrow. What you still haven’t experienced is how it feels to be the father whose son is to be his successor,” he laughed. The aspect I least liked about marriages was the sudden proximity with your wife’s family. “ I am looking forward for tomorrow and then to host you again soon.”

“Of course, Aldo has proven himself worthy and yes, I shall be there to celebrate his feta as a family soon.” f*****g pleasantries.

“Ah, yes, that he has. Aldo was always an easy child. I have lost count how many times he has saved Riccardo’s ass from me. Children can be difficult. I’m sure you’ll know soon enough,” he chuckled again. I could see the conversation shifting and I really wasn’t in the mood to discuss my private matters with my wife’s uncle.

“Of course, now if you’ll excuse me, I need to get back to something,” I was tempted to question him about Gia’s unusual behaviour around men but stopped short. He was one of my many men I wouldn’t trust when it came to women’s behaviour.

“Sure, but since you are my son now, by virtue, I must know if you are liking your married life going?” Nobody had anything better to do it seemed. These constant questions were starting to irk me.

“Good, Umberto.”

“Yes, because Gia can be hard sometimes. God knows marriage can be a messy business.” My eyes narrowed at his insinuation. The only messiness in our business was getting blood on our hands and I didn’t believe violence had a place in marriage.

“If Gia gets difficult, I believe I can see to that myself. She is my wife, and I think you should worry about her well-being more than her messing up mine. She is the defenseless out of the two of us. I assure you, I can look after her. Again, Gia is my wife.”

“Of course,” he said before adding quickly, “See you tomorrow, then.” A sigh of relief left me when he hung up, but it didn’t last long because once again,my head went to Gia.

It was foolish of me to ignore Gia when I should be spending time with her, coaxing answers from her. I had rather been avoiding her for a week. Partially because of the sudden revelation about Alicia and also the fact that she wouldn’t tell me the truth. It was getting frustrating to have my wife all skittish of someone and not know what it was. I had to stop this. No more working from the club.

.

As expected, the house was silent when I arrived after a few hours. I locked the doors on my way in and planned to go straight into my office first, but Gia’s sleeping figure in the living room stopped me in my tracks. It looked like she had either dozed off on the couch, but then the TV was off and I saw no books around her, so there was a possibility she had dozed off waiting for me. I felt warm. I shouldn’t.

She looked fragile even in her sleep, tucked into herself in a corner, even on a couch. Sighing, I put my dress coat aside and brushed her hair from her face. She was bound to have brutal neck pain if she stayed positioned like she was the entirety of the night. I knew I had to get her to the room but then, if she woke up mid-way in my arms, she would freak out more.

I was ready to take that risk though. I picked her up and frowned when I didn’t feel the weight I had expected. She needed to eat. I pulled her tighter in my arms but she chose that moment to open her eyes.

“Gia, you were sleeping on the couch. I didn't want you to have neck pain.” Never had I felt the need to explain myself more.

She blinked confused. “Hey,” she said and I saw her frown before straightening her shoulders and twining her fingers together. “Yeah, I was waiting for you.”

“I guessed that.” She seemed embarrassed by my acknowledgment. So much, she tried to jump off my arms but I held her before she could embarrass herself more.

“I’m sorry. And I waited because I wanted to apologize. So, I’m sorry, again.” She was blabbering, but I didn’t stop her like I would anyone else. “I shouldn’t have gone behind your back and asked Marco about your life,” she shook her head, her hair strands falling before her eyes again. She hurriedly pushed them away and shook her head to leave the tangled mess be. “I’m really sorry. I won’t ever do that again.”

“And you couldn't wait until tomorrow for it?”

“Well, tomorrow you won’t really be here. You are up and out of the house before I wake up. And I didn’t want to wait anymore.”

“You could come with me tomorrow.” Her expression changed. I studied her harder because something was definitely up.

“I don’t feel well. So, I won’t be going,” she said, looking me straight in the eyes. Her tone suggested that this wasn’t up for discussion. She had made up her mind and this was her declaring her decision to me. As much as I liked the abrupt strength in her voice and the lift in her chin, I wasn’t going to let this go just yet.

“You look perfectly fine to me. How are you not well?”

“You said I could do whatever I wanted, that I didn’t have to explain myself to anyone. You said I could make my own decisions.”

I had said that. “So, this is your decision and has nothing to do with your health.” She had lied to me. “You can do whatever you want, Gia. You can make decisions for yourself. If you want, you can confront anyone who dares defame you. If you want, you can dish out any punishment for anyone who has ever wronged you.” I loathed her courage because it was only to hide further in the shadows. “But what you won’t decide for yourself is to hide from the people, to be afraid of what they’ll say, whisper or do, because they won’t. Not when I’m beside you, but I want it to be so even when you don’t have me on your side. So, you can’t hide.” I didn’t realise I already had her trapped between myself and the couch. Gia wasn’t even frightened. She just looked at me with that unbelieving look in her eyes, and before she could register our proximity, I stepped back.

“Alicia and I were dating. Then she got into an accident and that was that,” I said. It wasn’t the complete truth but it wasn’t a complete lie either. “Also, I’m not mad at you for talking to Marco about me. I’ve been avoiding you since then and I shouldn’t have done that. So, let’s call it even.”

I decided I had to give her some time, so I walked towards Marco’s room. The knob turned easily and there he lay, sprawled on the bed, both legs uncovered. It had to be uncomfortable sleeping in that position and yet he slept peacefully all twisted in the bed. Legs sprawled, torso turned on one side, his head titled upwards and hands beside his head.

I covered him up. His books lay scattered on the table and I put them aside. His shoes lay upside down with socks stuffed in them and clothes from earlier today lay on the ground. I put all of it in the hamper and wondered if he’d even notice anything different in his room come morning. Probably not.

I heard soft footsteps and thought Gia had followed me. “You are going to take his class for all the mess, aren’t you?” Vito asked.

“I’ll have to. He needs to learn discipline. Look at his room.” Vito snorted. Marco had evidently taken after him.

“Your wife isn’t on the couch anymore. Did you guys talk or did you just dump her in the bed?”

“Unlike what you might believe, people can sense when they are being lifted.”

“My women don’t. But then again, we are role-playing. You know shy vixen—”

“I don’t want to know, Vito.”

“Alright. So, what did she want to talk about? I was afraid of dumping her in your bed, so I woke her up and she said she wanted to talk to you about something important. And then I sensed her despair before I could coax anything out of her. But I stayed awake until you came, looking after your wife, so you owe me. Now, tell me what she said?” Vito wouldn’t usually be interested in anyone but I knew he was hoping we’d get the name out of her. I trusted him with Gia.

“She didn’t say anything you’d be interested in.”