Mafia Born

Chapter Five: Pool Day Part 2 Plus Dinner

**Veronica's POV**

I was a little uncomfortable walking outside dressed the way I was. I knew I was going to be surrounded by men and here I am wearing a somewhat revealing bikini. Oh well, I thought to myself. I'm going to make the most of the day and enjoy it until I have to meet my father later this evening.

I walk outside to be greeted by the guys. Marco immediately made his way to me. I inwardly rolled my eyes and tried to prepare myself. I could tell he was a flirt and a tease but I don't know how far he was planning on taking things because I know I wasn't going to go there. I may entertain the idea but I won't take the next step.

"Good Morning Little one. Did you dream of me last night?" Marco asked with a grin.

"You wish." I responded while taking a slight step back. Marco obviously has no idea what personal space means.

Marco attempted to get closer when Teo comes our way and seemly moves him out of the way so he can control the conversation.

"Ready for a swim?" He asked.

It looked liked Marco whispered something to Teo but I couldn't hear exactly what he said or even how Teo responded.

"Come with me, my lady and we shall get you all set up by the pool." Teo extended his hand to me and I decided to take it.

He guided us around the pool area to the balcony that overlooked most of the property. I couldn't hold my excitement and I rushed to the railing to look at the amazing view.

"It's so peaceful and quiet out here. Just look at that view. I could definitely get used to that. You can see most of the countryside from this spot."

I paused for a moment and took a deep breathe inhaling the country air. Behind my father's house, you could see miles of crops. It looked to be grapes and maybe even some peppers. I couldn't really tell from where I was standing but it was pretty impressive.

"Does my father own any vineyards?" I asked not looking away from the horizon.

"He owns a few actually." Teo answered. "I take it you like wine?"

"Guilty." I respond innocently. " I can't help myself. I only like sweet wine though. Can't handle the dry stuff."

Teo started to laugh."Nothing wrong with that. Wine is wine. I'll have to ask Rose bring out a bottle for tonight."

"Probably should grab two." I suggested with a sigh.

"Nervous?" Teo questioned as I turned to look back at the house.

"Extremely." I answered as he turned and did the same.

"I think he's more nervous than you are." I rolled my eyes at that statement.

"I highly doubt that." I cross my arms and then look over at Teo. "So we going swimming or what?"

"Oh, who said anything about we?" He gave me an evil look and the next thing I know, Teo grabs me and picks me up bridal style in his arms and starts running towards the pool area.

"Don't you even think about it Teo. Put me down! Put me down you big ox!" I will admit I was enjoying myself and smiling while he was carrying me in his arms.

"Very well then." Teo suddenly stops and then tosses me into the pool without a second thought.

"That wasn't very nice." I said with a pout and show him my angry face.

"In my defense, you told me to put you down. Just didn't say where exactly."

I noticed Ricci slowly creep behind Teo and pushes him in the pool with me.

"Thanks Ricci!" I yell towards him as he gives me a thumbs up and heads to the bar.

I was surprised I actually enjoyed myself today. The weather was absolutely perfect to spend by the pool and the company wasn't too bad either for the most part.

I will admit I don't feel too comfortable around Marco. He has this powerful vibe around him that's dangerous and almost feels like I'm suffocating whenever he's around. I mean, I have a feeling most of the men that work for my father are probably dangerous and powerful but Marco has a more of a creeper vibe to him.

Teo, on the other hand, was in a class all on his own. I felt privileged to spend time with him in and out of the water. I got to really get a good look at him up close while we were swimming and just hanging out.

He has a scar on his right cheek that looks like he was in a knife fight or something close to it. When the sun hits his eyes, they change from a deep hazel to almost a pure emerald green and back to blue. I've never seen eyes like his before. I could get lost in them and I would be content with the rest of my life. His hair was as dark as night and shines like oil. He looks like you're typical Italian bad boy but I can tell he has a heart of gold. He made sure I enjoyed my time today and did everything in his power to bring a smile to my face. I guess staying in Italy for a few days won't be too bad after all.

The day flies by and we all turn to see Rose walking towards us.

"Alright everyone. Lorenzo will be here in a couple hours. No more pool time. Veronica, I can help you get ready if you like." She turned and smiled at me.

"I would love that Rose!" I say happily and start heading out of the pool.

After following Rose up to my room, she pulled out the dress she showed me earlier and some heels to match.

"I don't know about those shoes, Rose. I've never been really good at walking in heels."

"Oh don't worry dear. They're not too high and have a strong strap that wraps around your ankle for support. You won't have any trouble. Trust me, dear." Rose disappeared into the adjoining bathroom. "There are fresh towels and some perfume if you want to try something new. I'll be right out here to help you with your hair once you're all showered."

"Thank you Rose." I grabbed my phone, fresh undies, and headed into the bathroom.

Turning on favorite hits playlist, I hopped into the shower and started to wash all the tanning lotion and chlorine off my body. My thoughts quickly started drifting towards dinner. I'm getting ready to meet my father for the first time since I could remember. Should I call him dad or father? Should I hug him? Do I even talk to him to begin with? Would a handshake be too formal? All these questions racing through my head was keeping me from enjoying my shower so I cut it short. Didn't want to keep Rose waiting anyway.

I step out of the shower and wrap one of the towels around my hair and body before rejoining Rose in my room.

"Here. You forgot your underwear." Rose hands me want looks like black lingerie. Black lace bra with matching lace panties.

"Rose, I have my underwear in the bathroom. I could never wear stuff like that for tonight. I was just grabbing my phone charger before getting dressed."

"Trust me dear. You're going to be wearing a sexy dress. Why not look sexy underneath? Even if it's just for yourself, let loose." Rose winked and tossed the undergarments my way. I caught them and retreated into the bathroom to get dressed.

I was amazed at how great the lingerie felt on my skin. It was smooth and almost felt like silk. It was also a perfect fit. I put the dress on and the fit was just as great. It's like these clothes were made for me. I couldn't zip the back of the dress up the whole way and went back out to my room for some assistance.

I look around for Rose but I can't find her anywhere. Holding my dress, I open the door and peak into the hallway. I didn't see Rose but I did see Tony right down the hall from me. I thanked God it wasn't Marco even though I wouldn't ask him anyway.

"Tony! Hey!" I shouted down the hall. Tony turns and waves.

"Veronica, what's up?"

"Could you come here for a quick second?" Tony started to walk towards me and stops by the door.

"Whatcha need, ma'am?" He has a puzzled look on his face.

"Can you zip the rest of my dress up? I can't reach it?" I asked shyly. I look at him and swear I could see a blush.

"Umm, s-sure. I can do that. Just turn around for a second."

I turn opening the door more so Tony has better access to the zipper. I heard him take a deep breath and slowly zip up my dress feeling his fingers slightly graze my skin. He finishes and as I turn to thank him , I see him rushing back down the hallway. I wonder what got into him?

"Everything okay, Veronica?" Rose asked by the stairs. She was holding what appeared to be makeup bags and hair products.

"Yes. I just asked Tony to help me with my zipper and then he ran off." Rose began to laugh.

"Oh don't worry about him. He just gets nervous around pretty girls. He's the young one of the bunch and also the quietest. Come, let's finish getting all dolled up." She walks past me into the room and I follow.

It didn't take Rose long to delicately put my hair up in a glamorous hairdo. Most of my hair was pulled back with some out that was curled delicately. I applied some makeup to brighten my face up. Little bit of blush and some lipstick to bring the ensemble together.

I sprayed some perfume and presented the final look to Rose. "So what do you think?"

Rose was smiling and her eyes started to water. "You look absolutely beautiful, Veronica. Just like your mother."

"I miss her so much Rose. It just doesn't make sense." I could feel my voice cracking as I was trying hold back tears.

"What doesn't make sense dear?"

"The doctor who conducted the surgery said her car was the only vehicle involved. But I saw her car after the accident and there were marks from another vehicle. I firmly believe there's more to the story they're not telling me."

"Don't worry about that right now. Let's worry about the future and the possibility of having your father back in your life." Rose gently took a tissue to help wipe the tears that fell from my eyes. "I know you have so many questions about all this. I can promise you, your father will give you answers." I nod my head and turn back to the mirror to fix my makeup. "I'm going to head down to the kitchen to finish everything. I'll have Teo wait for you. See you at dinner dear." Rose placed a loving kiss on my cheek and left the room.

I take this moment to admire my reflection. I look so much like my mother when I'm dressed up. We have the same hair, body shape, and sense of elegance. But I know the eyes looking back at me are from my father. I'm a great combination of the two in my personal opinion. Tonight I'll meet the other blue eyes in the family.

I head towards the stairs and see Teo at the bottom. Apparently his favorite color is black since that's all he ever wears. He was wearing black slacks and a black button down shirt that was tight enough to see his muscles underneath. His sleeves were rolled up a little to expose the art on his arms. He slicked his hair back and it completed his bad boy look that I think he was going for. He honestly took my breath away.

I smile and feel myself blush thinking how embarrassing I must look. I blush at almost everything. I'm not used to this kind of attention from the opposite s*x. Don't get me wrong, I've had boyfriends in the past and ventured into nightclubs but I was always the odd one out. My group of friends are beautiful and I was the decent looking one. So having all the attention on myself was new but also feels good not gonna lie.

I start walking down the stairs slowly watching my feet as I go. The shoes Rose picked out were beautiful but too high for my liking. I get closer to the end of the stairs when I feel my foot slip and I trip down off the last step. Instead of falling flat on my face, Teo was able to catch me in his arms with his incredibly fast reflexes.

"We gotta stop meeting like this firecracker." Teo says softly in his husky voice. Goosebumps spread all down my arms and even down my legs. I watched as his eyes scanned my body up and back down glancing on my lips. I could feel the heat rising to my face once again. And suddenly, for some odd reason, I felt a burst confidence in the moment and took a leap of faith to see what kind of reaction I could get out of Teo.

"I don't know. Maybe I like meeting this way." His eyes were staring at my lips once again and I was praying he would take a chance to kiss me. Unfortunately, Teo smirks and places me gently on my feet.

"Are you ready to meet your father, il mio petardo?" I had a feeling Teo could speak Italian since he looked like an Italian God but hearing it out loud had a totally different effect on me.

"Y-yes. I think I'm ready." I didn't even knew I was going to stutter until the words slipped through my mouth. Oh no, I hope Teo didn't notice.

Teo just smiled and offers me his arm. I happily accept the gesture and walk with him through the hallway towards the dining room

.

We stop right outside the entrance to the room and I feel all my nerves start to take over. I tug on Teo's sleeve slightly to get his attention.

"I don't think I can do this, Teo. I don't know why but I'm really, really, nervous all of a sudden." I start shaking slightly and immediately regret coming to Italy. Fancy dress, fancy clothes. All of this to impress a man who says he's my father. With each passing minute, I really wish my mom was here.

"Hey..." Teo lifts my chin and turns my face so I'm looking into his beautiful greenish blue eyes. "There's absolutely nothing to be nervous about. What happened to the spunky, outspoken, Veronica I met yesterday?"

I let out a huff and cross my arms. "I'm still here."

"There you go. There's my firecracker. Remember, if you ever feel uncomfortable or want to leave, just tell Rose or myself and we will take care of you."

I take a deep breath and nod my head. Teo grabs my hand and squeezes it gently. "Don't worry, I'll be right with you the whole time."

I wait patiently as Teo opens the door for us to head inside. The dining room was decorated with more of a modern contemporary feel compared to the rest of the house. The table was already full of food just waiting for people to start digging in. There was a feast fit for an Italian king. There was pasta, meatballs, lasagna, chicken cutlets, peppers, and some garlic bread paired with two bottles of wine. It all smelt heavenly.

As soon as I was done scanning over the food, I saw the boys and an older gentleman sitting down at the table. I recognized Ricci, Tony, Luca, and Marco but I didn't know the other man who was sitting at the head of the table. He was definitely older then rest of the men I've meant at the house. He was dressed in what looked like a navy blue suit, gray stubble on his chin, with his hair slicked back. He had this aura around him that demanded power and attention. It should feel overwhelming but it felt strangely familiar. I pulled on Teo's arm again before we went our separate ways.

"What's wrong, il mio petardo?" He whispers so only I could hear.

"Is that him?" I nodded towards the man sitting down. Teo shook his head and then all eyes were on me. The man who Teo confirmed was my father, stands up with all the other guys standing as well.

I hear my father clear his voice before speaking to the room.

"Welcome to the home country, Veronica." He walks over to me and picks me up into a huge hug. This man is strong as I thought to myself. He spun me around so Teo was now behind me. I gave me a look asking for help but he just smiled and heads towards his seat. My father takes my hand and escorts me to the table.

He pulls the chair out and I get comfortable. I thank him before sitting down and placing a napkin on my lap.

"Let us say grace before we start eating this amazing meal Rose has prepared for us." I look around and everyone does as my father says. I bow my head and do the same. "Bless us, oh lord for the food we are about to eat prepared by an angel sent from above. And thank you God for reuniting my family once again. Amen." Everyone says grace and starts making their plates.

"Will Rose be joining us?" I asked mainly towards Teo since I only feel comfortable around him.

"She should be here shortly. She's always the last one to the table. It's like a tradition almost." Ricci stated. I nodded and started eating along with everyone else.

It didn't take Rose long to join us at the other end of the table and she quickly makes her plate.

"How is everything dears?" Rose asked while placing her napkin in her lap. Everyone mumbled their praises since we were too busy stuffing our faces. You could see a huge smile appear on her face before she started to eat.

Dinner was awkwardly quiet. No one really made any small talk and kept their eyes on their plates for the most part. I caught Teo, Marco, and my father occasionally staring at me from time to time. It was a little weird to say the least. I wanted to break the ice and start a conversation but I decided against it.

After dinner was over, I offered to help Rose in the kitchen with the dishes and thankfully she accepted my help. I was thrilled to get out of that testosterone filled environment.

"Is dinner usually that quiet when my father's around?" I asked Rose while drying one of the plates she handed to me.

"Of course not. I think everyone, including your father, is getting used to having you around."

"Well they won't have to worry about that for too long. I'm not planning on staying longer than I have to. I just want to ask my father some questions, sign some paperwork, and then I'm going back to my normal life in America."

I could hear Rose sigh heavily. I looked over to her and saw sadness in her eyes.

"I didn't mean to upset you, Rose. I just don't belong here. Especially not surrounded by men like Teo."

Rose giggled.

"I think you shouldn't jump to decisions like that so quickly. I know you feel uncomfortable here right now but give it some time.

Your father has everything planned for you. And Teo, what about him? Is he behaving himself?"

"Yes, he's behaving. Behaving a little too well. I'm not used to the kind of reaction I get from the way he looks at me. It's new and I feel like the more I'm around him, the more I'm going to like that feeling. I can't afford it. I'm not going to be here long so I don't want to get attached."

Rose came up to me and embraced me in a motherly hug. It felt wonderful. It reminded me so much of a hug my mom would give me when I tend to ramble. It's like Rose knew that's exactly what I needed.

"Just enjoy yourself, Veronica. Forget about all the stress and worry you carry for a moment and live your life to the fullest. I'm sure that's something your mother would say. You're strong and young. Have fun and live a little. Just don't tell your father I told you that." Rose and I laugh as we hold each other a little longer. Our moment is broken when my father walks into the kitchen clearing his throat again. I guess that's his thing.

"May I borrow Ronnie... I mean Veronica for a moment?" He looked at Rose and then back at me. He looked nervous. A big tough looking man is nervous to talk to me.

"Of course Lorenzo. We're all done here." Rose smiled and left the kitchen leaving me alone with Lorenzo.

"You look just like your mother. But you have ..."

"Your eyes..." I couldn't help but finish his sentence for him. It's something I've heard my whole life.

"Guess you're pretty sick of hearing it by now huh?"

I just nodded at him. There was a pause of awkward silence before he spoke again.

"I'm sure you probably have a lot of questions. Would you like to join me in my office and you can ask me anything you want?"

"Anything?" I asked hesitantly.

"Yes. You can ask me anything and I'll answer honestly. Come on, I have some whiskey we can drink to loosen the mood." He heads toward the exit turning back to see my response.

"I'm kinda upset you're using my kryptonite against me but it will make this less awkward so I'm okay with it." I smile and he smiles back.

"Good. Follow me."