My Husband is a Mafia Boss

CHAPTER TWO

I bolted through the crowded mall, weaving between shoppers with bags that swung like pendulums, threatening to slow me down. My heart raced, pounding louder than my echoing footsteps against the marble tiles. I could still hear the guy’s indignant shout in my ears, and I cringed at the memory.

Soda, of all things. Why did it have to be soda? Why didn’t I just grab water?

But seriously, who the hell grabs water for nachos?

I pushed open the glass doors at the exit with a force that rattled them in their frames. Fresh air hit my face, a sharp contrast to the mall’s stale, air-conditioned atmosphere. I didn’t have time to appreciate the change. I raised my hand, desperately flagging down a cab.

“Taxi!” I shouted, my voice strained with urgency. A yellow cab screeched to a halt in front of me, and I dove into the back seat.

“Pinehurst Village,” I gasped out the address, collapsing against the seat. As the cab pulled away, I grabbed my phone from my bag, my fingers trembling as I scrolled through the contacts. I pressed on Lily’s name, feeling a fresh wave of guilt wash over me.

“Hey, Lily,” I said as soon as she picked up, my voice hurried. “I’m so sorry for leaving you like that. Something came up, and I had to go. I’ll explain everything later, I promise.”

“Everything okay?” she asked, her voice tinged with concern, as the sound of the horror movie we’ve been watching just a minute ago was still echoing in the background.

“Yeah, it’s fine. Just… complicated,” I replied, biting my lip. I could hear the confusion in her silence, but I couldn’t bring myself to elaborate.

When the cab finally stopped in front of my house, I threw a few bills at the driver and stumbled out, my mind racing faster than my legs had been. I slipped inside, hoping to avoid my parents, but no such luck.

“Where have you been?” my mom’s voice rang out, icy and sharp.

“Just… out,” I mumbled, ducking my head.

“We need to talk about your behavior,” she said, her eyes narrowing. “But first, you need to get ready for dinner. Your brother is almost here. You know how important this meeting is and we’re not going to be late because of you.”

I nodded, the reprimand stinging more than usual. I hurried upstairs to my room, closing the door behind me.

My mind spun back to the cinema, to the moment I jumped and my soda arced through the air, dousing the guy sitting in the row behind me. His shocked expression, the sticky liquid dripping from his hair…

It was a disaster.

Pacing my room, I couldn’t shake the embarrassment. Why did things like this always happen to me? And why did he have to be so cute? His face was etched in my memory, a mix of surprise and irritation that made my stomach twist with both dread and something else I didn’t want to name.

“Ava!” my mom’s voice cut through my thoughts, bringing me back to the present after pacing for hours. “What the hell are you still doing?! Get dressed now. We’re leaving in ten minutes.”

With a sigh, I rummaged through my closet for anything decent to wear that my mom would possibly approve of. I pulled on the only dress I could find and brushed my hair, trying to make myself presentable.

Family dinners were always a chore, but tonight felt particularly heavy. I went out with Lily to the mall to hopefully escape this nightmare and even went so far as to ignore all of my mom’s calls—which, in this household, is uncalled for. But since it only caused me more trouble than expected, I have no choice.

Faking my enthusiasm to exist has been a talent of mine. Maybe I should put it to good use.

As we arrived at the restaurant and walked in, I plastered on a polite smile, my eyes scanning the room.

Crystal chandeliers cast a soft, golden glow over the room, illuminating the intricate marble flooring and plush velvet seating. Floor-to-ceiling windows offered a panoramic view of the city skyline as soft, live piano music played in the background.

Every detail, from the richly textured drapes to the curated art on the walls, told me only rich people frequent this place.

And we’re not rich. I’m not saying we’re poor either, but if this was my first time coming to a place like this despite having lived in this city all my life, then we aren’t wealthy enough to be here.

So, what was happening?

I was still taking in all of the luxuries in this place when my eyes landed on a familiar face. My heart stopped and so did my footsteps.

There he was, sitting at the table with my brother and an older version of him. The guy from the cinema. His eyes widened in recognition, mirroring my own shock. This couldn’t be happening.

“Ava, this is Giovanni,” my mom introduced, oblivious to the tension, and beamed at the two gentlemen. “He’s your brother’s business partner in the new casino he’s building. He just moved to town.”

Giovanni’s lips twitched, a mixture of amusement and something else I couldn’t place.

“Nice to meet you, Ava,” he said, his tone teasingly formal. “I hope we get along well.”

“Yeah,” I managed to choke out, feeling my cheeks burn. “Me too.”

As I sat down, I could feel his eyes on me, and I knew tonight was going to be a lot more interesting—and complicated—than I had anticipated.

“So, shall we order something?” the older man at one end of the table started once everyone was settled and waved a hand at a waiter. Almost automatically, the menus were handed to us.

As I sat at the table, pretending to be engrossed in the menu, I couldn't shake the feeling of someone's eyes on me. Taking a glance, I caught him—but it wasn’t like he even had the least bit of shame to look away. He was perched on the edge of his seat, casually flipping through his own menu, but his attention was clearly elsewhere.

I tried to focus on the list of dishes before me, willing myself not to glance back in his direction. After all, I wasn't here to entertain handsome strangers that I casually gave a bath to. My parents were engrossed in a discussion with his father, all business talk and polite smiles. Meanwhile, my brother, sounding like he’d never eaten anything before, was busy rattling off his order to the waitress.

Giovanni kicked my foot from underneath the table and I almost gave out an uncontrollable yelp. I raised an eyebrow at him and he tilted his head to the side, raising an eyebrow at me too.

“Why don’t you start explaining why you didn’t come back? I thought your ass was dead.”

I frowned at him. “I thought you had Asperger’s, turns out you’re just a prick.”

“Ooh, feisty. Where’d you learn how to talk? The CBS?”

I faked a laugh. “Very witty. You have some serious problems.”

“Yeah? You’re one of them.”

I gritted my teeth and leaned in, careful not to catch the attention of my parents who were just in earshot. “Listen here, you little prick. I already apologized for your shirt. Now, get over it, weirdo.”

“Oh, you think this is just about the shirt?”

My eyebrows furrowed and I leaned in closer to him. “What more is there?”

“You ditched me, you half-wit, and now here we are. Maybe the universe wanted me to have my revenge and so fate brought you here.”

“Actually, I was brought here by a very expensive car.”

“Touche. Too bad your smart mouth can’t save you.”

“Is that supposed to be a threat?”

“Why? Are you threatened?”

“Not in a million years.”

He leaned back on his seat, crossed his arms, and stared at me as though I were a puzzle. “You’re very stubborn, aren’t you? You know, this would all go away if you just apologized.”

“I know.”

“And?”

“I guess it’s not going away.” I closed my menu and gave him my sweetest smile, surprised it didn’t give him diabetes.

He frowned. “Apologize.”

“Make me.”

“I don’t make monkeys. I just train them.”

Axel nudged him on the side and for a brief moment, she noticed him wince. “Why are you two fighting?”

“It’s none of your business.”

“It is my business. She’s my sister and right now you’re not being such a gentleman.”

“Oh, I can be a gentleman. But only if she was a lady.”

“Ha! A gentleman? Please. You probably don’t even do so much as open car doors.”

“Oh, I do. How the f**k do you think I get inside?”

“Is there a problem here?”

I flinch. My mother’s voice immediately dragged me out of my trance and I turned my attention back to the menu. There was something sweet in the tone she used but I know better than to think she had any intentions of being sweet at all. I felt her stare linger at the side of my head before she turned back to face Giovanni’s father who was talking to them about a boat he recently bought.

I gulped and just gave the waitress my order, choosing to ignore Giovanni as he stared at me from across the table.