Bound by Duty (Born in Blood Mafia Chronicles #2)(38)

Dante watched me closely. Or was he trying to manipulate me? Even so, what he’d said was the truth.

“Will you come to the door to say hi to my mother? She’ll be disappointed if you stay in the car,” I said to distract him.

Dante had a knowing look but didn’t try to push the topic of Antonio’s lover. He got out of the Mercedes, walked around the hood and opened my door for me. His hand found its usual spot on my lower back as we walked to the front door. I’d barely rung the bell when the door was already opened and my mother beamed at us. She’d probably been spying on us through the windows.

“Dante, I didn’t expect you to come. How wonderful of you to pay us a visit,” she said with a wide smile. She pulled Dante into an embrace. He remained stiff but briefly patted her back. At least he was against public displays of affection in general and not just with me.

“I’m only here to drop Valentina off. I don’t have time to stay. There’s still much work to do.” He straightened and Mamma had no choice but to release him.

Her face fell. “Of course. Now that you’re Capo, you have many responsibilities. How wonderful of you to take time out of your busy schedule to drive Valentina around town.” Mamma smiled at me. “You got yourself a gentleman.”

I gave Dante an I-told-you-so-look. A flicker of something softer filled his eyes before he excused himself and headed back to his car. The moment he’d driven off, Mamma closed the door, gripped my arm and practically dragged me into the living room. “Giovanni! Valentina is here!” she screamed.

“Papà is here?”

“I told him you’d be coming over. He wanted to have a word with you as well.”

I groaned.

“Don’t be like that. Your father and I are worried about your wellbeing. We want to know if married life is treating you well.”

“You mean you want to make sure I’m not messing up with Dante.”

Mamma pursed her lips. “You are twisting my words in my mouth today.”

Papà came into the living room, closing his cufflinks, his checkered jacket slung over his shoulder. “I don’t have much time. I’m actually having a meeting with the Consigliere and your husband later. So how are things between you and the Boss?”

“If you’re meeting my husband anyway, then you could ask Dante how my marriage is going so far and if he’s satisfied with me,” I said in an overly sweet voice.

“Sometimes I think I wasn’t strict enough with you. Your insolence was much more endearing when you were a little girl,” he said affectionately. I stood and wrapped my arms around his middle. He pressed a kiss against my temple. I knew as Underboss Papà was almost as ruthless as Dante and probably had killed more men than I had fingers, but for me he’d always be the man who’d carried me on his shoulders when I was younger.

“Things are going well between Dante and me, don’t worry,” I said as I pulled back. “I think he’s still not over his first wife though.”

Papà exchanged a look with Mamma. “It took Fiore a long time to convince Dante to marry at all. I’m glad he chose you. Don’t push him.”

“Listen to your father, Valentina. Men don’t like pushy women.”

“What is it that I hear you convinced Dante to give you a job?” Papà asked.

“Don’t pretend you don’t already know everything about it. I bet half of the Outfit is already ranting about it.”

“What do you expect? A woman of your status isn’t supposed to work,” Mamma said.

“Some people think women aren’t supposed to interrupt their husbands either and you do that all the time.”

Mamma huffed. “I don’t interrupt your father.”

“You don’t?” Papà said in mock surprise. Their marriage hadn’t always been for love. Like Dante and I, they’d married for convenience, but over time they’d grown fond of each other. When I saw them, it gave me new hope for my own marriage.

I couldn’t hold back a smile. “Dante doesn’t mind me working. I think he likes that I want to do something useful.”

“What could be more useful than raising beautiful children? When are we going to become grandparents?”

I sent Papà a pleading look but he shrugged. “Fiore really wants a heir to his name. Dante has responsibilities. What if he got killed without having a son to inherit his title?”

“Don’t say that. Nobody’s going to get killed. I lost one husband already, I won’t lose a second,” I said desperately.

Papà patted my cheek. “Dante knows how to take care of himself, but what’s wrong with having children?”

“Nothing’s wrong with it. I want children, but not because it’s my duty to produce an heir. I want children because I want something to love and that loves me back unconditionally.” God, when had this conversation turned so horribly emotional?

“Val,” Papà said carefully. “Did Dante do something?”

I gave him a shaky smile, grateful for his concern but knowing it was useless. Even if Dante had done something and I told my father about, there was hardly anything he could do. He wouldn’t go against his Capo, not even for me. “No, he’s a gentleman.” Outside of the bedroom, I added silently. Not that I minded. “He’s only really closed off. I feel lonely, but working will keep me busy, so that should make it better.”