Twisted Cravings (The Camorra Chronicles, #6)(93)

I could hear Gemma hissing something unintelligible and something that sounded like a slap. Savio chuckled.

“I need to talk to you about Christmas,” I said.

“Okay? I’m not on the organization committee for Christmas. Ask the girls.”

“It’s about Dinara. I want to bring her along to celebrate Christmas with us.”

Silence followed on the other end.

His voice had lost its usual ease when he spoke eventually. “Remo mentioned that you and she are still together. I thought things would end after you finished your killing spree.”

“We love each other,” I admitted, even if I felt exposed admitting this to Savio. He and I didn’t usually share our deepest darkest emotions. “Loving the enemy seems to run in the family.”

“Dinara isn’t the enemy. She was never really part of the Bratva.”

“Her father is Pakhan. Our women are part of our world by association even if they aren’t inducted.” It was strange to hear Savio so serious and it told me that this was a difficult topic for him and Gemma.

“Dinara left Chicago to be with me.”

“Good for you.”

“I know you have every reason to hate the Bratva, and Gemma even more so, and that’s why I want to ask if you’ll be okay if I bring Dinara along.”

“That’s not my decision,” Savio said, then his voice became muffled, as he probably described the situation to Gemma. I didn’t know Gemma as well as Kiara, but she’d never struck me as someone who’d judge people easily.



“Okay,” Savio said without warning.

“What?”

“It’s okay for you to bring her along. Gemma and I won’t judge Dinara before we meet her. We’ll give her a chance.” “Thanks, Savio,” I said honestly.

“I don’t have time to keep chatting with you. I need to satisfy my wife.”

He hung up and I shook my head with a smile.

I found Dinara tinkering with her car for the race tomorrow. She raised her eyebrows. “You look thrilled.”

“I talked to my family. They want you to join us for Christmas.”

“You sound relieved, so you weren’t sure they would.”

I wrapped an arm around her waist. “Savio and Gemma were a bit of an unknown, but they want to meet you.”

“To see if I’m a threat?”

I grinned. “Everyone’s curious about you. And I think you’ll like Gemma. She’s into cage fighting.”

Dinara frowned. “I’m not into fighting.”

“But you are into racing, which is also a male-dominated activity.”

Dinara rolled her eyes. “I don’t need a dick to kick ass on the racetrack.”

“Oh I know,” I said. “So will you celebrate Christmas with me and my family?”

Dinara gave a resolute nod but I could tell she was nervous.

“I survived your father and you’ll survive my family, don’t worry.”

“That’s a consolation.”





I’d never celebrated Christmas in December. Not that I was a big fan of the holiday in general. I’d always only celebrated it for my Dad and later for my halfbrothers.

Adamo had told me so much about his family that I felt as if I already knew them. I wondered how much they knew about me. I wasn’t someone who got nervous easily or who was anxious before meeting new people. I was definitely more of an extrovert even if I didn’t have any trouble being alone either. I knew not everyone liked me, and I could live with it, so I wasn’t worried about becoming Miss Popular. I was however nervous because this wasn’t just a random meeting. This held meaning. It constituted that my relationship with Adamo was serious for both of us. So far we never really put a name to it. We lived it. But this was a new step in our relationship.

When we pulled up in the driveway of the magnificent white mansion, my palms actually became sweaty. This was important for Adamo, and in turn, it was for me.

“Nervous?” Adamo asked with a smirk after we got out of the car. He grabbed the huge bag with presents from the trunk before he stepped up to my side.

I rolled my eyes but gladly accepted his outstretched hand as moral support. “Do I have reason to be? Everyone’s okay with me being here?”

Adamo gave me a look that made it clear he thought I was being cute. I nudged my elbow into his side. “Do you think there’ll ever be a chance for me to meet your father for a relaxed family meeting? Maybe celebrate your orthodox Christmas together?”

That Dad hadn’t killed Adamo when he’d shown up on our doorstep had been a miracle. He was very protective of Galina and his sons, so I doubted he’d allow Adamo to be in their presence any time soon. Maybe Remo didn’t consider me a risk to his family, but Adamo was a Camorrista, a Falcone, and for my father to not regard him as a threat would take a long time, if it ever happened at all.

“Let’s take this one step at a time, okay? He didn’t kill you last time.

That’s a good start but we shouldn’t overstrain our luck too much. Let’s give him time to get used to the idea of you being a constant presence in my life.

Right now, he probably still hopes our relationship fails.”

Adamo stopped in his tracks, eyebrows cocked and the same smirk on his face. “And? Would you bet on us?”