Nico (Ruin & Revenge #1)(81)

“What have you done?” Dante’s eyes darted from side to side, as if he were looking to escape, and sweat beaded on his forehead.

Mia opened her mouth to assure him Nico meant no harm, but closed it when she realized what he was truly afraid of, a truth she had sworn to take to her grave.

“Dante. I haven’t…”

“Rev.” Dante’s voice was panicked as he stepped away from the desk, shoving Rev in front of him. Rev yanked a gun from his holster, and within a heartbeat, Nico had shoved Mia behind his back.

“We didn’t come here to fight.” Nico’s voice was calm and even. “We’re unarmed. Your guards took our weapons before we came to the house.”

“Papà will kill you both,” Dante said from behind Rev’s back. “You’ve made the biggest mistake of your life, Mia.”

Mia cringed at his cowardice. If her mother had truly taken beatings to protect them all, then Dante had been hiding all his life. Even now he hid behind his bodyguard in front of an unarmed man. She didn’t have to look at Nico and his men to see how little they respected Dante, because she had lost what little respect she had for him when he whipped Kat with his belt. He was spineless and weak, and if something happened to their father, the family wouldn’t survive with Dante in charge.

“You won’t even shake the hand of your brother-in-law?” Luca snorted in disgust. “You disrespect him. You disrespect your family. You disrespect the Toscani family. And you disrespect your sister.”

Nico assessed Dante with a cool gaze. “This won’t be forgotten.”

Mia shot Nico an irritated glance. “You couldn’t help yourself, could you?” She muttered under her breath. “You just had to threaten him.”

Despite the tense and potentially volatile situation, Nico’s lips quirked ever so slightly at the corners. “It’s who I am.” He threaded his fingers through hers. “We’re done here.”

“Wait.” Dante came out from behind Rev’s back. “It’s not easy to put aside a vendetta that has lasted ten years, especially when it’s directed at my father.” He looked over at Mia. “This marriage is for real?”

“I have a marriage certificate.” She pulled the official document from her purse and held it up for him to see. “And a ring. I’ve never lied to you, Dante, and you know I would never put you in danger.”

Dante walked across the room to Nico and held out his hand. It wasn’t the customary Italian form of congratulations or greeting, especially when welcoming someone to the family, but given the circumstances, she accepted that it was the best he could do.

Mia’s chest tightened when Nico shook the hand of his father’s killer. If there had been any way around this moment, she would have taken it. She felt sick inside about deceiving Nico who had come to her family home in good faith. But he had lived for his vendetta for ten long years. How could she take a risk? How could she gamble with her brother’s life?

After the handshake, they made a quick exit. Mia apologized to her mother on the way out for not staying to eat, and promised to ask Kat to call.

“That went better than expected,” Nico said after they were safely back in the vehicle.

“Are you kidding?” Mia stared at him aghast. “I thought it would be bad, but not that bad. I don’t think he bought it.”

Nico leaned down and whispered in her ear. “Then he missed the bit where you said you care for me.”

Her cheeks flamed, and she glanced up at Luca and Frankie engaged in their own conversation in the front seat. Damn. He picked up on everything. “That was your takeaway from what could have been a fatal post-elopement meet and greet of the family?”

“That’s all I remember. My girl cares for me.” He puffed out his chest and gave her a smug, self-satisfied, oh-so-masculine smile.

She turned, rubbed her cheek along his jaw. “I guess she does.”

“It’s too bad she has to be punished tonight,” he whispered as he inched her skirt up her thigh.

“What?” She slapped his hand down. “Why?”

“You tried to protect me. You risked your life. You need to learn never to do that again.”

Mia huffed and tried to pull away. “Most men would say thank you.”

“I’m not most men.” He unclipped her seatbelt and tucked her into his side, her cheek against his chest.

“Apparently not.”

“I’m your man. And it’s my job to protect you. Not the other way around.”

Mia looked up and laughed. “In that case, you’d better do up my seat belt if you want me alive for a repeat performance of ‘Meet the Family’ at your nonna’s house tomorrow.”

Nico sighed and clipped her seat belt. Mia leaned against him, enjoying the quiet moment together as they sped through the city.

“Bella?”

“Yes?”

Nico pressed a soft kiss to her forehead. “Thank you.”

*

Nico opened the car door for Mia and studied the vehicles on the street. He had requested a sit down with Tony at their grandmother’s house because it was neutral ground. Not even Tony would disrespect Nonna Maria by drawing a weapon.

“Looks like we’ve got Tony, Charlie Nails, a couple of high-ranking capos and some bodyguards,” Luca said. “Full house.”