Anya looked up long enough to blow me a kiss. She was seriously going to ruin hearts when she got old enough to date, which was actually now, but Andrei kept her on a tight leash, he threatened her prom date with a tiger. A real fucking tiger. We never saw him again.
“You’ve already met Phoenix’s oldest and only, Junior.” I pointed to Junior, who lifted his wine glass and leaned back against his chair, all casual like he wasn’t plotting world domination. “I’m sure you’ve seen him around campus.”
Her sudden paleness said yes; she had, in fact, seen scary as shit Junior walking around campus.
“Sergio and Val’s girls are the ones that keep fighting over the bread basket as per usual.” I grinned. “Kartini’s the oldest in her junior year of high school, and Lydia’s a freshman in high school and has already been suspended for beating up the class bully.”
Lydia and her dad shared a high five. Yeah, our family was weird, and getting weirder the more I introduced them.
Claire hadn’t run yet, so I kept going. “And that brings us to Dante’s two girls, the youngest of the brood, the most spoiled, and champions of Mario Kart two years running.” I pointed to the nine-year-olds. “That’s Raven and Tempest.” I leaned in and whispered. “Their names fit, trust me.”
“Heard that,” Tempest said with a wide grin.
“And you already know my family.” I shrugged. “Izzy’s my twin, and Violet’s a year older, she’s at EE too, you just rarely see her because she finds books more fascinating than people. And my littlest and most spoiled sister Ariel is ten going on thirty.”
“Ten, and yet, she can still kick your ass.” Serena made a face.
I sighed. “I’m ignoring that comment since last time we sparred you limped for a week, by the way how are the freshman fifteen? Still holding on even though you’re a Junior?”
Nixon let out a growl.
“Uncle Nixon,” I held up my hands in mock surrender. “She kicked me in the balls!”
Serena shrugged. “You didn’t like my shirt.”
I threw my hands in the air. “I rest my case.”
“So—” Phoenix Nicolasi, scary as shit boss interrupted with wine in hand “—Marco tells us you’re from Seattle.” Phoenix was the first to speak.
I let out a groan. “You did that on purpose.”
He just grinned, like he liked throwing people under the bus.
“Marco?” Claire frowned. “Who’s Marco?”
More cursing around the table.
And then a slap hit me in the back of the head, followed by another slap, a roll got chucked at my face—from my own mother before she gave my dad a look.
“Too Italian,” I finally said.
“Damn it, Marco!” Nixon said with a grin.
“Fucking Marco,” Tex added.
“Marco…” Izzy cupped her hand over her mouth.
“Polo.” This from Violet.
I turned to Claire. “My full name’s Marco Chase Asher Abandonato.”
“I like Marco better,” she said, probably earning the love and respect from every single family member at the table. Damn it.
I could have sworn I felt my mom sigh ten seats away.
“All right—” Tex stood “—let’s pray and eat and drill her later; we’ve traumatized her enough.”
I grunted. Ain’t that the truth. I just introduced the girl I was falling for, to the Cosa Nostra. Most people couldn’t even say they survived it.
I gripped Claire’s hand.
She gripped mine back.
And look, I know we were praying and thanking God for letting us rule the crime world, blah, blah, blah, but I could still taste her on me.
Feel her slide against me.
I was at a family dinner, completely ready to swipe the food off the table and feast on her instead.
Maybe she felt my tension.
Her fingers inched across my thigh.
I jolted as her hand cupped me and then moved, just a bit, the friction, her heat. I gritted my teeth. How long was this prayer gonna be?
“Amen,” everyone said.
Her hand remained.
I narrowed my gaze at her, but she was staring innocently straight ahead.
Huh, two could play that game. And I remembered hearing of a few of my uncles nearly having sex during family dinners so…
I reached into her lap.
She jumped a foot.
“Everything okay?” My mom asked.
Claire’s face flamed. “Yup, just… great… food.”
“You haven’t eaten anything yet.” Mom pointed out.
“Right.” She swallowed and shot me a glare. I shrugged and faced my uncles again. All the while pressing my palm against her in warning, I had no qualms about getting her off while thirty people wondered why she was having a heat stroke at the table, in fact. I looked forward to it.
Chapter Three
Claire
The guy had a death wish.
Mouth dry I tried to look normal as I lifted my water glass to my lips, I nearly choked when he pressed down. The pressure was driving me insane, the need to ride his hand, move against him, strangle him…
And he seemed to love it.
The devastating grin on his face was almost too much to take in.
Did I put that grin there?
“So, how’s Eagle Elite?” A guy that literally looked like he just stepped off a magazine cover high-fived Asher and asked, he looked younger than the rest of the uncles as Asher called him. I couldn’t remember his name for the life of me. I just knew he had the youngest kids.
“Dante,” Asher said under his breath with pride.
Ah, another scary one.
The one that took down several students on campus, who took over the Eagle Elite throne, then disappeared. The woman next to him smiled wide.
She was too pretty for words.
Who were these people?
What was this world? I mean, it’s not like I wasn’t accustomed to money, my uncle was loaded, but it’s not like I lived in his mansion or on his yacht. My mom worked as a VP for his company, and my father was a surgeon. This was next level beauty, next level money, the kind that makes the world go round.
Or people disappear?
“Um, it’s good…” I found my voice just as Asher pulled away his hand, Thank God. “We have US History together.”
“Have you gotten to our chapter yet?” Dante asked with an innocent smirk.
I gawked.
“He’s kidding.” Asher laughed as chuckles erupted around the table, more wine was poured, more questions asked.
And I ate.
Or I tried to eat while all the powerful men and women around me asked questions.
More wine was brought an hour later.
A knife was thrown toward Tex’s face, he moved out of the way then threw a fork back, nearly hitting a guy named Sergio who caught it without looking up.
“So,” another one of the uncles, one who made me so uncomfortable that I almost hid behind Asher, spoke. “What are your intentions with Marco?”
Right. Marco. Not Asher to them.
“You do mean after I found them naked together, right?” Chase piped up.
Humiliation complete, I groaned into my hands; nobody seemed upset instead they seemed, excited? Could that be right? Parents who encourage wild, crazy sex with a relative stranger and pour their eighteen-year-olds wine?