THE CARETAKER BRIDE

skin like a scar that wouldn't fade. My eyes drifted to Gaia's life

a step back. I closed the door quietly, ensuring that Daniele wouldn't w

ody, hit me like a slap to the face. It was just as r

d of it ringing a little too loud, an

ionless, and hollow. I had no room for g

arable. Then my father's voice sliced through

words heavy, and deliberate. It was d

didn't have time for his questions

eaking of something trivial. "Send a clean-up crew and inform Luca." I didn't wait for a response. I ended

*******

ormal man, and grief wasn't my burden. It was anger. Pure, unfiltered, burning anger as I watched them lower her coffin into the ground, sealing

it didn't fill me with more bitterness than I could handle. Fitting, maybe, for those onlookers, but to me, Gaia's

tened, steadying himself or maybe steadying me-I wasn't even sure. He'd grown so frail since his last heart attack, his skin paper-thin and eyes clouded with catarac

ispers and glances that didn't go unnoticed. Even Luca Vitiello, our Capo, had flown in from New York with his wife to pay respects. They'd come to watch

, while Simona lay asleep in my arms. She was only four months old, already without a mother. My mind

mona, who had cried the whole night before, now exhausted in my arms. Daniele looked at me with big doe eyes, her innocent face a remainder of the situation of o

r for the children." I didn't respond. I'd just buried Gaia, and he was talking about a replacement. Mia, my sister, mutt

She'd be eighteen soon, and a union would benefit both of our territories greatly. She wasn't even of age yet, and already my family and my Capo were pulling

now, not another arranged marriage or a stranger taking Gaia's place. And as I h

*

ss from me, his gaze filled with concern and the slightest

sleepless night. Gave me the eye bag

ould have one in less than four months. Felix is desperate to bring you into his family. If he weren't, he'd

a fourteen-year gap between us. You realize I'd be waiting for that girl to turn eight

s a sorry excuse. Besides, you really want a woman who's hung up on

adspace. Daniele had stopped asking about her, he'd realized on his own that she wasn'

another man, living or dead. And I definitely didn't want my kids competing for their mother's attention with

o. What's the holdup? The gir

im a war

in their bed again, and here you are, playing woe-is-m

ds, I'd be taking a finger off

ass, smirking. "Good th

picked up the phone the next morning and dialed his number. It wasn't a moment of weakness, it

elix. It'

ectant, almost smug edge I'd anticipated. "I assume yo

choice. But I needed the stability, for my kids' sake and for my ow

woman. How about we arrange the wedding for earl

h. "All right. Th

we can go over details for the celebration. Setting up a gra

gistics they'd lay at my feet. A "grand celebration" wasn't exactly what I had in

nvolved in planning. If your wife wants it big,

plied smoothly. "When can we exp

agreed to stay for the weekend to watch th

ved. "You're making the right choi

en then, I felt no relie