Married to the Mafia Boss

Amelia

As angry as I am with Frankie for his stubbornness and possessiveness, I can’t help but feel a bit speechless. There’s a sense of understanding that comes to me.

He had wanted to protect me from his family, from the life that they lived.

This was such a Frankie thing to do, to make a decision for me without actually speaking to me. Only he would think he and he alone could make the best possible decision for me. For anyone, in fact.

After the brief conversation over dinner, I feel awkward. I have a burning desire inside of me.

He chose to protect me, but that’s no longer an option. I’m part of the family now, I’m in this world, and he needs to accept it.

He takes the dishes to the sink to begin washing up, and I go over to help-a peace offering. I dry the dishes while he washes them.

I can’t stop replaying the notion in my head that he didn’t leave me because he didn’t love me. He didn’t break my heart because he didn’t care. He left me because he loved me and wanted to keep me safe. He sacrificed so he wouldn’t lose me to something worse.

I set the bowl down and say softly, “Frankie.”

He glances at me. “What?” he says gruffly.

“Do you honestly care about me?” I ask softly, looking at him. He pauses, washes the cutlery, and shakes his head. “I told you how I feel about you, Amelia. You’ve made it clear how you feel about me.”

“I don’t want you to love me like I’m a possession, Frankie,” I continue, my voice steady but quiet. “I want you to love me for who I am.”

“You think I don’t?” Frankie rounds on me, but it’s not anger I see in his eyes. It’s hurt. “I love everything about you. The way you pick at your nails when you’re nervous or fling your curls over your shoulder when you’re trying to make a point. I love the bounce you have in your walk when there’s music playing, and I love how fiery and rebellious you can be. I hate that you challenge me, but dammit, Amelia, I love it about you. You constantly confuse the fuck out of me because I don’t know what you want, but I’ve told you before, and I’m telling you again now that I would have given you the world.”

I look up at him wide-eyed. I believe him. I believe he’s being sincere, and I feel my heart bursting.

“But” he continues, “I told you in the hotel, either you come to me, and you’re mine, or you walk away, and we don’t talk about this again. So why are we talking about this again if you don’t feel the same way? Why are you trying to torture me?”

I can feel tears prickling my eyes. “I don’t want to torture you, Frankie. I just don’t want another broken heart. I loved you from the first time we were together. I loved everything about you. I didn’t care about your family or what you did. It was you I loved. I still love you.”

His eyes widen, but I don’t let him speak. “But you broke me, Frankie. I thought you left me because I wasn’t good enough, and I settled for so much less every time after that. I did that because I couldn’t have what I knew belonged with me. I hate that you’re annoying and so uptight and want to control my every move, but when I’m not with you, I feel like my chest is closed, and I’m gasping for air like a fish out of water.”

I start to cry and hold my hand up. “I didn’t go to you in the hotel because I know, if it comes to that again, if you walk away from me, I will die, Frankie. I cannot survive you leaving me again.”

Frankie doesn’t even dry his hands as he pulls me to him, my head on his chest, and he holds me. We stand there in silence, my tiny body shivering against his as I cry. I can feel he’s shaking, too, as he strokes my hair softly.

“I never meant to hurt you, Amelia. I meant to protect you,” he says softly. He pulls away from me, and instantly, I miss his warmth. “And I swear I will never do anything, ever, to hurt you again.”

I wipe my eyes and nod. “Can we…can we just take this slow?” I ask. “Try and be together again?”

He smiles softly. “Yes, I’d like that very much. Does me cooking dinner count as our first date then?”

I grin and giggle and punch his arm. “Finish the dishes, but yes. That was a nice first date.”

We’re in high spirits now as he passes me dishes to dry. Afterward, we pack them up together, and I drag him to the living room and sit him down. He looks at me curiously. “I found something in the cabin.” I declare, running off to a cupboard and pulling out a game of monopoly.

He raises an eyebrow. “You want to play a board game?”

“If we’re staying here until your meeting with Andres, then yes, I want to play board games and watch movies and read together,” I say, grinning. “Are you going to give me what I want?”

“I did say I always will,” he promises, opening the box and helping me set up the game.

I get us each a glass of wine, and we start playing. “I’d like to point out,” I say, “that you have an unfair advantage because you’re used to working with money.”

“It says I have to go to jail,” he holds up a card. “Who do I pay to stay out of jail?”

I laugh, and it feels like a genuinely good laugh. “This isn’t Mafia-opoly. You go to jail until you pay your bail or throw a double.”

He pouts. “I would never go to jail in real life. How is real life helping me win.”

I grin and throw the dice. “Yes! I am so buying this property!”

I count out the money, and he crinkles his nose. “It’s a cheap property. Are you sure you want it?”

“Why wouldn’t I?” I ask him suspiciously.

“I could buy it from you,” he offers.

“No!” I yell. “No, I’m keeping it because you’re up to something.”

It’s a fun night, and we stay up very late. He beats me at monopoly, although I claim he cheats. We pack up everything, and he walks me to my room. I look up at him, and he shakes his head. “We’re doing this the right way, nice and slowly.”

“I’m glad,” I say softly. “It’ll make us stronger together.”

“Alessandro and Katya will have nothing on us,” he grins. “We’ll show them what a power couple looks like.”

I stand on my toes. “I don’t care as long as we’re together.”

I kiss him softly, and he returns the gentle kiss, and we leave it at that. Nothing more than a soft kiss before he whispers, “goodnight, sweet dreams,” and goes to his room down the hallway.

I bounce into my room, and before I do anything else, I squeal and throw myself onto my bed. I haven’t felt this happy since when we were first together. I feel like I can fly higher than any bird and swim faster than any fish. My whole world is a kaleidoscope of color, and he’s the light shining through that brings the patterns together.

I get up to get showered and changed and then collapse back into bed with the biggest smile on my face, and I know this is going to be the best night’s rest I’ve had in a long, long time.