Married to the Mafia Boss

Amelia

We manage to be friendly, despite the sex, and Frankie’s back to his casual but business-like self. The honeymoon is fun, but Frankie seems distracted, playing on his phone more often.

He steps out of the room to take calls, and I wonder if there’s a problem with business back home. Not that it’s any of my business, but I wonder if it will cut our holiday short.

I wouldn’t mind either way. Staying here is fun and going home just means returning to life. However, it would mean finding out where I fit in with this new life. I guess it could kind of be an adventure, and if Frankie isn’t going to be a dick the whole time, then it won’t be so bad.

He’s good in the sack. I’ll give him that. He always has been, but I have terrible shagging regret. I got the closure I wanted. Frankie made it clear in the morning. We can just keep things the way they are now. In other words, he has no residual feelings for me.

I will be fine. I know I will be. It’s just something I have to accept.

What I don’t accept is the weird sense that we’re being followed around. Frankie keeps me to the public beach, the dining hall, and our room. He has asked me not to do any private activities until he lets me know. This makes me nervous.

I have seen the same three men with the weird tattoos almost everywhere we’ve been. Normally, it’s not something I’d notice, but they stick out. It’s clear they aren’t here for a holiday.

I walk out of my bedroom and see Frankie sitting in the living area in a suit, his legs crossed and his arms on the back of the sofa.

“We need to talk,” he says gravely.Belonging © NôvelDram/a.Org.

I keep my poker face. “Are we done? Are we going home?”

“Just sit, Amelia,” he says, and I can tell he’s really serious.

I sit down. “Is everything okay? Is my family okay?”

Frankie leans forward, and I hate that he takes his time to tell me what’s going on, only to ask me the strangest question.

“What do you know about your ex-boyfriend, Dave?”

I frown. “I’m not going to be seeing him again if that’s what you’re trying to get at. It’s really none of your business.”

His eyes are bluer than his usual gray today, a clear sign he’s worried about something.

“That’s not why you want to know,” I say slowly. “What’s he done?”

“Did you ever meet any of his family? Know anyone that he knows?”

“We ran in the same circles. I know he’d occasionally deal drugs to some of the people I know.” Frankie frowns, and I hold up my hands. “I didn’t party like that. Alcohol is my friend. But…” I pause. “No, I didn’t really know his family. We weren’t that close yet, and he was a bit secretive.”

“And with good reason….” Frankie says, sighing deeply. “Amelia, your little ex is the nephew of a rather prominent drug mogul.”

I look at him with raised eyebrows. “Oh, wow, he didn’t seem that important.”

“This is no time for jokes, Amelia. We’re being followed by members of his uncle’s gang. We’re in danger.”

I stand up. “The men with the tattoos.”

“You’ve noticed them?” he asks me.

“Yes, I mean… I bumped into them once or twice and noticed they’re always where we are. The tattoos give them away. At first, I thought there was some kind of conference or something, but it started getting creepy.”

“I noticed them, too, ever since the other day when we built sandcastles. They’re trying to get close to us. I assume to kidnap us.”

“Why would they want to kidnap us?” I ask, mouth slightly open. “I mean,” I stumble over my words, “surely Dave isn’t that hard up that he’s having his uncle get me back for him.”

Frankie looks away, and my eyes instantly narrow. “What did you do?” I accuse him. “Francesco, what did you do?”

He sighs, looking up at me with those piercing eyes. “He clocked you with a gun, Amelia. What do you think I did?”

“You hurt him,” I say, shaking my head. “Must everything be a beat down for you?”

“He needed to be taught a lesson.” Frankie stands, towering over me. “And quite frankly, even knowing who his uncle is, I’d still kick his ass. It’s not like I killed him.”

I snort. “Which is surprising.”

Frankie runs a hand over his hair and walks to the window, looking down at the beach below. “They’ll probably come for us when we leave the hotel, but I’ll deal with travel arrangements.”

I feel a pang of guilt. “I’m sorry, Frankie, this is my fault. I really do have the worst taste in men.”

“You don’t say.” He offers me a smile. It’s a truce for now.

I sit down on the sofa and put my head in my hands. “What if they try and attack us in the room?”

“They won’t,” Frankie explains. “It’s not their way. They’re not about public displays. They’re about revenge, though.”

I sigh and sit back. “I don’t really feel like going to the beach today.”

“We have to.” He turns to me, looking at me seriously. “In fact, we will enjoy the rest of our honeymoon as though we don’t know a thing about what’s going on. We can’t alert them to the fact that we’re onto them. Otherwise, they may make this public and hurt not only us but innocent people, too.”

“Since when do you care about innocent lives?” I ask.

“I don’t,” he says, giving me that steely look, “but that will draw attention to us, the family, and what our family does in the background. You need to learn to be part of this family, Amelia. Family is everything. You take care of the family, and the family will always take care of you.”

“My family has never taken care of me,” I mutter bitterly.

“It’s different now,” he sits beside me and strokes my hair behind my ear. “Our family is different. We take care of our own. Now, Alessandro is sending us back up. So, until they get here, we simply lay low, do our thing, and enjoy our honeymoon. Okay?”

I nod. “Got it. Try not to let the drug lords know we know they’re here.” I give him a somewhat sarcastic thumbs up.

“I debated telling you because I didn’t want to worry you, but I know your poker face. You won’t give anything away.”

I snort. “You know me a little too well.”

Frankie pulls away from me and stands. “Why don’t we go downstairs? I saw the hotel has a small casino. We’ll gamble a little and have some fun.”

“I’ll need to change.” I point to him. ‘You’re a lot more formally dressed than I am.”

“That’s because I mean business.” He tries to give me a reassuring smile, and I nod, getting up and walking to my room.

I dress in a little cocktail dress and heels and join him. We walk down the hallway, both acutely aware of the man pretending to get into a room near ours.

Straight poker face, I think, that’s all that’s needed. The man looks at me, and I give him a small smile. He nods to me, and I continue to walk, looping my arm through Frankie’s without hesitation.

Once we’re in the elevator, Frankie glances at me. “Whatever happens, don’t go somewhere where there’s no one around, and you can be taken.”

I nod. “I’m not a fool. I’m a woman. That’s a normal rule for us.”