Becoming her Salvation (Zanetti Famiglia Book 7)

by Hayley Faiman

He sounds cold and unfeeling, but I can tell that he is on the edge and barely holding on to his shit. He’s about to completely and totally lose control. She clears her throat, shifting in her seat.

  “I overheard him the night I found out that I was. It took me a few days, but I came to Salvatore as soon as I could. I can’t let him hurt you, hurt the family, hurt my baby.”

  Her last words are said on a whisper and I don’t blame her at all. Not in the fucking slightest. She places her palm against her belly and looks down at her lap. Looking over to Gavino, I wait to hear what he has to say about this.

  “Get everything you can on the prick,” he growls, looking directly at me. “I want everything on your end, then send it to me so that I can get a couple guys working on him and whoever the fuck this uncle is.”

  “You got it,” I say with a nod.

  Then he turns to Rosana. “Do you want to go to Pippa?” he asks, his voice calm and almost soft.

  She shakes her head. “I can’t.”

  “You need protection. You need to be with a Made Man and have a guard,” he announces.

  Her eyes widen and she flicks her gaze from him to me, then back to him. There is a knock on the door, and I call for Kimberly to open it. She is steaming pissed as she stomps toward me and holds her hands out. Taking the coffees from her grasp, I reach over and hand Rosana the iced beverage, then dip my chin.

  “Go on out to the kitchen. Have your treat. I need to talk to Vino a minute. Don’t leave the floor though, yeah?”

  Rosana nods her head as she stands to her feet. She holds out her hand and Kimberly thrusts the bag of pastries at her before she spins around and stomps away. I don’t watch her go though, instead, my gaze is glued to Rosana as she slips from my office.

  “She can’t be fed to the wolves, Vino. She’s young, alone, scared, and pregnant.”

  “What do you propose? Where do I put her? I could shove her in a safe house, but for how long? I don’t know who the fuck I’m dealing with here. It could take me a while to take down whoever the fuck this is. They could be a big operation.”

  Nodding, I can’t help but agree with him. I’ve been thinking about that since the moment she told me. Lifting my hand, I rub my jaw.

  “She needs a Made Man for a husband. It’s the only way she’ll truly be protected, especially if she doesn’t want to live with Pippa and Massimo.”

  “What Made Man is going to marry a pregnant woman? Not just pregnant, but pregnant with her circumstances?” he asks.

  I don’t have to think hard, because I know that there is not one Made Man who would do that. We’re made and we can have comarés on the side, but our wives, they are fucking special. They are treasured and taken care of, they are the women who create the next generation of famiglia. Everything must be pure. They must be pure.

  “I have a few women here that I was going to narrow it down to. Make a choice on my marriage and bring it to you today. Until Rosana walked through the door.”

  “Yeah? And?” he asks.

  “Forget them,” I say. “I’ll marry her, today.”

  “Cugino. You’re generational. You have worked hard and earned the right to have whatever wife you choose. Don’t do this because you feel sorry for the girl. Don’t saddle yourself with a kid that isn’t yours and a life that you don’t want.”

  Clearing my throat, I shake my head. “Who says I don’t want it?” I ask. “Rosana is beautiful. She’s young and healthy. She can have my babies later. She’s famiglia. She needs me. I’ll marry her and protect her.”

  “Don’t do this because you couldn’t save Abriana,” Gavino murmurs, obviously knowing exactly what is going through my mind.

  He’s not wrong.

  I can’t even tell him that he’s completely full of shit, because he’s not. Instead, I clear my throat and bring my espresso to my lips, taking a drink. My eyes never leave his.

  “I can do what I want, yeah?”

  He nods. “Don’t make a mistake just to be the white knight.”

  Shaking my head, I don’t move my gaze from his. “It’s not a mistake. It’s the right thing to do. I’ll protect her.”

  “Cazzo,” he curses. “You have my permission and my blessing but know that nobody would think poorly of you if you didn’t do this. I can put a guard on her and put her up in the safe house just the same.”

  “I know.”

  “Congratulazioni,” he barks with a chuckle. “You know Luciana will want to have some kind of party.”

  “We’ll be there whenever she wants us.”

  “You’re a good man, cugino.”

  Shaking my head, I clear my throat as I flick my gaze from the floor to him. “I’m not. I’m doing this just as much for me as for her.”

  He hums, standing to his feet. “Yeah, but it’s a little more for her than you. That’s okay. I do a fuckload of shit for my Ciana that I wouldn’t do otherwise. Get me the information as soon as you can, I want my men on this.”

  “Will do, Vino. Can you keep this under your hat?”

  “I won’t tell Pippa or Massimo, that’s your personal family shit and I’m not getting involved in that.”

  Laughing, I thank him, following him out of the office, and walk him to the elevator. The car opens, but he doesn’t step inside right away. Instead, he holds his hand against the door, looking back at me.

  “You’re a good man, Sal. Not many men in this world, let alone Made, would do what you’re doing. Rosana comes from good stock. You treat one another right and I have a feeling you’ll have not just a good life, but a fuckin’ great one.”

  Smiling, I don’t respond with words. I’m not sure what I could even say. He could be right, but he could be very wrong as well. Rosana could despise me. She could end up resenting me, and I could end up doing the same, but right now, at the end of the day, she needs someone. She needs protection, and she needs a Made Man at her back.

  That man is going to be me.

  ROSANA

  Kimberly glares at me from her desk. I don’t know why she’s so interested in me, it’s not like I’m nearly as classy, pretty, or sophisticated as she is. She’s in here wearing a gorgeous, expensive suit and heels.

  I’m in my high-waisted jeans, oversized tucked in T-shirt, and lace up tennis shoes, my hair in a messy bun on top of my head and no doubt my face is red and puffy from crying. She has absolutely nothing to be jealous of if that’s her problem.

  Sucking on the straw of my coffee, I open the pastry bag and grin at what she brought. Cake pops. Nice. Taking one out of the bag, I lean back in my chair and put the whole freaking thing in my mouth before I tug the stick out.

  A throat clears behind me and I spin around, the cake pop in my cheek. Salvatore is standing there, his shoulder against the jamb, his eyes on me and his lips curved up into a grin.

  “Cute,” he says with a chuckle. My cheeks heat and I continue to chew, swallowing before I sink my teeth into my bottom lip. “Come on back to my office. Gavino left, it’s just us now.”

  My heart races as I stand. I keep a firm grip on my drink, then grab the bag and hurry after him. I can feel Kimberly’s gaze on me, but I completely ignore her. My focus is on Salvatore’s back and nowhere else.

  Once I step into his office, I close the door behind me, not wanting Kimberly to hear a word of our conversation. The last thing I need is some kind of smirk or smug look because she finds out I’m pregnant with no baby daddy around.

  Though why I care what she thinks about me, I have no idea at all, I think to myself as I sit down in the chair across from his desk. Salvatore stands with his ass leaning against the edge of the desk again. His gaze dipped down and focused on me.

  “I talked to Gavino, and I wanted to let you know that I have his blessing for this conversation.”

  “Blessing?” I ask, my brow furrowed.

  He clears his throat, standing in front of me, then he’s not anymore. He’s on one knee right in front of me. I blink. Then I stare at
him, no longer able to blink, my eyes widen and they stay that way. My mouth drops open and my heart starts to race.

  “Marry me, Rosana.”

  “Salvatore,” I say, my breath hitching, lifting my hand to cover my mouth, all thoughts of Kimberly disappearing.

  My other hand is clutching my coffee, but my cake pops tumble to the floor. I don’t care about that, the pops can disappear for all I care, I have bigger things on my plate right now.

  “That’s not why I came here,” I say. “I can’t, no way…”

  He holds up his hand, shaking his head. “You need a Made Man to protect you. The only way one can do that is to marry you. I need a wife. I was going to pick one from a file. At least I know you. I’ll take care of you, Rosana.”

  “I can’t stand in your way of finding love,” I whisper.

  Salvatore lifts his hand, cupping my cheek, then slides his thumb along the underside of my eye. “Bambola, trust me when I tell you that I want this. Our personal shit can be ironed out later. Be my wife. Let me protect you the only way that I know how.”

  I think about telling him no, but I am not a fool. I know that the only way I can have complete protection is if I’m a wife. Not even Massimo and Pippa can give me the protection that Salvatore can.

  “What about the baby?” I ask.

  He smiles, his gaze finding mine and holding it. “It’s mine now. A Macchio to the world.”

  “I can’t ask that.”

  He snorts. “You aren’t, I am.”

  Chapter Three

  ROSANA

  Standing in front of the judge, I can’t believe that I’m doing this. Wearing my jeans and T-shirt to boot. The moment I agreed to Salvatore’s proposal, he grabbed my hand, drove me to a jewelry store, all the while making phone calls to the courthouse and a judge.

  I didn’t expect this to happen today. I didn’t expect any of it to happen ever, yet here I am. The judge pronounces us married. Salvatore turns to me, wrapping his arms around me, he tilts his head to the side and touches his lips to the corner of my mouth.

  It’s not a sexy kiss, but what can I expect? I’ve known him since I was a teenager, he’s almost old enough to be my father, and I’m pregnant with someone else’s baby. He’s doing all of this as a favor to me.

  A favor.

  I am so fucking selfish.

  Sitting in the car, I look down at my lap, specifically at my hand in my lap—at the ring on my hand. It’s gorgeous. It’s huge and cushion cut, set in a rose gold setting. It’s beyond anything I’ve ever seen before, it looks like the ring of a Made Man’s wife.

  “Do you need anything from your place?” he asks.

  Licking my bottom lip, I look up at him. “I can’t go back there,” I whisper.

  He clears his throat, his jaw clenching before he speaks. “You can, I’ll take you,” he says through gritted teeth.

  Shaking my head, I continue to watch him as he drives down the interstate. “No, he’ll be looking for me and that’s exactly where he’ll be waiting. I can’t go back there. I can’t let anything happen to you, Salvi.”

  He nods his head in a single jerk, then guides the car toward the next off ramp. “Tomorrow you’ll go shopping, get what you need. Go with Maci if you don’t want to take Pippa.”

  “I can go alone,” I whisper.

  Salvatore snorts. “You don’t go anywhere alone, ever. I’ll take the day.”

  “No,” I cry.

  His head jerks and so does the car. His eyes are wide as he straightens the wheel and continues to head to wherever he’s taking us. He clears his throat before he speaks.

  “Rosana, I’m taking you shopping tomorrow for whatever you need and whatever you want. You’re mine now. You need things in our home. I won’t have my wife walking around in the same outfit she came to me in. You’ll make me look bad.”

  I know that he’s only saying that to guilt me into going, and it works. I let out a sigh, turning to him and giving him a small smile. “Okay,” I exhale.

  “You’ll need some things today, bambola,” he murmurs, the irritation having left his voice.

  I look up and realize he’s pulled into a mall parking lot. I haven’t been in a mall in years. Smiling, I look over at him and laugh softly.

  “What?”

  “A mall?” I ask.

  He shrugs a shoulder. “It’s the only place I could think of that would have everything you need for tonight and tomorrow in one place.”

  “It’s smart thinking,” I say.

  He grins. “You got that name for me so that I can get working on it while you shop?”

  “Yeah,” I say with a nod.

  I give him Miguel’s first name, the name of the company we work for, and then his uncle’s name, Juarez. That is all that I know. I feel so stupid for not at least knowing Miguel’s last name.

  How could I create life with someone when I don’t even know his last name? Right now, I hate myself for at least that, if not a dozen more things.

  We exit the car, and I expect Salvatore to just walk ahead of me, maybe open the door for me, but what he does is place his palm against the small of my back and walk beside me. I don’t expect it at all and my feet stumble slightly beneath me.

  He’s on the phone, so he’s not really focusing on me, but he’s right there. He’s right next to me, his warmth against my back and he makes me feel safe.

  I ran to him for a reason.

  He has always made me feel safe.

  I don’t know him very well. This whole thing is really fast and I’m terrified, but I’m not scared of him. I’m worried that I’ve ruined his life, but I know without a doubt that he will only make mine better. Selfishly, I know that he will.

  Salvatore is on the phone, he is talking to Gavino, I assume. I hear him confirm that we’re married and the documents have been filed with the court. Then we turn into the first store, Victoria’s Secret, I hear him say that he can’t wait for the party.

  Party?

  With a bra in my hand, I turn my head and look back over my shoulder. He has his phone in his pocket now and he’s looking around as if he’s seeing women’s underwear for the first time.

  “Party?” I ask.

  He hums. “You’ll have to tell your sister about us tomorrow, maybe a dinner at my place?”

  “Why?”

  “Luciana and Gavino are throwing us a small reception at the casino on Friday night.”

  “Salvatore,” I hiss. “I can’t.”

  He snorts, closing the distance between us. “Why?” he asks.

  He’s standing so close that he is almost touching me, but he doesn’t. I can feel the heat from his body and I want his touch again. It’s almost as if I crave it.

  I’ve never felt this way before, not with any of the boys I’ve been around and I’m not even dating him. I doubt he’ll want anything to do with me that way.

  I have a feeling that this marriage is in name only, just for protection, but that doesn’t stop me from wanting him. From needing his palm against my back, his knuckles brushing my cheek like earlier, a chaste corner of the mouth kiss—it’s not enough.

  “Because I just can’t. I’m embarrassed,” I admit.

  He finally reaches out to touch me, but it’s not exactly what I anticipate. He wraps his hand around the back of my neck and yanks me against him. My entire body jerks forward and I let out a cry as I tilt my head back to look up at him.

  He lowers his head so that his mouth is hovering above my own. “Never. Never fucking say that shit again, Rosana.”

  “What?” I breathe.

  “That you’re embarrassed. Never.”

  “Salvi,” I whimper as tears fill my eyes. “I am embarrassed. I let someone use me.”

  He shakes his head in one swift move. “You let yourself feel for someone. They were deceiving you, not the other way around. You have nothing to be embarrassed about. Not a single goddamn thing,” he growls.

  “Excuse me, is everything okay?�
� a woman’s voice asks, breaking through our intense moment.

  Turning my head to the side, I look over at her. She’s a salesgirl a few years younger than me and her eyes are wide. She looks terrified and if I were in her shoes, I would probably look the exact same way.

  “We’re fine,” I murmur. “I’m fine,” I clarify.

  She narrows her gaze on me, then nods her head once. “If you need anything at all, please let me know.”

  Smiling, I wait for her to walk away, then I turn to face Salvatore again. “I’m still embarrassed, I can’t change how I feel.”

  He grunts, taking a step backward as his hand falls from my neck. “I’ll just have to fix that.”

  “I don’t think you can,” I whisper.

  His lips curve up into a grin. “Bambola, I spent my entire life competing for things. How do you think I graduated top of my class in law school? It’s not just because I’m smart, it’s also because I don’t lose and I don’t give up—ever.”

  SALVATORE

  Wife.

  I knew that I would be getting married soon, I just didn’t think that it would happen the way that it has. But as I watch my wife look at every price tag, debate and mull over every single item in this entire fucking mall, I can’t deny that I’m glad it worked out the way that it has—at least so far.

  Rosana isn’t who I would have ever chosen for myself, simply because she’s Pippa’s sister and younger than is probably acceptable for a man my age.

  However, I’m not the first Made Man to have a young wife and I won’t be the last. Rosana may not have been who I would have chosen, but that doesn’t mean she isn’t exactly what I need.

  “Rosana,” I call out.

  She looks over her shoulder at me, her eyes wide as she holds a top in her hand.

  “Get whatever you want. It’s just for the next couple of days.”

  I watch as she sinks her teeth into the flesh of her bottom lip and nods her head once. “You’re ready to go,” she whispers. It’s not a question, it’s a statement.

  Shaking my head, I focus my gaze on hers. “I’ll stay here as long as you need to, but you’re checking prices as if I give a fuck. I don’t.”