Barresi: Emily Trilogy: A New Orleans Mafia Romance

by Lux Miller

  Despite Luca hiring a female shadow-guard for Noemi, like he hired Amie for me, Kyle’s as protective of Noemi as Luca is of me and they’re openly dating now. Noemi seems to be happy, so I’m thrilled for her. Despite the eight-year age difference between them, Noemi is adjusting well to her new normal, and Kyle has proven himself to be a devoted boyfriend. He’s managed to worm his way into Luca’s good graces enough that when I suggested having Kyle as a groomsman, Luca didn’t hesitate to ask him.

  I doubt that his willingness had much to do with Kyle dating his sister, and more to do with the dynamics of the family changing with the death of Enzo Barresi. Though not much has been said to me regarding Luca’s ascension to power, I know that he’s taken his place as the head of the family. For one, the family ring he’s always worn has changed into something I can only describe as elaborate. It’s clearly meant for a King.

  In addition to the new jewelry, Luca also has a nasty new scar that traverses the entirety of his palm. It’s only just begun to really heal and I have no doubts that it has something to do with secret rites. While Luca didn’t straight out confirm my suspicions, he didn’t exactly deny them either.

  And that’s not the only family dynamic that’s changed. It’s been months since Mike was arrested for killing his brother to defend my honor and life, and to be honest, he was the closest thing I had to a father. And I miss him. Today just isn’t the same without him. It’s a dark spot on an otherwise flawlessly beautiful day.

  I blink, startled as Noemi rubs her hand across my lower back. “Emily, are you okay?”

  I nod, inhaling a shaky breath. “Yeah, I just… I wish…”

  Noemi nods, smiling softly. But then my heart leaps into my throat as a familiar voice finishes my sentence, “That Mike could be here to, hopefully, walk you down the aisle?”

  I whirl on my heels so fast that I almost topple to the floor. Noemi chuckles as she holds me steady on my feet. Standing in front of me, towers the man that’s become a surrogate father to me over the last year. I open my mouth to talk, but words don’t come as I just nod and jump into his arms.

  Mike chuckles and wraps his meaty arms around me, holding me tightly against his chest. “Hello to you too, la mia stella.”

  I pull back and shake my head. “What? When? How?”

  Mike shrugs and turns his hands up as his shoulders bounce, “Apparently, it’s a little tougher to beat a murder rap when you can’t marry the star witness to prevent them from testifying against you. Leo Rossi would rather rot in hell, than free a man under oath to any Barresi.”

  My heart is thundering in my chest as I stare at Mike. He looks good for having spent months in prison, and he’s a sight for sore eyes. I just don’t even know how to express to him how much I missed his presence, but it seems I don’t have to say anything. The look of love and adoration on his face is the exact thing I’d always longed to see on my own father’s face before his death. It was a wish that went unfulfilled, but apparently the prayer didn’t go unanswered.

  Mike offers me his arm and I take it gladly. “Does Luca know you’re here?”

  He shakes his head. “Besides the people in this room, there is one person who knows I’m here, and he was the man who secured my release from prison. I don’t know how he did it, but Dante has his hands in some high-ranking affairs. Somehow, he convinced Leo Rossi not to testify against me as a murderer, but to change his story and concur with the other witness that my actions were in self-defense and not out of malice.”

  Royce squeals with delight as the processional music begins and claps his hands excitedly as he hands Noemi her bouquet, then hands me mine. “It’s time! Noemi, that’s your cue baby girl… go, go, go… make that boyfriend of yours’ eyes pop out of his head.”

  Noemi blushes and gives Mike a small smile as she strides past him, beginning the walk down the aisle that seems to go on for miles. Mike glances at me and makes a belly motion in front of him. I nod quickly and shrug, whispering, “Would you believe that Luca didn’t kill the father?”

  Mike cocks one eyebrow and shakes his head. “Did the father run to Mexico?”

  I shake my head too and chuckle softly. “Hardly. He considered it, though. He’s standing up there with Luca right now.”

  Mike’s eyes widen as his mouth drops open. He keeps his voice low. It’s funny how ingrained in him it is that sensitive information should always be whispered with discretion. “Kyle knocked up Noemi?”

  I nod and shrug a little. “Yeah, at her birthday party of all places. Crazy, huh? It’s a boy, you know…”

  Mike just shakes his head in wonder as he turns to watch Noemi walk down the aisle. I peer around Mike and smile when I see Kyle watching Noemi in wonder, his eyes glued to her every move. I think things worked out okay in the end. I don’t know what the future holds, but it feels like everything is finally falling into place.

  Royce leans over and kisses my cheek, then pulls my veil down over my face. “You are going to be talked about as the most beautiful bride to walk this aisle for years to come, Miss Emily.”

  Without another word, Royce turns and begins his own walk down the aisle.

  I squeeze Mike’s arm gently and leans against him slightly. “Thank you for being here. You have no idea what this means to me…”

  Mike closes his eyes for a moment as a sad smile spreads across his face. “I think I may have an inkling. Thank you for being the daughter God didn’t think I needed…”

  I smile a crooked smile as the music lifts into swells that signal my cue. I turn to Mike and nudge him before we begin the walk down the aisle, “Oh, but He did, Mike… we didn’t know what we needed, but He did. Because here we are... “

  The entire walk down the aisle is a blur, as is the ceremony that follows. I’m lost between the readings, musical selections, and promises to repeat, and I almost feel like I’m on autopilot until Luca lifts my veil and I see the look of complete adoration on his face. He brushes his hand across my cheek and leans in, kissing me deeply. When he finally pulls back, I’m out of breath and there are a few cheers that come from the back rows of pews, where the associates are sitting.

  Luca nudges me as we walk back down the aisle together, officially husband and wife in front of God and family. My last name change application was approved yesterday, so I’m now Barresi in every sense of possibility, all the way down to my name. As we step into the horse-drawn carriage to move from the Cathedral to the reception aboard the Natchez steamboat, I lean my head on Luca’s shoulder, drawing circles on his thigh with my left hand.

  “Luca, tell me something…”

  I sit up and look up at the man I’ve sworn my life to. He looks down at me with a gentle smile on his face. It’s not often I see the man’s features softened, but the early moonlight that bathes us in its glow hides the sharp angles of his face. “Anything, Emily…”

  I swallow the lump in my throat and ask softly, “Whatever this is that you’re planning… do you plan to survive it?”

  Luca’s expression twists slightly, then he exhales heavily. “Two years ago, when it became apparent that war was brewing with the cartels, I knew that I’d eventually give my life in the fight to protect our empire. I had no ties to this world aside from my own wanton desires, so I indulged in them without a care for anyone. My only love was money. Then you crashed into my life and changed everything. So yes, I plan to survive it… but you have to understand that things don’t always go as planned…”

  I nod. I know all too well what he means. “You are a strong leader, Luca. The men will follow you to the ends of the Earth… but do you have enough men for a war of this magnitude?”

  Luca nods as the carriage bumps along the road. “I do, but they are not all mine. My men are honorable men, and they’ll fight to the death to uphold their oath to me and La Cosa Nostra, but we’re fighting an unwinnable war. Dante saw this, and procured an advantage for us that will give us an edge. He’s always been a master tactician, and he mad
e a great sacrifice to find the answers to our prayers.”

  My heartbeat thuds in my ears as I consider the possibilities. I knew Dante was keeping something from us, but I never imagined it would be something of this magnitude. “And how are you so certain that Dante has all the answers?”

  Luca smiles, lowering his voice to a whisper, “After I tell you this, you have to promise me that the rest of the night, we’ll speak nothing of business. I want to enjoy the benefits of being properly married.”

  I shrug, but the look he gives me tells me he means it. I nod, “Okay, okay… tell me this and we can go on living our happily ever after tonight, and I won’t say another word about war, except over who gets to be on top tonight.”

  Luca exhales a heavy breath and says stoically, “That redhead that we thought he was messing around with, the one Dante brought to our wedding as his plus one… is Camilla Rossi. She’s Leo Rossi’s sister - and the police chief’s daughter. Angelo Rossi will do anything to protect her, including lending his support in an unconventional alliance forged by outdated means. An alliance that will include the fealty of the New Orleans Police Department if we play our cards right. It’s already worked to secure Mike’s release. But, I’m afraid an alliance of this magnitude comes at a price. One that Dante paid. We weren’t the only ones harboring secrets, Emily. Camilla Rossi… is Dante’s wife…”

  Sanctuary by Lux Miller

  © 2019 Lux Miller

  All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced in any form without permission from the publisher, except as permitted by U.S. copyright law. For permissions contact:

  luxmillerauthor@gmail.com

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events, locales, and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental. The medical procedures performed in this book are fictionalized and should not be attempted on any living being. Please note that this book contains situations that may be triggering for some and situations that are not appropriate for readers under eighteen years of age.

  ONE

  In my twenty-six years of life on this planet, I’ve been on an airplane exactly one time that I remember, and it wasn’t a pleasant experience. I was ten, and it was three weeks after my mom died. My father and I were fleeing her ghost on the Big Island. Well, my father was running, and I was doing everything in my power to stay in the only place I’d ever known. I was the child, and he was the parent, so I had little choice in the matter. We boarded an airplane, and I never saw my islands again. Until now.

  I scramble over Luca to peer out the window as the pilot announces our final descent. He eyes me curiously as I climb on his lap and flick the window shade up. He puts both of his hands out, covering his crotch with one and grabbing hold of my hip with the other. “Whoa there… careful. The view out there isn’t anything yet.”

  I shake my head as I stare at the pinpoints of land surrounded by the vast blue of the ocean. “It’s breathtaking…”

  Luca chuckles and adjusts me on his lap so that I’m sitting across his upper thighs, his left hand protectively resting against my stomach as I continue staring out the window. He lowers his voice and murmurs, “I assure you, it pales in comparison to the view I have…”

  Rolling my eyes, I shake my head. “Okay Romeo, you can lay off the silver-tongue speak. I already married you - twice, in fact. You have no need to try to impress me or convince me to do anything. Besides, you already know that the first thing we’re going to do when we get to the rental house is christen the bed, and the pool, and probably a few counters...”

  He pushes aside my ponytailed hair and nuzzles his thickly bearded face against the back of my neck. His voice is a low rumble, “Mmmm, I’m counting on it…”

  The sudden sensation sends shivers down my spine. “Luca, you’re turning into a woolly mammoth. And it’s not even winter!”

  My eyes snap shut as he presses his lips to the sensitive skin just below my right ear. “I know, but you like it. A lot. As in… five bucks says me just doing this would make your panties damp.”

  I bite down on my bottom lip, because damnit if he isn’t right. I squirm a bit on his lap, and he nips at my ear playfully as the fingers of his left hand dig into my side. Tensing up, my eyes flutter shut as a barely audible moan slips past my lips.

  The moment vanishes as we’re interrupted by the loudly cleared throat of a woman. My eyes pop open, and I look up to see the flight attendant standing in the aisle, staring down at mine and Luca’s show. She motions at each of us, then points to my empty seat. Her voice is tight as she says, “You need to return to your assigned seat, ma’am. We’re on our final approach to the airport, and it might get a bit bumpy.”

  Luca growls under his breath, but thankfully, the flight attendant doesn’t hear as she stomps off to repeat the same reminder to several other rowdy passengers who, along with us, are making her job a living hell at the moment. It’s a relatively small flight, and with its semi-private status, its clientele are all members of the social elite. Most believe the rules don’t apply to them, while others are certain. I glance over at Luca and laugh. He’s definitely one of the ones who ignores the rules. He tries to hold onto my hips, but I shake my head at him. I pat Luca’s thigh as I slide back into my aisle seat. As I go to pull my right hand back into my lap, Luca snags it with his left, gripping it tightly.

  At first, I roll my eyes at his inability to go five seconds without touching me. But then the turbulence hits, and I’m the one squeezing the crap out of his hand now. He winces, but doesn’t complain as my knuckles turn white around his fingers, his wedding ring biting into my palm. Just as I feel my in-flight meal start to bubble in my stomach, the turbulence thankfully stops. I exhale shakily, willing the roiling inside of me to stop too.

  Luca reaches over me and buckles my seatbelt, then murmurs in my ear, “It’s fine, Emily… we’ll be on the ground before you know it…”

  I close my eyes, real fear gripping me in its grasp. “I know. That’s my worry. There’s a big difference in making it to the ground and making it there safely and in one piece.”

  I feel Luca’s lips against the outer shell of my ear as he whispers something I don’t understand into my ear. I can tell that it’s Italian, but despite taking lessons with Noemi and Professor Google, I’m still nowhere near fluent. I can get by on some common phrases, but I can barely understand a third of what Luca says when he drops into his rapid lilt. Whatever he’s saying right now is definitely not something his sister has taught me. Nor have I run across anything like it while researching on the computer, which means one of two things. Either he’s whispering total bullshit to me in an attempt to get me to calm down… or he’s saying something completely inappropriate that he knows I’d slap him for if he said it in English.

  I’m just about to scold him for his language, despite the fact that I still have no clue what he said, but the jarring motion of the plane coming to a stop has my words dying on my lips. I jerk my hand out of Luca’s and reach across him to flick the window shade back up, and my mouth falls open as I realize that we’re on the ground.

  Looking at him in surprise, he just grins and reaches over to flick the shade right back down. “Distraction always works…”

  I narrow my eyes at him and scrunch up my nose. “Yeah, and if your momma heard the kind of language you use with women, she’d nail your balls to a tree.”

  Luca nods, then shrugs. “Good thing I’m a married man, and my momma isn’t responsible for what I say anymore.”

  I raise one eyebrow and tilt my head to the side slightly. “So does that mean I’m supposed to nail your balls to a tree?”

  Luca chuckles and shakes his head. “I’d prefer you didn’t. I like my balls the way they are, and even though you’d never admit it, so do you. I intend to have you handle them quite a bit over the next weeks,
but there are no sharp, pointy objects allowed anywhere near them.”

  I can’t help but giggle at the visual that pops up in my head. I snort as I try to hold in the laughter and slap my hand over my mouth to stifle the sounds of me losing my cool. Luca frowns at me. “Quit picturing harm coming to my balls. If you want to have children, they gotta stay intact, mmkay?”

  His statement catches me off guard completely, and I stare at him in surprise, the sound of the public address system squawking somewhere in the back of my mind. “What did you say?”

  Luca looks at me seriously, exhaling a heavy breath. “Mandy will always haunt me, but Dante reminded me of something during a conversation we had last week. You’re not Italian.”

  I blink like he just slapped me. What the hell? I can’t tell from his statement if that’s a good thing or a bad thing. I must have some kind of crazy look on my face, because Luca grabs my hand. “Mandy was Italian, like me. Our son… my son… would’ve been expected to follow in my footsteps. To be trained from a young age to be a ruthless killer. He would’ve been almost the age now that I was when I became a made man. He’d have been expected to become a machine and suppress his emotions to take his place in the line of succession and carry on the family tradition…”