“To be brainwashed would mean that I had no control over my choices,” Nick replied firmly but with dignity. “My choice is to be with the man that I love. My nature is not a choice, however, but is what God gifted me with from the beginning of my life.” He paused for a moment, then added with a grim smile, “I guess I should thank you for that. So, thank you, Mother, for giving birth and bringing me into this world to find the love of my life.”
“Ohhhhh, Nicky,” Armando whispered, sounding as choked up with emotion as he looked, “That is the single best thing anybody has ever said about me in my life. You do love me!”
Ignoring Armando’s statement of the entirely obvious, Molly winced as she noted Sofia’s dropped jaw and stiffened posture, obviously heralding that she was preparing to wage a bloody battle. She could only pray that her nearby hutch holding her wedding china was as sturdy as it looked. There was carnage coming… she could smell the fury burning in the air. Damn, she had really loved that china pattern, too, she thought, giving the heavy, oak hutch a long mournful look.
“May I point out that we haven’t even sat down at the dining room table yet?” Devil asked, jerking his head toward the adjoining room where the chef Molly’d hired for the day had set the gorgeous mahogany table with elegant table settings and was placing food on it as quickly as she could. Molly didn’t blame her, she’d flee this house of horrors, too, if she could.
“The last thing I have a desire to do is to break bread with you, Mr. Delancy,” Sofia bit out. “You’re responsible for this, aren’t you? Before you showed up, determined to seduce our son away from us, he had a perfectly normal lifestyle. He dated girls.”
“Look, lady, I didn’t exactly have to beg to get your son to sign on with Delancy Industries. I simply offered him a job. He’s the one that left skid marks getting the hell out of Boston and the hell away from you and your hypercritical running commentary on his life… or lack of one as the case was at the time. Because trust me, woman, that boy was barely breathing before I helped him escape Boston.”
“And for the record, I didn’t date those girls you refer to, Mother. I used them as human shields. I had to do it,” he said with a quick look at Mannie. “I did,” he whispered to the other man now standing at his side and holding his hand tightly. “She would have made my life a misery if she’d even suspected I was gay then. I’m not proud of it, but I used those girls.”
“As somebody who’s done sort of the same thing,” Devil began, remembering how he’d dated his fair share of women in an effort to keep him from acting on his feelings for Molly, “I get it, Nick. You did what you had to do then to get through the day.” Looking at Sofia again, Devil shook his head in disgust. “Look, Sofia. Gino. Nick coming here and working for me was almost entirely your own doing. You want somebody to blame, look in the fuckin’ mirror. Neither one of you would let the guy be who he was. He had to move somewhere where he could just be free to live his life without judgment. And for the record, when he found Mannie, it looked like he found his other half. Why don’t you try being happy for him?” Devil growled, determined to defend his friends. He only went silent when Molly grabbed his hand and threaded her fingers through his.
“That will never happen,” Sofia denied, casting Nick and Armando a disparaging look of contempt. “And I will thank all of you not to blame my son’s horrible, deviant lifestyle on me! I had nothing to do with him becoming an affront against nature and all the things his father and I hold dear,” she snapped out bitterly, each word fraught with anger and disgust. “I can only be thankful that the people that know us in Boston do not have to be subject to this ridiculous life choice. “ Pausing to take a deep breath, she focused her attention entirely on her son. “You, my son, have a choice to make.”
“A choice,” Nick scoffed. “Have you listened to a word I said? This isn’t a choice, Mother!” he shouted, taking an angry step toward the woman that gave birth to him. “It has never, not once, been a choice. It’s WHO I AM!” he roared, his body jerking when Armando caught his arm when he would have charged across the room toward his parents. “I’m sorry if I’m not the son you wanted, but this is what you have!”
“Calm down, mi amor,” Armando soothed against Nick’s ear as he rubbed Nick’s heaving shoulders. “Calm down, Nicky. You don’t owe anyone an apology. Least of all, somebody that could make you feel like this,” he added with an irate look at Nick’s mother.
Barely noticing Armando, Sofia’s eyes narrowed. “You have a choice to make, Nicholas. You can stay here and live a life that our God considers an abomination….”
“Wait a second!” Molly finally interrupted, holding up her hands. “Our God? Is that what you said? Our?”
“That’s exactly what I said,” Sofia retorted, her eyes flashing. “Surely you can see that this is a sinful union that our Lord would never sanction.”
“Well, my God doesn’t judge. My God would NEVER condemn two men for loving each other. He would never cast them aside for a choice that was never theirs to begin with. This is your SON that you’re trying to condemn to Hell! How can you do that?” Molly asked, horrified by the callousness that Nick’s mother was showing him and Armando.
“Don’t bother wasting your breath, Molly,” Armando interjected softly. “People like her will sit in judgment of people like us until the end of time. You’ve got a better shot at stopping time than changing her mind.”
“Well, that’s one thing we can agree on,” Sofia barked at Armando.
“Due respect, Mrs. Santino,” Mannie’s heavily accented voice replied, “But I pray that it’s not the only thing we ever agree on. You and I… there is little common ground to be found, but I love your son. He has my heart. My soul. Does that mean anything to you?”
“Very little. Your relationship goes against everything I believe to be right. I’m sorry, but you are not for my Nicholas,” Sofia replied. “As I was saying, Nicholas. You can have this immoral relationship with him, or you can have a relationship with your family. Come home. Let your father and I get you some help for this….this….sickness.”
Molly felt Devil leaning toward her. “For once, I really wish we had Samantha here to turn loose on her,” she heard him whisper against her ear. She nodded. “Me, too,” she murmured back to him.
“My God! Enough, Sofia!” Gino bellowed, speaking for the first time since the conversation began. “I. Have. Heard. Enough!!!!!!!!” he shouted again, making his wife jump as she turned sharply to look at her husband. Grabbing her arm and giving her a quick shake, he exhaled a long stream of air through his nose as he scowled at her. “Do you honestly believe that you have the power to browbeat the gay right out of our son?” he shouted, throwing his arm out in a wide arc to gesture at Nick. “Is that what you believe?”
“Mmmmm,” Armando hummed appreciatively, blinking at the exchange. “Go, papi!”
“Shhhhh,” Nick hissed, holding Mannie’s hand tightly. “I don’t know what’s happening,” he whispered frantically. “He’s never yelled at Mother in my life!”
“That’s because she never let me get a word in edgewise,” Gino informed his son irritably before turning back to his wife. “But those days are over. OVER, Sofia, do you hear?”
“Gino,” Sofia hissed, her cheeks red with embarrassment.
“No! I’ve listened to quite enough. In fact, I’ve heard so much that my stomach turns,” he bit out, beyond angry now.
“I know!” Sofia returned, reaching for his hand. “The way our boy is throwing his life away on this sick, depraved man….” She began, throwing her arm out toward Armando.
“Damn it, Mother! I love him and if you don’t show him some respect….. You know what? No. I’m done,” Nick thundered. “You wanna know my choice? It’s him. Armando. I choose Armando Savage, and I pray with everything that I am that he chooses me in return,” he concluded, turning to stare at the man he loved. “You wanna disown me for following my heart and loving a man? Go ahead. Do your worst. You�
�re the ones losing out. Because being loved by this amazing man,” he continued, squeezing Armando’s hand in his, “It’s made me better and stronger than I ever thought I could be, and you’re both fools for passing up the chance to know that kind of wonderful.”
“Awwwww,” Molly whispered, blinking back tears and sniffling while she leaned her head against Devil’s shoulder and watched Nick make his stand.
“Now, you make a choice mother,” Nick continued. “Refrain from your uptight judgments regarding me and my future husband… or leave. If you stay, I’d love you to have dinner with us and get to know your future son-in-law, but if not, please just go.”
“Pick leave, pick leave, pick LEAVE,” Devil entreated in a whisper from his position at Molly’s side.
Stunned, Sofia looked from her son to her husband. “Did you hear how your son just talked to his mother? Aren’t you going to say something?!”” she asked Gino in outrage.
Gino merely stood and blinked at his wife for several long seconds. “Yes, Sofia, I do want to say something. Something important.”
Impatiently, Sofia huffed out an agitated breath. “Well! Say it!” she ordered.
Turning to look at his son, Gino smiled, his bluish-grey eyes sparking with humor and goodwill. “What’s for dinner, boys?”
Chapter Ten
Devil
Well, their mission had been a resounding success, but not without its challenges. After all, every good mission had to have a few hiccups to keep things fresh and interesting, right?
Happily, Nick and Armando were completely reconciled. Sofia Delancy’s actions and attitude had convinced Mannie that Nick had, indeed, been trying to protect him all along. Even better, Nick had disowned his mother when she’d steadfastly refused to accept who he was. But the biggest surprise of the day had come from Nick’s own dad.
Turns out, Old Man Santino was as tired of his wife’s narrow-minded views as the rest of them were. And, he, too, had been ready to do something about it. So, after Nick had announced that he was disowning his mother, Gino had declared his own independence. Yep, right there in the middle of Devil’s living room, he’d demanded a divorce.
Devil wasn’t entirely sure, but he was reasonably certain there were pieces of Sofia Santino still attached to his ceiling. And he’d never needed to say a word to make the old bat’s head explode. Nick and Gino had done all the work. He’d merely been a very entertained guest at the show.
Mannie had publicly forgiven Nick shortly thereafter, and they’d all adjourned to the dining room to feast on prime rib and mashed potatoes while Sofia (or the witch bitch as Devil had taken to calling her in private) had waited outside for a cab.
Watching Armando and Nick canoodle on the couch across from him now, Devil sighed but remained silent. Usually, those two playing kissy face would make him feel…. for lack of a better word…. awkward. But it wasn’t because he was a bigot or anything…. He didn’t appreciate it when a straight couple decided to put on a bedroom show in the middle of the den. No, mostly it just made him jealous that he wasn’t currently smooching his wife. He’d been watching them go at it for the last half hour because…. Honestly, they’d both earned it.
But he did have his limits.
Clearing his throat, Devil watched as the two men continued on with their liplock. Rolling his eyes when they merely kept going at it on his expensive leather couch, he reached for one of Molly’s books on the coffee table, dropping it on the floor beside his chair. The crash echoed through the room, but the happily reunited couple remained unfazed, their groping hands continuing on their voyage of discovery. (Thank God Nick’s dad had opted to go back to the hotel after lunch. While he was trying to be supportive of Nick’s lifestyle, this shit more than likely would have pushed him over the edge.)
“Are you kidding me?” he muttered, glancing over his shoulder to see if his Molly had returned from the guest house where their Nana resided. His wonderful grandmother had agreed to keep their own little nugget of happiness overnight so that he and his wife could have a nice, relaxing evening together to celebrate their victory, and Molly had accompanied her home so that she could carry the baby’s bag. Now, he just needed to evict these two horny hormones from his house so that he could have his own private party.
Flustered when the two men continued to neck like teenagers despite the crash of the book on the floor, Devil rose and crossed to the wet bar. Grabbing a plastic bottle of water, he calmly twisted the cap off and moved back to stand in front of the couch (that was rapidly devolving from being a couch to being an early wedding present for the amorous couple). Lifting the bottle, Devil generously doused both their heads with the cold water and waited.
“Ay! Papi! What the hell is wrong with you?” Armando yelled as he jerked away from his lover.
“Was that really necessary, Devil?” Nick growled at the same time, lifting a hand to wipe the water from his eyes.
“Abso-fucking-lutely, it was necessary. Fuck, more than necessary. It’s essential to my continued sanity,” Devil answered, straight-faced. “While Molly and I are thrilled that you two have rededicated yourselves to each other and the sun is shining, birds are singing, and you two are together, we’re gonna need you both to get the hell out of our house,” he explained calmly. “And we need that to happen like, well, now,” he belatedly added.
Nick chuckled while Mannie’s eyebrows lifted.
“Ohhhhh Myyyy, papi,” Mannie said slowly, lifting one hand to pat Devil’s chest, “You sound positively desperate. Is something wrong?”
“Yeah, you’re a cockblocking asshole when you fight with your hubby-to-be. I want alone time with my wife and that can’t happen with you here. Make like a cat and SCAT, man!”
Laughing loudly, Nick slapped Mannie’s arm as he stood, too. “Trust me, we should go. You didn’t hear the things I did at the bar yesterday. I’ll fill you in on the way home,” he said, taking Mannie’s hand in his and pulling his lover toward him.
“But I haven’t even thanked Molly!” Mannie argued, tugging at his hand.
“I’ll forward your appreciation,” Devil said quickly, shoving Mannie toward the front door. “She’ll be thrilled.”
“But….”
“No buts…no ands or ifs, either. Seriously, you two need to vamoose before she gets back. I know you both. I’ll be listening to the three of you make last minute preparations and plans for the wedding all night if you don’t! And, I am completely serious when I say that I will go homicidal crazy all over your asses if that happens. I need to get laid. It’s become a physical pain, damn it! Now, I suggest you two go home and do the same,” Devil recommended as he leaned forward and yanked open the door and pushed the pair over the threshold.
“I am not feeling like I’m basking in the warm glow of your love,” Armando asserted, tripping as Devil “helped” him over the threshold (namely by putting his hand on Mannie’s back and shoving).
Looking at Nick, Devil shrugged and jerked his head toward Mannie. “Well, you better get on the stick if that’s how he feels,” he replied, swiftly slamming the door as the sound of both men’s amusement was noticeably dulled by the wood barrier between them. “Now, go home!” he shouted through the wood as he heard the back door open and close.
Chapter Eleven
Molly
Molly hummed a happy tune as she swiftly made her way back up the bricked path that ran from the main house to the guest house. Things were finally looking up, she thought giddily. Mannie and Nick were back together again and stronger than they’d ever been. Things hadn’t gone perfectly with her idea of inviting Nick’s parents here to work things out with him, but his father had decided to support his choices. And, for now, she was going to believe that having the love of one out of two parents on his wedding day to Armando was more than enough. She’d start working on Sofia’s attitude while the two lovebirds were on the honeymoon. Until then, she would be positively overwhelmed with things to do.
She was s
till working on her mental to do list when she reached the back door to their sprawling house, letting herself inside quickly, her high heels clicking against the Italian tiled floor beneath her feet. “Devil? Honey, I’m back from Nana’s!” She called as she tossed her keys and phone on the black granite kitchen counter. Grabbing the apron, she looped it over her head and began tying it behind her back when she heard her husband’s deep, annoyed voice thunder, “Just what the hell are you doing, woman?”
Startled, Molly frowned when she spun around to find her husband staring daggers at her. Pressing a hand to her thudding chest. “Damn you, Devil! You just scared ten years off my life,” she accused as he slowly, methodically advanced toward her. His moves were smooth and graceful, like a big cat stalking his prey. And evidently, Molly looked like one tasty snack if the look in her husband’s eyes were an indication.
“I’ll ask again, Mols. What. Are. You. Doing?” he asked, each word falling out of his mouth with a vicious snap of his teeth.
Widening her eyes, Molly shook her head in confusion. She wasn’t sure why he was angry, but he could just get over it. She was in too good… no, great, a mood to let her mercurial husband influence It. “Well, if you must know, I was going to clear the dining room table since the chef’s services didn’t include clean-up and then, I was going to….”
“No.”
“No?” Molly echoed, her head tilting as she considered her husband. Had the man gone crazy? Had this most recent mess with Mannie finally pushed him over the edge?
“No,” he confirmed again, this time shaking his head as he spoke, his eyes glittering as they sized her up from about two feet away.
“O-kay,” Molly replied slowly. “What the hell is your deal, Devil? Be happy. The wedding is back on, the wicked witch backed her broom right on out of here, and thanks to Nana, we’ll have a quiet, cry-free evening without Little Miss Devlynn. I can get loads accomplished while….”
Scorched (Sizzle #2) Page 11
