Dad smiles from behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist to give her strength. “Happy, baby?” he asks her.

  “Don’t tease me. I’m too old for you to play games with my heart like that, Rocco. So help me God, I’ll…”

  “We are,” Rebel adds, stopping my mother from her theatrics and threats of stroking out on me if I was pulling her leg.

  Ma blinks, placing her hand over my father’s at her waist. “You’re getting married?” she asks, as if she needs to say the words out loud to finally comprehend.

  “Yeah, Ma. I asked Rebel this morning, and she said yes.”

  Ma leans back, letting my father take her weight. “Thank you, Jesus,” she whispers.

  “She’s very dramatic,” I explain to Rebel, which gets me a hip nudge and a wrinkled nose.

  “You have three boys come out of your vagina and raise them, trying to keep the fools alive, and find yourself not being dramatic when you’re older,” Ma says.

  I laugh. “Not possible since I don’t have the parts, but we have a little girl, and if she’s anything like her mother, Lord help me.”

  Ma smiles, liking the sound of that. “I have two girls now. Two,” she repeats, wiping at her eyes like she’s crying.

  Total drama queen.

  Rebel squeezes my hand, and I squeeze hers back before pulling her against me and throwing my arm over her shoulder.

  “When’s the wedding?” Mom asks, her eyes moving between Rebel and me.

  Rebel peers up at me, her hand over my heart and her other hand resting on the top of my ass, waiting for me to answer that one.

  “Ma, it’s been a few hours. We have no idea. Give us a few weeks to figure some shit out. As soon as we know, you’ll know.”

  My dad gives her middle a tug, and she tips her head back, staring at him. “Fine,” she mutters, pretending to be sad, but she’s about to burst at the seams.

  He’s trying to reel her in and keep her ass in check, something he’s done a moderately decent job of over the years, but this event is on a whole new level, as will be her celebration.

  “I have to call my mother,” she says, and that means it’s about to hit the Gallo newswire, spreading the information across the family. It’ll break the laws of physics, traveling faster than the speed of light. “She’s going to be over the freaking moon excited.”

  “Here we go,” I mumble, bracing myself for the barrage of calls and messages that will be hitting my phone within the hour.

  Mom steps out of Dad’s arms and grabs Rebel’s hand, pulling her away from me. “Come sit with me, and we can FaceTime her together and share the good news.”

  Rebel glances over her shoulder, and I give her a chin lift, letting her know it’s okay. It isn’t a secret we were ever going to be able to keep, and my grandmother will be ridiculously happy.

  There’s nothing the Gallos love more than a wedding and the possibility of more humans joining the family tree. And that includes Adaline. She is now one of us, along with Rebel, but they had been brought into the fold the moment they stepped foot inside my grandmother’s house, even if I never put a ring on Rebel’s finger.

  Dad steps forward, placing his hand on my shoulder. “You look happy,” he says, his eyes sweeping over my face, studying me intently like he has for years.

  “I am, Dad. For the first time in a decade, I feel at peace.”

  “I’m proud of you.”

  “That means a lot.”

  “And the club?” he asks, going somewhere I haven’t put a ton of thought into.

  I shrug. “Haven’t been there in a while and don’t plan on going back unless Rebel wants to explore that side of herself.”

  “You’re a man of certain tastes, and those don’t require a specific set of four walls for you to embrace that side of yourself.”

  I nod. “I feel like I finally have control back of my entire life. It’s an odd and wonderful feeling.”

  His hand tightens on my shoulder. “Your other half was missing, and you tried to fill that emptiness, using whatever control you could find to do it. But now that it’s back—she’s back—you’re at peace and complete, son. I only hope you’re ready for the insanity you just put into motion.”

  “I think I am.” I grimace, remembering Gigi’s, Lily’s, Tamara’s, and Nick’s weddings and the stupidity that ran rampant through the family until the big day.

  “Brace for it.”

  “Braced,” I tell him before moving in for a hug, something we do often in this family.

  My dad, for being as big and badass as he is, isn’t above showing affection and letting us know we matter and are loved.

  He has been my role model my entire life, and I’ve looked up to him for the way he loves my mom and us. We are his everything, and I am about to have mine.

  We walk into the living room as Adaline crawls into my mom’s lap, putting her face as close as she can to the phone. “Oh, it’s Nonna,” Adaline says, making goofy faces. “Hi!”

  “Hi, baby,” Grandma says back.

  “We just wanted you to know, Ma,” my mother tells my grandma. “We knew you’d be happy.”

  “Happy about what?” Adaline asks, looking at my mother and then to hers.

  Rebel smiles, running her fingers across Adaline’s cheek. “Rocco and Mommy are going to get married.”

  Adaline’s eyes get huge, and her mouth gapes open. “You are?”

  Rebel nods. “Yeah, bug. What do you think?”

  “Does that mean Izzy’s going to be my nonna too?” Adaline asks, looking right at my mother, cementing her position in the family forever.

  My mom’s face changes, scrunching up, and I know what’s coming.

  “Ah, fuck,” Dad mutters, and he knows too.

  Ma covers her mouth with both hands as tears start to form in her eyes. “I’m going to have girls. Girls,” she whispers.

  “Nonna?” Adaline asks again.

  My mom wraps her arms around Adaline, burying her face in the crook of her neck. “Yeah, baby. You can call me whatever you want, but I’m going to get to be your grandma forever and ever.”

  Dad puts his hand on my shoulder as he stands behind me. “It was a good run, but it was bound to end sometime.”

  Adaline shifts, turning her body into my mom and wrapping her arms around Ma’s neck. “I’m so excited. This is the best day ever.”

  The kid is right. It is the best day of my life so far.

  22

  Rebel

  Six Months Later

  My feet stop moving as soon as we round the corner and the entire backyard comes into view. It isn’t just because the yard has been decked out, looking more beautiful than I’ve ever seen it, with white twinkling lights hanging from the trees and lanterns scattered about, but because of the number of people standing around, laughing, talking, and dancing.

  “It’s okay, sugar. It’s just friends and family,” Rocco says with his hand on my lower back, giving me a moment to soak it all in.

  “I thought I’d met them all,” I whisper.

  He laughs. “You only met the Florida Gallo side of the family. There’s a whole different Gallo side from Chicago and Caldos from Miami.”

  My gaze drifts across the crowd, soaking in all the handsome, broad-shouldered men, covered in muscles, and also looking like sin. Gallo and Caldo blood, for sure. The women are just as stunning as the men, but far louder, given the way the voices carry across the yard.

  “Mommy,” Adaline whispers, leaning across Rocco’s body to tap me on the shoulder.

  I turn my head, my mouth still open and in complete shock.

  “Can I go play?”

  I nod, smiling at my little girl. “Do not leave the yard.”

  “Well, duh,” she says, having found an attitude since she started school here.

  She instantly fit in, and having a small army of Gallo kids at the school helped. She wasn’t an outsider on the first day, instead surrounded by friendly faces who pulled her into the fold and showed her the ropes.

  “Love you, Daddy,” she whispers, and she kisses Rocco’s cheek before kicking her legs and wiggling down his body.

  She is gone before I have a chance to register what she just said.

  “Did she just…” Rocco’s voice breaks, and his eyes move to where Adaline is running. “She said that, didn’t she? I didn’t hear shit?”

  “You did not hear shit. She called you Daddy.”

  “I’m…” He pauses, putting his hands to his lips, and his eyes start to swirl with emotion. “I just…”

  I tighten my arm around his back. “She loves you just like her mother.”

  “My girls,” he whispers, smiling.

  A small woman with a cane steps forward, shorter than most and hair as dark as mine. “Lemme get a good look at her,” she says, motioning for me to bend over and bring my face closer.

  “My dad’s mom,” Rocco whispers in my ear.

  I smile, letting her study my features. “You’re going to give me stunningly beautiful great-grandbabies,” she whispers, touching my cheek gently. “Just as Izzy did with the boys, but you will only have girls.”

  “Fucking hell,” Rocco mutters, straightening his back when she turns her gaze on him with one eyebrow raised.

  “Girls are a blessing, my boy,” she says to him. “You will never go hungry when surrounded by women.”

  “But I can also go to jail, Gram. Come on. One boy, at least?”

  She shakes her head. “You’re surrounded by pink.”

  “Damn it.”

  I peer up at him, still hunched over in front of her, and smile with a shrug.

  “She has some magic old-school voodoo in her. She’s never wrong when it comes to things like this.”

  I jerk when his grandmother places her hand on my stomach when I’m not looking.

  “There’s one in there already.”

  I laugh, thinking she’s cute and also very wrong. There’s no baby growing inside me or else I’d know…wouldn’t I?

  Rocco looks at me, his eyes dipping to where his grandmother’s hand is splayed across my belly. “Are you…”

  “No.”

  “She’s never wrong, Rebel,” he tells me.

  “There’s a first time for everything,” I whisper, hoping she doesn’t hear me.

  “I’m not wrong. I can feel her spirit.”

  “Ma,” Rocco’s mother says, coming to rescue us, taking his grandma by the shoulders and guiding her away from us.

  I straighten my back, but I can’t stop myself from staring as the two disappear into the crowd. “You think she’s right?” I ask Rocco, not giving him my eyes.

  “Not this time.” He presses his hand against my back, turning my front to his. “But I can’t say I don’t like the idea of my baby growing in your belly.”

  “Our baby,” I remind him, rubbing my nose against the whiskers and groping his ass. “Our little girl.”

  He grunts, moving his lips to mine, and kisses me long and deep in front of everyone. I pull back, knowing I want more than I can have right now, and by his taking my mouth, he’s only making me want it more.

  “Rocco,” a woman says and clears her throat. “Sorry to interrupt.”

  We turn, my one hand still on his ass and his at the small of my back as I resume the spot I’ve grown accustomed to under his arm.

  “Tater Tot?” Rocco whispers, squinting.

  The young woman nods. “It’s me, cousin. I wouldn’t miss this weekend for the world. This wedding is going to be the shit.”

  Rocco laughs, only releasing me to wrap his arms around her. “Holy fuck,” he howls. “You fucking grew up.”

  “Tits and all,” she says as he pulls away, smiling the biggest and most beautiful smile. “Drove Dad and Mom crazy as fuck, too. It’s been a wild ride.”

  “Tate, this is my fiancée, Rebel. Rebel, this is my cousin Tate.”

  “Hi,” I say softly.

  “Hiya,” she replies, pushing her hair over her shoulder.

  “You doing good?” he asks her.

  “Great. I mean…that’s my flavor of the month,” she says next, pointing to a big guy covered in tats, wearing a cut, and standing next to Mammoth.

  “Oh boy,” I whisper, figuring that’s what she meant by a wild ride and her parents not being overly excited about it.

  “His name is Rowdy.”

  “I’m sure it is,” I mutter, giving her a wink when she brings her eyes to me.

  “He’s the best.”

  “Uh-huh,” Rocco mumbles.

  “Anyway, thought I’d say hi before I lose you to the family. I better get back to Rowdy.” She smiles, touching my hand. “You know how men are.”

  I smile back, but I don’t know what she means. Rocco isn’t like the other men I’ve known. “I do,” I lie. “It was great meeting you.”

  “You too,” she says with a wave. “Love ya, cuz.”

  “Angelo and Tilly have to be losing their shit.”

  “I’d lose mine,” I tell him honestly. “All that tits, ass, hair, and a badass biker dude. I’d have no shit left.”

  Rocco’s body shakes. “You’re too much. Look at Mammoth. Dude loves my cousin like crazy. Best thing to ever happen to her crazy-as-fuck ass. Don’t judge a book by its cover, sugar.”

  “You’re right. He might be the nicest guy ever.”

  “Let’s not kid ourselves. But he might be good for her. Who the hell knows? It’s been years since I’ve seen Tate. She had a rough patch for a bit, but she seems to have worked her shit out.”

  “Rough patch?” I ask, my eyes moving back to the happy-looking girl clinging to her biker man.

  “She loves Angelo and Tilly, but Tilly isn’t her bio mom. She died when Tate was really little, and she had some shit to work through in her teenage years. Trauma from that loss she hadn’t quite gotten out of her system.”

  “How awful.” I frown, seeing the younger woman in a new light. She was finding herself, searching for her identity at a time that wasn’t easy for any hormonal teenager, especially one who’d lost her mom.

  “Cancer sucks, baby.”

  “It does.”

  “Anyway, enough sad shit. This is our rehearsal dinner and party. You ready to meet everyone else?” he asks me, pulling me tighter against his side and brushing his lips over my temple.

  “I don’t know. There’re a lot of people. Give me the rundown and know I won’t remember anyone’s name tomorrow.”

  He chuckles against my skin. “The families have split, which makes it easier, like some invisible force has moved them apart. To the left are the Chicago Gallos. Solid people. Hardworking and own a family bar on the South Side. My grandpa’s brother’s kids and grandkids. Santino’s his name. Total dog and spent some time in prison for some bullshit he pulled that wasn’t on the up-and-up.”

  “Why are you talking like we’re in a Godfather movie?”

  “’Cause that side of the family, at least Santino, is like something out of the Godfather. He and my grandfather hated each other for a long time, but they buried the hatchet when I was little. Santino and Betty, she’s the redhead,” he tells me, pointing at a drop-dead gorgeous woman who doesn’t look old enough to be a grandma, with the brightest red hair I’ve ever seen. “They had four kids. Three boys and a girl. Daphne, Angelo, Lucio, and Vinnie.” He moves his finger with each name, but I’m already confused. “Vinnie was a star in the NFL, played for the Bears, so of course the family thought he was the shit. Didn’t matter that his wife wrote the spiciest stories and even had a movie made from one of her books.”

  My mouth drops open. “No shit?”

  “No lie.”

  “Wow.”

  “We don’t see them often, but when we do, it’s the best fucking time.”

  “Good to know.”

  “You know the middle group. The regular crowd from Sunday, plus a few extra friends thrown in from my dad’s work.”

  “Yeah, baby.” I place my head against his shoulder, scanning the crowd.

  “And that side,” he says, pointing to the right, “is my father’s family. If you thought the Gallos were loud and nosy, you haven’t seen anything yet.”

  “Oh boy.”

  “Yep. You need a few drinks before soaking them in.”

  I point off to the corner, a group of rough-looking men along with Bear. “Who are they?”

  “ALFA guys. My dad and Uncle Thomas own the company, and they work there. Bounty hunting, security, investigations. All kinds of crazy, off-the-wall, dangerous shit.”

  My eyes widen. “Your dad owns something like that?”

  “He and Uncle Thomas used to work for the government, working undercover on sting operations. They said they left that bullshit to make their own money without being told what to do by the big guy. So, they did, and that’s their team. Solid dudes.”

  “They look like it,” I tease, eyeing the ragtag group of burly men.

  “Come on. I want to show you off, sugar.”

  I like that. He is proud of me. No one has ever been proud of me. Not Collin, certainly not Beau, and no one in my family.

  For the first time, I feel like I have it all, including a man and a family who love and embrace me and my little girl. Tomorrow, it will be official. Rocco and I will be husband and wife. I can’t wait to walk down the aisle, heading straight to my future.

  I pace the tiny room tucked away down a hallway in the church.

  “Girl, calm down. You’re like a caged animal,” Tamara says to me, sitting on the couch and adjusting her cleavage. “No sense in worrying unless you want out.”

  I stop walking, turning to her, shaking out my hands. “I do not want out. I’ve never wanted anything more, but I’m never this lucky.”

  The floor always falls out from under me, and I expect the same to happen today. Something has to go wrong, but so far, it’s been smooth sailing. It is like the universe isn’t against me for the first time in my life.

  Gigi grabs my shoulders, her face soft and sweet. “Just breathe and remember, one foot in front of the other. It’s a happy day and not one to be busy with worry. Rocco loves you, yeah?”