Page 73 of Power & Punishment

“This is Emilia. Emilia, this is my brother, Gio.”

“You can call me Mia. Nice to meet you,” I say, holding my hand out to shake his. He smiles smugly back at me as he grips my hand and gives it one affirmative shake before dropping it.

“Please forgive my enthusiasm, Mia. Leo has never brought a woman home. It’s almost enough to excuse the fact that he didn’t get me a birthday gift.”

“You just turned thirty-six. I think you’re a little too old for birthday gifts,” a feminine voice calls out from behind us. “Leo, Mom is pissed you’re late, so I hope you’re ready to grovel.”

“And this is my sister, Mariabella,” Leo says.

“You can call me Mari. Did I overhear you say your name is Mia?” She smiles, pushing back her thick, curly brown hair that falls down her back.

“Yes. It’s nice to meet you, Mari,” I say, holding my hand out, but she stares at it blankly before swatting it away and pulling me in for a hug.

“I know my brother has the emotional intelligence of a houseplant, but I prefer hugs.”

I let out a surprised laugh as she wraps me in a warm and firm hug. I can’t remember the last time I hugged either one of my brothers, so it feels strange and kind of nice. It helps dissipate the nerves lingering in my stomach, making it easier to breathe.

“I can tell we’re going to get along great,” she adds, pulling back and giving me a once-over that’s much warmer than any look her brother’s ever given me. “The only thing I find questionable is your interest in my brother. I’m his sister, so I’m obligated to like him, but I know he can be kind of a pill.”

“Would you believe me if I said he forced me to be here?” I ask, feeling Leo’s grip on me tighten.

Mari lets out a full-bellied laugh, tipping her head back. When she finally comes up for air, she swipes a finger under her eye, catching a tear.

“Oh, I like you,” she says, nodding her head. “I think you’re going to be good for my brother.”

“Careful,” Leo murmurs behind me, his voice low enough for only my ears. “You’re on thin ice.”

I glance up at him. “Maybe it’s my turn to push.”

His eyes darken to that shade that seems engineered only for me.

“As much as I love watching Leo squirm, we should probably move this party to the dining room,” Gio says, sounding a little too entertained.

“Shouldn’t we wait for Michael?” Mari asks, a tense energy shadowing her warmth.

“He’s not coming,” Leo replies, letting his arm sink lower down my backside. “He has to work late tonight.”

Mari doesn’t respond. She just nods and hums silently to herself before taking off after Gio. It’s subtle, but I swear her body stiffens as she walks away.

“Michael comes to your family dinners?”

“Yeah,” Leo says, pinching my hip and guiding me down the path his siblings just took. “He popped in one night to drop something off for me, and my mom made him stay for dinner. Now he’s become a staple. He absolutely hates it, which makes it that much more hilarious."

I press my lips together and force my feet forward. Michael was always quiet and kept to himself when we were kids. I got the sense that he liked it that way, but I guess I never cared enough to ask why.

Muffled whispers fill the room when we enter.

They don’t try to hide it as every pair of eyes lifts in unison. I freeze in place.

“So nice of you to grace us with your presence, Son,” a woman says, gliding around the long dining table.

She’s gorgeous, of course, because apparently that’s a prerequisite in this family. Her long brunette hair falls in soft waves with natural streaks of silver peeking through. The long red dress she’s wearing billows as she walks, the fabric dancing in the low, warm lighting.

And then there’s his dad.

He’s a stone-cold fox with a sharp jawline and salt-n-paper hair who could definitely get it if I was into the whole daddy thing.

“Emilia, this is my mother and father”