It was a hot May day with the sun shining down on us. Ryan was dressed in a white dress shirt with the sleeves rolled up and suit pants but no jacket or tie, and I had chosen a short, sleeveless wedding dress with a high neck. The material of the skirt was smooth like silk but the body had beautiful embroidery. Ryan had asked me to wear a short skirt and no sleeves because he loved the lean muscle I’d worked hard for. Of course, the main reason why was that I could show off my two tattoos that way. They weren’t anything like his but Ryan still loved the splashes of color on my skin. Over the last six months I’d gotten two beautiful watercolor tattoos, red poppies across my ankle and lower calf, as well as a hummingbird in flight on my shoulder blade. They were pops of color against my white dress and pale skin. To my surprise, it hadn’t caused any kind of stir in the Famiglia. Maybe because Ryan and I were regarded as misfits anyway, or maybe because Gianna had joined me during my first tattoo session to get inked as well. Her much smaller tattoo had been the scandal of the last few months. Even Mom had hardly said anything about my body art, even though I knew she hated seeing me inked.
“You may kiss the bride.”
I smiled up at Ryan and he bent down. When our lips met, I knew everything that had led us to this point had been worth it.
Maximus and Primo chased each other through our small yard. At two and four, they were almost unstoppable, which was why Ryan and I would take them to an adventure playground in the afternoon. I did a quick workout on the patio as I watched them to make sure they didn’t injure themselves seriously.
Daisy and Buddy, our rescue pit bulls, slept on the lawn, between where the boys played and me, so they could protect us. We’d saved them from a fight-dog breeding factory at only four weeks old three years ago. Coco and Bandit had died only one week apart from each other mere weeks before the raid of the fight ring. Despite our sadness, Ryan and I had seen it as a sign. Not to mention that we didn’t want to live without dogs. Taking care of the tiny puppies in the beginning had been a twenty-four-hour job, which wasn’t easy considering Max had been a toddler and I had been pregnant with Primo, but Ryan and I had succeeded together and our dogs thanked us with utmost loyalty and love.
“Primo, no!” I called when he hit his brother. Max, of course, hit him back. Ryan was the only one who called our son Maximus. He had chosen both boy names. People had always looked down at him as a child and he wanted to make sure our boys didn’t suffer the same fate. For him a proud and strong name was a crucial key. When I’d seen how important the matter was for him, I’d given in under the condition that I’d choose a possible girl name, but I knew deep down that our family was complete with Max and Primo.
“Don’t make me come and get you,” I warned. They slanted me a look to see if I was serious. I was.
They started chasing each other again, almost stumbling over Buddy’s huge white body. Primo climbed on top of him. Buddy barely lifted his head but I had enough. I went over to my boys and they trotted toward me, knowing what was coming.
“The dogs aren’t toys. You can pet them and throw their ball, but you don’t climb them, don’t tug at their tails or ears, and don’t tease them. Understood?” My voice was stern.
They nodded. “Okay, Mommy,” they said as one, their amber eyes guilty.
I tousled their brown hair and sent them off again. Instead of continuing my workout, I sank down beside Buddy and Daisy. They both immediately put their heads on my crossed legs so I could pat them.
Max and Primo stopped and looked behind me. With huge grins, they dashed toward what they saw.
Growl
I’d spent the day dismembering a Bratva spy, had relished in his screams. Adrenaline still rushed in my ears like static when I got out of my pickup in the driveway of the small house Cara and I had bought shortly before Maximus had been born. I’d never much cared about a place, but this house, our home, held a special place in my heart.
Both our boys had been born here and Coco and Bandit had enjoyed their evening of life on the soft lawn. I had buried them in the soil of their favorite spot with my own hands.