Shadow Fire (Shadow Riders 7)

“I heard their family is enormous. Cousins in various locations, even overseas,” she acknowledged.

“It is very large. Not just the riders. They appear to be quite close. The ones in this immediate part of the family are close and the cousins that are riders and their bodyguards are close. I wouldn’t want to be the person who thought to harm one of them.” He traced the back of her hand with his thumb as they approached the table with the small wedding cake.

Stefano and Francesca waited for them, looking happy. Elie could tell that Stefano hadn’t shared Brielle’s determination to end the marriage before it began with anyone else, although those attending the ceremony had to have wondered at the exchange before the vows had taken place.

Elie presented Brielle to Francesca first. Stefano was the head of the family, but Francesca was the undisputed heart of the family. She had given birth to a baby girl just two months earlier, and as always, the entire family—including Elie—was treating her as if she was too fragile to walk across a room. Francesca simply ignored them all and stepped forward to take Brielle’s hands and greeted her warmly.

“I’m so happy to meet you. At last, we have someone for our Elie. He’s the most wonderful—and annoying—man in the world. Just like the rest of them.” She tilted her head to give Stefano a loving smile. He came up behind her to wrap his arms around her waist and pull her back against him. “Elie will treat you as if you can’t possibly stand on your own two feet without him, and yet expect you to run his household without a single hitch. And God help you if you get pregnant, but have no worries, we will surround you and protect you.”

She wiggled her finger to encompass the women in the room. “From all the male idiocy that is everything Ferraro, Archambault and Saldi.” She lifted her gaze until it found Dario, who stood looking complacent, draped against the wall to the left of them. “Dario, I include you in the Saldi family, just so you know.” Leaning close, she lowered her voice, but made certain it would carry. “He is undoubtedly the worst of the chauvinists.”

Dario raised an eyebrow. “I take that as a compliment, Francesca.”

“You would, Dario.”

“And I think you’re insulting me, Francesca,” Vittorio said. He had his arm around his wife’s waist as he came up on Brielle’s side. “I’m Vittorio, one of Stefano’s brothers. This is Grace, my wife.” There was softness both in his voice and on his face when he introduced his wife. “We live on the lake close to Val and Emmanuelle, my baby sister.”

For the first time, Brielle seemed to relax a bit, smiling at Francesca and then Vittorio and Grace. “I really do need to thank Emmanuelle for standing up for me.” She turned her attention to Grace. “Is he chauvinistic?”

“No, he doesn’t believe he is superior to women in any way, which is the definition of a male chauvinist,” Grace denied.

“Dario isn’t one, either,” Francesca said. “Although he really likes to pretend he is. He knows we all have brains and can keep up with him. He’s just very protective, like they all are.”

“Sheesh, Francesca,” Dario said. “Stefano, you’re giving her too much freedom these days. You might want to rethink your plan to let her run wild the way you do.”

Even Elie had to laugh. He swept Brielle even closer. “Stefano could no more let his beloved Francesca run wild than he would allow a criminal loose on our streets.”

“Are you prone to running wild, Francesca?” Brielle asked.

There was a note of mischief in her voice. Elie found he liked that. Her natural personality seemed to be coming out surrounded by the women in the Ferraro family.

“I would if I could,” Francesca admitted. “I’ve decided to use my position in the family to lead as a rebel. I’ve been giving it a lot of thought and I need to start with Emmanuelle. She’s the most likely to listen to me. Emmanuelle and Nicoletta.”

“I’d be willing to listen,” Brielle said. “Rebellion always did sound good to me. In my family, I was always the one to follow all the rules and my sister was the rule breaker, although it was okay that she did.”

Why was it Elie didn’t know that? The matchmaking questionnaire hadn’t covered personal home life and how they’d grown up. It should have. That sort of information would help to give insight into what baggage each respondent carried.

He wanted to know every single thing about her childhood. Why her father wasn’t with her. Was it really because she hadn’t begged Elie to marry her? Would a father disown his daughter over something like that? His gaze went from Brielle’s soft profile to the rugged angles and planes of Stefano’s face. Elie couldn’t imagine Stefano disowning his daughter over anything, let alone a demand that she plead with a man to marry her. If anything, if a man hurt his daughter, that man might not wake up in the morning.

“I don’t think you need to lead any rebellions,” Stefano said, lowering his head so he could bite Francesca’s earlobe.

She gave a little yelp and turned her head to glare at him. “I think it’s a necessity. You’re getting too bossy for words. Let this be a lesson to you, Brielle. You give that man of yours an inch, he’s going to take a mile.”

“Walk away from Francesca now, Elie,” Valentino advised. “I don’t know what’s gotten into our sweet girl, but you can’t afford to let her talk utter nonsense to your woman. I’m hauling Emme out of here as fast as possible.”

Dario gave a snort of derision, even going so far as rolling his eyes. “You’re pussy whipped, Saldi, just like the rest of these Ferraro men. They talk a good game but they can’t help themselves. One little whine and it’s over.”

“I told you he was the worst,” Francesca said, not even wincing at his language. “We’ve tried our best to civilize him for polite company but he’s very resistant.”

“It’s only because he’s on that dating app all the time now.” Emmanuelle gave him up without a qualm.

“What?” Grace spun around to stare at Dario. “You’re on a dating app?”

Another couple joined them, Ricco and his wife, Mariko. Ricco pulled out a chair for his wife and nodded toward Francesca.

“Let’s sit down so Francesca will,” Elie whispered to Brielle, effectively stopping any protest.

“Your dress is so beautiful,” Mariko said. “I’m Mariko, Ricco’s wife. I have to admit, I find it very shocking that Dario is on a dating app. I love him dearly, but I’m not certain the world is ready for him to be dating.” Her voice was extremely soft and nonjudgmental.