Stay For Me

15 | welcome to the family

❝ 𝒀𝒐𝒖'𝒓𝒆 𝒎𝒚, 𝒎𝒚, 𝒎𝒚, 𝒎𝒚 𝒌𝒊𝒏𝒅 𝒐𝒇 𝒘𝒐𝒎𝒂𝒏
𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝑰'𝒎 𝒅𝒐𝒘𝒏 𝒐𝒏 𝒎𝒚 𝒉𝒂𝒏𝒅𝒔 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒌𝒏𝒆𝒆𝒔
𝒃𝒆𝒈𝒈𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒑𝒍𝒆𝒂𝒔𝒆, 𝒃𝒂𝒃𝒚, 𝒔𝒉𝒐𝒘 𝒎𝒆 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒍𝒅 ❞

𝑴𝒂𝒄 𝑫𝒆𝑴𝒂𝒓𝒄𝒐

* * * * * * *

T H E A

After dropping Ellerie and Knox off at school, we were left with the dreaded task of informing Enzo that I knew all about his mafia and that he wasn't just a typical family friend.

I'd be lying if I said that I wasn't literally crapping my pants, but I knew this was just something I was going to have to do, whether I wanted to or not.

"You did amazing, Thea." Rio reassures me as we leave the huge compound which is heavily guarded by men with various guns and other weapons.

I've never seen anything like this before, only in the movies. I know it's probably a stupid thing to say, but I didn't even think that this was actually real. It's hard to believe that mafia's do actually exist and they go about their day to day business, freely killing people and harbouring illegal drugs and weapons.

He wasn't exactly thrilled that Rio told me about their organisation as he called it, but I think he was almost relieved that he didn't have to continue lying to me.

Rio opens the car door for me and I get in, my hands finally calming down from shaking like a freaking leaf. I was so unbelievably nervous going into this but Rio stayed with me the entire time, assuring me that it was going to be okay.

After all, he had to do this once too.

I fasten my seatbelt and watch as the door beside me opens and Rio gets in. He turns to me and instantly runs his hand down the back of my head, pulling me towards him.

"Welcome to the family, baby." He murmurs as he presses a tender kiss to my lips.

He pulls away and I offer him a small smile, still a little overwhelmed by the whole ordeal. "I love you," I whisper and he repeats my exact words, trailing his thumb across my bottom lip.

"Come on, let's get you home." He says and my stomach erupts with butterflies when I realise is he isn't referring to my actual home, but his house instead.

We take a quick detour to Ellerie and Knox's school and I glance around at the numerous families gathered around and children walking out of the large building, some on their own and others in groups.

Rio's fingers tap against the steering wheel to a song on the radio as we patiently wait for Knox and Ellerie to make an appearance.

Soon enough, I spot them both walking together, Ellerie smiling brightly up at Knox as he speaks to her.

Rio opens the car door and gets out, extending his arms out for Ellerie as she runs towards him. "Rio!" She beams as she wraps her tiny arms around his neck.

Knox just walks straight around to the back of the car and gets in his usual space behind me. "Hey," he greets as his hazel eyes land on mine.