Italian Mafia Romance

chapter 18

I stood staring at the Effiel tower. I have never imagine coming face to face with the iconic tower. We walked up and waited for the elevator. There was a lot of people today. We stopped on the first floor and gazed over the land.
"What's the history with this?" I asked Antonio.
"This is where I make my own. Are you afraid of heights?" He asked
"No?" I answered as a question.
"come with me then." He held his hand out for me to take in which I happily did. He led me to the very top of the tower. My first thought was wow this is amazing.
"Do you remember when you asked me earlier if there was anything wrong?" He asked me clearly looking for words.
"Yeah?"
"Well I um... I lied. I am very sorry but I wanted it to be perfect. I guess now is perfect."
"Antonio? what are you doing?" I watched him closely. He played with something in his pocket. I don't know why I didn't notice this before but I could see something in Antonio's left pocket.
"I knew from that first night I set eyes on you that I wanted to be with you. I knew when I first danced with you that it was you. I knew from that first night I was meant to be with you. I love you Ava and I want to spend the rest of my life with you." He got down on one knee and continued. "Would you do me the absolute honor of becoming your husband?" He took out a small velevty box which held a beautiful heart shaped ring.



"Antonio!" I was speechless. I wanted him more than anything.
"Yes! Yes I'll marry you!" He placed the ring on my finger and spun me around in his arms.
"You know what this means Mi Amore?" He asked me with a smile on his face.
"You can't get rid of me Antonio Russo. This ring stays on and you and I will be one forever. That's what this means." I told him
"I'll have it no other way." For the rest of the time at the effiel tower we stood there watching the sunset hand in hand. After a couple hours it was Antonio who broke the silence.
"We don't have to be married in the church. If there is a place you would rather a different venue please go for it. I just want to be married to you." He said.
"I want the church. It's beautiful and perfect."
"Are you sure? I could show you hundreds of places. I want this day to be perfect for you. It is your day."
"It's our day. You told me the day we went that's where you imagined your wedding day. So let's make the wedding you imagined a reality. That's what I want." He stared deep into my eyes before answering. We stood there for a while longer before we made it back down. Antonio didn't let go of my hand the whole way down. When we got to the car and seated Antonio gave the address to our last stop to the driver and turned back to me.
"When would you like to look at dresses?" He asked me.
"I don't know. But I've always imagined myself in a specific dress. I hope I can find it or something similar at least."
"What kind? Who is the maker?"
"I don't think I can talk about the dress with the groom. Isn't that bad luck?" He shrugged his broad shoulders.
"I could have my driver take you tomorrow to find that dress?" He offered.
"What do you have planed tomorrow?" I asked him.
"I have some business to take care of and then I need to find a suit."
"Nice but we do need to think of a date."
"Right. Well that's on my list. I'll call the church and ask what dates are available." He said.
"I can't believe I'm getting married."
"We can wait a while if that's easier for you. I don't mind." He said.
My phone rang making me jump. I looked at the caller ID and saw my father.
"Hello?" I answered more angry then I should be by now.
"Hello darling. Can we talk?" My father asked on the other end.
"If you make it quick. I'm busy." I let my attitude show.
"I'm sorry for letting you down the way I did. You shouldn't have to shoulder my mistakes the way you do now. But you need to know I do not want you to be with Antonio. I want you to break it off." He left me speechless.
"No I won't papa."
"Darling you have to know Antonio isn't who he says  he is."
"I can say the same about you father. I thought I knew you."
"What do you mean darling? I am the man you've always known."
"Then what are you doing with Dante? Why with him?"
"He's different than Antonio. He's geniue and Antonio is not."
"I don't think so. I think Dante has you so brainwashed you can't even see it."
"Darling you believe the lies Antonio feeds you. I think you need to come home now so we can talk more about this." I know I have to tell me father about the engagement but I feel if I did I'd open a can of worms.
"No papa I won't. There's something I need to tell you,This is important to me. I'm engaged to Antonio." There was only silence on the other end.
"Papa?" I spoke.
"Call it off. I do not want you to marry him!" He yelled into the phone.
"It's my decison papa." I said then hung up the phone.
"What did he say?"
"You don't want to know."
"Ok it can wait. But we are close. You hungry?"
"Yeah I could munch on something, A drink would be perfect too."
"I can arrange that." It took another few moments to just reach our last destination. We got out of the car and walked inside.
"Welcome to the Terrace rooftop." The waiter greeted. We sat down and looked over the menues. As I was looking over my menu I noticed how all the women in the restaurant kept looking at my Antonio with these flirty looks so I decided right then to put my right hand on my chin on the table with my engagement ring sparkling in the soft light of the small lamp over our table, just then Antonio looks at me looks at my ring sparkling brighter than ever looks around the restaurant noticing the women all staring at him realizes what I'm doing then looks me right in my eyes winks at me making my heart flutter and grabs my chin never taking his eyes off of mine pulls me closer and gives me the most romantic slow motion kiss I have ever gotten. It made my heart almost leap from my chest. I felt like I was on cloud nine I was a little bit disappointed when he pulled away from me, he noticed and chuckled lowly saying " you know you are so cute when you pout like that" I smiled softly when the waiter finally came to take our order. We sat and we talked, more about the wedding and plans.
"I've always pictured my papa giving me away, my sisters being my braidsmaids, my mother sitting in the first row crying because her baby girl is walking down the aisle. I've always pictured having multicolored roses lingning up the walkway, and the chairs I'm holding a bouquet with red roses. The archway is filled with roses, reds, pinks, all different colores. I have invisioned the invitations, the lace, the cake, everything since I was a little girl."
"I've noticed you don't talk much about your mother what happened?"
"My mom and I were on our way picking up my younger sister from her friends and this guy came out of nowhere hitting the car on the drivers side. Killed my mom on impact." I could feel the tears in my eyes.
"Ava mi amor I am so sorry."
"It didn't accur to me on who until I saw one of Dante's bodyguards. I think one of them did it."
"There was a guy in the states. He was working with your father but now is a bodyguard for Dante. He might have been ordered to hit you and your mother."
"She sounds like a good person. I'm sorry you lost her."
"Thank you." We sat there for a long time, eating, enjoying the view. After dinner we crawled into the car and headed back to the airport.
The drive was filled with silence,exhausting silence. As we arrived at the airport Antonio's phone rang.
"Hello?" He answered.
"Antonio it's me Matteo. We need to talk can we meet up somewhere?"
"when are you thinking"
"Soon. Let's say tomorrow?"
"Late afternoon?"
"Yeah that's perfect. I'll see you tomorrow then."
"Everything ok?" I asked him grogggy.
"Yeah Matteo just wants to meet up tomorrow."
"Did he say about what?"
"No about the call out of nowhere makes me nervous."
"Why what do you think it is?"
"I don't know but it can't be good." We arrived back in Italy and into Antonio's car. He drove home obvously lost in thought. As we drove into the driveway I heard Antonio gasp as if he was lost for breathe.
"What's wrong? who's here?" I asked him.
"Dante is. He's here and I think your father is to."
"My father is here? Great." Antonio stopped the car in front of the house but didn't get out. We sat there hand in hand both nervous. Td don't worry about what your father says. It's up to you." I smiled softly to him as he opened his car door. He came around and opened mine taking my hand and kissing the top of it. We started up the stairs towards the front door when I heard a voice. A female voice yelling.
"NO I WON'T. He is happy I am FINALLY Happy. so accept the fact you have lost Dante."
"It's Gaia." I said then walked into the foyer. I took a look at Dante then my father and stepped towards gaia.
"Are you ok?" I asked her silently. She nodded her head and smiled at me and Antonio and we faced what was next. All three of us...