only mountain man in the whole of America who also happened to be pretty damn famous.
"There's a strict no photography rule here," Frankie told Nicoli as he finally gave up glaring at Enzo, leaning back in his seat and settling his arm over the back of my chair to assert his dominance. "So you don't have to worry about your face hitting the papers tomorrow. Although, it wouldn't surprise me if a crowd is gathered out front when we leave...I'll arrange for us to take the back exit."
"Thanks," Nicoli said, his shoulders relaxing as a waitress arrived and took our drink orders. Sloan ordered me and her a whole selection of cocktails, non-alcoholic for her as she was breastfeeding, but I was more than happy to have some Dutch courage. I loved trying new things, discovering what I liked and what I didn't. It was like finding pieces of the puzzle to my old life and fitting things back together.
After a few taste tests, I worked out that passionfruit daiquiris were my new favourite thing, and I didn't like glacier cherries one bit. Which worked out well because apparently Nicoli loved them. He especially enjoyed me lifting them to his mouth and feeding them to him while I laughed.
"So, do you not remember anything at all about your old life, bella?" Enzo asked me as Frankie and Rocco ordered every starter off of the menu for us all to share. It was Polynesian food and I was so excited to find out if I liked it. Nicoli got up to go to the restroom, squeezing my shoulder as he left and shooting Enzo a final glare before walking away.
I shook my head in answer to Enzo's question.
He frowned. "Well, if you like, I can tell you a few things about yourself."
I rolled my eyes and he smirked.
"Indulge me," he pushed and I shrugged, waiting for him to elaborate.
"You were once the kind of girl who drew every eye in the room. Men bartered for your hand in marriage, would cross oceans in a fucking tin can just to see you."
I snorted and he barked a laugh.
"Alright, they wanted to fuck your brains out-"
"Enzo," Sloan scolded and my tongue itched with words I longed to say myself. After a few drinks, the idea didn't even seem so frightening.
"What? It's the truth. You think Rocco looked at you for the first time and thought ‘oh what a lady, I shall marry her and treat her like a true principessa and worship her chastity belt twice a day’," he put on a girlish voice and Rocco threw bread roll at him that bounced off of his head. Enzo ignored him, continuing on, "No, he thought fuck me, I want to be on top of that, under that, inside every hole of that-"
"Enzo!" Sloan snarled. "River is right there."
Enzo roared a laugh and Frankie snorted into his whiskey while Rocco didn’t say a word to the contrary.
Enzo grabbed the bread roll Rocco had thrown and took a vicious bite out of it. "When she can say a single word, I will then watch my tongue around her, sorella."
"It's not a negotiation," Sloan sang.
"She has a point," I said and the whole table fell quiet, looking to me in shock.
Nicoli arrived back at that very moment and I looked up at him, sucking on my lower lip.
"Her voice is fucking angelic, don’t you agree?" he broke the tension and Sloan beamed at me while Rocco howled and Frankie pounded his fist on the table.
"Told you she wouldn't sound like Elmo," Frankie spoke to Enzo and Enzo smirked at me.
"I guess you're right, she could give Cecilia Bartoli a run for her money.”
"Who?" I frowned, but before I got an answer, a sharp, feminine voice cut through my thoughts.
"Well, isn't this just bellissimo, our little family of Romeros all out together."
I turned in my seat, finding an Italian woman with raven hair and beautiful but blade-like features staring directly at Nicoli who was still on his feet.
Rocco leaned back in his chair, spreading himself out like the alpha he was and Frankie straightened his tie casually as he looked to her. Enzo pointedly ignored her, playing with the bread knife like he was deciding how best to slit her throat with it.
"Oh, except for me and your father of course," the woman snarled.
"Clarissa," Sloan said curtly. "How nice to see you." Her tone said it wasn't nice at all and Clarissa gave her a fleeting look