A Sinner's Promise (De Bellis Crime Family, #1)

by Kylie Kent

I lead Ellie into the manager’s office. Once the waiter places our plates on the desk, I lock the door. “Okay, now eat. No one can see whatever mess you’re afraid you’ll make,” I tell her. “You can’t be serious.” She gapes at me. “Do I look like I’m joking?” “No, which just makes this situation even more insane,” Ellie says. “What’s insane is you ordering food you don’t want to eat in case you make a mess. Come on, it’s just you and me in here. Be as messy as you’d like,” I tell her. “I…” She looks longingly at the plate of wings. “Fine, but turn around. Don’t watch me.” I laugh. “Seriously? I’ve had my tongue deep in your cunt. You can’t seriously be too embarrassed to eat wings in front of me.” “Do you want me to eat them or not?” “I want you to eat, yes,” I admit. “Then turn around,” she says while motioning for me to do just that. I walk over to the desk, pick up our plates, and place them on the floor. “Sit with your back against mine.” I demonstrate, gesturing a hand for her to follow suit, as I lift my now cold burger. It works, though, because she does as she’s told. I take a bite and listen as I finally hear her chew. “This is the strangest date I’ve ever been on,” I say, breaking the silence. “This is not a date,” she tells me. “Sure, it is. You’re here. I’m here. We’re eating dinner together. That’s a date.”

“You are insane.” “I’ve been called worse.” I shrug. She hasn’t said no, so I’m taking that as a small win. “You know you’re the hottest fucking girlfriend I’ve ever had,” I tell her. “I seriously doubt that, and I’m not your girlfriend.” “You’re the first. So, yes, you’re also the hottest.” “You’ve never been in a relationship?” “Never wanted to be… before now,” I admit. “What’s changed?” “I like you, and when I think about you being with anyone else, I want to rip heads off. I don’t want to share you, which means you and I are exclusive.” It’s simple as that. “You do realise that both parties usually have a say in things like this, right?” “You have a say. You said yes.” “No, I didn’t,” she huffs. “You didn’t say no. That’s a yes to me.” I shrug.

“One, still not your girlfriend. And, two, you can’t do that. You can’t just show up here. Get in the car before someone sees you,” I tell him, pressing the key fob to unlock my Audi. To my surprise, Gio slips inside—in the passenger seat at that. I turn on the ignition and reverse out of the spot. “What’s wrong? Why can’t I pick you up?” “Because people can’t know that we interact outside of the fact that I sold you a house,” I huff. “So they can’t know that I know what your pussy feels like strangling my cock? Got it,” he says with a grin. “But why?” “Because I’ve worked really hard to be where I am, and I cannot have my reputation ruined because I have no self-control when it comes to you and your dick.” “Yeah, you not having any self-control with my dick is not a problem for me.” Gio laughs. I turn my head and glare at him. “Why are you here? Where am I dropping you off? Where are your drivers?” I launch question after question at his too-smug face. “That’s a lot of questions, Ellie. I’m here because I want to take you to dinner.” “Dinner?”

“Ah, can I help you?” “Boss wanted us to deliver these,” one of them says, gesturing to his armful of groceries. “What?” “There’re more in the car. Can we put these in the kitchen for you?” he asks. “Um, no, you can take them back to wherever you got them from.” I shut the door in the guy’s face. Not even one minute later, my phone is ringing. I swipe it off the counter. “Gio, why are your friends standing at my front door with their arms full of groceries?” “You said you didn’t have time to go shopping.” “So? I can buy my own groceries.” “Ellie, just let them put the bags in your kitchen for you. It’s not a big deal. It’s just a few things. I want to be able to cook you breakfast next time I’m there.” “It’s weird that you’re buying me food.” “It’s only weird if you make it weird. I look after what’s mine, Ellie, and you are mine. So let them in.” “Say please,” I tell him. “Please.” “Huh, you can say that word. Fine, I’ll let them in. But this is a onetime thing, and I’m paying you back.” “Sure, I’ll see you later.” He hangs up.

“Walk of shame?” Marcel asks. “There is no shame,” I grunt, sitting down and reaching for the coffeepot. My brothers stare at me expectantly. “I have a girlfriend.” “You what?” Gabe scrunches up his face in disgust. “Why?” Marcel asks. “Does she know that she’s your girlfriend, or is this your way of telling us you finally lost your mind? Are you sure she’s real?” Vin laughs.

“I don’t think this rackhouse holds enough liquor for that, Mancini,” I deadpan. I’ve gone out drinking with this fucker before, and I’ve honestly never seen anyone who can hold his liquor like he can. I observe the two men he’s brought with him—I don’t recognise either of them. “Who are your friends?” Alex grins. “They’re not my friends. They’re my wife’s cousins. I wanted to shoot them. Lily wouldn’t let me. But, now that I think about it, there’s nothing stopping you.” I’ve heard of Alex’s in-laws. He married a cousin of the Valentinos. One of the five families from New York.

“I’m so glad you’re okay. You really bloody scared me, Jenni.” “Sorry, next time my appendix decides it wants to evacuate my body, I’ll give you a few days’ notice.” She grins before looking past me. “Ah, El.” “Yeah?” “How many drugs have they given me?” Jenni asks. “I don’t know. Why?” I look from my sister to our mum, who’s standing on the other side of the hospital bed. “There’s a god standing behind you, El. But don’t turn around. He might disappear.” I hear Gio chuckle. “He’s not a god, Jenni. That’s Gio. My boyfriend,” I tell her. “You have a boyfriend who looks like that? And you didn’t tell me? What the hell?” “How are you feeling, baby?” Mum asks, drawing Jenni’s attention back to her. “Mum, you’re here. Do you see him too?” my sister whispers. “Yes, honey, I see him,” Mum says, trying to hide her laughter. “Do you want me to stay?” I ask Jenni. “I can crash on the chair tonight.” “Will your god stay too?” She grins. “No,” I tell her. “Well, then, no. You go home. I’ll be okay.” “All right, I’ll come back first thing in the morning. Do you need me to bring anything?” I ask her.

“What if they are and they don’t like me?” I can hear the worry in her voice. “Even if they didn’t like you, Ellie, they wouldn’t say it and they sure as fuck wouldn’t show it.” “Why?” “Because they know I’d shoot them myself if they were rude to you.” I smile. “That’s not funny. You would not shoot your own brothers.” “Well, not anywhere lethal. But the shoulder, arm, somewhere that’ll hurt but not kill ʼem? You bet your sweet ass I would.” “That’s… don’t do that,” Ellie says, sounding more worried than she was before. “I won’t have to. I know my brothers, and they are going to love you. Trust me.” I pick up her hand and bring it to my lips.

“You’re already a part of our family, El,” Gabe tells her. “I know, but it’s not official yet. Do you know I love Gio? Like not a little bit, but a lotta bit. I think I’ll marry him before someone like Ms Natt tries to steal him from me,” Ellie says. I should pick her up and take her to our room, especially since my brothers are getting way too much entertainment out of her drunken honesty. “Ellie, no one is going to steal me from you. I’m yours,” I remind her. “You are?” She gasps and appears generally surprised by that information. “Mine? Like I can keep you?” she asks in the most adorable voice I’ve ever heard come out of her mouth. “When I was little, I found a puppy and took him home. He was so cute, Gio, but my mum wouldn’t let me keep him.” “Nice, bro, you’re being compared to a lost dog.” Marcel laughs. “Oh, no, Gio is much better than a puppy… especially when he does that thing with his tongue where he⁠—” I bend over and pick her up. “Okay, we’re going to bed now,” I say before walking out of the room with Ellie in my arms. “Oh, come on, we were just getting to the good part,” Gabe calls after me as the rest of ʼem laugh at my expense. The sound has me glancing over my shoulder, because for the first time in months, I see Santo crack a smile. I don’t think Ellie will ever know how grateful I am to her for that. When I get to the bedroom, I finally set her down on her feet. “Are you going to do that thing with your fingers? Or your tongue? Or your, you know, other ...

“Why are you both covered in dust?” “It’s plaster,” Santo tells her. “Okay, why are you both covered in plaster?” she repeats “Spent the night knocking down walls.” Gabe smirks. “I’m out before you two start acting like a happily married couple and shit.” “We are a happily married couple,” I tell him. “My point exactly. It’s sickening.” He laughs.

“I’m going to go find something to wear.” I jump up from the sofa. I make it all the way to the door before I turn back around. “Actually, it can wait…” Gio pushes back from his chair and stands. “Come on, you can tell me which suit will make a good first impression.” He holds a hand out to me. I take it and follow behind him. “I’m sorry.” “For what?” “For being so needy, clingy,” I tell him. “I don’t know what it is, but the thought of being in a different room from you… I don’t like it.” “Ellie, if you want to spend the rest of our lives in the same room together, you will not hear me complain about it. I like having you close.” “It’s no way to live…” I shake my head. “It could be.” “I think… I think I should talk to someone. A doctor, a counsellor, or something,” I admit aloud for the first time. Gio pulls me into his chest. His arms encircle me. This is my safe place. Right here, in my husband’s arms.

Ellie couldn’t decide, but last night, she said Fiji was her final decision. “Great. When are we going?” “Whenever you want to go.” I shrug. “Tomorrow?” she asks me. “Tomorrow? Okay, let me make some calls and arrange the jet.” “Are you sure it’s not too much? Too expensive?” My brows furrow. “Do me a favour and log into your bank accounts.” “Um… okay.” She picks up her phone and pulls up her banking app. Her eyes widen. “This is a mistake,” she says, turning the screen to show me her balance. “That’s not a mistake, Ellie. Those numbers are correct.” “Where did it all come from?” She looks at me, confused. “I put it there,” I say simply. “Why?” “Because I know you don’t want to be dependent on anyone, but my money is your money, Ellie.” “I don’t want your money, Gio. I just want you.” “Too bad, ʼcause you get both.” “I love you,” she says. “I love you too. So fucking much.”

“Daddy, can I kiss boys when I’m thirty?” Daniella asks, shocking me out of the thoughts of my past and into the real terror of my future with daughters. “Fuck no,” I growl. “Language,” Ellie says, and Daniella turns back to me. “Why not?” “Because I said so. That’s why,” I tell her. “But Aurelio is allowed,” she whines. “You are not your brother. You are my little girl, and boys aren’t coming anywhere near you,” I remind my daughter. “Oden is my boyfriend,” Rosie sings. “Who the fuck is Oden?” I ask my four-year-old and then look to my wife, who is laughing at my obvious discomfort. “He’s my boyfriend,” Rosie says. “No, he’s a fucking D-E-A-D man is what he is,” I mutter under my breath. “Stop overreacting. She’s four and so is Oden.” Ellie taps my chest with the back of her hand.