Claimed By The Mafia Don (Ariella and Asher) novel Chapter 431

ASHER

"Aren't you happy to see me?" Luca asked Ariella, wiggling his eyebrows dramatically.

I immediately shot him a warning look. Then leaned closer and whispered,

"What the fuck are you doing here?"

He didn't even have the decency to look guilty. Instead, he smiled, then winked at me.

The bastard.

"My cousin lives right down there," he explained casually, pointing toward a brown house farther down the street. "See that house?"

Ariella followed his finger.

"Oh, yeah."

"She just had a baby. I haven't visited yet and apparently, the family thinks becoming Consigliere has made me too important for them." He sighed dramatically. "So I came to prove them wrong."

I narrowed my eyes. Liar.

Ariella, however, seemed willing to accept the explanation. Luca smiled.

"Now the real question is..." His gaze moved between us. "What are you two doing here?"

Before either of us could answer

"Luca!"

Every muscle in my body froze. So did Ariella. The only person who didn't seem surprised was Luca. Of course.

He turned around immediately toward the house we were parked in front of And smiled.

"Yes, ma'am?"

Standing in front of the house with her hands planted firmly on her hips was Mrs Costa. And she looked exactly as thrilled as I expected, which was not at all.

"You're not done fixing my bathroom," she called out. "What the hell are you doing out here?"

Luca somehow managed to smile even wider.

"Sorry, Mrs Costa. I thought I saw people I knew and came to say hello."

Mrs Costa's eyes moved immediately toward the car. Toward Ariella and me. Then she froze. The entire street seemed to freeze with her.

Ariella stopped breathing. I could literally see it happen. Mother and Daughter, neither moving nor speaking. Then Mrs Costa blinked once, twice. As if she wasn't entirely sure what she was looking at.

"Come on down, guys," Luca said cheerfully, completely oblivious to the emotional apocalypse happening around him.

Then the idiot actually opened Ariella's door. God damn it. I got out immediately and pushed him aside. Not gently And offered my hand to Ariella. She took it automatically.

Her fingers were cold. Far too cold and when she stepped out of the car, I moved beside her immediately. Not in front, not behind.... Beside. Exactly where I belonged. And together we turned toward Mrs Costa.

The older woman hadn't moved. Her hands were still on her hips, Her expression was clear as day. Behind the shock and the disbelief..... Anger. She didn't want us here.

Well, that made two of us, because I didn't want to be here either. I don't even think Ariella wanted to be here..... But still, here we were.

"Ariella?"

Her mother's voice finally came. There was no love there. No longing and no emotion at all. Just cold disbelief as she stared down at her daughter.

Ariella moved forward. Instinctively, I wanted to step in front of her. I wanted to shield her from whatever her mother was about to say next, but Ariella looked at me, and from that single look, I knew.

She didn't want me interfering. She didn't want me fighting this battle for her. So I stayed where I was as she moved closer.

"Do not come here. You're not welcome."

Her mother's voice stopped her in her tracks. Ariella froze. I couldn't see her face from where I stood, but I knew. I knew she was hurting and I knew her heart was breaking. Every protective instinct inside me screamed at me to end this right now.

To take her hand.

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