Bella (A Sagatori Family Saga Mafia Romance Book 2) by Kimberly Blalock Page A

breath, and sidestepped past him as I entered the house. He didn’t move, and my eyes met his only for a moment as I passed his large frame. The thing I liked about being in his company was the aroma of his expensive cologne. Spicy with a hint of a floral undertone.
    ***
    “Your dress is ready.” Alessandra moved swiftly through the room.
    I stood silently with my hands limp at my sides. I was numb and angry. I didn’t like feeling that anger burn in the pit of my chest. I didn’t like feeling alone. Even more than that, I hated Jax Moretti. Just like he hated me. Why? I had no idea. We didn’t talk, communicate, or any of the other things married couples did. When we were sat silently at the table, I caught his eyes observing me. A dark glower circled into the delta of the darkness of his eyes. We'd eat silently then he'd excuse himself to return to his office. I resented him. I was alone.
    Maybe I resented him because he didn’t want me. Maybe I was jealous of whoever it was he did want. We had been married for months, and he hadn’t even kissed me. I was sure I would’ve slapped him if he'd tried, but he didn’t try. He looked passed me like I didn’t exist. Except for today, when he needed me to be the good mafia princess. Appearances and all that bullshit.
    Alessandra released the long, deep crimson gown from its plastic dress bag and held it at the hanger and hem at an attempt not to wrinkle the satin. This dress wasn’t my favorite, but I didn’t get to pick the dress, Jax had arranged it. He insisted actually. Every detail was personally tended to by him. My opinions were moot and it was ridiculous. I’d turned into the woman that I’d never wanted to be, kept. Except I was more like held prisoner. He’d insisted on it.
    Jax hadn’t left the house for two days. I wasn’t sure what had kept him home, I didn’t ask and he didn't tell. More fabulous silence.
    “Why don’t you give Mr. Moretti a chance? He picked this beautiful dress for you, Bella. You’re too hard on him.” Her large, warm, chocolate eyes pleaded.
    Alessandra thought of Jax as a son. She hadn’t come right out and said as much, but she revered him. This was her downfall, but I’d forgive her. My eyes fell to hers. “Don’t start with this again,” I pleaded as I smiled sweetly. She was constantly trying to get us talking, but I didn’t want that. No, correction; Jax didn’t want that. I did try, sort of. Well, perhaps not a lot and maybe not at all, but he certainly hadn’t been trying. I didn’t know why he watched me with such disdain, I just knew that he did. So I’d chosen to hate him as much as he hated me. My heart was safer if I did.
    She quivered her head and mumbled something in Italian. She literally mumbled, making it difficult to understand. I was fairly certain she was calling me foolish, however. I turned to examine myself in the same mirror that I had when I’d married Jax. Still the same girl, but now those flaws were even more pronounced than they had been before. The girl that regarded me in the mirror was weaker in ways that no one else could see. She was heartbroken and alone.
    One day I’d be happy. One day I’d be loved.

Chapter 2
    Bella
    I was the wife. I knew that Tito's wife was a small Italian woman that Spring had definitely arrived and with it rainfall. The trees had budded. The grounds would be filled with flowers. I beamed from the many years of memories that the rainfall evoked. The grounds would soon become a blooming utopia. Spring was my favorite time of the year. No matter what had happened in the long, cold winter months, you could always depend on new life to flourish in the spring. New opportunities would come.
    I took in the blooms as we walked along the garden and entered the corridor to the party. The wives would wait and chatter amongst themselves about their boring lives. Momma hated these get-togethers. But she went to every single one of them without complaint. The party