Bella (A Sagatori Family Saga Mafia Romance Book 2) (5 page)

Bella

It had been two days since the shooting and Tommy’s funeral would be tomorrow. I attempted to busy myself with nearly anything I could find to do but soon ran out of things. I’d attempted to reach Megan several times with no response. I had decided on a masquerade invitation since that was also our theme. The invitation I’d chosen was black with an ombre gray background. The mask was embellished with faux diamonds and gems. I’d never been to a masquerade ball before, so I was extremely excited to say the least. We would raise tons of money for cancer research.

My phone dinged with a text message, I thought it may be Megan so I hurried to answer.

Jax: I have a surprise for you.

Bella: Oh?

Jax: There will be a gift arriving in a few moments.

Bella:?

Jax: Go to the door.

I slipped my phone into the pocket of my jeans and hurried down the stairs wondering what he was up to.

“Bella.” Dominic held the door.

“Mrs. Moretti?” A young guy stood at the door holding a large black box.

“Yes?”

“Sign here please.” He handed over an electronic signature pad. I scribbled my signature then handed it back to him and reached for the large box.

“What is it?” I asked the delivery boy.

“I just deliver them, ma’am.” He shrugged.

“Thank you.” Dominic closed the door. “What is it?” I smiled. Jax had never really gotten me a gift before, he’d bought me a wedding ring that I was sure cost him a fortune and the red gown for the family dinner, but I was his wife and of course he’d want to claim me, but this was different. My phone dinged with another text.

Jax: Open the box.

I giggled.

Bella: I’m working on it.

I quickly wondered how he’d known I hadn’t. But I smiled anyway.

I walked the box to the sofa and sat it atop the table. There was a gold A embossed into the top.

I carefully opened it lifting at the top seeing a card. My fingers fumbled with lid as excitement overcame me.

Bella the Princess

The prince took a notable chance on his love for the princess.

You recently admitted that there was something you would love to see. It would be my privilege to give this to you. Be ready for the experience of your life. It will definitely be the experience of mine.

P.S. Don’t be late.

Jax the Prince

My stomach bubbled with excitement. I smiled as I continued through the beautiful paper that sat folded on top of something else. Once I’d removed the paper I spotted a display of tulle. I slipped my hand inside and removed it gazing at the beauty. It was a sleeveless gown, the bodice was embroidered with beading, a satin waistband, and a tulle skirt that flowed to the floor. Underneath the gown was a pair of black pumps with a two-inch heel.

A few hours ago I was aimlessly wandering around the empty penthouse and now I stood to wear the most beautiful gown I’d ever worn. It wasn’t that the gown was prettier or more expensive than anything I would’ve selected for myself, it was that Jax had given it to me as a surprise.

I dabbed my lipstick on and popped my lips. The heels fit perfect and the gown… fit like a glove around my curves. My hair was pinned into a bun and a shawl draped over my arms. I reached for my small purse slipping in my driver’s license, a few sticks of gum, a tampon,
because you never know
, and my lipstick. I dabbed Channel to my neck and wrists. After turning on the opera that Jax had downloaded on my phone, I opened the door to my suite.

“Bella, Jax is pulling up to the tower.” Dominic hurried me down the stairs.

“Were is he taking me?” I asked anxiously.

“If I told you he’d kill me.” He offered a sympathetic grin. “But…” he said while he held my hand to keep me from falling. “I know that you’ll love it.” A wicked smile topped his lips then.

Butterflies swam flowing around in a dance inside of my stomach. Since the shooting Jax had been different. Oh, he had his moments of being cold and distant, but he was different, even the way he looked at me was different. My father was gone. I’d not seen my friends who were the only family I had left. The staff that I’d grown up with had been told not to contact me. I was lonely and it was nice that he was attempting at making nice with me.

Dominic held my hand; well actually I kind of gripped his every time we descended in an elevator. I’d told him it came with the job. This elevator was smoother than most, but I didn’t like it all the same.

Dominic pulled me from the elevator bank to the front doors. We usually came and went through the garage, but tonight we didn’t.

“Mrs. Moretti, lovely as always,” the young attendant said from behind his desk. I offered a kind heartfelt smile. I felt like a princess.

The glass doors were opened for me by Mickie who cast his eyes over the area. He was always on high alert. “Mrs. Moretti.” I smiled.

Jax exited the limousine with
Nessun Dorma
echoing from inside. God nothing had touched me like this music. I could feel it caress my soul unlike anything ever had. Jax stood tall with one hand set atop the door. He wore a tux, but unlike most men Jax didn’t just wear this tux, he owned it, demanded every thread to be exuberant against his large arms and broad chest.

His cheeks raised in a smile as he stepped away from the door for me to enter. “Do you approve?” He stood tall looming over me as I began to enter.

“You have no idea.” My eyes raised to his.

“You are so beautiful, Isabella Moretti.” His dark eyes were smoother somehow.

“You are…” I drew in a deep breath of cologne. “So very handsome, Jax Moretti.” My heart thudded against my chest with excitement.

“After you.” Jax pressed his hand snug to the small of my back as I stepped inside.

“Bella, beautiful as always.” Carlos angled to peek through the partition.

“Thank you.”

“That’s all, Carlos.” Jax raised the window leaving no way for Carlos to see us. I assumed Mickie was riding in front, but I wasn’t sure where Dominic had gone. “Champagne?”

“Thank you.” The bottle popped open. “Are we celebrating?” What could he have planned and furthermore, why? He’d not gone to any length of any kind to surprise me, he barely ate dinner with me each night.

He titled his head as he raised his hand for a toast. “Here’s to the prince who believed he could overcome any obstacle to win the love of the princess.”

I remained quiet. He was referring to the opera, the most beautiful opera. My eyes closed for a brief moment as a deep breath filled my lungs. I didn’t want to cry as the music rang throughout the car. I wanted to smile. To live in the moment. “Where are you taking me?”

“Can’t say.” he smiled from behind his glass.

“Not fair, Jax. Keeping secrets isn’t nice.” It was sweet and thoughtful, but I wouldn’t tell him that. I loved surprises. Made life worth living.

We drove through the gates of the airport. Large planes hung in the distance and a few small ones were parked closer to where we drove. “Jax?” I searched out the window. “Why are we at the airport?” I hated planes so, so much.

“I’ll be right there with you the entire time, Bella, you’ll be safe.” Jax was taking me somewhere that required a plane. That meant we would be traveling far away from Chicago. Maybe he would surprise me with a trip home to see Emily and Tony.

After arriving on the plane, I strapped myself in tightly… extra tight. I didn’t want to fall out. A woman quickly rushed towards us gripping a glass of brandy.

“Ma’am,” the attendant said with haste.

I turned to Jax who sat smugly in his seat next to the window. “Figured you could use it.” he’d arranged this prior? That was very thoughtful. Had I missed something?

This wasn’t the Jax I’d known, or maybe it had been but I was too angry to see. I had been hateful at best, defying his every word. Smart lipped and sassy. Maybe we were finally seeing each other for who we truly were. If so I was enjoying the real Jax.

“Bella, the time won’t go by any faster the more you glare at that watch,” Jax said resting with his seat reclined.

It had been one hour and ten minutes and we hadn’t landed yet. My leg bounced nervously as turbulence shook the small plane. “God… How much longer?” I was terrified of heights, suspension, falling to my death. Who wasn’t. I wasn’t being whiny, I was just terrified.

Jax laughed, “Almost there, princess.”

“Boss, all is in place to a T,” Mickie said while chewing on a toothpick. I wanted to gag every time I saw that.

Thirty-five minutes later we were told to fasten our seat belts for landing. Mine had been sucking the life out of me since we’d left Chicago. I wouldn’t even use the ladies room while I was on this thing.

***

“Are you going to tell me where we are?” I begged as Jax took my hand leading me down the stairs.

“New York.” He reached inside his tux for his ringing phone. “Moretti.” He answered then remained silent as he led me to the waiting limo. “Make the reservations.” He disconnected the call with a hardened expression on his face. I’d hoped it wouldn’t ruin the rest of our trip.

“So… what are we doing in New York?” I attempted at diversion. I sucked at it, but I’d try.

He remained silent, tucked me into the car and closed the door while he remained outside. I watched as Mickie stood next to him with his hand in front of his mouth. I rolled my eyes. I’d seen that many times. When they’d want what they were saying not heard or read they’d do that. Mickie did this most of the time. I think that’s why he chewed on a toothpick all of the time. So that it wouldn’t be obvious to the FBI that he was hiding his words. My eyes turned to Jax seeing him livid. The sun was escaping through the horizon, but his face was still very visible and red covered him. Mickie walked away towards the front of the car and Dominic was in the vehicle close behind us. Jax’s chest rose harshly, his eyes closed, opened, then he smoothed his hands over his tux jacket and reached for the door handle. I quickly slid across the leather seat making it easy for him to enter.

“Is there a problem?”

His eyes closed with another breath. “No, Bella, and please don’t ask me questions regarding things that don’t concern you.” His hand ran through his dark mane.

Well, that was short-lived.

Jax took us to a restaurant in New York or Jersey, I actually had no idea where we were and I refused to ask. We sat at in a small Italian restaurant that a member of the family ran. We ate in silence. I nibbled on the bread and stirred the plump pasta that sat covered with red sauce, but I couldn’t eat. When someone would approach him, he hardened and never dropped the act for me in that moment. He was stressed, but how could I help if he didn’t trust me? He took back two large glasses of wine and ate all of his food while I gazed around the intimately authentic place. Opera rang throughout the space as couples dined.

“Was dinner okay? You didn’t touch a thing.” Oh, he’d noticed, huh? “Bella, I’m sorry. I really wanted this to be a wonderful evening for you.” His hand landed on mine swallowing it.

“Are we going home now?” I didn’t think he’d brought me to New York to simply have dinner, but I was just over it.

“No, Bella, we still have a surprise.” A surprise in New York. Huh… I wondered tirelessly what it could be as I watched out the window.

We arrived in front of a large building that glowed powerfully through the five windows that made a wall, or maybe it was one window separated by the awnings, I wasn’t certain. But it was beautiful. Mickie opened the door and Jax then I exited the car. We approached the front with Mickie and Dominic close by.

“Where are we? You have to tell me now.”

His hand swept mine into his and he brought me close. “The Met.” I gasped realizing I’d seen pictures of the Met, but of course I hadn’t been. “Turandot Nessun Dorma is playing tonight.”

“Jax,” my word was mostly air disappearing into the night. “You brought me to New York to see the opera?” He pulled me into his body.

We entered and sat in the balcony overlooking the entire theater. Red flowed along the curves of the Met. When the opera began the light dimmed.

A man sang in Italian that the kiss would end him, but he would win. When he declared the princess would be his, the king watched from the thrown.  The prince bowed a knee as the princess began to sing. Their voices were the most powerful I’d ever heard. In person it was… Breathtaking, unbelievable. The prince and princess took hands as the crew began singing and dancing around the beautiful stage circling the couple in harmony wearing their Chinese garb. The man was crowned, and the prince and princess would live happily ever after. As the opera ended the goosebumps rushed my flesh and applause echoed throughout the theater.

The lights shined and people stood to leave. But I couldn’t move. I was frozen to the seat. I cried quietly to myself.

“Did you enjoy yourself?” Jax leaned into my ear as he wrapped his arm around my shoulders then slipped his hand down my bare back tracing circles with the tips of his fingers.