Submitting to My Best Friend's Dad-Chapter 961 : New Years in Naples

*Leo*

“Look! There’s the city down there!” Chiara cried out as she stuck her head against the plane window as far as it could go.

“They all look like tiny ants from here!” Her brother, Cesare grinned across from her. The private plane had been going for hours to reach the city.

“Both of you buckle up now,” their mother, Rosa said sternly as she forced her daughter who sat beside her back into her seat. The seatbelt lights had just gone on and Chiara pouted as her mother bound her in the seatbelt.

Cesare buckled himself after Rosa sent him a harsh look but snickered to himself as Rosa sent a deadpanned look at her husband sitting next to their ten-year-old son. Cedro was snoring away, his face covered in red and black Sharpie. He had fake eyeballs drawn over his shut eyelids and lime slices stuck up his nostrils but it didn’t stop his loud snores coming from his open mouth.

“I swear you two,” Rosa shook her head at their antics and then glanced behind her, “Nicolo, time to put on your seatbelt-”

Her words died off as her fifteen-year-old sat in his seat, buckled up and not having moved an inch for the past few hours. He bobbed his head with headphones covering his ears and stared at his portable game system like it was the only thing he saw.

“Everything alright?”

Rosa glanced over at me with an apologetic expression as I spoke up. My arm was numb as Bianca had taken my arm as a pillow. She didn’t even move, mumbling something incomprehensible as she buried her face into my shoulder.

“Sorry, they’re such a handful,” Rosa sighed, rolling her eyes as she sent a glare behind her towards where the other family members were slowly shuffling to their seats and buckling up now.

Lucia sat across from us with Rolando by her side, the five-year-old chatting up a storm to his grandmother as she buckled him up safely and held his hand. She winked at me as she saw me staring and I grinned.

Nicolo sat behind Rosa and her daughter while Giotto and Silvia had taken up the spot behind Cedro and Cesare. Stuffing all eleven people into the private jet had been a challenge but I didn’t regret it one bit.

Their excitement was palpable in the air as soon as I sprung the trip on them and if this trip could bring me closer to them and make me look good in their eyes then it was worth it.

Money was replaceable after all.

We touched down in Naples with a buzzed excitement running through Bianca’s family, especially as we got away from the airstrip and to the packed city. New Year’s Eve in Naples was exactly the festival I thought it would be and we were lucky I made arrangements for where to stay beforehand.

The kids were bundles of energy, running around our feet in excitement while I saw Lucia wipe a tear or two away as we passed through the historical city. Everything was decked out in lights, glowing even in the sunny daytime but there was a fresh frost on the ground that gave it just the perfect feel.

We stopped by the vacation house Alessandro had lent us for the trip. He and Mia had work to do before they could join us later tonight but the house was set near the main road with a beautiful front view of the river.

I held Bianca’s hand as I opened up the doors to the gorgeous vacation house, feeling more like a historic manor to be honest. As soon as the door opened, the twins and little Rolando sped past my legs, nearly knocking me flat on my ass as they ooed and awed at the place.

I caught myself in the doorway as Bianca laughed at me plainly. Rosa smirked but did apologize for her kids but Lucia was the only one to show some actual sympathy for me. Still, it was progress.

“Nicolo,” Rosa scolded her teenager as he walked straight past her and her husband to the staircase without even a second look. “You could at least take off the headphones!”

“They’re not even on, Mom,” He scoffed with that teenager attitude that I couldn’t help but smirk at.

“It’s fine,” I chuckled, “Your room is on the second floor. Third door to the left. The twins are across from you with your parents in the second door on the right. There’s actually a game room downstairs though if you want to try it out. Some arcades and systems, all decked out real nice.”

“Sick,” Nicolo actually looked at me, giving me a smirk. “Anything good?”

“Found it!” A loud screech came from downstairs which I recognized as Cesare. There were a few screams and what sounded like a crash.

“Uffa! Lord, give me strength,” Rosa snapped to herself before stomping her way downstairs. Giotto and Silvia took off to their room followed by my soon-to-be mother-in-law as well leaving only me and Bianca standing in the living room.

Bianca laughed as she leaned her head on my shoulder.

“Thanks,” She whispered. “This means so much to my family and to me, Leo. I really can’t thank you enough.”

“No need,” I grabbed her hand and laid a kiss over her knuckles. “You’ve given me love and a family. Something I thought I’d never have again. This is the least I can do for you.”

She turned her misty eyes on me, leaning forward for a kiss when an angry spiel of Italian had us both pausing. My eyes went wide as I heard a string of cuss words from downstairs and then a crash and patter of feet.

Bianca and I stared at one another in absolute shock and then at the same time, burst into giggles as three little ones came running up to hide behind us from their very angry mother.

It felt warm and bright, being included as Rosa chased the children around, spouting off in rapid Italian that I was pretty sure was ninety percent cuss words.

But even after she caught her daughter, Chiara only shrieked with laughter as Rosa tickled her mercilessly. Bianca’s eyes glimmered with happiness as she watched her family fool around and I swear I’d felt as warm as I did now, being a part of this family.

After all the chaos, I took the whole family out to a nice dinner. Mia and Alessandro joined us halfway through and were quickly challenged to a drink at the bar. Bianca took the kids out for some dessert nearby while her uncles, Rosa, Alessandro, and I downed shots.

Cedro passed out first, ending up snoring on the barstool while we continued to drink. Giotto ended up running to the bathroom to puke his brains out while Alessandro and I stubbornly egged one another on until the room was spinning around us.

But Rosa ended up with the win, giving us both a cheeky grin as she downed her twelfth shot of the night.

“I feel sick,” I moaned as I leaned on Bianca’s side. She patted my cheek sympathetically.

“Poor baby,” She said sweetly, “But this is what you get for trying to out-drink Aunt Rosa.”

“Yeah, remind me never to do that again. Your family is insane,” I groaned as Alessandro slid into the booth next to his wife, looking just as sick as I was. It was just the four of us, the rest of the family having spread out.

“That’s why I love them,” Bianca said gleefully.

“That reminds me,” Alessandro raised his head up with a half-dead look on his face. “About that thing you asked me to find...” He gave a pointed look at Bianca.

“It’s fine-” I said automatically, before Bianca could bite into him for trying to leave her out but much to my surprise, Bianca herself laid a hand over my mouth.

She smiled, not the least bit frustrated or angry like she’d been before. No sign of the suspicion or anxiety I expected. Just sheer trust and warmth on her face.

“It’s fine. I want to go check on Mom anyway. Fill me on the details later,” Bianca laid a kiss on my cheek before sliding out of the booth.

“Sure,” I said stunned by her lack of reaction. I watched her walk away before turning to Alessandro.

He gave me a gloomy look. “Fill her in later?”

“And?” I challenged him, raising an eyebrow.

“You’re as whipped as Elio,” He grumbled, crossing his arms. I didn’t take any offense to that, actually a bit proud to be compared to my best friend. As whipped as he was for his own wife, I’m probably just as bad, to be honest.

“Like you’ve not whipped yourself,” Mia huffed, giving him a pointed look and his cheeks turned bright red as he coughed, trying to hide his embarrassment.

I snickered under my breath. “So what did you want to talk about?”

“Right,” Alessandro got back on topic, giving me a serious look. “I found a potential successor for you like you asked. He’s a distant cousin, far distant actually but he’s been rising through the ranks in the past year or so. I think he might have what it takes but it’ll be up to you to decide whether to pass the torch to him. I convinced him to move to LA with you so he can shadow you for a few months. If you think he’s got what it takes, then you can step down when you’re ready.”

“Understood,” I said, a bit unsure how to feel at that news. Part of me felt relieved, the idea of not having to worry about being the boss of anyone anymore. Not having Bianca and our baby constantly in danger.

But another part felt almost...sad.

Like I was losing my own purpose.

But I shoved those feelings to the back of my head, grinning as I refused to let it show.

“Thanks, Al,” I told him, rising from the booth as he nodded at me. I headed out to find Bianca which I did pretty easily.

Outside on the crowded streets, I found her whole family swarmed over a group of street games. The kids had painted faces and half-melted shaved ice in their hands, Bianca looking over them motherly as she won a third stuffed animal from tossing rings on a street vendor game.

The adults watched over them as they cheered Bianca on like it was a soccer match.

For a moment, I thought that perhaps leaving the Mafia wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world. Not if I had a family like this to return to.

I gently moved forward, ending up right beside Lucia as she cheered on Bianca’s fourth win as she upgraded to a giant stuffed bunny she gave to Chiara and Cesare. Pride and warmth echoed in my chest as she shamelessly taught the kids how to swindle the vendor owner.

A thought occurred to me.

One day, she’d teach our child the same thing.

I glanced at her bare fingers as she gestured wildly to the kids, laughing brightly.

Then I glanced over at Lucia and the rest of her family.

“Hey,” I said hoarsely, a plan forming in my mind, “Could I ask you guys for a favor?”