Paolo follows me into the kitchen while the Martinelli men stay in the living room to discuss something to do with work.

I don't want much to do with their mafia lives. It's too dangerous for someone like me. Sure, I get off the thrill of throwing a couple of fists but I haven't been in a fight in ages.

Getting too invested in Vincenzo's mafia life might mess things up for us, and I don't want that to happen. I like him, I want to see us out.

Paolo is able to get up on one of the stools on his own and he smiles widely at me as I walk around the island.

I keep forgetting that this kid is actually ten and not a little child. He can do things for himself but I still have the urge to carry him around like a little baby.

"I can give you a quick snack before I get started on dinner," I say while walking over to the fridge. I open the fridge and look around for something Paolo can snack on while I make dinner for everyone.

I pull out some carrot sticks and he immediately shouts no at me but I ignore him. I place the carrot sticks in a bowl. I find some hummus and he folds his arms, shaking his head at what I'm doing.

I ignore his childiah behaviours and put the bowl of carrots and hummus in front of him.

"Zia, I don't like carrots," he whines while pushing the bowl away.

"Well, when you are in my house, you will eat what I give you," I say sternly.

"Your house?" Vincenzo walks into the kitchen with an amused grin stretched across his face. "It sounds like you want to move in with me," he says as he walks around the island.

He stands in front of me and I tilt my head up to look into his stormy eyes. "I just want him to eat," I say with a sheepish grin.

"Come on amore, I know you like staying here so just move in. If you ever feel like leaving, I'll let you," he says as his arms come around my body. He wraps his strong arms around my waist and pulls me closer to his chest.

"Add my palm print to the scanner," I say with a grin and he nods. "Then you'll get someone to move my stuff in."

"Zia, can me and papà stay here tonight, please zia," he begs with a pout.

"Only if you eat your carrots," I say and he quickly bites down on carrot stick. Paolo sits quietly as he eats the carrot sticks with an unpleasant look on his little face.

Vincenzo whispers something in my ear that makes my eyes widen before leaving. I shake the dirty thoughts out of my head and get back to trying to start making dinner.

Paolo finishes his carrots and jumps up from the stool. He walks over the sink and puts his bowl in the sink.

He turns to leave the kitchen but I glare at him. "Wash it," I say while pointing at the bowl and he quickly nods.

He looks around in the cabinets for the soap and sponge while I get back to my cooking. I look through the cabinets for what to make and frown to see that all of the food items won't accomodate what I want to make.

I pull my phone out of my pocket and text Angelo and Nicola a long list of ingredients and they send thumbs up emojis.

————

Paolo helps me set up the dinner table with the widest grin on his face. He has been helping me cook and clean the kitchen while the men were talking about business, they have been since I left the living room.

Matteo has also been contributing to whatever they are saying about their work so I'm guessing he's already part of the mafia.

This family clearly love their positions in the mafia and want nothing more but to keep them.

I wonder how the women of the mafia feel. There has to be moments where even they want to leave their husbands because they are so emerged in the mafia that they forget they have women waiting at home.

I'm only getting a small glimpse of what's going to happen when Vincenzo is at work. He doesn't even want me to know what he and his brothers are talking about.

When I went back into the living room to tell them that dinner is almost ready, they switched from English to Italian just so I wouldn't understand.

I get that his whole mafia life is secretive but he doesn't have to keep everything a secret from me.

"Zia?" I hum in response as I pull myself from my thoughts. "Are you ok?" He asks while pulling on my hand. Paolo looks up at me, his dark eyes glossy with sadness.

I squeeze his hand and ruffle his dark hair a bit. "Of course I am baby, don't worry about zia, I'm ok." He nods with a small smile before letting go of my hand. "Go tell your father and uncles that dinner is ready."

Paolo nods before running out of the dinning room. I finish setting up the table for dinner and look down at the spread of food.

I definitely don't know how to make any Italian styled food like Aurora and Loredana but some African inspired food is like a walk in a park for me.

My father and I used to make dinner together whenever he wasn't working long nights and we always made a new African meal.

My adopted mother and sister didn't always like the food mostly because it's part of my culture, but my father made them eat all of it.

"This smells amazing," Matteo says as he walks in. He looks around at the food on the table before pulling one of the chairs back and sitting down. "You made all of this?" He asks and I nod with a proud smile.

"She's beautiful and she can cook food that smells and looks amazing. If you don't marry her, I will," Matteo says while grinning at his eldest brother.

Vincenzo groans and walks over to me, wrapping a protective and jealous arm around my waist. "She's my woman so I will marry her, eventually," he says while glaring at his little brother.

Matteo smirks before nodding and looking away from us. I wiggle my way out of his hold and walk around the table. Vincenzo pulls the chair at the head of the table back and sits down.

"Paolo isn't allergic to anything, right?" I ask as I remember that something in my food might make him sick.

"No zia, I'm not allergic to anything," he says with a grin before sitting down next to his father. "Can we eat now? Your food is really tasty," he says while pointing at the steaming bowl of beef stew.

While I was still cooking I let him have a little taste and he's been wanting to try more of it since.

I giggle and try to sit down next to Matteo but Vincenzo waves his hand in the air. He points to his leg and I sigh as I walk over to him.

I sit down on his leg and he wraps his arm around my waist. "I like you in this position," he whispers as he pulls me closer to his body, my ass sliding over his erection.

I let out a shaky breath as I try to ignore his erection pressing against the inside of my thigh.

"Let's eat," he says to his brothers and nephew. Paolo is quick to drag the bowl of stew closer to his plate and I laugh at this.

My eyes widen when he almost drops the spoon of steaming hot foodm "Just be careful baby, it's hot," I say while getting up. Vincenzo unwraps his arm from my waist and I quickly walk over to Paolo.

He moves back to give me more space so I can dish up for him. I dump two large spoonfuls of the stew into his plate and he grins down at his soup and meat filled plate.

"Does this meal have any specifics?" Lorenzo asks while looking at the purple beetroot with a questioning eye.

"If you were to dish up a bit of everything then you would have seven colours in your plate, it's literally called Seven Colours in South Africa," I explain as I remember what my father told me about all of the food in front of us.

"They call it Sunday Kos because they mostly have seven colours and large dinners like this on Sundays," I continue and he nods while serving himself a small portion of the beetroot.

It only felt right to make Sunday Kos today because it is Sunday after all.

"I don't think I have eaten any of this," Vincenzo says while looking at the food with a puzzled look. I walk back to him and dish up for him, making sure to get everything into his plate.

"You will love it," I say while sitting down on his leg. He looks at me with a smile before picking up his fork. I lean over to the side and grab a fork too.

"Zia? What's this?" Paolo asks while pointing at the diced beetroot.

"It's beetroot. It's really good, it has some fruit chutney in it." He nods before putting a spoonful of it in his mouth. His eyes widen before he goes back in for more of the beetroot.

The men around me eat the dinner with pleased looks on their faces which brings a smile to mine.

————

Kos means food in Afrikaans.

Now, I'm in the mood for some Sunday Kos.

————

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