The Twelve Tables Ch. 23

"You shouldn't feel that way. I think Ben is relieved to tell you the truth," Emily said quietly. "Losing Nik and then Leo hit him hard, and he wished he had paid better attention. Now he will be able to with all of the resources the family has available. We believed Romey would be the next chair," she said including Carmen in their conversation.

Peri continued to praise Emily for her poise and understanding as well as being the obvious choice for the mother of the family. She commiserated briefly with Carmen but concentrated her words on Emily. Every so often she added that she would need help if she were ever to be in the same league as her sister-in-law before finally getting to her point for this little private chat.

"Antonia tells me she and Maria work very closely together on all family matters," Peri spoke of Vincenzo's wife. "I respect you, and your place in the family and I would like for us to be able to work together as they have. You were both, prepared to become the Mother and yet here I am, whether we like it or not. I'd like for us to be closer and do this together," she repeated. "I am not totally naïve or without skills, but I don't have the history with the family you do."

"We're all here to help you," Carmen said stiffly pushing her way into the conversation. "Rosanna and Emily and I would be more than happy to take over the responsibility for you."

"Carmen, I am asking for friendship and assistance. I understand that you think I should just leave it all to those who know better than me," she paused and saw Emily nod unsure who she agreed with.

"I don't think she meant it quite that way," Emily defended her sister in law. "It's just that you are new to the family, and we have been helping Antonia for years."

"Carmen came to see me last night. She told me that I was a nobody from nowhere and called my mother white trash. She said that I would never be part of this family. It seems not everyone thought that way." She turned her gaze on Carmen, who looked a little ashamed. "The thing is, I can do this on my own, I don't want to, believe me, that's the last thing I want to do, but I will if that is what needs to happen. I would rather we could do this together as a team, even friends but I won't be allowing anyone else who thinks I don't belong here to take over any part of my role or think they can force my hand." Peri was satisfied with the look of shock the women gave her at her assertiveness.

"Carmen wouldn't do that, would you?" Emily asked the other woman with a frown.

"You are welcome to speak to Carlo. He overheard most of the conversation I believe. I wouldn't have said anything to Josh myself. I would rather not have the drama that might ensue, and try to work this out amongst ourselves. Carlo thought differently, though," she pressed her point home. Carmen could challenge the accounts of the nannies in her employ, but they couldn't discount Carlo's account of events.

"I don't know what to say," Emily said uncomfortably looking guiltily at Carmen.

"I was hoping that you might try to get to know me a little better before making judgements about my abilities. I will work with everyone because I must, but it will be so much nicer if we can do it together as friends," she said handing her baby to Heather who had stood nearby rocking Cruze. "Still, it is good to have Lucia and Finola as part of our little group of planners isn't it."

Peri desperately needed Emily to be onboard with her. With Ben's role as Watchman, she would be the first to gain all family information and pass it on. Without this relationship, she would always be fighting an uphill battle unless she forced Ben's hand to annexe his wife from his role which would only breed further resentment.

"Peri I'm sorry, this morning must have been awful for you, with all of us telling you what we thought you should do rather than asking you," Emily said. "We honestly thought you'd be relieved that we were willing to start the ball rolling for you."

"I can accept that it was just enthusiasm from everyone," Peri said. "It's exciting for everyone to become part of something so amazing. I'm glad we had the chance to talk, and I hope we can become closer friends and work together."

"I'd like that oo," Emily said easily, but Carmen only nodded not saying anything.

"Will we rejoin the family?" Peri asked, and they stood walking back to the front garden together.

"We are the Champions!" Josh chuckled coming toward her ith wide open arms.

"Ew your all sweaty and stinky," she held her hands before her. "Go and have a shower before trying to hug me."

"How about I hug you in the shower," Josh waggled his eyebrows and winked at Emily, who still stood with Peri.

"Too much information for me," Emily said hurrying off to her family.

"A shower with you sounds exactly like what I need right now," Josh and picked Peri up and threw her over his shoulder, jogging off toward their cottage.

"Did you get some time to think?" he asked quietly once they were out of earshot placing her on her feet.

"I did," she said looking at him. "Did you know about that impromptu meeting?"

"I suggested to Mama that you would probably like some space to think in and maybe ask a few questions," he said easily thinking she would be grateful.

"Perhaps a little head's up about the meeting I was late for and..." she shook her head. "It doesn't matter now I handled it I think. We'll find out tonight I guess."

"I have no idea what you're talking about you realise," he looked concerned as he opened the door and led her into the small living room. "But first the shower," he grinned and picked her up again taking her to the bedroom.

"You know we'll be interrupted soon," he grinned placing her on her feet and unzipping the dress she wore. "I've missed you. It's been almost a week since we had any time alone," he grumbled leaning down to kiss her as he slid the dress off her shoulders.

"Shower," she wrinkled her nose at him making him chuckle and drag her with him into the bathroom. Josh stripped and ran the water turning with a smile to see her fully naked. He pulled her into the shower with him to hold her close and kiss her deeply.

He stepped back and picked up the soap taking a moment to admire her body as he began to slide it over her shoulder and across her breast. He had always loved her voluptuousness and with her breasts even fuller and heavier now he loved her figure even more. The stretchmarks that still showed over her belly weren't a turn off as she had feared. He loved every inch of her body the evidence of her carrying his children only made her more attractive to him. He knew that without this soft, beautiful, loving woman the success he was experiencing today might not have occurred.

He spent more time than was necessary soaping her breasts until she sighed in pleasure and took the soap from his hands. She began to follow the same path as his soapy hand remained on her breasts.

"I'm not the one who needs this shower," she giggled, and he pulled her close smacking her wet ass. It echoed loudly in the large shower stall, and he smacked her again just to hear it as he kissed her deeply.

Josh took the soap and quickly soaped up most of his body as she watched admiring the glistening beads of water and bubbles of soap that dripped down his chest and stomach towards his cock which showed his arousal.

"Thank you," she whispered closing the gap between them as he rinsed off the sweat and dirt from his soccer game. She kissed him tenderly, and his hands went around her still holding the soap to glide smoothly over her ass. He bent his head to nibble at her neck and as he felt her hand wrap around his cock he slid his hand between her legs.

Peri moaned softly as his fingers began to work into her rubbing the soapy slipperiness against her clit. The water splashed over them in the big shower as the each used their hands on the other building their arousal to a point of urgency.

Josh leaned back against the tiled wall picking up a leg to curl over his hip and bending his legs to enter her slowly and delicately treasuring the feeling of her hot wet cunt. The soap in his hand ran between the cheeks of her ass as they ground against each other until he was fully embedded.

"Make some room and I'll help you with that if you like. You seem to be struggling there little brother," Dante chuckled as he stepped into the wide shower lifting Peri's other leg and stepping close to her taking some of the weight.

"You need the soap more than we do," Peri said breathlessly after her initial surprise at hearing his voice behind her.

"You could be right about that, cheeky," he smacked the open cheeks of her ass hard making her yelp into the echoing room. He took the soap from Josh's hand and stepped under the water taking the spray away from Josh, who took a hard grip on her ass with both hands and began to move her up and down on his cock.

Minutes later Peri gasped as one again she felt the soap move between her ass cheeks again. Opening her eyes, she saw Josh smile tightly watching the mixture of emotions play across her face as Dante coerced the tight anal muscle open with his soapy fingers. She whimpered and gasped for breath and could feel Josh pull her cheeks wider as he embedded himself deeply into her.

Josh leaned forward and kissed her deeply feeling her arms tighten around his neck as she rocked with the moment of the fingers invading her ass. He loved the sounds she made and the look of simultaneous pain and pleasure on her face as Dante worked to open her up to him.

Peri felt a strange mix of sensation as she was held between the two men she loved and willingly submitted to but she wasn't sure she was ready for what she knew was about to happen. She felt the fingers withdraw from her, and Dante step up behind her. She broke the kiss with Josh and lifted her head slightly bracing for what was to come as her eyes locked on Josh's. She could see the heat and lust in his eyes as he studied her face and she could feel the hardness of Dante's cock as he rubbed it against her ass, its slippery surface mixing with the soap that coated her now inside and out and she knew at that moment she wanted it.

Dante pressed up against her finding the right position and moving his hands between her body and Josh's to grip her breasts as he began to push his way slowly into her ass. It was unbelievably tight, and he groaned as the head of his cock popped through the barrier and her tight ring threatened to strangle him below it. It was an awkward position, but it felt so good he gave her barely a minute to adjust before pushing further into her listening to her whimper loudly as she tried not to cry out in painful pleasure.

"Fuck!" Josh growled his eyes glued to Peri's face as he felt his brother's cock enter her ass through the thin membrane that separated them. Unable to help himself he bucked his hips feeling the awkwardness of the position and groaned loudly.

Peri felt both the strength and power of the two men at that moment and gave herself over to the sensation of not only their cocks but their hands and bodies that pressed against her. She felt Dante's cheek caress hers as he leaned in his body curving to her position. She turned her head and kissed him as they started to move, the awkward position hampering them at first until they found some rhythm. She started to come and floating on a cloud of painful pleasure she shook has they held her in place one coming after the other filling her to overfull.

Dante staggered back leaning against the wall underneath the streaming water as Josh's legs buckled carrying him and Peri to the floor of the shower stall. Dante cleaned himself again before helping Peri to her feet and tenderly holding her and helping her wash off the evidence of the love making before making room for Josh. They towelled off slowly both helping Peri as she took the time to come down from the high she had felt. They lay on the bed together for a few moments longer before beginning to dress again.

"So what happened with the ladies?" Josh asked remembering their conversation from when they had returned to the cottage.

"Gosh," Peri said. "So much happened this morning that I wasn't prepared for and then..." she explained everything that had happened to her, ending with her conversation with Emily and Carmen. "I might have come off a little arrogant when I said I would do everything alone if I had to," she admitted.

"Carmen's obviously the Queen bee there, and you did well making sure they both got the message needed," Dante said.

"Having us interfere in women's business would have just eroded your credibility," Josh said nodding. "Bianca won't be here, and she was friends with Nik just to piss Carmen off so I doubt there will be an issue there, Rosanna might be part of that little group, but I doubt she realised what was going on."

"You've got Lucy, and I guarantee she will be a better friend than ever now that she knows what's going on," Dante said.

"Fin and Tina seem cool, and I'll call Margarite once she is home and settled in with the new baby," she smiled. "I just don't want to make things hard for you if they complain about me to Ben or Romey."

"What are they gonna say? You didn't say no to any of their suggestions, and you certainly offered friendship. What can they possibly say you did to them?" Josh asked.

"I told Emily about the argument that Carmen and I had," she said worriedly.

"Mama told Romey already. I can't imagine anyone will be bringing that up, especially Carmen," Josh said to both Peri and Dante's surprise.

"I know it's been a lot today, but it won't always be like this we go home in a day or two, and you can start wrapping your head around everything the way you need to," Dante smiled. "Probably alone in the library."

"Unless you want to build me a secret room like your mothers?" she asked.

"Mama has a secret room?" Dante raised an eyebrow.

"Well it is a secret," Peri laughed. "It's so lovely and private. I'd love to have something like that to escape to. A small space that's just mine, no boys allowed."

"I think we can manage that," Josh said and leaned forward to kiss her. "We better head back for the kids Christmas. Don't worry about the women; they needed the wake-up call. I'm proud of you and I will always back you up."

*****

During the children's Christmas dinner where they were all together on the front lawn again, Peri watched her sisters-in-law. She noted the small quiet conversations that occurred between them and smiled. If they thought to rule over her, they were all finding out how difficult that would be to achieve now. She had purposely targetted the woman who had led them all for years as the wife of Joseph's second son. She knew Carmen was ambitious and had her own agenda but also that she respected Emily's position within the group.

It had taken some time and a few conversations with different people but when Carmen realised what she had said to Peri had appalled even Emily, she started to crumble. She began to cry when she realised that Peri was strong enough to leave her out of the group entirely rather than meekly step aside and let them take over for her.

It was Antonia who stepped in and gathered Carmen into the house to speak to her. Peri wished she could have been a fly on the wall. This wasn't a good start to Josh's reign as Chair of the Donati's, and it was her fault.

"You've been busy I see," Lucia said coming to stand beside her. Peri turned to look at her unsure if Lucia was upset with her as well. "I looked for you at lunchtime, but you and Mama seemed to have disappeared," Lucia said still not giving much away as she spoke.

"I needed some time to think. I knew what was coming, we all did, but it was so much more than I was prepared for. I didn't grow up in a family like this, and I probably need more time to take it all in than you do," Peri admitted.

"I'm sorry," Lucia said quietly. "I knew Dante loved you and after Lio's death I thought staying with you and Josh was a bad idea because of that," she admitted. "I didn't like it, and it made me stay away when he rejected my offers to come and stay with me. He's special you know? They're all great, but he's always had the biggest heart of all of them despite appearances."

"I love him," Peri said. "I'd never hurt him, Lucy, I promise. It took us all a very long time to come to terms with our relationship, especially me but I love him."

"He's happy that's for sure," Lucia said. "I might have been a little jealous that you were responsible for finally seeing him happy again. I'm sorry I wasn't there for you as much as I should have been, with the pregnancy and babies. We were close, and I let something that was only in my mind come between us."

"I've missed you," Peri said with a smile. "I understand it would be awkward to see me be affectionate with both of them, but we are happy, all three of us are very happy."

"No, I've grown up with those sorts of relationships in the family. Now that I know he's not just pining away like a love sick puppy, I will be there so much you will think I have moved in too," she laughed.

"We have plenty of room," Peri laughed with her. "I could use a friend in the family right now," she admitted.

"Is that why you did it?" Lucia asked.

"Did what?" Peri seemed confused.

"Put me in charge of the christening," Lucia said. "I just assumed it was because you didn't know that I don't matter to them, I'm Battaglia now, and I'm just there to make up the numbers."

"That seems like a stupid rule considering you are more Donati than any of us," Peri frowned. "I asked you because you're the only one that I could trust to work with me, not just tell me what to do. Or at least I hoped I could," Peri said honestly.

"You can," Lucia said with feeling. "Thank you for trusting me. Could you trust me with one other thing and tell me what's going on with Emily and Carmen?"

"They just learned that I'm not the naïve, meek little mouse that would do whatever they told me to and that Carmen may have made a big mistake threatening my babies and me last night," Peri said quietly, but there was an edge to her voice. Lucia whistled and looked at Peri with widening eyes. "Nik made sure that I would never let any of them push me around again. I was so desperate for her to like me I put myself in danger. Now if any of them don't like me, I can live with that and so can Josh and Dante. They both know what I did to make Carmen and Emily upset."

"I wasn't complaining. Honestly, I'm grateful to be treated like I belong. Now that I know what their agenda is, though, I'll watch your back for flying knives a bit more carefully," she laughed lightening the mood.

"Ladies, care to share the joke?" Dante asked coming toward them.

"Peri was just telling me what a pain it is to live with two Donati brothers, and I told her she was lucky because I grew up with eight," Lucia continued to laugh.

"You two together are trouble," Dante chuckled. "I thought you might want to say goodnight to your babies. The girls are taking them back to the cottage now."

Peri walked across the lawn to where the nannies sat packing up a range of toys as the babies squirmed irritably in their rockers. She smiled as she sat and took the closest into her arms. "Hey there handsome, you've had a big day haven't you?" she said as Cruze looked up at her with big blue eyes.

"It's been such an exciting holiday," Madeline sighed happily. "They'll sleep well tonight."

She cuddled each of her children before letting the nannies finally take them back to the cottage. When she stood, she saw most of the nannies were taking the little one's home to bed, and the teenagers sat in a small group playing on their phones and tablets. The adults slowly made their way inside to the big banquet hall.