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"I did no such thing. In fact, I warned you that at some point, Aria would take control of her life. I even went to you, out of respect, to do this right, but you?—"
"And I told you no."
"And what did Aria tell you? I doubt you even asked her, did you? Do you really care about your sister's happiness?" I sit back in my chair, enjoying Niko’s tirade. I respect him as a businessman. He’s smart and ruthless, but he lacks respect for traditions set forth by my ancestors. It’s probably why the American Mafia is dying.
"She is my responsibility?—"
"Not anymore." I'm forced to consider that while Aria came to me, she does love her brother. Perhaps it isn't wise for me to cut her off from him entirely. I know enough about human behavior to know that could backfire. Sure, I can keep her against her will, but that’s not what I want. "She's here and safe and where she wants to be. My goal is for her to be happy, and to that end, I'm sure there is some sort of agreement that you and I can come to, assuming you care about her happiness as well."
"You're a dead man, Luca Conte."
I sigh. "I suppose time will tell. And here's my threat to you, Niko. You so much as set foot into Italy, and I assure you that you will never return home. What a shame it would be for your beautiful wife and children to live the rest of their days without you." I don't wait for a response, clicking the line off and dropping the phone to my desk.
I scrape my hands over my face because the truth is that I don't want to make an enemy of Niko.
When I think of the business we can do together, I see a fortune and power for the both of us. Unfortunately for him, he's willing to let his ego not only ruin what could be a lucrative relationship, but a close one with his sister as well.
I push Niko out of my mind and focus on the job at hand. For the next few hours, I shore up all my business properties to protect them from whatever Enzo is planning. But my method is subtle. I want to catch him in the act. Like a moth to a flame, I plan to lure him in and finally get rid of him.
It's late afternoon when I head back to the kitchen where I find my cook and Roberta working.
"In America they eat dinner earlier than us, don't they?" I ask.
Both ladies look at each other and shrug. I normally have my dinner between eight and nine, but when I was in America, they ate closer to six or seven.
"I want a full Italian meal served at seven. Pull out all the stops. I want a celebration for my guest."
They both bow their heads to me and say, "Si, Don Conte.”
"Have you moved her into my room yet?" I ask Roberta.
Roberta gives a single shake of her head. "I did not want to disturb her. But as soon as she wakes, we are prepared to make the move."
"Good."
I exit the kitchen and go to my library, pouring myself two fingers of Scotch whiskey and carry it out onto the terrace. I breathe in, and as I exhale, I feel strangely content. It's not a feeling I'm used to.
My father's words come back to me. He was on his deathbed, and I was eager to contact Lucia in New York to bring her home because she had been the one thing keeping him alive. But he shook his head, saying it was time for Lucia to have her own life, that he owed her for all that she had given him.
Before he closed his eyes and took his last breath, he told me, "The secret to power in our life, my son, is in the wife you choose to be your other half. Beauty and the body are nice, yes, but a woman's love and devotion to you, along with intelligence, is the true secret to a man’s success. You are prepared to take over the business, Luca, but it's time that you stop fucking around and find the woman who will be the source of your power."
At the time, I thought it was the nice ramblings of a dying man. It wasn't until the first time I saw Aria at Niko’s penthouse that my father's words made sense. The draw to her was immediate, as if she were my other half.
And now she's here. Her presence makes me feel powerful beyond belief. Invincible. And nothing, not Niko, not Enzo, will take her away from me.
7
ARIA
As consciousness approaches, I feel disoriented. Where am I?
I open my eyes, and it takes a second, but then I realize I'm at Luca’s villa. The giddiness fills me as I lie back in bed and grin up at the ceiling. I inhale, and I can still smell him on the sheets surrounding me. Fairytales do come true.
The door pops open, and I sit up, letting the sheet fall, thinking it's Luca back to touch me again. My nipples harden in anticipation, and I work to pose seductively.
Roberta enters the room and stands next to the bed. Embarrassed, I hold the sheet up to cover myself. If she has any thoughts about my appearance, it doesn't register on her face. It makes me wonder how many times she's found other women in a similar state of undress.
"Shower?" She makes a motion of washing. She follows up with a sentence in Italian in which the only thing I recognize is the word for dinner. Through deduction, I determine I'm supposed to shower for dinner.
