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"Oh, but Luca and I aren’t married.” The rest of my doubt vanishes because if she knows about me from Luca and is talking marriage, surely, that means he sees me as his future wife. That knowledge fills me with happiness.
Bianca looks up at me from her espresso and blinks. "Oh, I see." She waves her hand. "I guess I just assumed. I mean, Don Conte went to so much trouble to bring you here." She leans forward conspiratorially. "Your brother is known, even here. For Don Conte to risk so much…" She lets her thought hang.
I realize I hadn't completely thought through this situation. Yes, I knew that Nico didn't approve of my being with Luca. I did run away, after all. But I hadn't considered the full ramifications of what that would mean between Luca and Nico. Had my actions started a potential war?
"But we won’t think about that. You and I are going to have a full day of it." She raises her hand and snaps her fingers. Roberta is immediately at her side. Bianca starts talking to her in rapid Italian, and I have no clue what she's saying.
I eat my breakfast and drink my coffee as I watch the exchange. I study Bianca and how so well put together she is. I like to think that I dress well and look presentable, but I don’t think I reach the level of Bianca’s style and sophistication. She's immaculate in every way, from her clothes, her nails and her hair, her jewelry… all of her. I wonder if she has a stylist.
When breakfast is over, Bianca ushers me out the door toward a little red sports car. "First we will go to a spa. Nails and hair. And then we'll go shopping."
Roberta follows us out, speaking in Italian. Bianca ignores her. "Did Don Conte give you a credit card?"
I shake my head. "But I have my own money?—"
Bianca shakes her head. "That won't do." She turns to Roberta, saying something to her in Italian. Roberta finally throws up her arms and retreats into the house.
"It'll be just a minute." Bianca waits by the car. Roberta reappears and hands me a wad of cash. I stare down at it and then at Bianca.
"You’re Don Conte’s woman now. Plus, I'm pretty sure he wouldn't want you using your own credit cards." She leans toward me again. "People can trace you that way."
"Who's tracing me?"
Her face contorts in confusion. "You ran away from your brother, didn't you?"
That unsettling feeling fills me again. I know my brother well enough to know that he will trace me. He’ll likely come looking for me.
Had I just created a situation in which my brother and Luca are pitted against each other?
Two lethal men who are willing to kill to protect their own?
9
LUCA
Exiting the bed once Aria is asleep is no easy feat. I’d much rather hold her in my arms, maybe even make love to her in the middle of the night when she is soft and sleepy. But there’s too much going on to indulge my urges.
After a night at the port with Bruno reviewing everything that happened yesterday and getting updates on Sabini and his men’s whereabouts and activities, I'm walking back into my villa with Bruno close at hand. I want to immediately find Aria, partly to make sure she’s still here, but mostly to take her back to bed. My body is still burning with the memory of being inside her, her lips around my cock. But my work isn't done.
The minute I walk into the door, Roberta comes flying toward me, her words firing off and her arms flailing. Immediately, I tense, wondering what is wrong.
"Ms. Leone isn't here," she says in Italian. "I had to go to the safe and get her some money."
"Why?" I can't imagine Roberta helping Aria escape or helping Niko help Aria escape.
Roberta takes a step back, an indication that I'm scaring her. "Mrs. Fontana arrived this morning. She whisked her off, demanding that I give Ms. Leone your credit card. I gave her money instead."
The tension in my chest releases. "Thank you for letting me know." I dismiss her, and she scurries off. I'm not worried about Bianca Fontana doing anything against me. I trust her more than I trust her husband, one of my capos. She’s the epitome of a good Mafia wife, and it will be good for Aria to have a female friend while she's here in Italy. I am grateful, though, that Roberta didn't give Bianca my credit card. Who the hell knows what sort of thing she would've had Aria buy with it.
I head straight to my office with Bruno behind me.
"What is your plan with Don Leone's sister?" he asks as he closes the door behind him.
Deep down, I’d hoped that Niko would come around and approve of my marrying his sister. But after the call yesterday, I'm doubtful that it will happen. So, there’s no reason to wait to claim her legally. "I'm going to marry her. Just a small, private ceremony. In a church."
Bruno arches a brow. He knows I'm not particularly religious, even though I was raised Catholic. My mother had been devout, not that it saved her from a terminal illness when I was just a boy. My father took his faith seriously as well. The irony of the life we lead contrasted with the teachings of the church doesn't escape me. But I've already considered how important tradition was to my father. That included the church. But it’s not just my parents I’m thinking of honoring by having a church wedding. I think a woman who saved herself for one man is likely to want an official wedding ceremony.
"You have a problem with that?" I ask Bruno.
