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Oh, my Little Lux. You stabbed me. It’ll take a lot more than that to get out of my grasp.
“One of the last conversations I had with her! On the phone!” Her words come out in pants. “Iheardyou!”
Ahh, I see where the confusion lies, and while I don’t blame the girl for thinking Mancini took her mother, especially after hearing him while she was on the phone with her, there’s no way Mancini took her mother. He wouldn’t have made this agreement with me if he had.
Lowering my head, I whisper in her ear, “Relax, Little Lux,” and to my surprise, after a few seconds and a few deep breaths, she slackens and loosens her grip on my forearms, leaving behind a trail of ten crescent-shaped marks in them.
I keep a hold of her, even though she’s stopped thrashing around, and her breathing begins to even out. “That’s my good girl,” I whisper. Although, I don’t know why I saidmy, as if she’smine.
She’s a means to an end, Teo. Fucking remember that.
“I suggest you explain to Luxtyn why she heard you on the phone with her mother. I’ll only hold her off for so long, Mancini.”
His desperate gaze bounces from me to her. “It’s true. I did see your mother. The night before she disappeared. But Ipromise you, Luxtyn, I had nothing to do with her disappearance.”
“Well, not intentionally at least,” I mumble, which causes her to stiffen and straighten her spine.Whoops.“Listen to what he has to say, Luxtyn.”
“I do believe I know who was behind her disappearance, though, and I’m here to offer my help. If you’ll let me.” He gives Luxtyn a pleading gaze with desperate puppy dog eyes that actually make me feel an inkling of pity for the man.
“I’m going to let you go. Can you remain calm, Little Lux?” I whisper, and the soft strands that have fallen over her ear sway with each word I breathe out. I’m not sure why I keep calling herLittle Luxlike it’s some cute fucking petname I’ve made for her, and it’s not something I want to figure out right now.
She nods. “Use your words, sweet girl.” Again with the fucking petnames, but I can’t help it when she responds so perfectly to me.
“Yes, Matteo,” she breathes out. The way she says my name, it’s as if I commanded it out of her. Well, hell, I did, didn’t I? My dick jolts awake.As if containing it from the excitement it felt while she was rubbing up against it in a feat of anger just moments ago wasn’t enough.
I release her but remain rooted in place behind her in case she decides to change her mind.Or is it because I enjoy being near her?Nope. Not the latter.
“Start talking,Angelo,” Luxtyn spits out, which has me biting back a grin. She’s not afraid. An admirable trait.
Dropping his hands to his side, Mancini explains the torrid love affair he had with her mother and how he pushed her away out of fear of harm coming her way if he continued having her in his life. How he never knew about Luxtyn’s existence, andhow he believes the Silvestris are behind her disappearance, which is new information to me.
Is that why Mauricio hasn’t been with him lately?
Mauricio being Mancini’s underboss means he’s the one who takes over if anything were to happen to him. A stipulation I had Mancini add to the contract we signed gives me full control of the Mancini family upon his death or retirement. It’s another reason I was so motivated to sign that contract the other day.
Mauricio used to be Giuseppe Silvestri’s underboss, but when Angelo Mancini married Elena Silvestri, he started working for him instead.
I don’t know the details of the marriage contract, but it doesn’t take a genius to figure out why Mauricio started working for Mancini. It was just another power move for Giuseppe Silvestri. Having one of his own men on the inside of the Mancini family.
I wouldn’t put it past the Silvestris to be behind her mother’s disappearance, but what exactly would their plan be for her?
10
LUXTYN
Ilisten intently as Angelo tells me about his relationship with my mother, the reason he abandoned us, and his speculations on her disappearance. He’s still speaking, but the only thing shouting through my mind as my brain processes this information is,What the fuck?
Angelo stops speaking and stares at me like a deer in headlights. “Oh, I’m sorry. Did I just say that out loud?” I say deadpan. Enzo chuckles under his breath from my side.
“Luxtyn, I realize this is a lot to take in.”
“Oh, do you now?” I snap at Angelo. “Well, as long as you’re understanding, that’s all that really matters, right?”
“Luxtyn—” Angelo attempts again.
I hold my finger in the air. “So, let me get this straight. You led my mom on,knowingyou’d have to get married to someone else?—”
“It just happened.”
