Chapter 40

Nico

It was hard to leave her knowing she wanted me as much as I wanted her, but damned if I am giving her anything until she respects who I am and wants me for me. This dislike for me irritates me, I know having an arranged marriage isn’t for everyone, especially not for a woman like Lucky Gianluca, but trust me. She could do worse. I know she’s after flowers, fireworks, roses, the arch to walk under and a man who will love her like the moon needs the sun, maybe that will come.

I already know that my instinct is to protect her, I want her to have everything her heart desires. The only thing she can’t have is my heart, not until she wants me too. Then I will release it to her with abundance and she will not know a true, deep and meaningful love until she tells me she needs me and wants me.

We could be waiting a very long time. I make a call to Tony, “any news, I want the meeting set up with the guys. I fly back tomorrow. How is Dario?”

“Good morning, Nico did you get out of bed the wrong way?”

“I don’t have time for this, Tony cut the crap. And I haven’t been to bed yet.” I am exhausted no kidding you; my eyes feel like lead but this isn’t the first time I’ve had no sleep. Worry also keeps me awake at night. Will Dario be okay? Will we find him dead in a gutter with a needle in his arm? Will my parents be okay? Now Lucky, another person I need to take care of and worry about. Tsk, so much all the time that I wonder if I’d not followed in my father’s footsteps would my life be simpler now. Maybe, who knows. I could have had the white picket fence, two kids, a wife who chose to work or stay at home, someone to come home to after a normal day’s work.

“That explains your shitty attitude, Brother. He’s still out of it, drifting mostly. He doesn’t seem to be aware of much that’s going on right now.” I nod as he talks, is it too early for whiskey? My butler comes in with a tray – good a nice strong coffee is what I need right now.

“Have breakfast ready in an hour and send Eliza up to get Lucky out of bed please, we’re going down to the registry office this morning. I want her to wear black slacks and a black silk blouse.” The butler nods after setting the china cup down and a plate of dark chocolate biscuits.

“Registry office?” Tony’s voice comes through, he sounds high pitched.

“We’re getting married I need to organize the license she can come with me; they will need our consenting signatures.”

“And you think she’s going to go for it? I thought you were going to wait. Didn’t she just try to leave?”

“Stop with the fucking questions, Tony. Tell me whose fingers I need to cut off when I fly back in tomorrow.”

“You’re coming back tomorrow, don’t you have enough to handle with Gianluca there?”

“Let me worry about that. I might bring her back with me, she seems to not keep herself out of trouble. I also have the matter of a stable hand to deal with. It would seem he let her know how to get out.”

“Hey, she has her ways don’t take it out on him.”

“I’ll do what the fuck I want with my staff, Tony. It’s none of your business. It could have cost her, her life.” I drink my coffee, the warm, strong liquid flowing nicely down my throat. My eyes are tired, sore and all I want to do is catch a couple of hours sleep. It will probably elude me in any case.

“The guy with Dario is a Monletto, you were right there. The thing is he can’t be found anywhere. He’s the youngest, Lucien Monletto is the guy you need to find.” Tony’s voice is back to business like, knowing when to drop a subject that’s got me all arsey this morning.

“You’re telling me that Dario walked into my casino bold as brass with a fucking Monletto by his side and stole three mill of my fucking money?”

“Pretty much. He’s the youngest. Seems him and Dario are pretty tight. The camera feeds show them getting out of a limo together arm in arm.”

“What are you telling me that Dario is fucking gay now?”

“No, of course not. I mean they looked buddy close not like that.” I sigh and blow out an exasperated breath.

“They looked wasted.” Tony adds.

“Well, obviously when isn’t Dario wasted? What the fucking hell is he doing with Lucien Monletto? Jesus, this is so fucked up, Tony. Do our parents know?”

“No, I’ve kept It from dad, right now they’re only concerned about how Dario is doing. You know, Nico he will only go back on the streets, right?”

For sure I know what my kid brother is like, it makes my stomach churn and sets me on edge. One day we will find him dead, face down if not from drugs, then one of the other families who find him an easy target. It makes me shudder.

“I’ll transfer him here to the island and have a psychologist here full time for him and round the clock care. He will need all the help he can get. I’ll up the security so he can’t get out.”

“Might work. Back to Lucien what do you intend to do?”

“Find him of course. Get the guys on it, I want to know where he is, what he eats for breakfast, when he takes a shit, the works. Then I’ll decide how we’re going to handle it. I want my money back and I want Lucien to pay for what he’s done.”

“You know you could end up starting a war between the families, right? This could be bad news.”

“I’ll handle it, let me worry about it. Find me the deets on this fucking cunt. And also, what have they got on the shooting – anything yet?”

“Not yet, guy was good. A sniper, must have a military or marine background.” He pauses. “We did find a bullet on the sweep up outside the store. It’s with the chief of police, they’ve sent it in for forensic testing. We can at least from that determine what mark of gun it would be for, where they can be purchased, you know the usual kind of detail. It’s a good job you keep even the highest of the hight in the forces on our side with the payroll. He’s looking into it in any case. We should have something back on the shell hopefully by the end of the day or tomorrow latest. He’s got his finest on it, Nico.”

“Well someone will know something. Keep on it.” Just as I am about to end the call, I see Lucky standing in the doorway, not wearing black. She’s dressed in a siren, red pant suit, fuck me it makes my dick spring into action as the outfit hugs her curves. I see the swell of her breasts where the zipper is low down just enough to give me a peek. Fucking teasing whore. Her waist is narrow, showing off the gentle curve of her hips. Damn I could grab those and slam her right into my cock and fill her cunt up so much that she’ll scream and scream. I could seriously do some damager to her the way she looks right now.

She cocks her head. “Trouble in the Santangelo paradise is there? Oh, dear what a shame. You summonsed me.”

I marvel at her body; my eyes can’t get enough of her. My balls ache, I still haven’t got my rocks off in the shower since I tore her flimsy nightwear earlier and I could do with a good self-fucking-hand-job.

“We are heading to the registry office to apply for the license. Get changed you look like you’re heading to a brothel.”

“Fuck you, Nico. Not happening.” This woman kills me, she’s wearing an outfit that shows her body is made for hardcore fucking not going to a demure registry office to get a damn marriage license.

I stand up and walk towards her, she stands her ground not flinching as I get close, so close I can smell her strong fragrance. It’s musky and heady. As I tower over her, she casts those feline, green eyes at me and narrows them.

“What, you going to ruin this outfit too are you? You fucking heathen.”

I snarl at her, “get up the fucking stairs and change right now. I told you what to wear.”

“And I’m telling you, I don’t give a royal fuck, I’ll wear what the hell I like. I don’t want this marriage any more than you do so suck it up big guy and let’s get this bullshit out of the way.”

She turns and strides away from me into the marble floored hall, I hear as her impossibly tall heels click and clack across the floor. Fuck me, nobody walks away from Nico Santangelo.