Chapter 47

Lucky

“Oh my gosh, it feels like ages.” I wrap my arms around Mia who looks amazing. Her hair up in a 1940’s classic do, it suits her.

“I know, but it hasn’t been. So much has happened. Are you sure you are okay? Let me see.” Mia twirls me around and inspects me. “Mm, it looks like you might have lost weight, Lucky. I hope you’re eating properly. And all the guards, well I have to say I can’t say no to those. Nico sure has some hot looking guys around. Are they ex Marines or something?”

I laugh, trust Mia. “No idea to be honest, I suspect some are. To be honest I’m just so grateful he even let you come. Was it awful, you know having a blindfold on and all of that nonsense.”

I show her to the sofa in the grand room which is decorated in the palest peach shade on the walls where many oil paintings hang of his family through the generations. They must have cost a fortune to be commissioned, I’m not entirely sure how I feel with them all looking down on me.

Mia takes a seat on the jade velvet sofa and crosses her legs underneath her. “Actually, I kinda like it. It was like some kind of pre-sex game only I’m miffed there was no rampant sex with one of those hunks afterwards. You know I don’t mind. I’d give an arm and a leg to see you.”

“Sorry, it’s a nuisance and I am stuck here for the foreseeable future. But at least you can visit. Maybe Nico would allow a sleep over.”

“Seems kinda wrong you have to ask him. Has he been dreadful to be with? This is the first time you two have ever spent any time together since you got engaged, what six months ago now?”

I nod my head; it has been six months. And aside from him taking me to the island home and now to his so-called castle back around the city, we have only courted if you can even call it that; from a distance.

“I hate to admit it’s not so bad. I also hate that my body craves him. It’s literally killing me, Mia. Honestly, how can I despise someone yet want to have sex with them? It’s ludicrous.”

Mia throws her head back and laughs. “It’s the way it is, Lucky. We can’t help who we’re attracted to and let’s face it, he is a HOT man. I mean, I bet he packs well.”

I cough. “I may have fumbled slightly.”

“Wait what?” she screeches, I put my hands over my ears. A butler comes in dressed in black pants, black shirt and a pinstriped waistcoat.

“Apologies to interrupt Ms Gianluca, can I get you both anything? We have morning coffee and pastries ready to go and our cook has made a superb lemon cake with frosting.” He is in his sixties I’d say, still relatively tall with a beautiful silver, grey hair. I can’t recall his name.

“Thank you, we’d love that. Some pastries and the cake, I’m famished after the five-mile run that Nico put me through.” Mia’s eyes open wide. The butler nods and moves away from where we are seated and makes his way back through the imposing, tall double doors closing them quietly behind him.

“Run, you? Are you kidding me? You haven’t run since we were in college.”

“It was a challenge and me and my big mouth, the words were out the other night that I’d be able to beat him. Trust me, Mia, it almost fucking killed me. I didn’t think I could breathe and that my lungs would collapse.”

“So, he won I guess.” I shake my head.

“Nope, I won. Although, I’m guessing he threw it and let me win.”

“Fuck, that’s kinda cute, right?”

“Not as cute as him wanting me to read to him the other night in bed. And one of my trashy, smut romance books.”

“No fucking way. Seriously?”

I nod my head, “yes seriously. Since he won’t allow me to have my own suite of rooms for appearances sake, we had to share the bed. I placed pillows between us, and he wanted me to read. He fell asleep. Actually, he looked peaceful and content. Not a look I’m used to on his grumpy fuck face.”

Mia laughs again, I love the way it sounds kind of like a tinkling. She’s so pretty, her whole face lights up.

“So, tell me who is new on your horizon? Anyone?”

“Not really, I went on a blind date the other night, oh my God, the guy was hot as hell, dark blonde hair, all over his face and these amazing tiger kind of eyes. But all he did was talk about himself; how important his role is in his legal firm. I had to stop myself from yawning all the way through. I wish you’d been around to make that get out of there, phone call.”

Now it’s my turn to laugh. “God, I’ve really missed you, Mia. Maybe I’ll convince Nico to let me out to go on a shopping date with you soon. God knows I could do with going to Zaks, Bergdorf’s and oh, wait Tiffany’s.”

“Yes, ask him. You can have protection around you. It will be weird, but you have to get out.”

“I have it, I need to shop for a wedding gown. I don’t want to do it online so yeah, let me tell him it’s a must do thing.”

“That could work.”

The door opens and the butler pushes in a cute vintage looking trolley with a tall, silver coffee pot on it, matching sugar bowl and milk jug. Two china cups sit on the tray and some slices of cakes and an array of Danish pastries that make my mouth water.

He nods and leaves us. “Will you look at these, they look divine.” Mia takes one that looks as if it has pistachio in it and pops it in her mouth. “Mm, my God these are so good. Try one.”

I take one from the tray and follow her, fuck it is like heaven as it literally melts in my mouth. Mia gets up and pours the coffees for us. “Wow, how the other half live, right?”

“We didn’t do so bad at home when I was growing up, we never went without.”

“No but the money Nico has, it’s insane, right?”

“Er, yeah, I guess so. But Mia remembers he is a Don, it’s not all clean money. It makes me sick.”

“Hey, you can’t take that stance. How do you think your daddy got all his money, Lucky?” She does have a point.

My father, Franck did start his criminal career at the tender age of thirteen apparently, within the gambling arena and building operations, gaining him influence over the years. His boss Luciano was finally imprisoned and handed the reins to my daddy.

My father became the man on the street sparring against the Santangelo family. When my brothers came into the fold, Anthony, Lorenzo and Mattia he owned half of the streets. The Santangelo family, the remainder.

And so you have it, this is why Nico needs the alliance. We all know there will be a war at some point unless he can gain full control. I shudder at the though of blood loss, it makes me feel dead inside knowing that my family, my father and brothers could easily lose their lives. Even though the two families have had talks on and off over the years, it’s really only a matter of time.

Greed breeds greed, it’s a known fact.

I feel his presence before I even look at the door to the grand lounge. He stands with his brooding eyes staring at me. His hands in his pockets. The tightness of his white button down showing off his broad shoulders, and where his sleeves are rolled up his forearms, I can make out his ropey veins and those tattoos I want to run my tongue along. I despise myself for wanting him this much.

“Oh, hey Nico.” Mia says smiling. Is she flirting with my fiancé, as she curls a strand of her hair around her fingers? He nods but says nothing then puts his gaze back on me. I feel myself heating up inside. I think I need to fan myself.

“There will be no shopping trip. I can bring the shops to you.”

“What the fuck, were you eavesdropping on my conversation? I thought you had a meeting with your brother?”

“I make it my business, Lucky to know everything that is going on. I thought you would have known that by now.”

“So, you were eavesdropping. I suppose you have all the rooms bugged and with secret cameras too.” He narrows his eyes at me. “I fucking knew it.”

I seethe and fold my arms across my chest. And don’t even ask how I can think he’s so hot and gorgeous standing there like an Adonis and be mad as hell at him. They say there is a fine line. Guess I’m experiencing that right now then.

“It is for your own good, how many times must I tell you this?” He leans against the door frame.

“Honestly, Nico it’d only be for a few hours, you can give her extra protection.” Mia tries her best, his face remains impassive, however. He raises an eyebrow.

“Her life is at risk, I do not think you understand, Mia. It is my job to protect my fiancé.”

“Fiancée, you’re killing me right now, Nico. You treat me like a caged dove. I want some freedom. Put extra people on me and have one of your minions put a drone above if you must only, I think that’s kind of illegal.” I smirk at him knowing he can’t well do that.

“It is out of the question. I will have my assistant call the stores, make a list for an hours’ time. She will organize for people with items to come to you. I will set up the ballroom like a vendor’s stall. You won’t know the difference.” He turns and walks away.

“Fucking asshole,” I mutter.

“Yeah, but Lucky isn’t that so romantic? Can you imagine, he’s literally getting the likes of Tiffany’s and Bergdorf’s to come to you. Fuck, that’s insane.”

“What’s insane bestie, is that I can’t leave this damn place. I didn’t even get to mention the wedding gown. He’s got a shock coming on our wedding day.”