Chapter 47 Want To Make Her My Own
Russo
"Oh, stop it. Families here do this all the time. Take your best friend, Christian D'Angelo, for example. He was in a marriage of convenience with his wife, wasn't he? And you were supposed to be in a marriage of convenience with the Zanetti girl. Of course, before you broke her," I say. "In our world, that's perfectly normal."
"I don't give a damn about normality. I won't marry my sister off to a fucking psychopath." Roman declare.
I sigh. "Roman, you're very dramatic."
Surprisingly, Michael is speaking. "What do you even have to offer? You keep talking about offering something in return. What is that?"
I smile at him, glad that someone's priorities align with mine. Michael frowns in response, his expression turning unpleasant. I wave at him, and Jason thrusts a file into my hand. I place it on the table in front of Roman and, after a moment's thought, return to my previous position.
"I have money. Lots of it," I say with a flourish. "Money you need right now. Running all these drug rings in different countries must be taking its toll on you. I heard Zanetti is blocking your contacts at the border, preventing your belongings from entering the country. I can fix that for you, too. If there's one thing the Russos are good at, it's working undercover. My uncles may have been idiots, but they did a good job preserving my father's connections.”
At this point, Roman's gaze shifts from the contract. He leans back in his chair, his eyes curious.
"Let's put that contract aside for a moment. I want you to tell me about yourself, Russo. You appear in town out of nowhere, and we can't find any information about you. Who the hell are you? And your father?"
I crack my knuckles, holding his gaze. Part of me understands his request. Although it's irritating.
"My father was Don Russo about twenty years ago," I say, scratching my jaw and pretending there's no lump in my throat. "He was killed one very cold night in our family home. My mother was killed, too. I was ten years old, and I had to watch it happen. Fun times."
The room becomes eerily quiet. Roman's expression is unreadable, but when I look at Michael, I see a certain sympathy directed at me. It would anger me, but I realize it's not pity. I know Michael's story. He, too, lost his parents early.
Roman clears his throat. "That's fucking tragic, man."
For some reason, it makes me laugh.
"It's okay. They died, and Uncle Miguel became Don. He wasn't very good at it, but he managed to keep his cool for a while. Then he got older, less careful. I'm sure you know he died about two years ago. Then Leo became Don, and that was around the time I started preparing for my return. Leo was an even bigger idiot than Miguel. Anyway, you know the rest of the story. And how I got here."
"That's too damn vague," Roman declares. "Where have you been for the last twenty years?"
"Oh, you know, here and there. I lived in the US until I was eighteen, and then I left. Visited a couple of countries. I even picked up Jason in one of them," I say, pointing behind me.
Roman's gaze doesn't leave me.
"Look, where I've been doesn't matter. What matters is that I'm here now, offering you a deal. Look it over. We have important things to do. But right now, you're in big trouble, and I need your help, too."
The words "I need help" taste like ashes in my mouth. I haven't wanted or needed any help since I was a kid. No, because I needed help saving myself.
And my parents, but... no one came until it was too late. But desperate times call for desperate measures. And the Russos will never achieve anything unless I secure my title. I swore an oath to restore my father's legacy, and that's exactly what I plan to do.
"Okay," says Roman. "I'll look at the contract. That's not a yes.”
"But it's possible," I declare, unable to hide the triumph in my voice.
"Hm. Perhaps that's quite a big deal. I don't want to marry my sister off to a man I barely know. And I'll never be able to convince my family to agree." Roman said.
"I'm sure you'll figure it out. You may not yet know the value of my word, but I swear I will take care of your sister. If you'd agreed to the marriage, I would have treated Rose like a queen. She deserved it.”
He raises an eyebrow. "You speak as if you know her."
I smile, rise to my feet, and redo the button in the middle of my jacket. "Like I told you, I know everything," I say brazenly.
Roman is unimpressed. "Stay away from my sister, Russo."
Unfortunately for him, I don't do well being told what to do.
"Let me know when you're ready to review the contract," I tell him. "And I can promise you that if you agree, I'll take it much more seriously than you did the Zanetti contract."
His eyes narrow. "Fuck you, Enzo."
I chuckle. "See you later, Roman."
After one last glance at Tony and Michael, I leave, feeling a little satisfied. Jason followed me all the way to the car. He only relaxes when we're handed our guns. Three guns and two knives are too much for him. I palm my gun and tuck it into my pants.
"So," he drawls, shooing us away. "Everything went well."
I shrug. "Everything went as well as it could have."
"You think they'll agree?" Jason asked.
"He has no other choice," I mutter.
"But you think so?" Jason asked again.
I think of the blonde with her sweet words and vague promises. "No, I don't know. Minzettis are dangerous. I don't invite people like that into my bed."
"You've already had someone in your bed," Jason retorts.
"Come on, Jason. The only woman I want in my bed right now is Rose Merry De Luca."
He grins and lets out a small whistle. "Hell, I can't imagine you monogamous, Enzo. It would be a sight to behold. You're planning on marrying this girl without even knowing her?"
"We wouldn't have gotten married right away," I whisper.
I don't mention that I've already met Rose or that she intrigues me. When I first heard of Princess De Luca, I expected a soft-spoken woman who would lie motionless while being fucked. But there's a fire in her.
One I didn't expect. One that makes my blood boil. It doesn't help that she's so damn gorgeous. The thought of her silky, straight black hair and stunning blue eyes makes my jaw clench.
Not everyone has a soul to give.
Truer words have never been spoken, though it seems strange to me that she would say something like that. My future bride is far more exhausted than I expected. It's interesting.
I have a habit of getting bored quickly. But I have a feeling that won't happen with Rose.