Luca's pov
There were different grades to the meetings of two or more made men. The lowest was for harmless negotiation, and right above it was for long term alliances or bonds. These were the two positive reasons made men gathered together, at least positive on their own ends. Benefits like profit, connections, security and peace were guaranteed more than half the time and the parties involved didn't need to worry about a crossfire happening out of the blue.
Not always anyway. With made men, there was no telling. Anything could go wrong in the blink of an eye.
However, my meeting with Aidan McKell was far from these lowest grades. The grade was far above the bottom layer, surpassing the positive scale. I was not meeting the Irish boss for a friendly chat about business propositions or profitable unions.
I wasn't meeting him to bear good news. No, I was here to disappoint him, to shake the alliance we had. This grade bordered on the dangerous scale, the scale of disagreements not unions, losses and not gain.
In a meeting with a grade like this, there was need to worry about a potential crossfire.
This sort of meeting was never held at the homes of the involved parties because of the risks and probable negative outcomes.
You made marriage alliances at home but you don't break them there.
I walked into Orion, the five star restaurant famous for it's guaranteed privacy. Thousands and thousands of dirty negotiations and secrets has been made and shared within the closed, sound proof booths of the place. I did the customary weapons pat down before I was led to the booth McKell waited in. My men followed closely behind me, their senses alert for potential threats.
"Salvatore," Aidan McKell greeted with an outstretched hand, when I walked into the spacious booth.
I took the hand and shook it firmly, warningly as I noted the tightness of the Irish boss' grip and the darkness lurking in his eyes.
My smile was devoid of amiability. "McKell."
We took our seats on the only chairs of the round dining table, our men standing behind us, unmoving like boulders. Aidan's men reached into their coats softly and so did mine.
We might not be allowed to bring in guns but men had been fighting wars with knifes and daggers way before the invention of firearms.
McKell spoke first. "Is there a reason why we haven't heard from you concerning the wedding between my brother and your stepsister?"
I didn't answer immediately and it was intentional. Silence in tense situations like this tended to break through the unreadable demeanor of the other person. It was always good to read potential enemies, predict their actions, that way you're never caught off guard.
My silence grew louder in the enclosed space and the Irish boss' jaw tightened even harder. A ghost of a smile appeared on my lips.
"Yes, there is." I started, looking him dead in the eye. "The wedding is off."
Aidan stifled a frown but his flaring blue eyes betrayed his attempt at a poker expression. "I will ask just one question, why?"
I reached for one of the two glasses on the table and the half drunk whiskey decanter, poured myself a considerable amount and began twirling the glass in my hand.
I don't take a single sip.
"Why…" I repeated, fascinated with the golden brown liquid. "Because there's no longer need for it."
"I'm not sure I'm following."
My gaze found his again. "Cara no longer needs to marry Cadain for her safety."
"And why is that?"
"Because I said so." I said, my voice level. His interrogation was beginning to annoy the fuck out of me.
A hint of a sneer tilted the corner of his mouth and he sat back into the backrest of his chair. "Your words were different four months ago."
"Exactly. Four months have passed, decisions change." I responded.
I couldn't believe I was throwing away a convenient alliance for a woman I'd only known for four months. If someone in the past had told me I'd be doing this, I would have shot them in the foot.
The woman herself couldn't be bothered, considering the fact that she had been acting weird since the night she returned from Diana's birthday party. She's been looking at me weirdly as well, like I was growing an eye out of my forehead. The frustrating part was that she refused to tell me what the problem was and insisted that there was none.
"You cannot make such a decision at your own convenience, Salvatore." Aidan's voice took on a warning edge.
I cocked my eyebrow at him. "Actually I can and I did."
His men reached further into their jackets and I pinned him with a hard stare.
"This could break years of peace."
I returned my glass to the table. "If it does then it would be very disappointing."
"You don't get to say that when you're the cause."
"Mind your tone, McKell."
"Don't you dare warn me Salvatore."
His men were now drawing their weapons, slowly but years and years of dealing with mobsters told me that their attack would not be half as slow.
My men mirrored them immediately.
"I see what is brewing." I said, looking pointedly at the men. "You do not want to do that. It's unwise, do not ruin years of peace over a failed marriage bond."
Aidan scoffed out loud, no longer bothering with hiding his emotions. "That's the thing here Salvatore, it's not about "failed marriage bond" you wasted our time, disrespected us and what? You're backing out? After the deal we had?"
"There was never a deal, nothing was finalized, nobody was promised anything. Get over it McKell, there are much bigger issues."
Aidan's nose flared. "Aren't you afraid that this would backfire? That we might turn on you like you have turned on us."
He didn't say it but I knew what he meant by turning on me.
A dark smile pulled at my lips. "Do as you wish, McKell. But let me warn you that the moment you do that, you will be barred by the Cosa Nostra. I will come after you and I will not be lenient."
I righted my gold wristwatch. "But before that," I carried on, amusement filling me. "Have fun trying not to get killed by the bratva first, especially when they discover that you connived with the MI6 to trap their revered former pakhan."
Aidan McKell froze. "You wouldn't."
My scoff came with a smirk. "Not if we're allies."
His glare showed his intention to punch me and I silently dared him to. "Are we allies McKell?"
The silence that settled after the question was long and charged with the promise of outrage and a knife fight. I was more than prepared for it but I knew it wouldn't come to that. Aidan McKell was a smart man.
He swallowed tightly as if it pained him to before speaking. "I want to be compensated."
My hands came together in a firm clap. "Consider it done. My consigliere will contact you concerning that."
I rose to my feet and put out a hand. Aidan looked at it like it was the last thing he wanted to touch but he did, and the handshake of conclusion was even stiffer than the first.
We were done almost a second later. Aidan poured himself a glass of whiskey, his eyes not leaving me as he took a long sip. He raised his glass at me, his eyes shining with his intent.
I picked mine and we clinked the heavy cut glasses.
"Cheers to more years of union." Aidan said a little forcefully, resentment underlying in his tone.
My lips twitched with dark amusement. The man wasn't infamous for holding grudges for nothing. Then again, I'd virtually blackmailed him after breaking off a union his father was crazed about. He was probably pissed at the thought of having to deal with the man and for that I sympathized with him.
The old Irish boss was mad as a hatter.
"Cheers." I said and we drank to the avoidance of what could have been a very severe war.
We made our way out together even though our men were still wary of each other and hadn't taken their hands off their concealed weapons.
"As always, I admire your diplomacy." I said once we stepped out of Orion, our cars already in waiting.
A sardonic curve appeared on Aidan's lips, softening the hardness of his expression a notch. "Not as much as I admire your shrewdness."
I flashed him a smug smile. "Get home safely, McKell."
His reply was a curt nod and we proceeded to get into our cars.
It was when I slipped into the backseat and instructed my driver to move that I mused about the things that'd have gone wrong. With a different outcome, Aidan and the Irish mafia would have been the latest enemies of the Cosa Nostra.
And it would be all because of a certain woman I was desperate to own.
Now that Cadain was completely out of the picture, what I needed to do was to make sure that no other man fixed himself into it.
I needed to make Cara irrevocably dependent on me. So much that her whole world would center around me and me alone. It was a devious plan but it was the only way I could keep her.
I was going to make her fall hopelessly in love with me.