After taking down the Lucchese Empire and throwing the rest of those bastards in prisons all across the country, I’d made quite a name for myself. Mateo didn’t like the fact that I’d been flying back and forth to my office here in the States, but we made it work. However, now that the last of the Luccheses had been sent off to the Hague to be tried for his crimes against humanity, I was packing up my office.
You know, since I’d sold it off.
“We’re really going to miss you, Charlotte.”
“A job in Italy!? Good for you. It’s good to get away sometimes.”
“Are you going to come back and visit at all?”
“You know I’m here if you ever need to talk.”
The staff was nice enough with their words and their hugs. I didn’t feel bad about leaving them, though. The second I announced that my mother’s firm was up for grabs—sans the clientele—I had interested buyers from every corner of the globe descending upon it. They offered me more money than I would’ve even advertised this place for, and after three days of negotiating back and forth, Pettigrew Law had officially been turned over to someone by the name of ‘Patrick Black’.
He seemed nice enough.
After giving hugs to everyone and letting people kiss my cheek, I lugged my cardboard box of things out the front door. With a cool seven million in my back pocket sitting in an offshore account with my name on it, I made my way for the rental car I’d been using for the past week. I slid my stuff into the backseat before easing behind the wheel, and now it felt weird to be sitting on the stereotypical driver’s side instead of in the passenger’s seat to drive.
“Guess I’m settling in better than I thought,” I murmured with a smile.
I cranked the engine and made my way to the Four Seasons, where Teo had the entire penthouse rented out for the rest of the month. Despite the fact that we were leaving the country for good in a couple of days, I knew he’d want the penthouse cleaned from top to bottom. Just in case.
And as I rose up the elevator toward the decadent hotel room, I was greeted with a shirtless Teo holding up two crystal glasses and a bottle of champagne.
“Mmmm, to what do I owe this pleasure?” I asked.
I dropped my cardboard box at my feet and stepped right over it.
Teo chuckled. “I just received word from the banker that the seven million cleared about an hour ago.”
He handed me a glass of wine and I took it. “Sounds like we have seven million reasons to celebrate, then.”
He clinked his glass against mine. “That, we do.”
We took a sip in unison before I walked over to the floor-to-ceiling windows gazing out over the city.
“How goes the usurping?” I asked.
He walked up and stood beside me. “Well, since you took over your mother’s firm briefly, I was able to get a pretty beautiful lawyer to sign over deeds and title work to all of Ronnie and Lorenzo’s properties.”
I nodded slowly. “Sounds like she was a pretty big help.”
He grinned down at me. “The best kind of help.”
I peeked up at him through my eyelashes. “How much of their properties did you take over and how much did you liquidate?”
He drained the last of his wine. “I liquidated the estate as well as Lorenzo’s oddly-formulated home.”
“Thank fuck,” I murmured.
“But, for now, I’m keeping everything else.”
I almost choked. “What?”
He took my glass from me and gripped my chin, pulling my gaze to his. “For now, I’m keeping everything. I’m the only family that has that kind of a hold on the island, and I intend to keep it that way. I oversee every port now, every dock, every fishing expedition, and seventy-five percent of all the storage units on that island. Business is booming because of the influx of cash from the liquidation and tourism is up two-hundred percent, according to the mayor.”
I giggled. “Sounds like you’re doing that island some good.”
He nodded. “The kind of good that island deserves for giving us what we’ve got.”
I placed my hand against his chest, eyeballing my massive engagement ring. “So, do we have a date yet?”
He ran his fingers through my hair. “How does next summer sound?”
“Mmmm, do we have to wait so long, though?”
He fisted my hair. “On your knees.”
I quickly did as he asked and watched as his pants tented. “Maybe we could do it in the spring?”
He unbuckled his pants. “A spring wedding? That might be nice. It’ll be a little brisker than normal on the beach, but nothing we can’t handle.”
I groaned as he pulled his cock out and stroked it for me.
“Or, if you have the patience to wait until fall, we could have the best of both words,” Teo said as his cock began to leak. “We could have the ocean, the ripe vineyards, and the trees turning colors off in the distance.”
I kissed the tip of his dick. “If I have to wait that long, can you promise me that we’ll go somewhere for a honeymoon?”
He bounced his cock against my lips. “Two weeks, guaranteed, in Bora Bora with nothing but sunshine, crystal clear waters, endless amounts of food and alcohol, and not a speck of work in sight.”
I licked his precum off the tip. “You have to work through the summer, don’t you?”
He sighed. “So much fucking traveling, don’t make me plan a wedding then, too.”
I giggled. “That’s all you had to say, handsome.”
As I swallowed his cock down, his back fell against the window. I pressed my hands against his hips, pinning him to the cold glass. That didn’t stop him from bucking and growling and claiming my throat as his own. But, the mere fact that he let me pin him down always reminded me of two things.
Mateo was finally happy, and we were finally equals.
“Shit, Char. I love you so much.”
I moaned around his cock. “I love you, too.”
And the best part of it all was the fact that we completely dismantled the Lucchese trafficking ring. Much to my shock, they had established networks in almost every English-speaking country in the world. But, that only made it more pleasurable to watch their legacy crumble for good. I watched Teo singlehandedly return many of the girls back to their families, and the tearful reunions were things I’d never forget.
“That’s it. Fucking hell, suck that dick. Fuck, I’m there. Char, open that fucking throat.”
I relaxed and slid him back before his cock began twitching. I felt pump after pump of endless arousal pour down the back of my throat as I tickled his ballsack. He jolted and jerked. His hand tugged tightly at my hair. And as I hollowed out my cheeks, creating a vacuum I knew he loved all too much, he slowly slid down the glass.
Before falling onto his ass on the floor.
I wiped at my mouth. “Hey there, handsome.”
His half-hooded eyes found mine. “Come here, gorgeous.”
As I snuggled against him with the backdrop of my old hometown in the distance, I relished the life I had found. The life I had created with Teo. The strength he afforded me and opportunities he had given me still shocked me to my core. The fact that he loved me brought tears to my eyes. The fact that we were a team made my heart soar with delight.
And as I laid there against him, feeling his fingertips draw faceless designs against my arm, I knew I’d stop at nothing to protect this at all costs.
For the rest of my wildly beautiful life.
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Bonnie
I stared at myself in the mirror as I donned the traditional white, lacy gown. As its fabric fell softly over my curves, I drew in a deep breath.
This was the day.
The day I’d be handed over in marriage to a man I barely knew. And although my internal warning system blared loudly in the back of my mind, I understood my position in life.
I understood what I had to do.
I studied my brown eyes. How the smoky hue my aunt had painted onto them somehow accented their soft color. They looked almost amber, with speckles of honey that sparkled wondrously against my tan skin. My naturally auburn hair was piled high on top of my head in soft ringlets, begging to be let down. The sheer amount of hair spray I had holding my tendrils in place could’ve held up the Eiffel Tower if given a chance. My ruby-red lips contrasted the white dress nicely, accented by a thick gloss, forcing all gazes to pause and revel in their beauty.
“I look like Brianna,” I said.
My aunt sighed. “Well, if you look like your cousin, then I’ve done my job right. We’ve only got one shot at this, Bonnie. You’re our only hope.”
“Aunt Luna, what is this man like?”
She glanced sideways at me. “You know not to ask questions.”
I rolled my eyes at my own reflection. “Why? Because it won’t change my circumstances?”
My aunt shushed me with a piercing look in the mirror. A white gold comb smattered with small diamonds found its way into my hair before the sheer veil was flipped over my face. I looked like I was about to get married. Hell, it felt like it. But this wasn’t my wedding day. Not really. This was the day I would be given away as a prize to the highest bidder.
Supposedly.
Not really the highest bidder, per se. No one had paid any money for me. In my world, women were given away as prizes in trade deals. In my case, a deal had been brokered between my family, the Morettis, and his, the Rossis. Two major crime families who needed something from the other one. And I was to be the bridge between them.
Business as usual.
“Come. We’re going to be late,” my aunt said.
I turned to face her. “Thank you.”
She paused. “For what?”
I blinked back tears. “For taking me in when I had nowhere else to go.”
She cupped my cheeks. “Oh, preziosa, your uncle wouldn’t have had it any other way.”
She kissed my veiled forehead before my uncle threw open the door. His eyes twinkled with pride as he stared at me, taking in my final form. The culmination of weeks of work. The dress I wore had been painstakingly created by hand. Every bead, every pearl, and every sequin had been sewn with love, adoration, and a bit of frustration.
“Bonnie. You look marvelous,” my uncle said.
I drew in a deep breath. “I’m ready when you are.”
My uncle held out his arm, and my aunt handed me over to him. Slowly, we started down the hallway. Those events were usually a more formal affair. They were held in the ballroom, with a stage where I would stand so everyone could ogle me. It was a chance for the man in question to turn me down as an offering if I wasn’t to his liking. However, both of our families were knee-deep in a war we had no business fighting.
Which meant time, and protection, was of the essence.
With every step I took, my heart hammered harder in my chest. Would he like me? Would he accept me? Would he appreciate me? Few of us were that lucky in our lifestyles. Then again, none of that mattered.
Not for the plan.
“I present to you Brianna Moretti, my beautiful daughter.”
Everyone’s eyes were on me—the fake Brianna—as my uncle announced my entrance. Then, we started down the stairs. I kept my head high and my eyes straight ahead. The men in those situations didn’t like it when a woman stared at them. So, I locked my eyes onto a spot on the wall and pivoted as necessary. The men of the Rossi family made a path for my uncle and me to walk as we ventured into the middle of the marble-floored foyer of their home. And as I stood there, feeling their eyes on my body, I drew in a steady breath.
It’s almost over. Just stay calm.
It was what I had to do. Not only for the sake of my family, but to repay my uncle for the sacrifices he made for me. I owed that man my life. And if what I had to do to bring honor and protection to the family when we needed it the most was to marry a Rossi, then sign me the fuck up. Family was everything to me, and losing my own when I was only five years old had devastated my world.
I would’ve been nothing—and had nothing—had my uncle and aunt not taken me in.
“Move.”
A disembodied voice rose up from the crowd, and the suited men parted. I kept my eyes locked on the wall, allowing them to look me over and size me up. Looking the role of a future wife was the most daunting task of all. My innocence had to be intact. My delicacy had to be showcased. I needed to be equal parts strong and feminine, which I hoped I looked.
But I broke rule number one the second I smelled his cologne.
Never look him in the eye.
My aunt’s voice rang out in my head as my eyes searched for the origin of that scent. With notes of pine and tobacco, it reminded me of my father. Of the memories I had sitting at his feet while he had been in his study, sucking on his pipe and working his ass off. My eyes found the man coming for me. His steel-gray eyes locked with mine. His raven-black hair sat impeccably on top of his head, slicked back with grease and the sides painstakingly shaved with a fade. He was tall. Easily six foot three. The lankiness of his limbs greatly contrasted the short and stout men of his family.
Nonetheless, I saw strength beneath his suit. It was hidden beneath the silken fabric tailored explicitly for him. Between that, his eyes, and the scruff on his face, I felt myself go weak in the knees.
His sharp looks were equal parts alluring and dangerous.
And when I realized I was staring, my eyes shot back to the wall.
“Hmmm.”
I rehearsed the answers to questions in my mind. I forced myself to embody my cousin as I kept drawing in steady breaths. The man only called Israel slowly walked around me. I felt his hot gaze roaming up and down my figure. I rolled my shoulders back. I kept my head held high. And as he made his way back to the front, he stepped in between me and the wall.
“Look at me,” he commanded.
I felt everyone holding their breath around me as my eyes slowly rose. I didn’t say a word. Not until I was prompted, anyway.
“What is your name?” he asked.
You can do this. “Brianna Moretti.”
“How old are you?”
Stay calm. “Twenty-three.”
He nodded. “What’s your favorite color?”
I smiled softly. “Blush pink. I love the cherry blossom trees in the—.”
“I didn’t ask for your favorite tree.”
I swallowed down my sassy response as my eyes fell back to his chest.
“When is your birthday?”
You got this. “June 11th.”
“Year?”
“1997.”
“Are you still a virgin?”
My eyes snapped up to him. “Of course.”
He nodded. “Good.”
Then he sidestepped me, as the room let out a collective sigh of relief.
“Mr. Moretti. A word?” Israel asked.
I clenched my jaw to keep it from trembling as my eyes locked on the wall again.
“Of course,” my uncle said. “Whatever you need, Israel.”
“I’d like to be shown around your estate.”
My uncle had always been calm and collected. “I can make that happen. Brianna?”<
br />
I quickly turned. “Yes?”
I saw Israel shake his head. “She can stay here. She has no business seeing your office.”
My uncle furrowed his brow. “My office?”
Israel nodded. “Yes. I’d like to get a feel for the business I’ll one day be running. Since I’m marrying your only child.”
I felt my eye twitch at the comment, and I prayed no one saw.
“If that’s what you wish to see—”
Israel interrupted my uncle. “Take me to it. Now.”
My uncle’s eyes panned up to the balcony where my aunt stood. And even though I wanted to turn to see her reaction, I knew I was almost home free. If Israel felt comfortable enough to want a tour of the grounds, then that meant I had performed my job correctly. I simply had to keep selling it until everyone walked out of the foyer and left me behind.
Why am I always left behind?
My uncle nodded. “Of course. If that is what you wish.”
Israel loomed over my uncle. “Don’t make me repeat myself.”
With a flick of his fingers, my uncle motioned for everyone to follow him. And it wasn’t until the last man left the room that I let out the breath I was holding. I panted softly, my eyes traveling up to the place where my aunt had been standing. But the balcony was empty, leaving me all alone in the grand foyer of the house I had grown up in.
“You did it,” I whispered.
I smoothed my hands over the dress, unsure of what to do with myself. Did that mean I had to marry that man? My uncle promised me I wouldn't have to marry him before the plan took place. The only thing I knew about Israel was the rumors about him in the community. The empire he ran for his family. The ruthlessness of his actions. The strict business deals that got people killed if they even glanced outside of the lines. I could only imagine what being married to him would be like.
Just do it before the wedding. No harm, no foul.
Traitor: An Enemies to Lovers Mafia Romance (Sold to The Don Book 3) Page 16