“You are who he was meant to have, mimma. Every road that we take, every turn that we make, it leads us to where we’re meant to be. This one, that you have been on with Carlo has been uneven. It will get better. I’ve been with my wife for more than half of my life, I wouldn’t have chosen another woman to have at my side. My Carlo is the same as me in that way, he has chosen you.”
My heart skips a beat from his words. I don’t understand how Arlo could know that I’m who he wants, forever, but apparently, he does and he’s also told his father. It feels like too much, too fast, too uncertain.
My mouth is so dry that I open and close it to speak, but nothing comes out. Arlo’s father only winks, then releases me and sits back in his chair.
“I’m Carlo Senior, by the way. Which is why everyone calls Carlo, Arlo. I hope when you have kids, you won’t name them Carlo, what a pain in the ass,” he grunts, waving his hand around in a dismissive way.
I blink. “Kids?” I rasp.
His grin widens. “Carlo, he’s our only child. My Donata, she’s ready for some bambinos,” he announces.
I place my hand against my stomach, thinking about children with Arlo. It should fill me with fear, especially as rocky as we are right now, but instead, my belly flutters at the thought of having his child. I imagine his son, with a head of dark hair and bright blue eyes just like his. My lips turn up into a small smile at the thought.
“Babies,” he booms. My eyes fly to his. “A whole houseful. You’ll give that to my boy, won’t you?” he asks.
I swallow the lump in my throat, attempting to find my voice again. “We haven’t talked about it, but I have always wanted children.”
“Boys for the famiglia, girls for the two of you. Have at least two of each, yeah?”
I’m not exactly sure what he means, but I have a feeling that I would only be scared if I knew. So, I decide to change the subject.
“Can I get you something to drink? I don’t know what’s in there to eat, I haven’t been here in a week or so. The food could be all bad,” I say, feeling awful for not having something to offer him.
“I’ll call Donata, she’ll take care of lunch and dinner. Your friend should be here soon with Luca.”
He stands, without another word he has the phone pressed against his ear, and I hear him talking to his wife on the other end of the line. There’s a knock at the door, so I let him continue his conversation as I make my way over to peer through the peephole.
I see Chloe’s hair in the peephole and laugh as I pull the door open. Luca is standing to the side, Chloe right next to him. She looks tired as hell, but her lips turn up into a smile when she sees me, as if she didn’t just spend hours with me not long ago.
“Arlo’s father is here. He’s calling his mother to bring over food,” I whisper, widening my eyes.
Luca and Chloe walk past me and into the room. Closing the door behind them, I make sure to lock it. Then turn to face them. Luca is smiling and Chloe looks horrified.
“Donata is a great cook. Bet she comes with her own pots and pans.” He grins.
“What? No, that would be crazy.”
“You don’t know many Italian women, do you, Lenora?”
“None, actually, aside from Luciana.”
As if he just can’t help himself, Luca throws back his head in laughter. “Oh, bella, you’re in for a real fuckin’ treat,” he says between his chuckles.
Chloe makes a noise in the back of her throat and we both turn toward her. “Is your mom alive, Luca?” she asks, looking as horrified as I feel in this moment.
“She is,” he says, continuing to smile. “But, they moved to Florida last year.”
Chloe brings her hand to the middle of her chest and sucks in a deep breath. “Thank, God,” she exhales.
I roll my eyes at her dramatics. “What am I going to do?” I hiss, turning my attention back to Luca.
He only shrugs. “Nothing. Be yourself. After the disaster that was Wynter, they’re going to love you and they’ll welcome you with both arms because you’re Arlo’s love match.”
“Love match?” I ask.
Luca nods, his eyes finding mine. He reaches out and takes my hand in his, giving me a comforting squeeze. “Yeah, Lenora. They married for love, and they always wanted Arlo to do the same. Both of them were pretty disappointed when he chose Wynter. They knew his reasoning, but they didn’t like it. They’re going to accept you, because you’re the daughter-in-law that they always dreamed of.”
“I’m not Italian,” I whisper.
Luca snorts, releasing my hands. “They don’t give a fuck. I mean some families do, but not them. They just want him to be happy.”
I think about his words, then about how his father said he had always pictured Arlo with a woman like me. A blonde. My lips twitch into a smile and for a brief moment, I’m no longer nervous. Maybe they aren’t the type of people who wanted their son to marry a nice Italian girl.
My smile dies when Carlo announces that there’s going to be a family dinner, here. With the cousins.
I don’t know who the cousins are but I can practically feel the color draining from my face with the news.
ARLO
Kade sits straight up in bed as soon as we walk through his door, which was locked from the outside, with no way to escape. He’s shirtless, his hair is in disarray, and I’m sure he’s pissed that he doesn’t have his harem of women with him, but this isn’t a pleasure trip.
“We need to talk,” Gavino announces.
Massimo clears his throat behind me as he closes the door. There are three soldiers standing outside, along with a dozen more guarding the casino. There is no way any of us want a repeat of what happened with Wynter and McClain.
Plus, I’m not about to lose my life for this fucker and whatever shady deals he’s got going on. Especially now that I have the woman of my dreams waiting for me back at home.
“What?” Kade asks. “Finally willing to talk to your prisoner?”
Gavino snorts. “I had two people assassinated in front of me, inside of my own fucking warehouse. Both were about to give me some intel, so I want to know what the fuck is happening,” he roars.
I shake my head, my lips twitching as Gavino loses his fucking shit right here in Kade’s room. Crossing my arms over my chest, I plant my feet wide and tilt my head to the side, watching.
I should be the angry one, my wife was murdered, even if she was scheming behind my back and completely untrustworthy, it doesn’t change the fact that to the outside world, she was under my protection.
“You’re going to need to start talking and fast, Kade. Gavino has a much better hold on his anger than I do.”
“You didn’t even like the bitch,” Kade growls.
Taking a step toward him, I lean forward. “Doesn’t matter how I felt about her. She was Mrs. Zanetti.”
He blinks. “We’re all friends here. Let’s stay calm.”
Shaking my head, I reach forward, wrapping my hand around the front of his throat. “Fuck, calm, Kade,” I growl. “You could have come to us at any time and told us what was going on. Instead, you come here and try to take McClain. You have an agenda, we need to know what it is since you’re supposedly our supplier.”
“Supposedly?”
“We don’t know who you’re really working for. But Benicio is supposed to be here any second with all the surveillance footage from your home and your warehouse,” Gavino states.
My eyes stay on Kade. I watch as he visibly pales from Gavino’s words. The only reason I can think that he would be worried is that he’s done something Gavino, the famiglia and the Savage Beast MC wouldn’t approve of.
“Where are your women?” I ask.
Gavino hooked him up with a couple of complete submissives, women who were too far broken to do anything other than be sex slaves. Since that’s not our business, it was actually a relief to give them to Kade when the ones that he had started to cause problems a few months ago.
“Yeah?” he rumbles from behind me.
“Get Kade’s old woman, Blue, here. I want to know what she knows.”
Kade’s body jerks. “She knows nothing. Leave her out of it.”
Gavino hums before he lets out a small laugh. “That tells me that she knows more than you’re letting on. Which means, I definitely need to talk to her and since she’s now claimed by one of my men, her loyalties are no longer with you.”
Turning around, Gavino’s eyes find mine and he gives me a jerk of his chin. “Since he’s not talking, keep him locked in here, under guard until we get the tapes.”
“I’ll talk,” Kade shouts.
Gavino winks at me with a victorious smirk. I shake my head, trying to fight my smile, but I fail. Lifting his chin, Gavino turns around to face Kade again. I watch as he throws his legs over the side of the bed, lifting his hand and running his fingers through his hair as he inhales a deep breath, then lets it out in a whoosh.
“The Columbians want in on the market. They want to start gold trades here and came to me because I’d cut out my middle man in Mexico and had started buying directly from them. Their product is far superior to what I’d been getting in the past. I just didn’t think that it would have strings attached.”
“You’re going to need to dig deeper. That explanation is shit,” Gavino states.
Kade growls, but exhales and then begins to speak again. “The Columbians forced my hand. They said they were going to hold my product if I didn’t get a buyer. I contacted the senator, who I knew had brokered a deal for Wynter’s marriage to one of your men. I didn’t know who, and I honestly didn’t care, all I knew was that you weren’t interested in gold sales.”
“I wasn’t and I’m not,” Gavino agrees.
“The senator thought it was a good investment. Wynter was in on the whole thing. Since Gavino wasn’t available, she pushed for Arlo. My contact with the Columbians joined us for a final meeting.
“Wynter slept with him to seal her portion of the deal, which was that she would pass information back and forth about the famiglia. She said that she would have Arlo’s ear. All of that went to hell when she discovered your mistress. She panicked.”
I frown. “Why did she panic so much? She was still my wife.”
Kade shakes his head, his haunted eyes lifting to mine. “The Columbian was keeping tabs on her, having her monitored. He had been having you followed as well. What he saw, he didn’t like. Which is why he pressured her to get rid of your woman.”
“The Columbian torched Lenora’s store?” I ask, not expecting a real answer back.
“No doubt about it. If he didn’t do it himself, he issued the order.”
“Now, Wynter is gone and can’t give me details on him,” I growl.
Kade nods. “Another order issued by him to keep his identity a secret until he’s ready to expose himself, to keep his shit under wraps.”
“Why so much secrecy?” Gavino asks, taking the question straight from my thoughts.
Kade shrugs a shoulder. “No clue. I’ve only ever seen him at our initial meeting. All I know is that he wants his gold here, and he wants buyers for it. I have no doubt that I have a price on my head now for not providing the service he’s requested. At the very least, he’ll cut off my supply and blacklist me. Which means you’ll be out of luck as well, at least when it comes to me, if he doesn’t blacklist you as well.”
Gavino takes a step back, turning to me, I see the anger in his face as clear as day. Fucking with his trade, with his product, is a low goddamn blow. All because they want to edge in on a service that we don’t even provide.
“You have a way to contact him?” Gavino asks Kade from over his shoulder.
Kade clears his throat. “I can try to call the number that I have.”
“Do it. Set something up. No more fucking around behind my back. I want to know what this man wants, and what his terms are. Then, I’ll decide if I want to fuck with him.”
“You have a meet, prepare to do what he wants, the way he wants it. He won’t accept a compromise.”
Gavino lets out a bark of laughter. “I don’t deal with threats. Ever.”
Without another word, Gavino breezes past me. Keeping my eyes on Kade, I wait until he makes his phone call. Demanding that he puts it on speaker so that I can hear every single fucking word. The meet is set for three days from today, with a hold on any issued ordered to assassinate, anyone, including Kade.
“What about my women?” Kade asks after he’s ended the call.
“They at your place?”
He nods. “Locked in my house, in cages.”
“You’re fucking disgusting. You knew you were going to be gone for days,” I point out.
He shrugs. “Tired of unloyal bitches doing shit behind my back, I’m sure you can relate.”
Shaking my head, I look over at Massimo, who has his narrowed eyes focused on Kade in disgust. Looking back at Kade, I speak.
“I would never treat even Wynter that way. You don’t deserve a woman, not even a slave. Honestly, you’ll be lucky to survive this meet with the Columbians. You’ve fucked with us one time too many, Kade.”
He starts to stand, but I hear Massimo cock his gun. Kade sinks back down on the side of the bed, his eyes focused on mine rather than the gun that’s pointed at his head. He doesn’t respond to my words. Deciding I’ve had enough of his fucking face, I leave the room.
Massimo stays behind, as do the guards outside of the room. We’re taking no chances. Whatever kind of deal he was trying to broker with the Columbians is now over and to be honest, I would be surprised if Kade left this casino alive, or at all.
Chapter Thirty-Three
ELENORA
I watch Donata Zanetti work her magic in the kitchen with Chloe by my side. In fact, I don’t let Chloe away from me for more than a minute, holding onto her hand and squeezing. Arlo’s parents are nothing like I’d expected them to be, especially after he confessed that he is mafia.
Carlo and Donata Zanetti are, sweet. They smile, laugh and bicker lovingly with one another. Luca is all smiles as well as he and Carlo begin a game of cards.
“Don’t even step foot in Donata’s kitchen, mimma,” Carlo warns.
“But it’s Arlo’s kitchen,” I whisper.
He shakes his head, his blue eyes meeting mine, and he winks. “It’s Donata’s kitchen the moment she steps inside, yeah? Doesn’t matter where she is.”
“Okay,” I nod.
That is why Chloe and I are sitting across the bar, watching as Donata works. She’s chopping, she has four pots and pans working, Luca didn’t lie, she brought all of her own cookware and utensils with her.
“Lenora, tell me about your famiglia,” she calls out.
Clearing my throat, I imagine my mom and dad here with us. I wonder briefly if they would get along with Arlo’s family and I know that I don’t truly have to wonder because without a doubt, they would.
My father would enjoy playing cards and my mother would attempt to help in the kitchen, but she’s kind of hopeless, so she would drink wine and watch, much like I’m doing.
“My family is from upstate. They don’t come to the city often. My father works in real estate, my mother is his secretary and homemaker,” I explain.
“Oh, lovely,” she says, attempting to sound nonchalant, but I can tell by the extra bounce to her step as she shuffles around that she likes the idea of my family. “My brother is an engineer and lives in Chicago.”
Donata nods, saying good, good, as she turns around with a plate with a variety of salami, cheeses, crackers, and fruit. She sets the food down in front of us and I watch as she picks up a matching one and takes it over to Carlo and Luca.
“Mangiare in girls, you’re too skinny,” she shouts.
I jump slightly at her words, but I don’t hesitate reaching for a piece of meat, a square of cheese, a cracker. After I’ve shoved that in my face, I g
rab a small bunch of grapes.
I’m munching on the delicious food, as is Chloe, as Donata watches us, well me specifically. I try not to look at her in the eye, she’s scrutinizing me and it’s making me squirm in my seat a bit, unnerved by her eyes so focused on me and what I’m doing.
“Christmas is at my house. If you take Arlo to your family for Thanksgiving, I won’t object, but I get Christmas,” she states.
Lifting my gaze to hers, I gulp. “Your parents and brother are invited to Christmas of course. The more famiglia the better. We only have Arlo, but I always wanted a houseful of children. I expect that you’ll all come to our place. Big breakfast, big lunch, and bigger dinner,” she announces.
I nod. Staring at her like a deer in headlights. I haven’t even thought about holidays. In fact, I haven’t thought about the future at all. I’m trying to get through this with Arlo day-by-day at this point.
“Don’t frighten the poor girl,” Carlo shouts around a mouthful of food.
“I’m not, but she’s pregnant, we need to iron this out and I won’t give up Christmas with my bambinello.”
The room spins from her words. Pregnant. Pregnant? I shake my head, lifting my palm to my forehead. I feel really hot all of a sudden. Turning, I look over to Chloe. She’s speaking, but I can’t hear her. I can’t hear anything. The room continues to spin, but it starts to move faster and then everything goes dark.
“Donata, you have to explain this to Arlo yourself,” I hear Carlo say.
My eyes are still closed, but I’m no longer sitting at the counter. Instead, I’m lying down, I feel the softness of my mattress beneath my body.
Donata snorts. “He will understand that sometimes pregnant women faint,” she says as if everything that’s just happened is completely normal.
“Why don’t we leave Chloe to help with Lenora. Have some calm and quiet in the room?” Luca offers.
I could kiss him. If he weren’t with my best friend and I wasn’t in love with Carlo, I would kiss this man right now. The bickering couple leaves, and Luca closes the door. The room is bathed in silence for about thirty seconds when Chloe speaks.
Becoming his Mistress: A Zanetti Famiglia Novel Page 25