The Billionaire and The Virgin

by Bella Love-Wins

  “Just suggesting that to him is playing with fire, don’t you see?” His voice rose. He was losing his patience. “Moretti thinks we’re allies, Angelo. To even ask for something like this is showing our hand too soon.”

  “He has to understand.”

  “No! He does not!” He slapped his palm against the chair’s arm.

  The room grew dead quiet. I knew it then. The discussion was over.

  Alone. I was all alone in this. My plan to make an exchange wouldn’t pan out without Pops. I could go to Moretti on my own and make the offer, but if that would put my family at risk. I couldn’t be in six places at once.

  “I’m sorry,” Pops concluded. “Let it go. There’s nothing to be done.”

  Angelo

  “No. It’s not.”

  I was startled at the sound of my brother’s voice.

  “It’s not too late,” he said. “Time doesn’t matter, Pops. Moretti will eventually find out we know about the crime he committed. And what then? We’ll look weak for not responding. For all we know, he wants Paige Bianchi because he realizes she saw too much. I say, we send him a message. Now. Don’t wait, because, as you said, he’s gaining power here in the States. Who knows what he will do next?”

  Wow. Good old Dominic stepped up for a cause.

  “I don’t know,” Pops grumbled.

  That was something he rarely said. Our father had it all together. He had an answer for every situation.

  “What on earth is going on? I can hear your conversation on the other side of the house!”

  My mother glided into the room, her long and flowing floral dress wafting about her like a cloud. Her dark hair was twisted up on the top of her head, not a strand out of place. Always beautiful. Always put together. I’d never known another version of her.

  “Sorry Mom,” Dominic said. “We were just…”

  “I know what you were doing. Like I said, I heard everything… And I agree with Dominic.”

  My heart did a little hopeful flip. Mom never got involved in these matters. Her move to take a vocal stand with Dominic and me gave us a better chance.

  “Dominic put it perfectly,” she said directly to Pops. “Moretti is clever. I wouldn’t put it past him. He’s a cruel bastard, just like his father.”

  “Don’t say that,” my father gruffly replied.

  She turned her face and peered sideways at him, silently questioning. “Have you forgotten about everything the Moretti’s did in Sicily?”

  He shifted in his seat. “No.”

  I exchanged a quick glance with Dominic, but he betrayed nothing.

  I knew a bit about the Moretti family past. They were a bad-to-the-bone organized crime family, virtually the top of the food chain in Italy and, had been making moves to have a stronger presence in America. My mother’s family operated on par, and sometimes in league, with them.

  But the two families had their difficulties. No one in our family talked about it, but I had heard whisperings that one or more of Mom’s relatives had been victims of the Moretti’s greed and desperation to rise through the power ranks.

  “Don’t even say that I’m biased because of my uncles,” she added. “I’m not. ‘The Pistol’ is dangerous. He needs to be taken care of.”

  Pops lifted his palms up. “I understand, but we need to think of our own first.”

  “I am,” she persisted. “The first thing I always think about is my children.”

  “Digging around in the past like this is only going to open up other wounds. It won’t be the only issue to manage.”

  “Fine. I’ll speak with Mario. He will have something to say about this, I’m sure.”

  This was a step in the right direction. Mario was Pops’ consiglieri, his advisor. Pops only went to him when he was serious about making a decision.

  This time, when I caught Dominic’s eye he winked at me.

  “I need to think carefully about this,” Pops said pensively, almost as if to himself. He rubbed his chin and stared at the coffee table.

  “How soon, do you think?”

  “Give me a few days. Be patient. We cannot afford to be hasty about this. Just ask your mother.”

  Her lips pursed. “Yes. We need to be smart about how we approach the Moretti’s.”

  Mom clasped her hands together. “Who’s staying for lunch?”

  “Sorry Mom,” Dominic answered. “I have to get back.”

  “Me too,” I apologized. “Sorry.”

  “Okay,” she said, coming over to kiss each of us. “You’re both busy, I know.”

  “Lunch next week?” I asked.

  She took my chin in her hand and shook it a little bit, like she did when I was twelve.

  “Be good,” she said, and breezed out of the room.

  Dominic and I stayed where we were. Our father hadn’t moved from his seat, which meant he wasn’t yet done with us.

  Pops tapped one finger against the armrest. “Angelo,” he said. “I can’t help shake the feeling that we’re about to put everything you’ve been working so hard to build for our family on the line for a woman.”

  “I hope not.”

  “Yes… Me too, son.”

  “Hold on a second,” Dominic said, and let out a long breath.

  “What?” I asked.

  He stood staring down at his phone for a long few seconds. Panic gripped me.

  “What?” I demanded again.

  The slowest smile ever rose up on Dom’s chest. “I don’t believe it.”

  Pops got to his feet. “Dominic, what the hell is going on?”

  He finally tore his gaze from his phone. “Talk about bad luck and timing. There’s been a hit on Moretti… in Sicily…Palermo, to be exact.”

  “What? He’s dead?”

  Dominic shook his head in disbelief. “That’s usually what happens after a hit.”

  “By who?” Pops demanded.

  Dominic shrugged. “As of right now, no one knows. He was shot in broad daylight leaving his condo there.”

  “Where are you getting this information?”

  He shook his phone in our direction. “From an associate.”

  ‘Associate’ didn’t explain much. But then again, neither did Dom.

  I couldn’t unstick my tongue from the roof of my mouth. The news was too good to be true. Premature and anti-climactic. I wanted to have a chance at him. To put up a real fight and come out the other end on top. I should be thanking my blessings that someone took the problem away for us.

  Dominic started typing away on his phone.

  I looked over at Pops. “Is this...”

  “Do you want to know if it’s good news for Paige?” He slowly nodded. “I suppose so. I didn’t hear of any other agreement in place if Moretti died.”

  “That’s good news.”

  “Probably, but tread carefully until we find out. Don’t go passing on any news until I talk to some people.”

  “I won’t.”

  Free. Paige was free. Hopefully.

  “I’ll go tell your mother,” Pops said, and he left the room.

  Dominic slipped his phone into his pants pocket. “What do you think?”

  “I shouldn’t be surprised. Some of the other families probably had a few contracts out on him.”

  “I don’t think so.”

  “How would you know?”

  He shrugged. “It’s my business to know.”

  Whatever. Moretti was dead. Paige was likely a free woman. Anything else was just unimportant details.

  “You two lovebirds can go back to your little mafia princess romance,” Dominic joked as his phone buzzed again.

  “Don’t even go there. I’m going to say goodbye to Mom,” I told him, leaving him standing there texting.

  I couldn’t resist Mom’s offer of a plate of cannoli. Half an hour later, Dominic was still around waiting at the front door for me.

  “What? You need a ride?” I asked.

  He smirked. “I can’t believe the timin
g. It’s just too perfect.”

  “It is, isn’t it?”

  “Way too perfect.”

  Something about his voice told me he knew more. “What?”

  Dominic ran his thumb across his lip and grinned. “Oh, nothing. I’m not suggesting this was anything but dumb luck… But guess where Sophie B did a DJ gig last night?”

  “Where?”

  “Palermo.”

  I let that sink in.

  Western Europe Burn Unit. Dominic had told me Sophia was a part of it. I nearly forgot about that little tidbit he had dropped.

  I knew very little about the Western Europe Burn Unit, but they weren’t a medical organization. They weren’t a non-profit. Specifically, they took care of difficult problems, which was Dominic’s department.

  “Damn,” I hissed. “Wow. Are you suggesting...”

  He cut me off. “I’m not suggesting anything.”

  “Right.”

  “All I’m saying is you might want to be careful how you treat Paige. Her sister is not someone to mess with. Or is she your future sister-in-law?” Dominic asked.

  “Uh...”

  He winked and jingled the keys in his pocket. “After everything you’ve done to protect Paige, she better be the one. Especially now that Pops knows.”

  Dominic turned and left through the front door.

  I looked out at his car as he left, scratching my head.

  Paige

  I couldn’t tear my eyes away from the ceiling.

  What was the point, anyway?

  The world held nothing good for me anymore.

  As of six hours ago, I was officially twenty-five. I could rent a car. I could say I was one quarter of the way to a century.

  I could marry that Italian mafia boss.

  All day long I’d been on edge, unable to get anything done at work. Despite that, I hadn’t wanted to leave the office.

  Now twenty-five, the New York streets were scarier than they’d ever been. How exactly would this deal go down? Would I be walking to the subway when a black car would pull up and snatch me, then take me to a basement where I would be married off and kept in captivity, not able to see anyone or go to work ever again?

  Despite those fears, I made it home in one piece. No one waited for me on the streets, or at the apartment.

  Which meant it could happen any time. Moretti’s goons could be walking up the apartment steps right now.

  Would I fight? Would I just give in?

  I hadn’t decided yet.

  Once I saw the face of the man who had a part in killing my parents, I would likely lose my shit and try to destroy him. Maybe I’d be punished. Or killed.

  Maybe that would be fine.

  I hadn’t heard from Angelo. Which made sense. What I’d perceived as growing love had been nothing but an illusion. It was best if we never saw each other again.

  And Sophia had been MIA as well. Again. I hadn’t gotten her on the phone since she flew out of the apartment with that claim to ‘take care’ of things.

  The game was over. I’d lost.

  A noise came from the front of the apartment, sending me bolting up to sitting.

  Here he came. Moretti.

  “Paige?”

  I let out a sigh of relief. “Sophia!”

  She pushed my cracked bedroom door open. “What are you doing?”

  “Waiting for my life to be over.” I pursed my lips in an attempt to not cry, but the bottom one trembled horribly.

  Bags sat under Sophia’s eyes, but her irises sparkled. “Nu-uh. Not today, sister.”

  “Huh?”

  “There is no more Moretti.”

  “What are you talking about?”

  “He died. Someone killed him in Italy.”

  My jaw came unhinged. “What?”

  She came and sat next to me on the bed and took my hand. “And there’s more. It turns out he already took care of the paperwork for your marriage. He signed his Sicily house and property over to you and me.”

  “Both of us?”

  Her head bobbed eagerly.

  “But who… How...”

  Sophia’s hand tightened on mine. “It doesn’t matter. And it doesn’t do any good to ask questions. That can get you into trouble. Let’s just celebrate what we have.”

  She hugged me tight. I buried my face in her shoulder, relieved beyond belief. “This is crazy!”

  “I know!” She let me go. “Get up. I’m taking you out to dinner. We have to celebrate the best birthday we’ve ever had.”

  “Okay,” I chuckled, wiping away the tears of relief.

  “Happy birthday, by the way.”

  “The same to you.”

  She grinned and hurried from my room.

  No. That was the first thought I had when our taxi pulled up to our favorite Italian restaurant—where I kissed Angelo for the first time.

  “This place?”

  Sophia shrugged. “It’s one of the best in the city. I’m treating you anyway.”

  My fingers curled around my clutch. My first date with Angelo started off here and ended up at that place I liked to call an alternative dance club. I thought back to the night we ended up going back to my place.

  Was Sophia deliberately trying to bring up bad feelings?

  The place did have killer steak. I had to give it that.

  “All right,” I grumbled, climbing out onto the sidewalk. “At least we won’t be in that private room.”

  Sophia gave her name for the reservation and the hostess showed us to a square table near the front, where we got a view of the street. She took away one table setting, leaving three.

  “Oh.” I frowned. “Excuse me! You forgot...”

  “No she didn’t,” Sophia quickly said, taking her linen napkin and laying it in her lap.

  “Huh?”

  She fingered the roses in the middle of the table. “I invited someone.”

  “You did? Who?”

  “Angelo.”

  “Angelo?”

  Soph shrugged, like inviting Angelo was the most casual thing in the world. “We talked on the phone today. Right after I got off my plane. I thought about it a lot… About those things that I said to you about him. I was too hard on him. I don’t think he meant to hurt you, Paige.”

  I angrily crossed both my arms and legs. “Even if he didn’t mean to keep such a big secret from me, there are other things. His family’s involvement in Mom and Dad’s death, for one...”

  “No,” she fiercely said. “The Salvatore’s had nothing to do with that.”

  “What about Angelo’s chasing tail? You told me yourself that he’s a ladies’ man.”

  “Yeah, well, that’s something else. He’s definitely not perfect.” She sighed. “But since you like him, I figured I might as well try to get along with him. And who knows? Maybe you’ll be the one to break him of that habit.”

  I started to point out that Angelo had failed to get in touch with me yet, but the words slipped back down my throat when he appeared in the restaurant entrance.

  With his unbuttoned suit and side parted hair, he looked just the same as he always did. It just felt like years since we’d seen each other.

  An uncertain smile on his face, he approached the table.

  “Hi,” he softly breathed.

  I couldn’t help but stare at my hands. “Hello.”

  “How are you?”

  “Fine,” I told my pinkie finger.

  Sophia cleared her throat. “Angelo, have a seat.”

  “Thank you. Paige, I was actually wondering if I might have a minute with you first.”

  I finally had to look up. “Uh, okay.”

  “I’ll order some appetizers,” Sophia announced, burying her nose in the menu.

  “And wine,” I told her. “A bottle.”

  Or two.

  I followed Angelo across the main dining room and into a little hallway, then up a short flight of stairs. He seemed to have a destination in mind so I let him take
the lead. On arriving at the landing, the noise from below softened. We passed a doorway showing a private dining area, the chairs all overturned on the tables.

  Angelo stopped near the end of the upstairs hall.

  “Well?” I barked. I hadn’t meant to be so cutting, but now that I was being just that I figured I would just go with it. Crossing my arms, I glared with everything I had.

  “I’m sorry.”

  I didn’t buy it.

  “What for, exactly?”

  Angelo’s head ducked. “For not telling you before about what I knew about the photo. And for failing you in any other way. I’m sorry for hurting you. I’m sorry for letting you down. I’m sorry for making you feel like you couldn’t trust me.”

  I couldn’t stop that last part from softening my heart a bit. Still, we weren’t done. “You really know for a fact that your family had nothing to do with my parents’ deaths?”

  “I swear on my life,” he seriously said. “They didn’t. My parents were friends with yours. Your dad wasn’t just my father’s tailor.”

  The way he said it was all I needed to believe him. “I’m sorry too,” I sighed. “I’m sorry I accused them of being involved.”

  “It’s understandable.”

  There was still more, though, more to get off my chest. We weren’t about to ride off into the sunset just yet.

  “I heard you like to chase women.”

  “I did,” he softly said, not skipping a beat.

  “You… did?”

  Angelo took a step towards me and I responded by moving backwards. My back bumped against the wall, leaving me with nowhere to go.

  He pressed his arm against the wall next to my head and gazed down at me.

  “Moretti is dead,” he whispered, his breath kissing my nose.

  I gulped. “I heard. He signed his house in Sicily over to me and Sophia.”

  Angelo’s eyebrows rose. “You don’t say?”

  I lifted my chin, staring him down. With him that close, with everything that previously stopped us from being together, the answer seemed clear. There was nothing else to do but seize hold of the day, take Angelo in my arms and kiss him until I died.

  Yet I was frozen with fear. It all seemed too good to be true.

  “Is this really happening?” I whispered. “Am I free?”