The poor woman. Violet believed she’d be getting a normal husband. She had no idea that the husband title came with six brothers in tow as well. It’s for her own good, though. She’s more important to this familia than she realizes and the more men she has protecting her, the better. I will spare nothing, my life included to make sure she and my heirs are safe and happy.
Today’s Cristiano’s seventeenth birthday—the day I promised he’d get his chance to sample my wife. He’s been more patient than I would’ve expected or given him credit for. He’s the youngest and yet he’s shown me that I can rely on him to do what is needed, to be tolerant and caring with mia Violetta.
Angelo, one of the extra guards finds me in my office. It’s usually where I end up most of the time these days. “Capo?”
“Yes, Angelo?” I nod to the older man. His hair’s peppered with more white than black, and yet he’s still one of the best men I have around besides my brothers.
“The kitchen staff was asking if you had a final count for tonight.”
I swear crossly, my fingers moving to massage my temples. I’d completely forgotten about Cristiano’s party in the midst of the wedding, Vendetti tradition, and the polizia discovering the bodies. Usually my father pawns the details off on one of my younger brothers and the house staff takes care of the rest. He must be taking this retirement seriously if he’s not even here for my brother’s birthday. I know his safety is in jeopardy more so than before since he’s no longer in power, but Cristiano may not take his absence so well. At least the rest of us are all under one roof to help him celebrate.
“You forgot?” Angelo inquires and I huff another curse, confirming his guess. “You have a lot on your plate, sir, and a new wife. You can’t be expected to do everything.” He leaves off the rest of that sentence, about how my father never should’ve taken his leave in a time when so much is happening at once. He’s still respectful even when Romano’s nowhere around. That’s true loyalty.
“I’m Capo now and have no other choice.” I shrug.
He nods, patiently waiting as I attempt to remember everything we need.
“Have the kitchen call Gino Moreno to cater tonight. Tell him it’s a favor to me and I’ll owe them one. I don’t care what he decides to bring, just make sure it’ll feed two hundred and he’s got staff to work it out. They need to be in all black.”
“Good choice, boss. Gino will make it happen.”
“Have the kitchen work on a three-tier cake—red velvet as it’s Cristiano’s favorite. Also, some cheesecakes in various flavors. Maria can handle it, she loves baking for us.” She’s been cooking for my familia since I was a young boy. Maria was always one to sneak us a cookie here and there, too, and she’s also an award-winning chef.
Angelo confirms and I continue going down my internal list. “Have Luigi call my tailor and request black suits to be fitted for each of us. He already has all of our measurements and tell him I will pay double to have them ready and delivered by six p.m.”
“What time do you expect the guests to arrive?”
“Nine tonight, the same as in the past. Someone needs to call Chantel, too. She needs to bring dress and shoe options for Violet, along with masks for each of us. Tell the maids to call for flower deliveries. I don’t care what they come up with. Just make sure they’re in shades of blue and not roses. Have some of the guys bring in the cases of champagne flutes and get them polished. I want the maids to get the ballroom ready and have some of the guys do valet tonight.”
“You got it. We’ll get it all taken care of.”
“I know, thanks Angelo. I guess it helps that Cristiano has wanted a masked ball for the past three years as his staple birthday celebration. I’d be fucked if the kid decided to change it up on us.”
He chuckles. “I’m going to relay all of this to everyone and get started.”
“If I remember something else, I’ll text.”
“Yes, Capo,” he says respectfully, and as he’s leaving, Severo, my personal guard steps in.
“Severo,” I greet, immediately asking him, “how did it go?”
He frowns heavily. “Not as expected.” The big brute shifts from one foot to the other.
“Tell me,” I order, gesturing for him to have a seat in one of the large leather chairs across from me. We sit at the desk quite often so my father ordered special Italian leather office chairs. They’re like smooth clouds, comfortable enough to rest on for hours, if needed.
“We went to the dump site and it was the usual—police tape everywhere and various staked markers.”
“Yeah?”
“The part that was off was the box at the gate. You know the glass box where the employee sits to check incoming loads?”
“I do. Vito made sure the employee was on an unscheduled break.”
“Blood splatter all inside. It looks as if someone went in afterward and finished him off. There’s police tape all over it. I tried to get a good look, but with the flashlight, it wasn’t the best. The place was covered in blood though, so whoever did it was messy about it.”
My fingers move back to massage my temples. No wonder the polizia were there and found the bodies. My guys never would’ve left the place looking like that, so noticeable to anyone passing through.
“Was he one of ours?”
Severo shakes his head. “No, sir. Vito pumped our guy full of laxatives to get him out of the way.”
“I see.” I’m at a loss for words. I don’t know who would’ve done this, but whoever it is, makes it look like we were getting serious payback and being ridiculously careless. No wonder the cops have been sniffing around.
“Do we have any idea who the murdered employee was?”
“Salvatore was going to do a little digging today to see if he could find out.”
“Christ. I want my brother far away from this mess. If the cops even get a hint that he’s involved, they’ll be taking him in hoping he’ll flop. He needs rehab, not a jail cell, Severo.”
He nods, quietly waiting for my orders.
“This’ll have to be taken care of later. Tonight we have Cristiano’s birthday to celebrate. Make sure no one gets on the property without being on the approved list or has a warrant in hand.”
“Yes, Capo.”
“And any more news, I don’t care what it is, I want to know about it immediately.”
“Yes, sir.”
I nod, dismissing him as my hands rake through my thick hair in frustration. Who the hell would want to kill some random employee in a dump yard? It had to be one of the other familias, stirring up the polizia to see what the new Capo’s made of. Would the Botarro’s have done this? And risk Violet’s life? Not likely. So who? Whoever is the guilty familia, they’ll be here tonight at the mascaraed ball; that much I can count on.
I put a call through to my personal groomer along with the woman who’d prepared Violet’s hair and makeup for our wedding. I don’t want my new bride to have anything to worry about when it comes to tonight. I’m at fault for forgetting about the party and not mentioning it to her sooner. She’s already expected to finish up the Vendetti tradition with Santino and Cristiano as soon as possible. I hope she doesn’t give them too much grief over it. Once it’s complete though, we can all move forward into the roles we’re supposed to have. She’ll be the queen of the Vendetti Empire and my brothers her protection as is expected.
Stopping by the kitchen for some fresh fruit, I grab a plateful, and then make my way upstairs to my beautiful woman. I’ve got to break the news about tonight and make sure she’s healthy and ready. Once my brothers have had their turn, I plan to remind her exactly who she belongs to all over again.
Dante escorts Violet from her room, meeting me at the grand staircase. She’s unbelievably stunning clad in a tasteful floor-length winter white gown. The beautiful female is the light to my dark. She seems utterly innocent and pure dressed like this and it’s overwhelmingly enticing.
The color is virginal yet the dress clings to her form in the most sinful of ways. I’ll have to hold myself back from killing men tonight; I can already feel it.
“Mia moglie, bella mia fiore,” I greet, bringing her dainty hand to my mouth. Pressing my lips to her knuckles softly, it pleases me to see she’s wearing the diamond bracelet I’d presented her with earlier. I’d wanted her dripping in diamonds for this evening, making a bold statement early on to whomever shows up tonight, but she wasn’t having it. I should be delighted that my wife is more on the simpler side when it comes to wealth, but it does the opposite. I wish to spoil her; I want everyone who glances her way to see how the Capo dei capi Vendetti takes exceptional care of what belongs to him. And Violet is mine.
“Matteo,” she sighs breathily and it has my stomach twisting in knots to hear my name on her lips, my groin tightening with memories of how I fucked her over my desk earlier. With each hour that passes between us, I find myself growing fonder of the little flower, craving her more and more.
“Dante,” I acknowledge, “grazie for escorting my bride.”
My brother favors our father even more than usual tonight, dressed in a solid black tuxedo. Dante already looks nearly identical to Romano and me, only younger and a bit more solid with muscle. If it weren’t for those two factors, he could be our double. He waves me off. The gesture saying that it’s nothing to him, of course; however, her safety is everything to me.
“I mean it, Dante.”
He grins. “I know, Capo. The pleasure is mine, always.” He kisses each of Violet’s cheeks, murmuring to her of her exceptional beauty this evening, before moving her hand from the crook of his elbow. I take it in the palm of my own, tucking her into the safety of my arm.
My finger curls beneath her chin, raising her gaze to mine as my free arm circles around her back. I have her fully in my grasp and even though I’d seen her mere hours before, it feels like it was far too long ago. “I want to rip this fabric from your body right here and fuck you in front of the entire room.” I mutter low enough that only she and my brother can hear me. Dante remains two steps away, just in case I need his assistance with anything. My brothers always have my back.
Her chest flushes as it always does when she’s flustered. Her breasts move as she inhales and exhales, the tempo increasing at my words. With a smirk, I finish my thoughts. “I will settle for a kiss, as Santino and Cristiano get to relish in your warm, wet pussy tonight. However, I’ll have you on my arm and they’ll be forced to wait until I’ve had some of your time.”
Violet’s tongue darts out, the pink tip licking over the clear sparkly gloss coating and it’s my snapping point. I kiss her, completely possessed for her. Every single person in the area needs to be well aware of exactly who the hell she is and what she means to me. There will be no confusion, no misunderstandings. She’s the Capo’s young new wife. And if anyone without the Vendetti name asks for her to dance tonight, I will strike them down where they stand.
Her hands lay flat against my pecs, her nails pressing into my suit. My own arm holds her close enough that she couldn’t possibly escape my grip, not that she’d want to. I can tell with the quick, needy noises she makes that she’d like nothing more than for me to make her orgasm right here and now. I swallow down her mewls and moans with my kiss as my tongue swirls with hers. My hand falls from her lower back to her ass, tucking her body in even closer into me so she can feel just how hard she makes me with only a kiss. She does this to me...makes me feel reckless and territorial. I’m a Vendetti, so I was born that way already, yet she amplifies it to a dangerous level.
Pulling back, her warm, quick pants hit my lips, her breath tasting of peaches. “You’ve already been drinking, my sweet.”
She licks her lips again before responding. “Just one glass of that peach wine you brought with the fruit earlier. I think it’s my new favorite.”
“Are you able to walk? It hasn’t got you too dizzy?”
Her cheeks pinken a delicious shade, highlighting the touch of blush the makeup woman had applied. “The wine isn’t what makes me dizzy,” she admits and I feel myself grin. It’s genuine and something I don’t often do when surrounded by so many outsiders.
“Is that right?” I rasp, my hardness making itself known even more as my cock strains to be in her again. I’m like a walking time bomb. I need to come inside her and soon before I lose myself to unnecessary anger.
“Mmhmm,” she nods, a naughty smile overtaking her lips. I swear she is more gorgeous with each new glimpse of herself that she shares.
“We must greet the guests and wish Cristiano a happy birthday before I decide to hell with everything and take you back upstairs. If it weren’t his birthday, I’d say to hell with everyone.”
“I’d be just fine with dipping out of here.”
I step back, clearing my throat as I wind one arm back in place, holding her close to my body and concentrate on getting my erection to go down. “You’re a minx tonight. Shall we blame it on the wine or should I expect more of this delicious teasing from you in the future?”
Violet shrugs, fitting perfectly to me as we leisurely make our way down the remaining stairs with Dante hot on our heels. She moves her far hand to my chest again, the movement quite intimate even with how new our marriage is. She’s perfect; I couldn’t ask for more from her as the entire room witnesses us together as a united front. “If you keep showing up to my room with food and diamonds, I’d say you should expect it.”
Her blatant honesty has a chuckle breaking free, my grin infectious as my brothers below watch our descent toward them. They all grin in return, obviously feeling what Violet’s presence does to me. I’ve never met a woman who makes me feel lighter; will this be how our marriage is in the future as well? If so, I’m in danger of falling foolishly in love with her. You know the dumb kind of love, where you’d follow the person blindly even if it were to your death? She makes me think that kind of love will be ours if we get to that level and that’s terrifying. I’m the Capo; I can’t afford to love someone like that, even my own wife, and especially not if she ends up loving one of my brothers as well.
“Dance with me,” I rasp into her ear and she nods immediately. We greet my brothers on the bottom step and move straight into the ballroom to the dance floor. I can’t help but want to have her closer and closer, safe and content in my hold. The musicians strum a classic waltz and I’m delighted to find that Violet can match me step for step. It’s like she was made to dance with me. I must thank the Botarros. I wasn’t expecting us to be so well matched for one another. If anything I was anticipating the opposite.
With the next step, I pause, twisting my arm until she spins. She twirls back toward me, light and happiness shining in her eyes as she smiles brightly. A younger, lesser man would give the world to her on a platter for that look alone. Good thing it’s me and not one of my younger brothers she’s married to. They’d be gone for her before they’d even gotten between those soft, curvy thighs of hers.
“Bella,” I murmur as I pull her back into position and take another step. She giggles, lighting up the entire room with her beauty and youth. In this moment I find myself hoping she can feel just like this—happy, free and cherished for the rest of our lives. With each moment that passes, my cold heart cracks, opening to her warmth.
The music slowly fades into a different song and I walk her off the dance floor beside me. I’d enjoyed myself enough holding her closely and twirling her around that I have to concentrate on holding the smile back from bursting free. This is a room full of other familias and business associates; I can’t afford to let them see me so taken with her. At this rate, she’ll be in even more danger if they do witness my happiness.
Matteo and I must’ve danced for what felt like was half the night. I can’t remember a time I’d had so much fun at one of these big parties. I was expecting to get all dressed up and stand around bored as I have at these types of gatherings in the
past. Of course I’ve danced at them as well, but it was always with my father’s old stuffy business friends. None of them danced half as well as Matteo does, and to think, he’s my husband!
Not to mention the way he kissed me on the grand staircase, it was unreal. He made me feel so wanted, like he couldn’t get enough of me. Then the rest of the time, his brothers were taking turns dancing with me and having me try different treats the catering company had brought for the party. My feet are sore enough they may fall off, but in the best sort of way. I’d believed once my father married me off, I’d be bored and lonely like my mother is, but so far, my time here has been nothing remotely close. The night has me channeling my inner Cinderella if there is such a thing, as I don’t want it to end.
I was a fool with how angry I was when my parents first brought me here. And I find myself falling deeper and deeper for the Vendettis. Not only Matteo but for his brothers as well. I care for my husband more than the others, but the emotion and attraction are there when it comes to them. Is this normal? I’ve heard of how the tradition came to be, but should I want to be with so many men at the same time? It’s strange feeling like this, wanting them but then ultimately desiring Matteo more. I don’t know what I’m supposed to do, so I’m taking it one day at a time; it’s the only thing I can do.
Santino comes to steal me from Luciano’s hold, bringing with him a fresh chilled glass of the peach wine that’s fast becoming my favorite. “Thank you!” I respond, offering him a grateful smile and take a large gulp of the fizzy goodness. Luciano has been twirling me around the ballroom for the past two songs, without even a hair out of place. I’m sure I look a hot mess, breathing heavy, tromping around with sore feet. The shoes the personal shopper brought over were all beautiful, these being my favorite of the selection, but they kill my feet.
The Vendetti Empire Page 13