by Jagger Cole
“Ahh, Dominic,” Micheal smiles.
“Mr. Genovisi, Don Salvestro,” I nod.
“Signore Ferrari,” Salvestro smiles his usual calculating smile. “How is my Lucia’s safety today?”
I swallow. Lucia comes to my rescue. “Oh, Dom is doing a fantastic job. I haven’t been kidnapped once this whole trip.”
Micheal and I glance at each other. It’s like we’re both unsure if we should laugh at the joke. Thankfully, Sal starts to chuckle first.
“Not once!” he laughs. “Good! Good work, Dominic!” He smiles. His eyes scan the apartment, and then his smile fades. “Lucia, topolina, what is…” I follow his gaze and groan. We never cleaned the place up after Lucia’s party last night. There’s bottles of wine and champagne everywhere. I thank God I at least swept the coke into the trash last night.
“Dominic?” Sal growls. He glances at me with a frown.
“Oh, that was me, grandpapa. Well, not all me,” she laughs. Instantly, Sal’s mood seems to soften again. “I had some friends over. It got a little out of hand though, and Dominic was nice enough to send my guests home for me.”
“I was going to clean this morning, Don Sal—”
“No, no,” he shakes his head. “That is not your job, but thank you, Dominic.” He arches a brow. “No boys at this party?”
“There were,” I shrug. “I made sure they behaved.”
Don Salvestro chuckles. “Good! That is good. After all, my granddaughter here does have an offer for her hand in marriage.”
“Grandpapa…” Lucia frowns.
“No, no, I know. It is old fashioned. But we are an old fashioned business, and an old fashioned family.” He smiles. “Actually, that is why I stopped by.”
Lucia frowns.
“Mi amore, Giovani Medino and his son are in New York on business.”
My jaw grinds. I see the color drain from Lucia’s face.
“Grandpapa, I thought we weren’t going to talk about this until later?”
“Si, si, I know. But the timeline is shifting. The time is sooner, not later, to seal this arrangement.”
Fuck, I hate this. I don’t even want to hear this shit.
“So, we are having dinner with them, tonight.”
I look up sharply. Lucia does too.
“What?!”
“Tonight, mi amore, we will eat with your soon to be husband, and we will discuss the future.”
“Grandpapa—”
“I have made up my mind, topolina,” he says with finality. “Tonight.”
I’m seeing red. I feel rage coursing through my veins.
“Dominic?”
I blink. I turn to Salvestro. “Sir?”
“You will join us, of course.”
I smile. “Of course, Don Salvestro.”
Fuck.
“Salvestro! Ciao!”
Giovani Medino is a portly, red-faced man. He looks half in the bag already when we all step into the private dining room at Il Toro. I make great money working for Micheal. But even for me, a meal at this place would put a fucking dent in my bank.
“Giovani,” Sal greets his rival warmly. But I guess they won’t be rivals for long. That’s the whole point of this fucking arranged marriage bullshit.
“Shall we sit? Tomas is making a phone call.” Giovani smiles at Lucia. It makes me seethe. “He of course hates to keep a beauty like you waiting.”
“So sweet,” she says thinly. She looks fucking amazing. Il Toro is black tie attire, and she’s in the sexiest black cocktail dress ever made. Black heels, and diamonds on her neck. She’s masked the wedding ring by turning it around, diamond side down, and then wearing about fifteen other rings on her fingers. It’s a slick move, I’ll give her that.
“Si, let us sit.”
The crowd tonight is Giovani, Tomas, Salvestro, Lucia, Micheal, Vincent and his wife Bellamy who’s also Micheal’s daughter, and myself. Sal sits at the head, with Micheal to his right and Giovani to his left. Giovani leaves the seat next to him open for his son. Lucia sits next to Micheal. Bellamy takes a seat next to Tomas’s empty chair.
Vincent gets a call on his cell and ducks out of the room. Lucia turns and glances at me with a sidelong look. “Please,” she whispers. Her eyes dart to the seat next to her. I take it. She smiles softly next to me.
Vincent steps back in and ends up sitting next to his wife.
“Dominic.”
I look up sharply when I hear Sal say my name. “Sir?”
He frowns. “Your hand?”
I hold up the bandage on two of my fingers. “Slammed it in the bathroom door.”
He winces. “Not your trigger hand, I hope?”
“No sir.”
“Excellent.”
I stiffen. A hand has found mine under the table. I glance at Lucia and hide my grin.
The door to the private room opens. A slick looking guy in a tux steps in, and Giovani smiles. “Ahh, Tomas.”
I glare at him. So this is the motherfucker who thinks he’s going to marry Lucia.
“Sorry about that,” he smiles at the room. “Business, am I right?”
Salvestro smiles. “Si, si. It never rests.”
Tomas turns his gaze to Lucia. “Lucia,” he purrs. I like that she purses her lips distastefully when he says her name. “You look ravishing tonight.”
I want to roll my eyes. Or maybe jump across this table and punch him in the mouth. Tomas takes his seat next to his dad. Two waiters come in and start pouring what I’m sure is wildly expensive wine.
“I am so glad we could all sit down,” Giovani gushes to Salvestro. “Your lovely granddaughter? My son?” He kisses his fingers and raises them high. “God himself could not come up with a better pairing, no?”
I catch Lucia rolling her eyes. She squeezes my hand under the table. She turns as if to get something from her purse which is hanging from the back of her chair. But instead, she leans close to me.
“I want you,” she purrs softly. I’m hard instantly. “Do you like my dress?”
“You know you look good enough to eat,” I growl back, barely audibly.
She pulls out her phone and types something quickly. Mine buzzes in my pocket. I pull it out and grin. It’s a text from her.
“I think I forgot something though.”
“And what is that?” I text back. She squeezes my hand. Then she pulls it closer to her. I touch her bare thigh and grit my teeth. My cock surges. My phone buzzes again.
“Keep checking and you’ll find out.”
I groan and turn to her. But she keeps her face neutral. Micheal, Giovani, Tomas, and Sal are talking away. Vincent and Bellamy are mostly talking with themselves. I glance at Lucia. My hand slips out of hers. I grip her bare thigh. She doesn’t blink.
I push my hand higher on her leg suddenly. Lucia gasps just a little bit. I grin and slide even higher, under her skirt. Her face turns red. I push my hand right between her thighs. My fingers brush her bare pussy. I groan deeply.
Bad girl. She’s not wearing panties. My finger strokes her. She’s dripping fucking wet. I ignore the bag of shit across from us who thinks he’s hers. Fuck him and fuck that. She’s mine, and no one else’s.
I stroke her pussy a little faster. My fingers rub her clit in circles. She grips the dinner table. Her breathing comes faster. Her thighs push together, but I keep my hand right where it is.
“Dom,” she says faintly. I can see her eyes rolling back. Her thighs clench so tightly. Her pussy is leaking all over my fingers, and her body trembles. I keep pushing it. I keep rubbing her clit until her whole body is shaking. I rub her clit harder, and suddenly, I feel it.
I feel her coming for me, right there at the dinner table.
Lucia snatches her napkin up and covers her mouth. She coughs loudly to cover what I know is a moan.
“Lucia?”
“I’m fine!” she blurts. She smiles weakly at Sal. “Yeah, I’m fine. Wine down the wrong pipe.”
“Are you
sure you’re okay Ms. Scaliami?” I say it just as I rub a finger over her throbbing clit.
She glares at me, biting her lip.
“Well,” Sal sighs. “As I was saying…”
“Don Salvestro, I’m sorry,” Tomas interrupts. “But I’m afraid something has changed.”
Even I perk up. Hang on, what?
“Si?” Salvestro frowns.
“On the call I was just out there having, I was informed by a source of mine that the Regio family is laying out some strong moves against both you and my father. And it’s coming soon.”
Micheal scowls. So does Vincent. If the Medino family is second to the Scaliamis, the Regios are third. A big part of this “merger” is to completely dominate other, smaller organizations like the Regios.
“The timetable has moved up,” Salvestro says quietly. He turns to Lucia and smiles sadly. “I was worried about this.”
I frown. The timetable?
“What timetable, grandpapa?” Lucia ventures with a frown.
He sighs. “The marriage, mi amore. I mean the timetable for your marriage to Tomas.”
My hand tightens on her thigh. I grind my teeth and try my best not to snarl. Lucia’s face is pale. She ignores Tomas completely.
“When,” she croaks.
Her grandfather glances at Giovani. The portly man nods. Sal sighs and shakes his head. “I am sorry, topolina…”
“When?”
“Tomorrow.”
I stare at him. Tomorrow? He wants this fucking wedding to happen tomorrow?
“What?!” Lucia hisses. “No, that’s not… Grandpapa, no!”
“Lucia,” he growls. He looks sympathetic, even sad. But that voice holds absolute power. “It has been decided. A war is coming to both our family and the Medino’s. If we don’t become one, we will fall.”
“Grandpapa…”
“My mind is made, Lucia,” he growls. “I am sorry, truly but tomorrow, you and Tomas will be married. And that’s final.
Fuck that. My hand grips her thigh tightly. Her fingers lace through mine under the table against her leg.
She’s not Tomas’s. She’s not anyone’s but mine.
16
Lucia
It almost feels like a nightmare. For months, this whole arranged marriage has been in the background. But it hasn’t seemed real. It’s something I could categorize as “later.” But now, it’s later. Now, this is happening.
The only consolation from last night was going home with Dominic. And taking our clothes off and moaning when he took me to bed. I kept him up last night; late. It’s like I needed the physical from him to stop myself from having a breakdown.
I’m half asleep in his arms, in his bed. But I know I hear something. I frown, slowly waking. Did I just…”
“Lucia?”
I sit up straight in a second. My heart is in my throat. It’s my grandpa, and he’s in the apartment. Dom sits bolt upright next to me.
“Holy fuck,” he hisses.
I kiss him quickly and leap from the bed. I wince. I’m a teeny bit sore from last night. But it’s a good sore. I grab my clothes, shoot Dom a grin, and dash through the bathroom that connects our rooms.
In my own room, I throw on some lounge pants and a t-shirt and open the door wide. “Grandpapa?”
He smiles. “I tried to call. I did not wake you I hope?”
“No,” I smile quietly. “No, you didn’t.
He sighs. “I am sorry, Lucia.”
I look down. “I don’t want to marry him, Grandpapa.”
“I know, mi amore,” he says gently. “It hurts me deep to do this. I hate to see you unhappy, and I wish there was another way.” He sighs. “But we do what we must. We do what is necessary. That is life, that is family.”
“Grandpapa…”
“I won’t budge on this, Lucia,” he sighs. “I cannot. There is too much at stake. Our enemies have grown strong. It is time to ally ourselves with another family, or be swept aside.”
I look away. “Anything else?”
He shakes his head sadly. “No, I guess not. But I want you to know how sorry I am.”
I just shrug and keep looking away. “Si, okay,” he sighs. He turns and walks back to the door to the apartment. “I am sorry, mi amore. Truly sorry.”
Dominic’s bedroom door opens and he steps out. “Don Salvestro,” he nods. “Good morning.”
“Good morning, Dominic.” His eyes linger on Dom. Then he turns back to me with pursed lips. “I am sorry, Lucia. I truly am. But tonight, this happens. You will marry Tomas, and this family we be stronger for it.
“Grandpapa…”
“We don’t always get what we want, Lucia,” he grunts. He turns his eyes to Dominic again. They narrow, and then look back at me. “The movers will get your things from here within the hour. I will see you tonight.”
He opens the apartment door and steps out. But suddenly, Dominic is pushing past me to follow him out. The door shuts, but I rush to it. I hold it open with one toe. Dominic and my grandfather are a few feet away at the elevator.
“Sir,” Dominic frowns. “Sir, I just…”
“Stop it, Dominic.” My grandfather whirls on him. He glares at Dominic. “I like you,” he growls. “I trust you. Don’t make me change my mind on either of these things.”
“Sir…”
“Signore Ferrari, shut your mouth!” The loud voice from my grandfather startles both Dominic and I at the same time. “I know what it is to be young. I am not blind. But the games are over.”
“What games?” Dominic growls.
My grandfather sighs loudly. “You have lipstick on your shirt, Dominic.”
I cringe. My heart skips. But Dominic just grits his teeth.”Don Salvestro, all due respect, but you can’t make her—“
“I can do as I please,” my grandfather hisses. “Do not think of me as a frail old man, Dominic. I am the beating heart of this fucking family.” He glares at Dom. “You think I want her to be unhappy? Of course I do not! But this is necessary for the family. For our empire. “
“Marrying her to an asshole?” he hisses.
“Yes!” Salvestro roars right back. “It seals the weak point between us and them. It solidifies a truce. It turns a competitor into an ally.”
“Christ, and I thought the Middle Ages were over,” Dom snaps.
I tremble. Dominic is either the bravest or dumbest man ever for going up against my grandfather like this.
“You thought wrong, Dominic,” the older man growls back. “The world is still run by kings and queens, Mr. Ferrari. And I am King fucking Arthur. I will do what I must to ensure this family and this empire lasts a millennium!”
He sighs. His shoulders slump a little. “Dominic, like I said. I like you. But I am sorry. Tonight, that girl? She is getting married.”
“Sir…”
“And it will not be to you.” He sighs again. “Thank you for looking after her,” my grandfather says quietly. “I do appreciate it, and I will uphold my end of the arrangement.”
“I don’t want—”
“Do not be a fool. And please remember that I am not one either,” my grandfather snaps. “I could shoot you dead right here. Instead, I am rewarding you. Tomorrow though, this job assignment of watching my Lucia is over. Understood?”
Through the crack in the door, I watch Dom grit his teeth. But finally, he nods. “I understand,” he grunts.
“Goodnight, Dominic,” my grandfather sighs. He gets onto the elevator. Dominic turns back for the door. I step away before he kicks the door open. He clenches and freezes when he sees me.
“Lucia…”
“It was all make believe anyways, right?” I smile, but I can feel a tear beading in my eye. “That’s all, right?” My voice is shaking. “We had too many drinks.”
“Yeah,” Dominic growls quietly.
“That was it, right?”
His eyes narrow. “That what you want it to be?”
My eyes screa
m no. My lips whisper yes.
Dominic’s mouth thins. He looks away. “Well, then there it is.”
“Yep,” I nod quietly. “So, uh, what do we do about this?” I hold up my hand with the glittering ring.
“Well, it’ll save Tomas the trouble of putting one on.”
I smile thinly. “I meant about us being…”
“Married,” he growls.
“Yeah.”
Dominic shakes his head. “I don’t know.”
“I’m getting married tonight, Dominic,” I whisper. I feel scared. I feel like I’m about to break in half.
“I’ll try and get us a flight for this morning to Vegas,” he grunts.
“Teri and Jimmy seemed pretty adamant about waiting a full week. It hasn’t been.”
“Yeah, well, I’ll be more forceful this time,” he growls.
I wet my lips. I swallow. “Well, okay then.”
“Yep,” he grunts. He looks away.
“It was just pretend,” I whisper again. I don’t believe it at all. But I know if I don’t lie to myself, I’ll break.
“Just two people having fun,” Dominic grunts with a strained voice. He shrugs. “Nothing more.”
“Nothing more.”
He just nods. Before I lose it completely, I turn and rush into my room. I manage to get the door shut before the tears fall.
17
Dominic
Just like that, it’s game over. It feels like two minutes after Salvestro leaves that the movers come. Some of Micheal’s guys do to, to help. And then, she’s gone.
No words spoken, no last goodbyes or any of that shit. She’s just gone. And tonight, she’ll be marrying someone else. I still don’t know how the fuck that works. Legally, we’re still married, right?
I’m back in my own apartment. I’m on my own couch, alone on my laptop. I frown. Hang on. If Lucia and I are legally married, she can’t go and marry someone else. I realize the irony of expecting the mob to adhere to laws, but still. And that gives me an idea.
I google the “Chapel of Love!” Wedding chapel in Vegas and dial the number.