Velvet Lullabies

by Natalia Lourose

  “Bella, you know.”

  She moved closer, her lips nearly touching his. “I want to hear it from you.” She whispered.

  He nodded. “The let’s go somewhere else.”

  ◆◆◆

  Lucian unlocked the door for his penthouse suite and let Adelina in first.

  He watched her as she kicked off her converse and padded around the suite in her bare feet.

  He could get used to this.

  “So,” Adelina swiped a finger across a painting of roses.

  “So.” Lucian repeated.

  “Your business?”

  “What do you want to know?” he asked pouring himself a glass of whiskey.

  “Everything.”

  He chuckled. “Drink with me, bella?”

  She eyed him skeptically. “Are you trying to get me into bed again? No.”

  He chuckled. “I promise, I’ll be a gentleman.” He smiled offering her a matching glass of whiskey.

  “Fine.” She took a gulp from the glass. “Uh,” she groaned as it burned her throat.

  “Careful, bella, that’s a $500 bottle of whiskey, it’s meant to be sipped.”

  She rolled her eyes. “That’s too much money for alcohol that burns so much.”

  He laughed deeply. “I suppose so.”

  She set down the glass and sauntered over to where he stood. “You’re avoiding my question.”

  “Not at all.” He took another sip. “Sit,”

  She obliged and sat in the seat across from him.

  “I run many businesses in the city.”

  “Legal?” she questioned.

  “Yes, Adelina.” He smirked.

  “But do they, uh, you know.”

  “What do you think?” he asked, stilling smirking at her.

  “I think they’re all a little dirty.”

  “Then you have good intuition.”

  “What if you got busted?” she asked.

  “I won’t.”

  “But if you did?”

  He set his glass down on the coffee table and walked over to the chair where she was sitting. He bent down before her and placed a hand delicately on her cheek.

  “What are you worried about?”

  She closed her eyes, hiding her demons from him.

  “Nothing.”

  “You can tell me, bella. You can tell me anything.”

  She opened her eyes and looked him over.

  “I’m nervous.”

  “About this deal?”

  “Yes.”

  “You’re hesitant?”

  “Can you blame me?” She answered with a question.

  “I guess not.” He replied. “Is there something else you want?”

  She looked him over. “Are you asking me to negotiate our pending marriage?”

  He chuckled. “I suppose so.”

  “What if I say no.”

  “Then I take you home and you don’t have to see me again.”

  “Then what happens?”

  He tried not to make a face at her. He didn’t want to think about what would happen himself.

  “You said you wouldn’t lie to me.” She said in a near whisper reminding him of his promise to her.

  “I assume your brother will pair you with someone else.”

  “Someone else like you?”

  “There’s no one like me, bella.”

  She laughed at this. “You know what I mean.”

  “I do.” He nodded. “Yeah, someone else like me.”

  She chewed on her chipped red nails while she thought about this.

  “I bet you they won’t give me a choice.”

  Smart girl. “No, I don't think they will.”

  “That first night…”

  “What about it?”

  “You knew who I was.” He nodded. “And you let me lie to you?” Her brown eyes stared deeply into his.

  He chuckled. “I couldn’t help myself, bella.”

  She pondered this for a moment.

  “Okay.” She said. “I’ll take that deal.”

  His smile reached his cheeks. Damn, he was happy. How did this girl who he barely knew make him so happy?

  He grabbed his glass to clink against her. “Then cheers.” He said.

  “Cheers.” She repeated, a small smile beginning to form.

  Lucian settled on the chair across from her. “We can take it slow, Adelina. Whatever you want, we can make it happen.”

  She thought over his statement. “Thank you.” She told him

  ◆◆◆

  Lucian swung his legs out of bed slowly as to not wake Adelina. He padded out to the living room and pulled his iPhone from the pocket in his sleep pants and dialed Vinny’s number.

  “Finally.” Vinny muttered answering the call.

  Lucian sighed.

  Vincent DeMarco was an asshole.

  “Got an answer for me?” he asked hastily.

  “Yes.” Lucian answered. “I have a few conditions.”

  Vinny was silent for a moment. “Okay, I’m listening.”

  “We’ll plan the wedding for after she graduates.”

  Vinny huffed.

  “Non-negotiable.” Lucian said before Vinny could argue.

  “Fine.”

  “I’ll handle her enforcers.”

  “No.” Vinny snapped. “Roberto knows her, her schedule, and he works for me.”

  “Not anymore. If you want this arrangement, Roberto will report to me until her schooling is over and I’ll assign someone else to her as well.”

  Lucian heard a glass slam on the other end of the line. “Fine. But when will this problem be handled.”

  The “problem” he was referring to was the Irish.

  “Soon.”

  Vinny sighed again. “Not giving me much to work with.”

  “I’m telling you I’ll get it done. That’s all you should need.”

  Lucian had an excellent track record of getting shit done. He was a problem handler.

  “Fine.” Vinny finally said.

  “Nice talking to ya.” Lucian tapped the end button and tossed the phone on the couch.

  He wasn’t about to get pissed off now when he had a beautiful woman in his bed.

  He would make this work.

  Adelina DeMarco was going to be safe.

  Chapter Nine

  “He’s here!” Angelo shouted.

  Adelina smoothed her hands down the silk red dress, the ninth grade Christmas dance was waiting and so was Theo Maranzano. This was the first time Adelina was old enough to attend one with Theo, and she was nervous. She hadn’t realized that Theo was every girls dream man. He was far enough ahead of her in school that they hadn’t been in the same building since elementary school, but now they shared a building with 500 high schoolers.

  Another boy had asked Adelina to the Christmas dance first, Eric Bentley. Theo was angry when he found out, angrier than Adelina had ever seen him. Within thirty minutes Eric was no longer interest in going to dance with her. Then the rumors started.

  Adelina Lucille DeMarco was off limits.

  She found Theo at the bottom of the staircase standing next to her father, who was beaming at the site of her. “Mi bambina, you’re beautiful.”

  She kissed him on the cheek, “Thank you papa.”

  “You look great, topolina.” Theo told her.

  And that was the beginning.

  ◆◆◆

  Be ready at 7.

  That was all Lucian’s text said.

  So much for not being demanding.

  “You’ll never believe what happened today.” Gemma busted into the dorm room like a tornado. She had a way of manipulating everything and everyone to focus on her, quite the opposite of the quiet housewives they were raised to be.

  “What happened, Gem?” Adelina asked, flipping through the clothes hanging in her small dorm closet.

  “Joey Mendola, you know Joey?”

  Adelina nodded, she did indeed know Joey, Gemma had Class
ic Literature with him on Tuesdays and Thursdays and never shut up about it. Gemma was dying for his attention and the guy wasn’t even that cute. She had a bad habit of going for the guys who weren’t good for her. It didn’t help that she had two older brothers determined to scare every man in his right mind away from her.

  Gemma was way out of his league, she had that kind of effortless beauty that Adelina was envious of. While Adelina was attached to a curling iron for an hour in the morning, Gemma just got out of bed and ran her fingers through her long dark locks. She had long thin legs, a body that let her eat whatever she wanted, and dark chocolate eyes that you could get lost in. On top of that, she had an infectious smile. She claimed, in typical girl fashion, that her lips were too small but they were the perfect size on her petite face. The two were constantly told they could be sisters, but Adelina was certain that Gemma was the prettier one.

  “He was all ‘hey’, so I said ‘hey’.” Cue eye roll. “And he told me about this big party in the woods this weekend, and we’re invited.” She squealed.

  “That’s awesome, Gem.” Adelina could tell she was lacking the proper enthusiasm for her best friend, but she wasn’t feeling it today.

  Sure, she loved college parties, maybe not quite as much as Gemma, but she did. Now though, her mind was drowning in the future and she was still trying to pick out a dress for this “date” tonight with her future husband.

  “Earth to Addy! Where did you go in there?” Gemma tapped jokingly on Adelina’s head.

  “Sorry Gem,” she snapped out of her thoughts. “Just thinking.”

  “How are you not psyched?” Gemma jumped onto her bed, legs swinging wildly.

  “I am! Totally.”

  “Liar. What’s going on with you?”

  “Sorry,” Adelina huffed. “Just distracted. I have a thing tonight.”

  “A thing? What kind of thing?”

  “Um, like a date?”

  Gemma perked at this news. “A date? Seriously? With the fiancé?”

  Adelina glared at her. “He’s not my fiancé.”

  “Yet.” Gemma snorted.

  Adelina laughed at that.

  “Seriously though, Addy, we can get you out if you need.” Gemma gave her a sober look.

  “Thanks G, but I think I’m okay.” She said pulling her into a hug. “I think I might like him.”

  A smile grew on Gemma’s face. “I’ll drink to that.” In an instant, she was pulling the box of cheap wine from the mini fridge and pouring two large glasses.

  “To being mafia princesses.”

  Cheers to that.

  ◆◆◆

  The black Mercedes S-class pulled up to the dorms at exactly 6:58.

  Prompt.

  Adelina had finally settled on a blue long-sleeved shift dress with a pair of nude suede booties. Gemma curled her hair into loose waves, and she wore light makeup with pale pink lips. She had no idea where they were going, but pretty sure this outfit was appropriate for most occasions.

  Lucian was propped against the side of the car, striking in a gray two-piece suit when she exited the dorm.

  “You look stunning.” He pressed a kiss to her cheek and pulled open the passenger door.

  Chivalrous.

  “Not too bad yourself.” She had been in a lot nice cars in her life, but the leather seats of this Mercedes felt like butter against her bare thighs. Yeah, this might have been nicer than Theo’s Range Rover. “So where are we going?” she asked once they were off campus.

  “Dinner.” He replied, eyes focused on the road ahead of them.

  “Okay,” she laughed. “I was expecting the name of a restaurant in that answer, but that’s fine.”

  He passed her a sly smile. “You’ll see.”

  ◆◆◆

  They pulled in front of Henley’s a restaurant downtown that she’d never been too. Her food lately came from the cafeteria on campus, and before that Theo only took her to restaurants owned by his family.

  When it came to comparing the two, Lucian exceeded Theo in every category. He held open her door for starters. When he looked at her, it was like he saw deep into her soul. She felt safe with Lucian, though she’d never admit it. She was doing just fine on her own, and she promised herself she’d never depend on another man, but Lucian was making her come close to breaking that promise and so far, he was only looking at her.

  He gave her a choice.

  More than anything, that was what Adelina appreciated about him. Her father had wanted to give her the world, and without meaning to, he locked her into his. Theo, well, Theo was far from perfect. But Lucian, he gave her an out. Maybe that was all she really wanted.

  They were seated in a private room toward the back of the restaurant. Far away from the prying eyes of the other patrons. Adelina had half a nerve to ask how Lucian got this table, but she figured she already knew the answer. Nobody told Lucian Luchese no.

  It was funny when she thought about it, the Lucian Luchese that the world saw was far from the man who stood in front of her at the Blue Door Café and told her he would walk away if she said so. She was pretty positive that no one else ever had that power over Lucian.

  “What’s so funny?” he asked.

  Her mouth pushed up into a smile at the thought of him. “Nothing,” she told him.

  “Why are you smiling then, bella?” he leaned in to ask her.

  “I was just thinking…about you.”

  He returned the smile at this. “What were you thinking about me?”

  She took a long sip of the wine in front of her. A wine that Lucian asked her if she wanted before he ordered for her. “Just about us.”

  “You’re going to have to be more specific, bella.” He told her with a laugh.

  “It’s funny.”

  He gave her a look, as if telling her to continue.

  “You’re pretty powerful, you know?”

  He nodded to acknowledge her.

  “Everybody does what you want. When you want.” His lips thinned at her statement. “But with me, you don’t give orders. You always give me room to respond or counter or say no.”

  They were silent for a minute while Lucian took in her words.

  “And this is funny?” he asked her.

  “Yeah,” she glanced down, feeling silly at her statements. “It makes me feel…powerful.”

  “Bella,” Lucian drew her gaze up to meet him. “You are powerful. Any good man would make sure that you always have choices. I will never treat you the way I treat others, do you understand?”

  She nodded timidly.

  “You are far more important than anyone else in this restaurant. Or anywhere.” He finished.

  For once in her life Adelina didn’t feel like the helpless heroine. She felt like an empress, like she could rule the world with this man at her side.

  ◆◆◆

  Adelina was tipsy off the wine she had had at dinner when Lucian pulled onto Brown’s campus. Lucian walked her into the building, stopping when they got to her door.

  He leaned in, pressing her to the wall.

  “Thank you.” He told her.

  “For what?” her heart was racing with him so close to her.

  “For a nice night.”

  She nodded, but her mind was focused on his lips. She wanted him to kiss. To kiss her with passion like he did that first night. Before arrangements and family obligations.

  “Good night, bella.” He whispered.

  Adelina pushed open the door to her dorm room to be greeted with a scream.

  “Gemma?” she shouted, her heart racing.

  Lucian was in front of her in an instant, bursting forward to check the scene.

  “Damnit, Addy!” Gemma shrieked, pulling her lavender sheet up to cover herself.

  It took Adelina a second to comprehend what she was seeing. Her roommate was naked except for the bed sheet with a man she vaguely recognized with her. Joey Mendola.

  “Oh my god.” She threw her hand over her ey
es. “I’m sorry Gem, I didn’t realize.”

  “I put the bow on the door!” Gemma shouted.

  Caught up in her moment with Lucian, Adelina didn’t even check the doorknob for the bow, their sign that the other one had company in the room.

  “I recognize you.” Lucian stated to the boy with his hands covering himself. “You work for Gian DelGado?”

  “Oh god,” Gemma groaned.

  “Shit.” Joey said. “Uh, yeah.”

  Lucian nodded calmly. “Does he know you’re fucking his little sister.”

  Joey groaned. “Shit.”

  “Yeah,” Lucian nodded, “Didn’t think so.”

  Joey looked like he was going to vomit.

  “Put your clothes on, kid. Meet me outside.” Lucian told him before turning to Adelina. “You, my drunk girl-“

  “Not drunk.” She protested.

  He smiled down at her. “Get some sleep, bella. I’ll see you soon.”

  Chapter Ten

  Lucian was good with names and faces. A trait he inherited from his father. One he suspected made the both good leaders.

  Joey Mendola was low level solider. He pedaled drugs for Gian DelGado’s crew. As far as Lucian knew, he was a stand-up guy, but then again, he didn’t really know.

  Lucian tapped a finger against his jaw. “You know,” Joey was sweating next to him the dorm room hallway. He didn’t have to know Gian to know the guy didn’t want soldiers screwing with his sister. “I don’t have to tell Gian.”

  Joey visibly relaxed, sagging against the cinderblock wall. “No?”

  “No. But I need something in return then.”

  “What?”

  Lucian glanced back at the door to Adelina’s dorm where they came from. “You’re going to watch those girls. Specifically, Adelina DeMarco, and report back to me.”

  Joey nodded feverishly. “I can do that.”

  “I want a report daily.” Joey continued to nod at Lucians request. “And Joey?”

  “Yeah?”

  “Touch Adelina DeMarco, and I’ll kill you. Do you understand?”

  With wide eyes his head continued to shake.

  “Good boy.” Lucian gave him a pat on the shoulder.

  ◆◆◆

  “Lucian Luchese.” Gian announced as the doors to his downtown club swung open. “I was wondering if you were going to stop by.”