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Nina smiled her fake smile. “Good to have you over. Dinner’s about to be served.”
She led us into the dining room where Father waited in his usual chair at the head of the table. He didn’t stand, only nodded, but his eyes latched onto Aria.
I took the seat beside him before he could offer it to her and gave him a tight smile.
Nina sat on Father’s other side and Matteo across from Aria. My stepmother snapped her fingers and, at once, the maid rushed in with the starters. Father’s favorite: liver paté.
I ate a bite while Aria peered down at her food then at me. It took me a moment to realize why. She didn’t like liver. She’d mentioned it to me on our first date.
“Don’t you like your food?” Nina asked with pursed lips, her gaze darting from Father to Aria.
He regarded Aria in a way I didn’t like one bit.
Aria gave an embarrassed smile. “I’m not very fond of liver. It looks delicious, though.”
“Luca eats liver,” Father said disapprovingly.
Aria glanced at me, obviously not sure where my father was going with his comment. She couldn’t know that Nina had to like what my father liked or face the consequences. I opened my mouth to tell him that I didn’t give a fuck if Aria ate liver or not, but Matteo was quicker.
“Luca also likes torturing and killing, that doesn’t mean his wife has to like it.” He sent our father his fake smile.
A muscle in Father’s cheek twitched. “I don’t appreciate good food going to waste, Aria,” he said to my wife.
“I’ll eat it,” I gritted out, reaching for the plate.
“Your wife will eat it,” Father ordered.
Aria froze.
“She won’t,” I growled. “Aria’s my wife. She won’t answer to your demands, Father.”
Nina had become perfectly still in her seat, clutching her knife.
Matteo’s hand had slipped off the table. I didn’t reach for my own gun and gave him a warning glance.
Not like this. Not today.
“So possessive!” Father laughed, throwing his head back as if I’d told a fucking joke, as if the whole situation was funny. Nina fell in at once.
I forced a smile and so did Matteo. Aria laughed uncertainly. She didn’t know my father well enough. Maybe she really thought it had been his twisted way of making a joke. I hoped it for her sake.
The second we were back in the car, away from my father, Matteo leaned forward with a grin, but it was off. “I hear your sister comes to visit us.”
At once, the tension slipped out of Aria and she nodded with a smile. “Yes.” She narrowed her eyes after a moment. “Why do you care?”
The protective note in her voice was unmistakable and might have made me laugh if I wasn’t still so fucking tense from the dinner with Father. It was a good thing that Matteo managed to distract her from it. Aria didn’t need to know that today could very well mark the date when I gave up my life, and any chance at a united Famiglia. Even without saying a word to him, Matteo knew, and he’d be at my side, no questions asked.The moment Aria joined me in bed, I pushed her on her back and moved down her body, dragging her panties down her legs before I settled between her parted thighs. Aria was still mine, would always be mine. I made her come twice with my tongue before I laid down beside her. She kissed me softly, her fingers caressing my chest. It felt good on so many levels. She always got through my walls. I wasn’t even sure how she did it. I pulled out of the kiss. “I want your mouth.”
Aria paused. Even without seeing her expression, I knew she was confused by my harsh tone. She moved down and then I felt her lips around my tip. I relaxed, letting my father’s words drift away, enjoying the moment, my wife, the only way that was safe.
I came on my stomach like last time, then cleaned myself roughly before I settled on my back with Aria pressed up against my side. “Is everything okay?” she whispered.
“Yes.” She stiffened at my clipped reply but nodded after a moment. It took a long time before she fell asleep. I knew I wouldn’t get any sleep tonight, not when I kept thinking of ways to dispose of my father without anyone finding out.CHAPTER 16Aria kept throwing glances my way as we pulled up in front of JFK Airport. I’d barely talked to her all day, and it was obviously bothering her. But this was for the best. Despite my resolve to keep a safe distance from Aria, my hand found its way to her back as we walked into the arrivals hall of the airport. I couldn’t stop touching her. It was maddening.
