Meanwhile, all I feel is bile burning in the back of my throat.
Dante puts a hand on my arm. “I’m going to send a few guys to keep an eye on him as long as he’s in town. Don’t let him get to you.”
“Easy for you to say.”
I don’t know why I’m so angry right now. Rico is just being Rico. But I’m fucking fuming. This isn’t just about me or the money or the Abbott property itself. It’s about this asshole making threats that affect the happiness and well-being of my whole family, compromising our legacy and our future without a second thought about anybody but himself.
Dante places a light kiss on my forehead, but I duck away before he can linger.
“Please tell Greg to take care of the rest of the tasting. I need some air.” I step back.
“Frankie.”
“I’ll be here on time for the next one,” I tell him.
With that, I make a beeline for the back door. Dante’s voice is filled with concern as he calls out to me, but I don’t stop or look over my shoulder. If I don’t get away from my thoughts for a little while, I’ll explode.
I don’t know who I’m angrier at right now—Rico, or myself.
24
Dante
“Pay him whatever he wants.Just get rid of him.”
Back in my office, Armani has spent the last twenty minutes looking over the contract Rico gave Frankie. So far, my brother has said absolutely nothing to me about the validity of the terms, and I’m tired of pacing and waiting for him to speak up. I’ll pay any price to get rid of this asshole and clear the path for Frankie and me.
Yet even though I’m more than ready to whip out my checkbook, I can’t help but think that this whole thing is too easy. There has to be a catch. A man like Rico always wants more.
Armani finally looks up from the paperwork. “It looks legit to me. We can have the legal team review it in the morning.”
“Have them look at it first thing. I want this done. I’m sick of wasting time on this prick.”
I haven’t seen Frankie since she left to take a breather. I’m concerned about her frame of mind—I’m sure she feels like she’s made a terrible mess for herself—but I’m making an effort to respect her request for space. Hell, I know this whole thing has been a nightmare for her. She couldn’t have possibly known what she was getting into when she married Rico.
Just like I had no idea what I was getting into when I agreed to marry her. I thought I was making a profitable business deal, and I was—but I got so much more.
Armani gathers the papers and taps them into order on the surface of his desk. “Well look at that, Dante. You’re smiling again.”
“I love her. And she loves me back. It’s worth smiling about.”
He dips his head. “I would advise you to hold off on signing anything just yet, even if our lawyers advise you to do so. I finally got a voicemail from someone at the Registrar of Vital Statistics in the city where Frankie got married, but with the nine-hour time difference, I haven’t been able to get hold of someone during business hours so they can actually answer my questions. I think it would be wise to wait and hear what they have to say.”
“Why would it matter?” My gut clenches. “Unless…does an Italian court have to handle the divorce proceedings for it to be legal? That could take months. Years, even.”
“No.” Armani shakes his head. “Frankie’s domiciled here in the US, so she can get a legal divorce here in the states even if her marriage took place abroad. That’s not an issue.”
Relief washes over me. “Thank God. So then—”
Just then there’s a knock at the door. Ruby, our admin, sheepishly pops her head in.
“Excuse me, Mr. Bellanti. And Mr. Bellanti. Um, Dante, Greg just called. It’s almost time for the next wine tasting, but Frankie hasn’t returned yet and she isn’t answering her cell. Would you like him to cover her? He says it’s no trouble.”
Dammit. She must be more affected by Rico’s little show this morning than I thought.
“Tell him to get everything prepped and to stand by, please,” I say. “I’ll go look for her.”
“Very good.”
