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Chapter Three
Alceu
Giulia is a beautiful young woman. But of course, she would be. It’s exactly why Salvador wants her. Dark hair that flows down her back, hazel eyes, pouty lips, and beautifully bronzed skin. I can see her figure beneath the ugly pantsuit she is wearing. I wonder if she chose to wear the outfit or if it was chosen for her, all part of the image she’s supposed to project to the world. I assess her thoroughly. High, pert breasts, an hourglass figure, and I’m almost certain she will have a fantastic ass.
She has sass and backbone. All traits that Salvador will hate. He’s the type of man who prefers submissive women. Those that don’t fall into line as he wants are easily beaten until they do. I have done my due diligence on this deal, and that is exactly what this is.
Giulia doesn’t want to be married to Salvador, and I want to fuck with him. I need her to listen to my proposal. Scratch that, I need her to accept so I can start putting my plan into action.
“What do you mean?” Giulia asks, staring at me with wide eyes.
Even though she fears me, as she should, she still has the guts to ask questions. No one ever questions me outside of my family. I find it refreshing.
“Exactly what I said. I can get you out of the arranged marriage with Salvador Berlusconi.”
“That’s not possible.” She lowers her gaze to her feet, and I find that I miss looking into her eyes. “Salvador will kill me and everyone I care for if I try to get out of this.”
“Come with me,” I implore her, using my finger to tilt her head up and focus her gaze back on mine. “Give me twenty minutes of your time, and if you don’t want to proceed, we each head off in our own direction. We can have lunch together while I explain my plan. You can even choose the restaurant.”
Giulia watches me carefully, likely assessing her options before she nods her head. She turns her back on me, rounds my car, and climbs into the passenger seat. All without batting an eyelash. Seems to me that once she has made a decision, she follows through. This bodes well for me. Now all I have to do is get her to make the right decision.
Ten minutes later, we pull up to a dive bar called Pitch.I know the place, but I have to say I’m surprised a daughter of a made man would ever set foot into a place like this. They serve beer on tap, the best burgers and wings in a ten-block area, and play metal music almost exclusively. I pictured us having this conversation in an overpriced Italian restaurant somewhere in the business district. Not in a side street.
But what surprises me more is the warm welcome she receives when we enter. This is somewhere she has been before, numerous times by the look of it. Seems the perfect mafia daughter may be living a secret life on the side.
“Hi, Giulia.” The bartender waves as soon as he spots her.
“Hey, Sean,” she greets back with a smile.
“Beer and a burger?” a smiling waitress asks as she moves past us to the bar.
Giulia looks toward me for confirmation. I nod in agreement.
“Yeah, Sam. That would be great. Make it two of each.” Giulia smiles back at the waitress named Sam.
She leads the way to a back booth and slides in easily. It’s great to see her this way. She is confident and open. Her smile only highlights her face, making her even more beautiful. But I’m not here for that. Beautiful girls are a dime a dozen, and sex can be had every day of the week. Putting the screws to Salvador? That is priceless.
“Okay. So, tell me this master plan of yours,” she says coolly. “Then we can enjoy our burgers and part ways. I’ll even pay for lunch.”
I laugh freely. I can’t even remember the last time I laughed, and it feels strange. Good, but strange. She waits for me to finish laughing, although not patiently. This woman is a breath of fresh air. Other women are either terrified of me or falling over themselves to please me. She doesn’t seem to care either way. I find that intriguing. When I stop laughing, I take a deep breath before speaking.
“You don’t want to marry Salvador, and I want to make his life a living hell,” I say. “I think if the two of us get married, we can kill two birds with one stone.”
“Are you insane?” She gasps. “That will never work.”
“What are you afraid of?” I ask, tilting my head, my curiosity getting the best of me.
I asked this question because I truly want to know, not just rhetorically. She isn’t afraid of me. Actually, I can’t see her being afraid of much. In the right environment, she would become the one to inspire fear and loyalty. She needs to be nourished, allowed to step into her own and become the woman I’m sure she will be. Shaking my head, I push those thoughts away and focus on her, waiting for her answer.
“Off the top of my head? Small birds, large bugs, and an unplanned pregnancy,” she snarks, causing another laugh to leave me.
“Okay, okay.” I hold my hands up in surrender. “Let me lay out the entire plan, and then you can decide.”
“Fine,” Giulia grumbles.
Just then, Sam the waitress delivers our food. The burgers look and smell delicious, but I need to walk through this plan. And convince her to join me.
“Eat your burger while I explain.” I gesture toward her food.
She smiles lightly before digging in with gusto. For long moments, I watch her eat. Few women enjoy food. When she catches me staring, she arches a brow, and I clear my throat before explaining the plan.
“I know you don’t want to marry Salvador. Don’t ask me how, just take it at face value. For me? Salvador has been a thorn in my side since I can remember. I want to wipe him off the face of the earth, and the best way to get under his skin is to take away what he wants. And that is you.” I smirk. “In return for marrying me, you will fall under the protection of the Cammareri Family. Nothing will ever hurt you.”
“And?” Giulia prods, wiping her hands on a paper napkin.
“What do you mean?” I ask.
“Well, a marriage at its core is a business deal.” She shocks me with this insight. “And you have failed to lay out all the details.”
“Such as?” I quirk an eyebrow at her before taking a bite of my burger.
“A million things!” She sounds exasperated. “Sleeping arrangements, what to tell people, sex, kids, money, and everything else.”
“Let’s do it this way,” I say before she can catch her breath. “Marry me and live in my house. Act like a doting wife in public. I don’t care what people think so we won’t be saying anything. You will have to share my room, but I won’t pressure you for sex or children. If you decide that’s what you want in the future, we can revisit.”
“Damn,” she breathes out. “And when Salvador is wiped from the face of the earth as you put it?”
“We deal with that when we get to it,” I reply, taking another bite of my burger. “If you want to leave, that’s fine too.”
Giulia takes a large sip of her beer, appearing to think through everything we have discussed.
“I need time to think this through,” Giulia says softly.
“What is there to think about?” My voice is louder than I planned.
I have a solid plan that will only work if I can convince this woman to join me. There is no other in, no way to distract Salvador from what I’m truly doing if she doesn’t agree.
“Don’t raise your voice at me.” Giulia’s eyes blaze with the fire she hides so well. “You came to me with this proposition. Now let me think it through.”
“Fine,” I say lowly. “Call me when you decide.”
Dropping my card on the table, I rise and leave. My unfinished burger is left on the table beside her. I don’t turn to say anything more, but I can feel her gaze on me as I walk out.
