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"To the Capo," Luca fixes his gaze on mine, "and to the alliance with the Seven."
"The Seven?" Seb turns to me, "That’s who your new bride is related to?"
I tilt my head, "Is that a problem?"
He scratches his chin, "Amongst them all, they own most of the UK and parts of Silicon Valley too, I hear." He fixes his gaze on me, "Ambitious, are we?"
"Disbelieving, are we?"
"It’s not my life,fratellone." He raises a shoulder. "And I assume this has to do with getting access to enough connections to consolidate your position with the other families?"
Seb really is smart. As intelligent as Massimo, as hungry as Luca, with the rakish charm of Christian and the beauty of Xander…
All of it, rolled into one ambitious, cynical, man who’d do anything to take over as Capo one day. It’s what makes Seb so dangerous, and yet also, the one with the most promise. It’s why he’s the only one of all my family who can stand up to me. Precisely why I trust him the least and kept him as close as I can. The only way to keep track of someone who poses a threat to you is to keep them in your inner circle.
Do I trust Seb? That’s an interesting question. I don’t think he’d do anything to hurt my family, but given the right motivation and circumstances, could he turn on me?
"So," Christian glances between us, "when do we get to meet your new bride?"
"At the wedding," I murmur
"What?" Xander blinks. "We don’t get to meet her before?"
"No."
"Don’t you trust us with her?" Massimo drawls.
"Never." I fold my arms across my chest.
"Aww shucks." Seb smirks. "The way you’re acting, you’d think you have her hidden away here and want us to get the hell away so you can spend time with her."
I glare at him and a look of understanding dawns on his features, "So you do have her here with you?"
Of course, Seb would have to figure it out. Not that I am hiding anything from them or anything. "And if I do?"
"’Sto cazzo!" Seb exclaims. "Why, you old coot, you kidnapped her and brought her here, eh?"
"Fuck off," I growl.
"You did, didn’t you?"
I glare at him. Asshat is seriously getting on my nerves.
He places his elbows on the bar, and leans forward, "Was it love at first sight?" He smirks, "You saw her and it was the proverbialcolpo di fulmine?" He’s referring to the thunderbolt that Italians use as a term for describing love at first sight. Like most things, my people are prone to exaggeration. Hence, love at first sight needs to be described literally as being unexpected and as powerful as a lightning strike.
I snort. "Next you’ll be telling me that you’ve experienced it yourself, the way you talk passionately about it."
"Me?" Seb laughs, the sound without mirth, "Would I be standing here if I had?"
I peer into his features, take in the tightness of the skin around his eyes, the slight slump to his shoulders, which is a surprise. I’ve never seen Seb anything but on the offensive. Apparently, thetesta di cazzohas his share of secrets. Something I intend to worm out of him someday. Just not right now.
One thing he’s right about... I am anxious to meet with my bride-to-be, but not for any of the reasons he thinks. Fucking her is out of the question, at least, until the wedding. On that much, I am clear. There, however, remains the task of breaking the news to her… Something I need to mull over. I need to figure out a way to get her to willingly agree. This entire plan which I had hatched on the spur of the moment is, clearly, more complicated than I expected.
But how hard could it be, anyway, to get her to see things my way, hmm?
I place the glass back on the bar counter, then step back, "I am sure you can see yourselves out."
I shut down the camera, then turn to leave.
Seb chuckles. "So anxious to see your woman?" he calls after me.
“Vaffanculo," I hold up a middle finger above my shoulder, "not that it’s any of your business."
"Everything you do is our business," he retorts. "Considering you’re the Capo… Capo."
I pause, turn to glare at him over my shoulder, "It’s because I am Capo, I am asking you for the first and last time to never talk about her,capisci?"
I hold his gaze, and he finally lowers it. Good. Seb may be as alpha as they come, but he knows I am the one in charge. And I intend to be for a long time. If he thinks he can displace me from my hard-won position, he has another think coming. No doubt, one day, he is going to challenge me, too. I know that as well as I know my name… It’s why the next move I make is going to be very important, one on which hinges the future of me and myfamiglia.
"I am leaving, and when I return, I want the lot of you to have cleared out." I glance around the faces of my siblings, "You feel me?"
