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A knock on the door caused me to jump. Sudden sounds sent my heart racing into overdrive.
Marcello poked his head into my room, dressed in a black suit with a gold tie. “Dad wants you downstairs before the Wellingtons arrive.”
“We’ll be down in a minute,” Luca told him.
After Marcello left, I stared at Luca, memorizing every detail of his gorgeous face. His moments of vulnerability were so rare I wanted to soak it up.
“One of us will always be with you, no matter what,” he said to assure me. “We won’t let you out of our sights.”
“I wish we got to spend more time alone.” I inched my hands up his muscular chest and wrapped my arms around his neck. “You’re always so busy.”
His fingers wove through my curls as our eyes met. “I can’t be with you every second of the day. I’m running a global company. My family relies too much on my expertise.”
“I still don’t understand what you do for Salvatore Global.”
“I’m the Chief Operating Officer.”
“I get that. But what exactly do you do?”
He rolled his shoulders. “On the books, I’m in charge of the company’s daily operations. I handle interactions with VIP clients and coordinate business dealings with American and foreign governments. I’m also in charge when my father is unavailable.”
I cocked an eyebrow at him. “And off the books?”
“I map trade routes throughout the world to move illegal products.”
“So that’s what you do all day and night in your office? Map trade routes.”
He shook his head. “It’s complicated. I have to jump through a lot of legal loopholes to get around certain issues. It’s not black and white. I operate more in the gray area.”
“Thank you for being honest with me.” I reached up to press a kiss on his lips. “I always ran from you because you never opened up to me. I never felt like I knew you or had a place in your heart.”
“You do.” He kissed me again. “Always.”
* * *
We entered the formal dining room. The Salvatore men sat behind a long table with Arlo at the head. He reminded me of a king overlooking his courtiers. Damian and Bastian sat on their father’s right side with Marcello on his left. They were engaged in what sounded like a heated discussion before they heard my heels click on the tiled floor.
Luca flung out his hand. Without a word, his brothers moved down two chairs to their right to make room for us. After Luca pushed my chair into the table, he took his place at his father’s side.
A server poured wine into his glass. Luca raised it in front of his nose, swirling the liquid as he took a whiff of the grapes. His family owned vineyards across the United States and Italy. One of their many legitimate businesses that served as a funnel for illegal activities. I drank ginger ale, which helped with the random bouts of sickness.
Five minutes later, the butler announced my family. My grandfather entered the room in a bespoke black suit with a crisp white oxford and a black tie. Blair was at his side, dressed to the nines in a black designer gown fit for a runway.
I smiled as my eyes locked with Aiden’s blue ones. He wore a black suit and tie, his curly blond hair cut shorter than the last time I saw him. His face brightened from the smile that stretched the corners of his mouth.
I rushed over to Aiden and flung myself into his arms. “You look so handsome.” I touched his cheek. “No more peach fuzz.”
Next, I hugged my grandfather. “Hey, Pops.”
He kissed my cheek and hugged me back. “Hello, princess. It’s good to see you back to health.”
We still weren’t on the best of terms after he revealed the truth about our families. But he was the only real parent I’d ever had. In his own way, he took care of Aiden and me.
He had given us a life and a home and opportunities we wouldn’t have had without him. Despite our differences, I loved him. He was still my grandfather.
“Our children are getting married,” Arlo said to my family as he stood at the table’s head. “We have a lot to discuss.” Arlo cleared his throat, his gaze on my grandfather. “After the events of the past month, we need to take certain precautions.”
My grandfather spoke to Arlo about the details of the wedding, down to the color of the men’s ties. They had every aspect figured out. I really didn’t care about the semantics. I just wanted to marry my guys and become Mrs. Salvatore.
