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He gave me a nod of acknowledgement, but somehow I felt that this conversation wasn’t over.
This was going to be a power of wills. My personal safety would be important to him and it wasn’t just about having a bodyguard, he was going to want one that would be loyal to him. I wanted one that I could trust to protect me even if it was from my own husband.
It wasn’t that I didn’t trust Luciano, but we still didn’t know each other super well and I couldn’t afford to take chances.
We arrived at my family’s estate and the guard allowed us through easily enough, but I was the one that had to personally take him up to my father’s office. I was not looking forward to his reaction when he found out I brought the enemy into his home. I kept reminding myself that this was of his own doing.
CHAPTER14
Luciano
I waitedfor Bria to show me where to go and enjoyed the look of surprise on Marco’s face when we stepped into his office.
“Good morning, Mr. Montrelli. I hope you’re having a pleasant day planning out your retirement.”
Marco just scowled at me without replying and glared at Bria. He tapped his finger impatiently waiting for me to explain why I was there.
I held my tongue. I wanted to demand that he greet his daughter with some sort of fatherly affection. Shit, I would even accept a ‘hello.’ That would be something I’d do away from Bria.
“Well then, I asked Bria to bring me here because we need to discuss some of the more finite details about our merger. I know you mentioned at dinner the other day that you didn’t want to turn over the books until after the wedding, but I’m afraid that’s just not going to be possible.”
I escorted Bria to a chair, and I sat down next to her.
“We’re going to need to have full control before we leave for our honeymoon so that things can be run while we’re gone for the week. My mother is more than capable of managing all those financial decisions, but I need to go over the different aspects with her to make sure that there aren’t any questions while we’re gone.” I crossed my legs and stared at him while Marco simply tapped his pen on the desk.
He was trying so hard to give me the brush off, but I could see how nervous he really was. He wouldn’t even make eye contact with his daughter.What was he trying to hide from us?
“Well, all my business affairs won’t be able to be handled in just two weeks. You’ll just have to wait until I finish getting things situated for the merger.” His gruff tone rebuked our standing. He was used to giving the orders. Not following them.
Bria leaned over the desk, pinning her father with a glare.
“The business will go with me and I can handle whatever it is you haven’t handled by then. There will not be any of the business left with you after our wedding day. Do I make myself clear?” Bria shook her finger in his face.
He thought that by bringing his business to the Romanos that he’d saved it from having a woman run it when just the opposite was going to happen.
Marco simply looked at me, and I smirked at her having stepped forward. I was hoping she’d stand up to her father. She hadn’t had much of a chance before this to tell him what she thought. I was giving her free rein, and I would protect her from any repercussions that he tried to place upon her free will.
“This week, or rather by the end of this week, we will have a presence within your outfit. Bria will resume her previous title while everyone transitions over to the Romanos family business. They already know her as their underboss so that won’t change. It will help smooth things over.”
“Our outfit won’t accept you just coming in and taking over everything,” Marco protested. “I haven’t even spoken to everyone that works under me yet.”
“Well, they’re all going to learn this week who their new bosses are. I will handle the explanations and work directly with anyone else who needs to know. If they don’t like it, then they’ll just have to suffer the consequences if they don’t want to fall in line. Maybe you should start getting used to the idea of calling me the boss just so that the lines are clear.” I threw it out there, but knew he wouldn’t like the idea—which I took pleasure in. Maybe a little too much pleasure.
“They may not like it, but they’re going to know who their new boss is, and it’s me. The sooner this is clear the better.” I smiled and made it sound like a suggestion.
“Marco,” I used his Christian name in a familiar way that wasn’t respectful. “It’s time for you to start calling some of your higher ups and getting them prepared for meeting with me and Bria this week.”
Marco’s face was getting red, and his hands had fisted before he must have realized what he was doing and released them.
“I didn’t think my daughter would be running the show at the Romanos. This agreement was to keep her and the rest of my family safe,” Marco sputtered.
“Bria isn’t running anything yet. She’s going to be our transition person to help make sure everything goes smoothly. Then after we’ve all settled in, I’ll be able to give her a position that’s worthy of her abilities.” I took her hand and my thumb stroked over her knuckles in clear sight of her father.
Bria gave me a look that said we’d negotiate that later. Eh, I could handle anything she wanted. She was more than worthy of the work and I was looking forward to hearing her advice on a few things to see if she could help us become more efficient. I was mostly looking forward to the punishments I would be issuing her because it would be hard for her to follow my lead without crossing some lines, even though I did plan on giving her a larger role in the business, but why short change myself of some sexual gratification.
“I will say it’s time for you to get on board with the agreement,” I warned. “You were the one who approached our family. We have graciously accepted it. There’s no reneging on the offer, Marco.”
Marco got up and began pacing, becoming more aggravated as he walked up and down behind the desk. He suddenly stopped and stared down at Bria, who kept her cool.
