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My husband kept his word: he’d shattered me, and he was putting me back together again.
Chapter8
Dante
Nora sat stiffly in my lap, her lips pursed. No doubt, she was holding in acerbic words.
Good.
I’d ordered her to remain silent during this meeting. I stroked my hand down her back to communicate my pleasure with her. She softened slightly, even though her expression remained pinched.
Warmth suffused my chest. After I’d bound her last night, she’d been much more receptive to my tender touch. Even over breakfast, she eaten from my hand without complaint. She’d been quiet all morning, and while I wanted to know what she was thinking, her demeanor was a vast improvement over her barbed, spiteful words.
Luca was back in his cage, where he should be. Crushing his will was delicious, and I was savoring my triumph after silently hating him all these years. I was finally avenging my brother, and Luca’s suffering was so much more satisfying than simply killing him.
I’d considered bringing him out for this meeting, but I decided he wasn’t ready for that. He’d been thoroughly under my control while I toyed with my wife—too worried for his friends to try to defy me.
But I didn’t know if that obedience would hold if I degraded him in front of his men.
Not yet, anyway.
Nora’s submission would have to be enough. She was mine, not his. I’d claimed my wife, Giuseppe’s daughter. Holding her was a clear message that I’d wrenched control away from Luca. They would all know by now that the former heir was my captive. I didn’t have to bring him out in chains to prove it.
Nora’s father was the first to take his place at the massive round table, directly across from me. He was closely followed by his nephew, Alberto, who sat at his right hand. They both gave me a nod, although Giuseppe’s was barely perceptible. The old man was still a proud bastard, even if he had agreed to cede power to me in exchange for keeping his position as my consigliere.
Both men eyed my wife’s position in my lap. Giuseppe simply shrugged in response, but Alberto’s eyes narrowed slightly. Maybe he didn’t like seeing his cousin used as a pawn, but he would have to accept her role in this power play. All that mattered was his loyalty, and if he dared to say a word against me, he’d quickly find out how I dealt with insubordination.
But I needed all the men I could muster, and Alberto commanded respect. The Ricci family was powerful, and crossing them would weaken my position.
More men took their seats around the table, a few of the faces surprising me. I hadn’t expected to see Mattia or Diego here today; they were Vitale men, staunchly loyal to Luca’s father.
But the old man was dead now, and they were smart to shift their allegiance.
“Thank you for coming,” I said when they were all seated. “I value your loyalty.”
Mattia’s mouth twisted so that it disappeared beneath his bushy gray moustache, and his brown eyes narrowed. “We’ll see. I’m only here because those Russian motherfuckers are picking off my men. Are you strong enough to defend our territory?”
My arm tightened around Nora, and I pulled her closer to my chest. “Luca is mine. Giuseppe’s daughter is my wife. You tell me if I’m strong enough.” I tipped my chin back, daring him to defy me in my own home.
His jaw ticked, but he dropped his gaze. Diego looked equally doubtful, but he didn’t challenge me.
My sadistic, erratic reputation seemed to have held through the period of instability. They all knew that I was prone to lashing out and eviscerating anyone who remotely threatened me. No amount of begging for mercy swayed me. I hadn’t survived this long by being merciful.
After my father had betrayed Tommaso Vitale over fifteen years ago, I’d dedicated myself to becoming the most powerful, indispensable capo in our organization. My feigned loyalty had saved my life and made me untouchable. Now, Tommaso was finally dead, and his precious, coddled heir was in my power. My victory was almost complete.
I turned my attention to Giuseppe. “Tell me about the Russian’s movements. We’ll make them bleed for this.”
He began to enumerate the Bratva’s crimes against us. As he spoke, Nora stiffened, until her muscles locked up tight. I glanced at her, distracted by her tense demeanor. Her eyes were lowered so that her long lashes fanned her pale cheeks, and her delicate features were pinched with strain. Her small hands fisted in her lap, flexing as her father spoke about the Russians and securing the loyalty of Luca’s men.
Her obedience to my order for her silence should please me, but her posture made worry gnaw at my gut. Rather than sweetly submitting to me, she was on edge. I would’ve assumed she was furious with me for being a controlling bastard, but when Alberto spoke up, a light shiver raced over her.
I managed to keep most of my focus on the meeting, but my thoughts kept wandering to my wife. It was almost as though she was afraid rather than angry. Was she frightened that I would hurt her if she didn’t behave?
I gnashed my teeth, frustrated. I didn’t want Nora to truly fear me. I’d resolved to be patient with her, but I was bothered by the fact that she didn’t understand me yet. Once she accepted the darker nature of our sexual chemistry, she would stop fearing me.
She would stop hating me.
And she would forget all about Luca.
