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“From my lips to yours.”
Her eyes lifted to mine and rounded before looking back down at her soup, “It’s not necessary to go without for me.”
“It is.” I halted her argument before she could finish it. “I won’t put you at risk for something simple like this. Drop it.” I nodded to her green soup. “What is that anyway?”
“Gazpacho.” She hummed as she took a bite, “Delicious too.”
My bowl of soup was delivered, and I took a large bite, trying to show solidarity with my wife even if I’d never bent my wants to someone else’s needs before.
“So, Capa,” Leo called from his seat down the table, “You have us here.” He left the statement open, and I wiped my mouth as all of the eyes turned to me.
“Can’t a Don just invite his men over for a family meal?” I questioned and smirked at their knowing glances. “Fine, you’re right. There’s business to attend to. Business in the West Shores that I’ve left unchecked for too long.”
“Fuck yes!” Leo agreed with a toast of his glass. “How are you planning on attending to it now?”
“Swiftly.” I acknowledged, “Harshly and without mercy.”
I watched as eyes fluttered to Arianna and then to me in uncertainty before Luca spoke up. As one of the longest Goodfellas with the Capasso family, he was allowed more freedom to speak without restraint than some of the younger captains.
“West Shores is notoriously pro-Rosetti,Capa.” Luca said pointedly, “If you plan to swiftly handle them the way you have others in the past, aren’t you worried about…” He shrugged his shoulder deliberately, “Repercussions.”
“If you mean, don’t I worry that my wife will be angry with me,” I took a sip of my drink and sat forward resting my elbows on the table as I looked to where he sat next to Arianna, “I don’t worry about that at all. Arianna has no interest in her father’s dealings. There’s…” I shrugged the same way he had a moment ago, “Bad blood there. My wife is now a Capasso and therefore she aligns herself with me and my decisions, regardless of her father’s opinions on the matter.”
“That’s not entirely true.” Arianna rebutted, drawing the full attention of every man in the room as she sipped her wine with an impassive look on her face. “I wouldn’t say I won’t take my father’s opinion on matters into account, just like I always have, now that I am a married woman.” She set her wine glass down and turned to face the men watching her with scrutiny, “But I would say that I will now automatically favor the decision most likely to piss him off entirely. And something tells me,” She looked at me, “That my husband has a plan in mind to piss him off as much as possible. And I thoroughly look forward to witnessing it.”
Luca roared with great laughter as the other Captains joined in, “Well, well, well.” He lifted her hand in his and toasted his wine glass in the air with his other, “To adding some much-needed excitement to the boring lifeCapahas had us all leading for the last bit of time.”
“Hmm,” She smiled, lifting her glass again, “I can’t wait to enjoy the show.”
Hourslaterthemealhad wrapped up and my wife, my guests, and I were all relaxing in the lounge when the real business started being discussed.
“How exactly are you planning to ascertain West Shores?” Luca questioned at a quiet moment. “They won’t go down in silence.”
“You’re probably right about that,” I said, sliding my hand over the back of Arianna’s neck as she sat in the wing-back chair next to where I stood. “Dr. Travis is here to see to your hand,” I said, gently squeezing the tight muscles underneath the curtain of her hair draped elegantly. “Go upstairs and I’ll have her seen up.”
She looked over her shoulder at me and I half expected her to fight me on it, but she simply pursed her lips slightly and rose from her chair, “Thank you all for a lovely evening.” She said politely to the group and then faced me. “Have a good rest of your night.” She said dismissively and I smirked down at her.
“I’ll be up shortly.” I leaned down to kiss her cheek, “Put on the outfit I’ve laid out for you and be ready to pick your reward. The jewels stay put.”
She eyed me suspiciously before walking out of the room, drawing the gazes of my men like moths to her flame. And I understood the pull she had on the male species, letting my own eyes trail after her as she seductively walked down the long hallway like it was a runway.
“I’m not sure if you’re a lucky man or a damned one.” Leo grinned from behind his whiskey glass near the fire and others chided in with their agreeance.
“I’m a damned man,” I clarified, “everyone knows that.” I smirked and cocked my head to the side, “I’m just enjoying the finer things in life while I have the opportunity, that’s all. But back to West Shores.” I cleared my throat and stood in the center of the room, commanding attention. “To be honest, West Shores is simply the smoke and mirrors to my real plan.”
Murmurs floated around the room and quickly gained volume, so I held my hand up to silence them.
“Emilio Rosetti has seen the end of his power and position. I plan to use West Shores to facilitate the shift of power over to his oldest son, Carmine.”
More murmurs and side-eyed glances filled the space.
“That’s a bit…” Luca shrugged wisely, “Bold.”
“Do you doubt the need for the change or my ability to get it done?”
“Never. For either of those.” He answered instantly and I watched him closely for a hint of deception. “But I am curious as to why you waited for your young wife to leave the room, or better yet, instructed her to leave before you brought it up. Do you not trust her loyalty to you after all?”
I scoffed and took a sip of liquor from my glass that Manny refilled before the conversation started. “We’ve been married for less than a week.” I poured back a heavy amount, “While I would like to believe that my charm and good looks are enough to hide my poor manners and brute insensitivity with women somedays,” the room chuckled and I glared good-heartedly, “I’m not naïve to the fact that it is new, and she owes me no loyalty. To be frank with you all, Emilio beat and tortured Arianna for most of her life to mold her into the perfect little doll that fit his needs. He starved her, drugged her, and isolated her to keep her compliant and ready to perform for him at will. So believe me when I say her distaste for him runs deep. But,” I leaned my elbow onto the mantle and looked down into the flames, “My wife’s adoration for her siblings, Carmine especially, runs far deeper than any fondness she’s developed for me thus far. She won’t trust me to not harm the Rosetti heir in my move for Emilio. And I don’t blame her, because she is right to worry.”
