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I rose to my feet and kissed her like my life depended on it. Absorbing every moan and gasp as we clung to each other. When our fervent kiss slowed, and we both caught our breaths I picked her up and placed her on my desk, so we were almost face to face. I wanted her eyes even with mine as I pledged my commitment to her.
“Your father won’t take you from me, because even in death, you’ll always be mine. I promise you, here and now, I will kill him for even daring to try.”
“I chose you, Nico, and I chose our baby. But I don’t want my siblings to suffer. Carmine wants to align himself with you. He wants what you offered him on our wedding day,” She shook her head. “I don’t want my litter sisters to ever endure what I had to at my father’s hands, because I got lucky with you. I beat the odds and found love, but I know they won’t be so lucky.”
“I keep my word, Ari, and I will make Carmine king of the Rosetti family. I promise you.”
“I believe you,” She sniffed and took a deep breath, “But I need you to show me the proof by trusting me with this, and everything else from here on out. No more secrets and veiled answers. Let me be your partner in life Nico, please.”
“You will never be just my partner, Arianna, because you are so much more than I will ever be. But we’ll start with this, just how you asked, and go from there.”
Mymencongregatedaroundthe large room in my penthouse, lounging on the furniture and drinking my liquor. I called the meeting with my top men after Arianna’s warning last night about Carmine’s visit.
Emilio Rosetti was making moves to have me assassinated.
His daughter had warned me, sentencing her father and anyone else from her family who stood in the way, to death because she was growing life inside of her belly.
My life.
Our child.
She was glowing, even if no one else in the world knew she was pregnant yet. After our breakthrough last night, I took her straight to bed, making slow sweet love to her like she was delicate, and then held her all night long while she slept. I lay there, imagining every worst-case scenario that could occur to her and our unborn child with the weight of war weighing down on my shoulders.
Then this morning before her eyes were even open, she threw herself from bed and raced to the bathroom thanks to morning sickness. I held her hair back, avoiding her swats to chase me off as her small body was wracked with heaves until she was still again. Then I carried her back to bed and doted on her until Molly took over.
Apparently, Molly had some tricks up her sleeve to help her mistress because, within an hour, Arianna was back to normal and eating breakfast in a pretty pink sundress looking none the worse.
Now, late in the evening in the penthouse I kept for business matters that brought me to the city, she sat at my side facing off with my men and showing them where her allegiance stood.
“Before the end of this month,” I addressed the group, silencing the chatter that they had been carrying on until they all looked at me, “Emilio Rosetti will be dead.”
Raised eyebrows and devilish smirks passed the faces of my men as Luca spoke up, “I’m assuming something else has happened since the other night when we spanked Cristian for the weapons.” He looked at Arianna after his statement with a slight grimace, but she didn’t flinch. Carmine had assured her that Cristian would heal from the broken bones I gave him the other night. And I had assured her that I would mend the relationship when all of the fighting was over.
“I’ve been informed that a plan has been put in place, by Emilio himself, to have me assassinated. He’s already made a deal with Matthew Rizzio to take Arianna as his wife once I’m dead.” Angry murmurs filled the room as my men digested that information. “Obviously that won’t happen, because even when I’m dead, I’m relying on all of you to protect my wife and care for her as your own.”
“Of course, Capa.” Luca nodded firmly before turning to Arianna. “Your father will no longer dictate your life.”
“Good.” She nodded back with a gentle smile. “Because I’d really hate to have to haunt all of you after I jump off a balcony to avoid him again.”
Soft laughter answered her joke and she relaxed into her chair. “So, what are the plans then,” Luca asked.
“First line of attack will be to starve the man out. Any and all lines of resources into West Shores will be ceased tonight. No drugs, no guns, no money, and most of all, no workers. I’ll give the order after this meeting that anyone seen inside of West Shores assisting Emilio Rosetti will be immediately deemed a traitor of the Cosa Nostra and executed on the spot.”
“Why not just execute the bastard himself?” Harris asked, always bloodthirsty.
“Because he’s gone into hiding,” I sneered. “As soon as he got word that I knew about the weapons being stored in the warehouse, he sacrificed his second born son to my wrath and went underground. So the plan to interrupt all of his avenues of cash flow will not only anger him, but it will anger any associates he has left when he suddenly cannot provide what he needs to, per their agreements. And I will eagerly fulfill the missing parts of their operations to ensure they all remember who the biggest wolf in the game is.”
“Make your enemies’ enemies your allies,” Luca smirked wolfishly, “I like it.”
“Carmine Rosetti is on my side, as I’ve previously discussed. I don’t know how he’s managing to stay under the radar in Emilio’s home, but to my knowledge, he’s safe there. I will pull him out the second I feel his safety is at risk being there though.”
“And the others?” Harris asked, “His cunt of a wife specifically.” Men snickered around him, and he grinned. “It’s no secret that Mina Rosetti was responsible for making my life difficult thirty years ago. I’m just wondering if there’s room for me to get a little justice out of her for it.” He joked nonchalantly.
I felt Arianna’s bristling reaction to his statement, but she didn’t give any outward expression of distaste. “Mina Rosetti will be handled how Arianna sees fit. I’m leaving it up to her.” I answered easily.
Arianna gazed up at me in speculation, but once again, kept her thoughts to herself.
“So, what’s the second part of your plan?” Luca turned the conversation back to the important parts and I was glad for it. I would have hated to have to break Harris’ jaw in front of his peers for making my wife uncomfortable.
