AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Her situation was much like Mattia had been trained, forced to endure the same grueling sessions of boxing and martial arts with an older brother he’d argued with most of the time.
When I wasn’t locked away like an animal.
Mattia wholeheartedly believed he’d ascend to the throne, acting the part given Franco’s recent relapse. However, Franco was tough as nails, fighting the inevitable with the same iron fist he used on/for everything else. Hopefully, that would buy me necessary time to perfect my plan, better able to rise to power without additional hindrances. Although with my determination regarding Lucia, there would need to be an escalation.
I fingered the rim of my glass of scotch, never blinking as I studied her. I remained in the dark, the lights of the computer system all I needed. And I watched. And waited.
With a glass of wine in her hand, she was humming to the soft guitar music she’d selected for the evening. It reminded me of the concerto I’d played for her almost every night when she escaped to the barn. Maybe she had thought about me over the years, wondering if I was alive or had perished with my mother, father, brother, and my little sister.
Exhaling, I shifted my gaze to the laptop, scrolling through the information I’d procured on Antonio Romano. He hadn’t developed a business of his own, relying on his father’s coattails. The brute had become nothing more than an enforcer in the family illegal drug operation. They hadn’t grown in the last five years. With the added pressure of international law enforcement agencies cracking down on every avenue used, it was entirely possible that area of their operation would need to go dormant.
Another reason for the marriage.
Few knew how much time and effort I’d taken in learning everything about the family enemies. I pulled the glass to my lips, throwing back a solid third. My plans would enlarge the empire, taking out both the Romanos’ and the Lazarros’ fortunes at the same time.
After taking a gulp of my drink, my phone rang. I shifted my gaze toward it, snarling at the sight of Mattia’s number flashing on the screen. I debated not answering the call but there were other prudent tasks to handle during my stay.
“Yes?”
“How are things in New York, brother?” There was no love lost between us. While Tomaso, the youngest of the three of us and I had become friends over the years, brothers in almost every sense of the word, Mattia saw me as a threat. He should be worried. He had no idea what I was capable of.
“The warehouse situation has been rectified, the rat served his poison.”
“Excellent. My father was right in sending you to handle the situation.”
His father. He’d never acknowledged me as Franco’s next of kin, something I’d never forgotten. I returned my gaze to the screens. She’d moved into the bathroom and out of sight. As I rose to my feet, walking toward the window, I began to seethe all over again. “What is the reason for your call?”
“To warn you. Enzo Lazarro left Italy for New York yesterday.”
The news was no real surprise. After learning everything I had about her family, I’d suspected Lucia’s brother would be sent to watch her, keeping her locked inside the very gilded cage her father had planned long before. If I had to guess, I’d say she’d already endured a visit from him, which was one reason she’d stormed through her apartment, slamming doors behind her. “He won’t be an issue.”
“If he becomes one, remove the problem.”
I chuckled. He’d only once been required to kill someone in cold blood, the same with Tomaso. In my opinion, neither had the stomach for it. “You handle your business. I’ll handle mine.” It would seem my dear brother wanted to incite a war. If one occurred in New York, perhaps the bloody battle would hide his attempt at taking the throne. I wondered if Franco had any idea his flesh and blood had every intention of killing him?
“The woman?”
“In my sights.”
“You know what has to be done,” he chided. “If Enzo is in New York, he may be positioning himself to take over as head of the New York portion of business. Pops doesn’t want that to happen.”
Of course he didn’t. I’d read the financials. I knew exactly how much money Lazarro Precious Gems had made last year. Myleonessahad amassed a powerful fortune of her own. I drummed my fingers on the table, allowing my lips to curl. With the connections I’d secured with certain parties in Saudi Arabia and Dubai, I could expand her business by a significant percentage.
“I will do what’s necessary, Mattia.”
The moment she moved into her bedroom, she headed for the window. I zoomed in, but the camera only allowed me to catch a vision of her from behind. I needed more.
“I know you still have a thing for that little bitch. Fuck her then dump her. Just do it.”
“We’re finished with this conversation,” I told him, bristling before ending the call. Then I grabbed my binoculars, leaving the chair and heading toward the glass window directly across the busy street from hers. She’d donned a gorgeous amethyst silk robe, the very one I’d run my fingers across before leaving her apartment.
She was staring toward the apartment I’d rented, remaining still for almost two full minutes. Then she unfastened the sash, allowing the robe to slide over her shoulders. She was completely naked, the way she slept, her long curls skimming over her full breasts.
After pressing her hand against the glass, she moved toward her bed, darkness enshrouding the room.
I eased my back against the glass, my pulse rapid, my cock throbbing.
My needs were only increasing.
