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"What makes you think I would want yours?" she replied, holding her wine glass out for him to top up. She bit her plump bottom lip, and he almost swallowed his tongue. "Besides, I'm sure your wife would object to a strange woman owning your soul."
Rafael uncorked another wine bottle. "No wife."
"Kids?" Bellona frowned, a pink flush spreading up her golden skin.
"No kids. That's part of the problem with this hit," Rafael replied. The cork came free with a pop, and he filled her glass.
Bellona slid onto one of the kitchen stools. "How is it a problem? What have you gotten yourself into this time?"
"It was my father, actually." Rafael leaned against the counter. "He and his two business partners have a clause in their agreement that their male heirs will inherit when they die. I inherited my father's third on his deathbed."
"As stipulated in the contract. Where is the problem exactly?"
"Tirone and Cino want to go into business with Rita Costa."
Bellona put down her wine. "Costa…as in the family that kidnapped you? Are they insane?"
"Apparently. Rita became the head of the Costas last year and is being aggressive about wanting to take over Rome. Her father was always furious he couldn't get Michele to side with him, even after he kidnapped me to scare him. Rita wants to succeed where her father failed over the years. Getting me to yield is a point of pride for her. I never married or had kids, so if my partners kill me, they can split my third of the business and go into partnership with Rita with no risk to them."
Bellona studied him. "And in all of this, you didn't think that it might be worth having a friend who is mafia?"
"No. I've done everything I can to keep the business completely clean of any mafia connections. They poison everything around them, and I have good, honest people working for me. It's my responsibility to protect them from the trouble the mafia would bring. I'm too stubborn to budge on the matter, so the three of them got together and put a hit out on me. If I die, they get the business. If I give in to the pressure, they get the business. I'm fucked either way, Bellona. It's why I called you." Rafael crossed his arms. "I don't know what to do."
Bellona let out a long sigh. "Do you know what Rita has on them?"
"Cino and Tirone? Why would she have anything on them apart from greed?" Rafael asked.
"Because they have been fine with your principles since you took over from Michele. He died years ago. They've had time to press you about the Costa family, and they haven't until now. She has something on them," Bellona explained. She got to her feet and shut the curtains over the windows and glass doors. "You're a sitting duck here. We need to go somewhere else."
"I have a house in Rome?" he suggested. He hadn't stayed in the city because he was feeling too vulnerable.
"We need to find out what Rita is bribing your partners with. You have no clue?"
"No. I went through all their history when I inherited the company. They are clean from what I could tell."
Bellona shook her head. "Everyone has secrets, Rafael. Everyone."
"I'll tell you mine if you tell me yours," he said, unable to stop himself.
"Bounty hunters are after you, and you're still trying to flirt?"
Rafael shrugged. "It seems like the best time to flirt. I could die any second."
"You aren't going to die on my watch," Bellona snapped.
"If you say so, mia dea." Rafael knew most men would run away from her fierce scowl, but he couldn't help but smile back at her. "Did you think I was married?"
"A man your age should be."
Rafael put a hand to his chest. "My age? Ouch. I'm in my forties. I hardly have a foot in the grave."
"No, you have two feet and two million riding on getting you the rest of the way in it," Bellona replied. She drained her wine. "Why didn't you get married? No pretty girls or boys left in Italy?"
"There are plenty, but none ever felt right," Rafael said with a careless shrug. "I've been too busy working anyway. How about you? Are you married? Or have someone waiting for you to come home tonight?"
Bellona laughed. "Absolutely not. I'm far too old and far too smart for any of that nonsense. Why?"
"I just want to make sure I won't have another god trying to murder me if I flirt with you," he replied and tried to hide just how happy he was that she was single.
