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“You love her? The woman that Boss is forcingmeto marry for an alliance. Wow! Max, you know how to pick them!”
“Says you! You fell in love with the fucking nanny!” He shouted back.
We both paused and stared at each other. Both our faces slowly creased into the widest grins and we were both hunched over holding our stomachs as we lost control of our senses. Camilla watched on in shock at the two of us laughing, not knowing what to say or do.
After a few moments, we both calmed down and I covered my face with my hands. Fuckkkkk! How did this happen? How have we allowed our lives to become so messy because of women? Something I vowed I would never let happen.
I sighed as I sat down on my chair and gestured for them both to take a seat. “So…what now? I am guessing this isn’t a one-sided relationship?” I asked Camilla directly. She glanced over at Max, a pink flush on her cheeks before she looked back at me and shook her head.
“You can speak, you know? I will not bite your head off,” I smirked. She was timid and terrified of me, but knowing how my cousin felt about her, made her family now. And I would chill the fuck out around her.
“Yes. I feel the same way,” she replied quietly. I nodded and scratched my chin, deep in thought. Now what? “Do you have a plan yet? To get us out of this marriage?”
I glanced back at her, surprised that she knew. She smiled and looked at Max. He gave me an apologetic, small shrug of his shoulders. He had told her. Well, I guess that proves I can trust her.
“Not exactly. I was coming to ask you what it is your father really wants out of this alliance. Is it just the power of association?” I asked and she looked a little frustrated.
“Honestly, I don’t know. My papi doesn’t exactly include me in his ideas. He just gives the orders and I am expected to comply.”
I chewed on my lower lip as I thought about this carefully. If I was Francesco, what is it I would want from Sal?
“Sal wants your papi’s alliance as protection for us to take down our rivals. Your father will provide us with alibis and deals that are not directly linked to us and can go unnoticed by the commission. So, as long as Francesco is happy, Sal will still get what he wants. Do you think your father would be happy for you to marry a Capo?”
Her eyes widened and Max looked a little pale at my words. “No. The deal was that I was to become the next boss’ wife,” she replied sadly.
“What if I gave up my title? What if I stepped down from underboss and gave it to Max?”
Max sat forward instantly in his chair. “You can’t! Gio, you have wanted to be boss your entire life! You can’t give that up!”
“I can. And I will if that is what it takes.”
“Salvatore will never allow it! You are his prodigy. He has been training you to take over since you could walk!”
“Then I guess we will see what is really important to him. As for Francesco, if Sal agreed, I can’t imagine he would be happy with the change. We will need to find something to sweeten him up. Something that will make it less of a problem.”
“I can try and find something out,” Camilla said. “There are few people I trust back home who will do some snooping for me.”
I nodded. “Be discreet. No one can know about this until we have everything figured out. Which means, if you two are going to keep fooling around, be fucking better at hiding it!”
Max sniggered and a small smile played on Camilla’s lips. I was happy for my cousin. If we can pull this off, we may both get what we want. Suddenly, my heart dropped as I remembered that this wasn’t the only thing stopping me from being happy. She needed to forgive me first, which somehow, I knew was going to be harder than dealing with my zio.
I dismissed them both and headed to my room to lie down. I felt drained. Drained of everything. I couldn't focus on anything but her. How much I fucking missed her. She had to forgive me. I had to find a way to show her how much she meant to me before it was too late. I could see it in her eyes. She was giving up on us. Simply sitting outside her building every night was not going to cut it. But I had never felt this way before or been in this situation. And I didn't have the first clue how to deal with it. I loved her but I didn't know how to show it. I didn't know how to tell her without her thinking I was lying or just trying to manipulate her, because right now she doesn't trust my intentions. And it fucking hurts. It hurts more than anything. But there was something else. I could feel it. Something in her eyes today when she drove away from me. Panic and fear. She was running from her feelings for me. That had to be it. Now I just had to work out how to make her want to stay.
Belle of the Ball
Olivia
“Ican’t believe you are leaving tonight,” Gigi whined, and she looped her arm in mine as we walked through the piazza of shops and restaurants. I was aware of two of Giovanni’s men keeping a distance behind us but following us all the same. I tried to ignore them. This was my last day in this beautiful city and I wanted to try and make the most of it. There was nothing I could do about them and at least it made it feel safer for me and Gigi to be walking around absentmindedly. I stayed up all night last night, tossing and turning over Marco's words. They really got to me. And seeing the over-the-top arrangement of flowers outside my building with a note about the new security door from Gio had my heart rocketing to another dimension. But I couldn't stay. Things were just too complicated and I didn't have the time to hang around and try to solve my fractured relationships when Henry was coming for me. Everyone here was in danger until I left. Gigi, Elle, the kids, Giovanni. I can't risk bringing them into my mess. I would never forgive myself if anything happened to them.
“I still think you should come to the gala this evening. As your last night out with me. Come onnnnn, it will be fun! You could get a taxi from the event straight to the airport!” She beamed, excitedly. I smiled and shook my head.
“What are you going to do on your last night then? Your flight isn’t until 2am, so are you just going to sit in the flat alone all evening? You have already packed. Come on! Come with me!”
I rolled my eyes as she swerved us into a very expensive-looking shop with designer dresses. “I thought you were taking Viking as your date?”
“Joel…and I am. But he will be more than happy to have you tag along,” she winked.
“Are you seriously thinking about a relationship with that man?” I questioned, trying to change the subject. She unlinked my arm and started rifling through the exquisite array of ball gowns.
