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“Me,” Max said, standing up from the sofa, crossing his hands in front of his body. His eyes held his uncles in challenge, and we all held our breath.
A slow, disbelieving chuckle started from Sal’s chest and soon turned into a raucous, vindictive laugh. “You? She is in love with you?”
No one spoke and I could feel my own anger building at his harsh dismissal and lack of respect for Max.
“Maximus and Camilla will marry instead and keep the alliance,” Gio raised his voice slightly over Sal’s laughter and I could hear the irritation in his tone. He was protective of his cousin too. The only person who didn’t seem surprised or upset by Sal's reaction was Max himself. He held his gaze on his uncle, his face expressionless, and waited patiently.
“You are all fools if you think Francesco will go for this.”
“He will have no choice if you order it. We all know you have the upper hand in this deal. If you change the conditions, what can he do? He will not back out of such an association, that will bring his family phenomenal power and wealth,” Max spoke confidently, as if he had rehearsed this. He probably had.
Sal’s laughter stopped as he raised his hand and rubbed his bristly, grey stubbled jaw. “And why would I do that? That just sounds like far too much trouble than it's worth. I gave Francesco my word that his daughter would be married to a future boss and I do not go back on my word.”
Gio walked away from Sal, back towards me. Our eyes locked and he gave me a small smile before turning back to his uncle.
“I understand and respect that your word is loyal Boss. Which is why I am willing to give up my title to Maximus. I will happily allow him to step up to underboss and I will become Capo. He is more than capable of such a role and if this alliance and your word is as important as you say, it is a sacrifice I am willing to make.”
Everyone watched as the colour drained out of Sal’s face and he turned a shade of grey. His eyes narrowed and his nostrils flared. He looked lethal.
“It is, of course, your choice, Boss. Whatever is best for the family,” Gio added before returning to his position on the sofa and leaning back, placing his arm behind me on the back of the chair. I gave him a sideways glance as he continued to watch his uncle like a hawk. Fuck, I loved this man. I wasn’t sure what I was expecting, but it wasn’t that. He held his own with so much grace and discipline of his emotions and I couldn’t be prouder.
Suddenly, the door opened again and Sal’s lap dog, that bastard, Toni, waltzed in with a shit-eating grin followed by a short and overweight man who looked exactly how all those mafia bosses in the films looked. He had an arrogant and aggressive aura with an unpleasant face and I immediately hated him. How could someone as beautiful as Cami come from a man like that? Her mother must be gorgeous.
“I see the whole Buccini family are as excited about this wedding as we are. How lovely that you all wanted to be involved,” he smirked as he took a seat on the sofa closest to Cami and Max. His beady eyes fell onto her and he looked her up and down slowly.
“Daughter. You look well. I trust your fiancé has been taking good care of you?” His tone was almost sarcastic. He didn’t really care.
“Si papi,” Cami’s voice was a timid whisper and I watched her body shrivel just in his presence. It made my blood boil.
“This is my son, Enzo. Underboss of the Aiani family.”
I quickly noticed a young, skinny man with dark blonde hair and blue eyes sitting next to his father. He was wearing a grey suit that looked too big for him and he nodded his head once to all of us in greeting. He couldn’t be more than nineteen years old. How was he an underboss already?
“Cecilia, you are looking ravishing as always,” Francesco’s eyes roamed her body suggestively as he didn’t try to hide his desire for her and I felt Gio’s body tense next to me, but it was Sal who quickly changed the subject.
“There has been a change of plans.”
My eyes widened in disbelief as the words left his hard lips. Everyone else seemed just as shocked as they stared at the Boss in anticipation.
“What change?” Francesco’s tone was dangerously low as he narrowed his eyes at Sal. The air felt like it was sucked out of the atmosphere from the tension that surrounded us all.
“Camilla is not going to marry Giovanni. She is going to marry Maximus. Our Capo of Trieste.”
Gio sat forwards instantly as he looked across at Max. Camila was beaming from ear to ear as Max looked down at her with a smile, but her smile soon fell at her father’s outburst.
“Him? This thug? A CAPO? That was not the arrangement we made, Salvatore. You promised my daughter would be the Boss’ wife! She is worth more than some worthless Capo of Trieste!”
“Watch who you are raising your voice at Francesco,” Sal snarled from his position leaning back in the armchair. Both bosses were in a stand-off, and everyone waited with bated breath. “When Giovanni becomes Boss, Maximus will be underboss, so there is no difference in positions for the future. The alliance still stands.”
What? I couldn’t believe my ears. Was Salvatore siding with Giovanni? Was he actually allowing this to happen? Max to marry Camilla and Gio to keep his title?
“This is barbaric even for you, Salvatore. We had a fucking deal,” Francesco hissed. “My daughter is not marrying a fucking capo!”
Abruptly, Francesco stood up and stormed towards Cami, grabbing her violently by the wrist. “Get up you whore. We are leaving!”
The next few moments happened at such rapid speed that my eyes and brain had a hard time keeping up. Maximus had pulled his gun out of his ripped jeans and had forced it into Francesco’s temple. Enzo, the son, had his gun pointed at Max from over his father’s shoulder and Gio had jumped up and was aiming his gun at Enzo.
The only man who hadn’t moved in the room was Sal as he lounged back in the armchair with an amused expression at the scene before him.
