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“Don’t say I never spoil you, Giovanni. Most enchanting woman in this club and you have me to thank,” he smirked.
I bristled at his tone and felt Camilla tense slightly next to me, clearly embarrassed by her father’s boldness but also that she was being spoken about as if she wasn’t even there. Just some trophy prize for him to flaunt at men to make good business connections.
“Like I said, Camilla is beautiful but the most enchanting woman in this club is sitting right beside you,” I smirked as I winked at my mamma, who hid her amusement by taking a sip from her drink. If they thought I was going to fall to my knees and thank them profusely for throwing a pretty girl my way for the night, they really didn’t know me very well. My uncle scowled at me across the table in warning.
“Of course,” Francesco’s beady eyes fell on my mamma next to him and he gave her a creepy smile which she ignored completely. “But you two will make a fine couple. Salvatore and I were just saying that an Autumn wedding would be pleasant.”
Did I just hear him right? Mamma spat her drink out, allowing her calm and impassive mask to slip as she gaped at me and then glared at my uncle who was staring intensely into my eyes. A small smile played on his lips and it took everything in me not to flip the table over and dive at him for his smugness. What was he fucking thinking?
“Wedding?” It was Max next to me who spoke first as his shocked eyes darted from Francesco to Camilla and then me.
“There will be no wedding,” I leaned back into my chair, never taking my eyes off my uncle.
“Not until Autumn falls, no,” he replied calmly with a hint of amusement. “Don’t tell me you have forgotten Giovanni?” My eyebrows furrowed as my heart started pounding in my chest. “When you pledged your loyalty as underboss you agreed to take a wife that would benefit the family one day.”
My eyes widened in alarm. Fuck. It was a conversation we had briefly had two fucking years ago! He asked me how I would feel about one day in the future taking a wife who would strengthen our family's position. An alliance or transactional deal to make us untouchable. I shrugged and agreed. I didn’t see a problem with the idea at the time. I was never going to fall in love and I would rather have a wife who would benefit my position in the family. But sitting here now, next to the woman who my uncle had deemed as a fit choice, I felt sick. I don’t want to get married. Especially not to a complete stranger.
“Salvatore. A word?” My mother’s harsh tone at everyone still as she stood up from the table and glared at my uncle. She was the only one who dared call him by his first name in the company of others. He should always be addressed as Boss, but clearly, by the rage that was evident on her face, she didn’t give a crap. He slowly nodded to all of us calmly before standing and doing up his button on his suit jacket and following mamma, who had stormed out of the room.
“Did you know about this?” Max whispered at me, still in shock, and I lifted my glass of whiskey to my lips.
“Did I fuck,” I growled before downing the entire contents. I could feel Camilla trembling next to me and it was pissing me off. She may be the daughter of a mafia boss but she was a timid and shy thing under that bold dress and fake smile. I could never imagine myself being with someone like her and being happy. It was nothing against the girl, but I liked what I liked and she wasn’t it. Olivia’s face flashed in my mind and I slammed my empty glass down on the table.
What the fuck was wrong with me? The Giovanni from a few weeks ago would probably have thought this was a brilliant idea. I mean it could be worse. Camilla was gorgeous, would be a quiet and obedient wife and it would make our two families untouchable with such an alliance. I could see why my uncle was pushing it. Yet here I was feeling sick to my stomach.
“Did you know?” I turned to the woman next to me who couldn’t hold my gaze as she nodded slowly, looking down at her lap. Fuck me, she was a submissive thing. Probably brought up to do anything daddy wants and never have a thought of her own. “I am sorry Camilla. But I won’t marry you.”
Her head snapped up and the look of pure terror on it confirmed that this was all her father’s idea and she was under his control. Her one purpose on this Earth was probably to do her father proud and marry a future Boss and she had just failed him.
Standing up from the booth, I walked over to the large floor to ceiling windows that looked over the small dance floor and watched the bodies of people I barely knew grinding against each other in my club. In my house. I clenched my jaw and tightened my grip around the metal bar I was leaning on as I thought about how much I wanted everyone out of here right now. But that was childish. That was my inner softness wanting to throw a tantrum at the unfairness of this situation and say to hell with this life. I didn’t have that luxury. As much as I hated to admit it, I was trapped in this lavish yet brutal world. Until I was boss, I had to answer to someone else. I had to do things his way. But the only way of ever getting to that position was by pleasing him. And refusing to marry Aiani’s daughter was not going to please my uncle one little bit.
“You will do well to keep your head, Giovanni. Do not make any rash decisions right now. Think about it,” Toni’s deep voice echoed into my left ear as he brushed shoulders with me.
“I am guessing this was your idea?” I hissed.
“I am not Boss Giovanni. You know that,” he smirked and I shook my head in disbelief. I didn’t believe a word.
“Maybe not, but he listens to you. So, your input counts for something. I would have appreciated a little heads up at least.”
“Think of it as your punishment for Leone’s spy,” he muttered, and I snapped my head up to him in anger. I knew my uncle would never let me off with a fucking warning. “Not such a bad punishment, I have to say. Tight ass and huge tits. So, enlighten me Giovanni, what exactly is your problem with this arrangement?”
I was just about to bark back at him when something caught my eye on the dance floor. No. Someone. There in her tiny cotton camisole and short set, fluffy slippers and a flimsy robe over her shoulders was Olivia weaving her way through the crowd. Her chocolate brown hair was piled up on top of her head in a messy bun and her face was thunderous. She was dressed ready for a slumber party, not a club. What the fuck was she doing in here?
Forgetting all about my conversation with Toni, I pushed past him and made my way down to the dance floor as the growing rage that I had been trying so hard to keep in check for the entire day had my head feeling like it was about to explode.
Olivia Jones. You are in so much trouble.
Giving In To Sin
Olivia
Boom. Boom. Boom.
I huffed loudly as I picked up the TV remote and turned the volume up to a ridiculous level so the kids and I could actually hear Woody knocking the last of Buzz's self-confidence out of him before he failed to make the flight from the bannister to the window. Dick move.
“Why can’t he fly? He has wings,” Raya asked, curled up into my side as we sat on Sani’s bed watching the enormous screen together.
“Because he is a toy!” Sani shouted, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. Raya scrunched her nose up and glared at him. Now she had become more comfortable around me, I was starting to see that she was a fiery little thing under the shy exterior. A girl after my own heart.
