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He removed his hand from my trousers lazily and held my gaze as he sucked his fingers clean. My eyes tracked the action and heat flared through my body. He was fucking filthy and I loved it.
“Well, that was a fun way of getting it out of you. I’ll have to try that more often,” he smirked, his eyes twinkling.
I narrowed mine at him as he covered my tits with the blazer and tied up the belt again.
“You did all of that just to find out if Enzo was the man who wanted a relationship with me?”
“Oh no. I had guessed that part already. I just wanted to know if you were into him. And I think it is pretty clear that you are not.” He pushed off me with a cheeky grin and tugged my arm to walk forwards.
“Urgh. You are such an arrogant ass,” I groaned, tugging violently at the handcuffs. “Where is Zia? I am so over being tied to you.”
“You are always tied to me, Princess. With or without these,” he raised his wrist in the air and shook them.
Just Cause
Giovanni
I paced the corridor outside the extravagant, oak doors in the private quarters of the vineyard that the board of commission always used to meet for business. It had been a while since I had requested a personal audience with them all and the fact that I was going to be asking for their fucking help was an unwelcome feeling. But I would do it. I would swallow my pride and ego if it meant I saved my sister from that bastard.
“Please. Stop the pacing, Boss. You are making me fucking nervous,” Max hissed from his seat on the wooden bench, his combat boot tapping frantically over his rested knee. Enzo was sitting beside him, looking dapper in his expensive black suit, his blonde hair slicked away from his face.
“Couldn’t you have put a suit on for one fucking day?” I growled at Max, stopping in front of my underboss to show my distaste at his outfit choice. He was wearing ripped black jeans, a short-sleeved black shirt that showcased his tattooed chest and arms with heavy biker boots.
“What would be the point? This is my trademark look. They would all think someone had died if I walked in looking like you,” he snapped back.
“Someone will die if they don’t hurry the fuck up and let us in,” I ran my hand through my neatly styled black hair, my other hand on my hip. I hated waiting. I have always been an impatient man, but when the stakes were this high, it felt like every second spent in this corridor was a waste. I closed my eyes and tried to inhale a deep breath as a flashback from that video entered my mind. The guilt that had clung to my chest and made it hard to breathe would not fucking subside. Had I thought they were bluffing about hurting Elle if I retaliated? Maybe. But in the stress and whirlwind of everything that happened, I had completely forgotten about the deal with Sergio until I had a call from my men in Roma who said they had the shipment. It was too late. I just had to pray that Alessio didn’t find out it was me who was behind it. But of course, he did. Far quicker than I had time to deal with it.
I didn’t want to get the commission involved yet. Not until I had Elle back. Then I would go all guns blazing on the Leones’ asses and make them and Alessio pay for what they had done to my family. But after seeing that video, Max managed to talk me into asking for help. I couldn’t retaliate, but that didn’t stop another family from the North doing it for me.
“Remember, leave out Barbieri’s involvement. They will all back off if they think helping us means going to war with the South. This is just about making sure Leone doesn’t gain too much power while we are trying to get Elle back. We need Leone distracted so we can focus on the Barbieris ourselves,” Max ran over the plan again to try and distract me from my anger. I nodded just as the large doors opened by two men kitted out in black suits and guns. They stepped back to let us enter and I stormed inside, commanding the room’s immediate attention.
Every man sitting at the long polished table already had their eyes set on the doors and our entrance. Not a flicker of emotion or interest crossed their hard gazes. At the head of the table was Max’s father, Gabriel, and the commission representative of our family. He held the head chair because we held the most power in the North. Though for how much longer, I wasn’t too sure. I checked the empty chair beside him in relief. That was where the Leone representative sat. But thankfully, Gabriel had managed to convince the board to let me speak without him here.
“Giovanni Buccini, you requested a meeting with a matter of urgency,” Gabriel explained.
“Yes. I am sure many of you have heard the rumours. Lorenzo Leone attempted to kidnap my wife in broad daylight. It was an unprovoked ambush, which resulted in eleven deaths of my men and the abduction of my sister, Elenora Buccini and her bodyguard, Finch Rosetti. Finch was dumped at our gate barely hanging on to his life with a message demanding that unless I gave Venice to them, they would harm or kill her.”
A few of the men sat back, puffing out a breath in surprise, but I also noticed a few who seemed unaffected by my words. I scanned their faces, making a mental note that they would likely not be my allies in this.
“And you have proof that the Leones are the ones behind this?” Gabriel asked.
“Si. I have recorded every phone conversation with Lorenzo since he took my sister. I have evidence of my compliance in the form of handing over contracts for my businesses in Venice. And I have video footage of a soldier attacking my sister that was sent to me just last night,” I explained, leaving out the involvement of Alessio in all of this.
“I heard that this act was in retaliation to you burning down a Leone club in Venice,” a representative of another family spoke with a narrowed glare.
“I heard about that unfortunate event. Tragic accident,” I replied, looking him directly in the eye. They would never find the evidence they needed to know it was me.
“So, what are you here for exactly? Permission to retaliate against Leone? Once we see the evidence that they are responsible, then of course you have it. Women and children should be left out of conflicts,” Luciano Lino nodded towards me. Another allied family of ours in the North.
“I fear for Elenora’s life. If I am seen in retaliation, they will kill her. The Leones want to become the most powerful family in the North. They want to strip us of everything we have worked for. I already have the Aiani’s backing, but they are aware of that already so if I am to stop them, I will need help. I would like you all to take my proposal back to your Bosses and tell them, I will make it worth their while if they stand with me.”
The room fell silent. Eyes shifted around the table. The noise of scratching beards was the only thing that could be heard. My eyes connected with Gabriel’s and he gave me a subtle smile. We had them. If this was a choice between who they wanted in power in the North, between us and Leone, it was a no-brainer. I had ensured over the last two years that we had some connection or ties with most of the families around this table. If the Buccinis suffered, they would suffer too.
“Thank you for bringing this to our attention. I am sure many of us will be willing to discuss this further with you,” Luciano broke the silence.
Suddenly, the door opened and Riccardo Leone himself, Boss of the Leone clan, waltzed in with a look of pure glee. My body tensed as he brushed past me, sending me a wink. I hadn’t seen this man since that horrendous day two years ago and I had hoped I would never have to come face to face with him again. My nostrils flared and I clenched my fists at my side.
“Well, this is cosy,” he laughed, strolling over to the empty chair of his representative and placing his hands on the back. “When I was informed that Bosco was asked to leave today’s meeting early, I just had to come down here and see for myself why that would be.”
