His eyebrows rose in surprise. “You don’t say no to me.”
“No, sir.” I chuckled. “Is that better?”
Luca shook his head at my defiance. He dipped his head down, his lips soft and warm against mine. “It’s time for the big announcement.”
“What are you talking about?”
He pressed his lips to my forehead, then slipped from my grasp. “After tonight, your life will forever change.”
Sonny led Alex by the hand through the great hall. He showed her to everyone in town like she was a prize he won. She laughed and smiled, covering her mouth with her hand every time Sonny cracked a joke.
In a perfect world, she would marry a guy like Sonny. He had more freedom and control over his life. She could spend months on his yacht, sailing across the Atlantic Ocean, drinking and painting.
But she was a Wellington.
And she was mine.
I moved to my father’s vacant chair at the front of the ballroom and tapped Marcello’s arm. “What are you and Cormac up to?”
He rolled his eyes. “Nothing.”
“Bullshit,” I snapped. “If either of you fuck with my plans, I’ll slit your throats and paint the town with your blood.”
“I’d like to see you try, brother.”
Marcello was a trained killer, skilled with weapons and hand-to-hand combat. No one sane would mess with him. But sense had left my crazy ass a long time ago.
My younger brother led a team called Alpha Command at Salvatore Global. They were a group of mercenaries and thieves our clients employed for their illegal businesses. On the books, they handled security for my family’s company.
I watched Alex with Sonny. She flicked her curls over her shoulder and laughed. He held our queen close, keeping her safe from the other monsters lurking in the ballroom. The Devil’s Knights would die for Alex. We would do anything to protect her from our enemies.
“We need to escalate our plans,” I told Marcello. “What we’ve tried so far isn’t working.”
“What do you have in mind?”
“She thinks Wellington is innocent. Her precious Pops plays his role so well.” I shook my head, disgusted. “Look at him.”
Both of our gazes shifted to the dance floor, where Carl led his granddaughter away from Sonny. They engaged in a heated conversation as he spun an upset looking Alex in circles. Angry scowl in place, her lips moved as if she were arguing with him. Carl bent down to whisper in her ear, and then her dark expression changed to her usual sunny demeanor. A master strategist, Carl knew how to play the game.
I raised a glass of scotch to my lips. “She thinks she’s doing him a favor. That she’s saving him from his past transgressions. Wait until she finds out why hereallybrought her here.”
An evil grin turned up the corners of his mouth.
“Any updates on the next shipment? The Basiles called last night. They want to add to their usual order.”
“I’m still waiting for confirmation.”
I leaned into him and lowered my voice. “We need her compliant. If Alex tries to run again, throw her ass in the shipping container. That would give her a good scare, don’t you think?”
He scanned the room for Alex. “She’ll behave. I’m making headway with her. Give me more time. Alex will learn to trust me.”
“We locked her in her bedroom for days. She’s biding her time until she can run again.”
“I think she learned her lesson the first time.”
But did she?
The orgasms we’d given her in the temple weren’t enough for her to stay. But after the announcement tonight, she would never want to leave. It would change the game for her, for all of us.