“Why don’t you ask me yourself,” Layla said, walking towards the table.
“Do you want to marry Valentinetti?”
“Yes, I do.”
“And if your family is against it?”
Layla grinned. “I’ve never given much credence to family. They’ve been nothing but a disappointment so far.”
“Be that as it may, if you are indeed a descendant of Victor Capribella, there will be rules and traditions that you will need to follow.”
Layla laughed, retaking her seat. “Yeah. Good luck with that.”
29
Layla
Giovanni said absolutely nothing on the boat ride back to the main shore or when we were escorted to our hotel and entered our shared suite. I got worried when he walked right past me and into the bedroom, slamming the doors shut behind him.
Looking at Sal, he simply shook his head and said, “Give him time,Bella. Today didn’t go as planned.”
“Because of me?”
Sal grinned. “Well, you didn’t help, but no. Giovanni is all about respect and traditions. It was more about the pleasantries and customs that were not adhered to. When he asked for this meeting, he expected them to be upheld, and when they weren’t, he felt insulted.”
Nodding, I took a seat in one of the plush chairs in the main living room as the doors opened and Reaper and Massacre walked in.
“Where is Gio?” Reaper asked, looking about the room.
“Bedroom,” Sal answered.
“Go get him. I need to talk to him.”
“He wants to be alone.”
“He can pout later. I need to leave.”
Sal and I looked up at him in shock.
“You can’t leave. We have two more days of negotiations?” Sal said, getting to his feet.
“The doctor is taking Bullseye out of the coma. I have to be there when he wakes up.”
Jumping to my feet, I gasped. “Already? He needs more time to heal.”
“I know. I’m hoping to get back before the doc brings him out of it. If not, we’ve got bigger problems.”
“I should go with you. He won’t lose his shit if I’m there. I can help.”
Sal shook his head. “You can’t leave Layla. You are the reason we are here. If you leave, all of this was for nothing. We won’t get a second chance.”
“He’s my brother Sal. I have to be there. He needs me.”
“I need you too,” Gio said, standing in the doorway to the master bedroom. “I’m sorry, Layla, but you must stay.”
“He’s right, Duchess,” Reaper said, walking over to me. Taking my hands, he brought them to his chest and said, “Nothing will happen to Dylan. I give you my word. Stay here and help Gio. I will keep you updated every step of the way. If Dylan goes off the rails, the club will step in. We will keep him safe.”
“You won’t be able to stop him if he learns the truth.”