“Like us!” He snorted. “That’s impossible.”
“I’m sure you can pull it off. Be gentle with her, and don’t scare her. We need her pliant and cooperative, not foaming at the mouth.”
His eyes raced back and forth across my face. His expression ran from confusion to determination to wild excitement.
I knew how he felt. The thought of seeing Ariana La Rosa again after all this time made my stomach flutter, but I couldn’t show it. I had to put a calm face on for my men.
“If you think you can carry out your orders, then go on. I want her back here before sunrise tomorrow. Is that understood?”
He didn’t look away from my face this time. “Yes, Padrino. Thank you.”
He left with his brother, but my mind wouldn’t settle down. I gazed out the window, going over every detail piece by piece, but the more I thought about it, the more excitement threatened to overcome my better judgment.
Ariana La Rosa. Just thinking about her made my pulse race. I hadn’t seen her since she was five years old, and I loved her like a sister then. What would she be like now that she was all grown up?
She looked beautiful in the picture, but that might be a mistake. She might be a witch from Hell.
No, that couldn’t be right. She was always sweet and kind and loving when she was younger. She couldn’t have changed that much.
The twins and I doted on her and did everything with her. We gave her piggyback rides around my family estate where our families lived together. We even took turns brushing her hair and ironing her clothes. We wouldn’t let the servants do anything for her. We loved her too much.
Now she was coming here. I would have to keep a tight leash on my feelings. I couldn’t show any sign that her presence meant anything to me, especially not in front of the twins. My authority would ride on me maintaining control at all times.
Chapter3
Dante
“Man, you got some balls talking to the Padrino like that,” I snapped. “You better learn to keep your mouth to yourself.”
“To hell with him,” Dominic snarled. “He’s only a man. He isn’t the fucking Pope or anything. He can make a mistake as easily as the next man.”
“He didn’t make a mistake. He gave you a direct order. You better learn to step and fetch. You can’t sass him like you did when you were eight years old. He’ll castrate your disobedient ass if you aren’t careful.”
“Fuck it,” he grumbled. “I’d take that bet if he raises a finger against Ariana.”
“He told you he wouldn’t. You heard him. He said he just wants us to bring her to him.”
“He said he wouldn’t hurt heryet. You know what that means.”
I tried to shrug that away. “You don’t know that.”
“You’re a damn fool if you think he wouldn’t hurt Ariana or anyone else to serve his own whims. You saw the look on his face. He’s planning something—something not nice for Ariana. Tell me I’m wrong.”
I squinted across the street to avoid meeting his eye. I hated to admit that Dominic was right. I grew up with Luca Fortino. He was my brother as much as my cousin. I never thought back then that he would ever even think about hurting Ariana La Rosa, but he turned into a completely different person when he became king of the family.
I never questioned him… until now. I just didn’t have the guts to do it to his face the way Dominic did.
I respected Dominic for that. I didn’t want to hurt Ariana, either. I didn’t know what I would do if Luca ever ordered me to do anything toreallyhurt her. I might snap.
Then again, I might do it. I might have to. That was the worst part. Luca could do some pretty heinous shit to his enemies when the situation called for it, but that was nothing compared to what he could do to anyone who disobeyed or, God forbid, betrayed him.
I would never betray him or the family, but Ariana… Well, she was a whole different ball of wax. She was an unknown quantity, or to put it another way, my feelings for her were an unknown quantity.
I respected Dominic a thousand times more because his feelings for her were NOT an unknown quantity. He made it plain as punch to the Padrino that he wouldn’t hurt Ariana—ever.
Dominic even balked at kidnapping her and bringing her to meet the Padrino. That was what I called a man. Dominic stood up for what he knew was right. Could I say the same thing about myself?
He slapped his knuckles against my arm. “Remember that time she snuck into the kitchens and tried to make pancakes for your birthday? Do you remember the results?” He burst out laughing. “God, those pancakes were awful! But we ate them, didn’t we? We choked down every foul crumb so we didn’t hurt her feelings.”