I laid aside my purse and sank into the chair by my husband’s desk. “What about our parents?”
“They will live the rest of their lives out comfortably, they have the money. But I won’t have them in my home, and I expect the other underbosses not to accept them socially either. After what they did to you, they’re lucky they’re getting to live.”
Being a social pariah was a fate worse than death for my mother. I stared at the ground, pretending to frown, but inside, I was deeply satisfied. All the abuse my parents had heaped on me was done with one goal in mine—to further their social status. And now because of that abuse, they had lost the thing they craved the most.
It was a fitting punishment. I looked up at my husband and his mouth twitched with the ghost of a smile. Warmth welled in my chest and I resisted the urge to get up and kiss him.
“I…I need to ask you something,” Cosimo said, turning to Lucien.
“Ask away, I’ve been granting favors all week. What’s one more?”
Comiso shifted and crossed his arms. “I want your permission to ask Lorenza to marry me.”
Lucien’s eyes narrowed. “Lorenza Russo?”
Cosimo nodded.
“She’s a widow and she’s a good seven years older than you. But the main problem is that her family isn’t particularly important. There’s no advantage to that match. You’re an underboss now and you need to start thinking like one.”
“I love her,” said Cosimo quietly.
“Your sister did her duty and married me, now you do yours and marry the woman I choose for you,” said Lucien coldly. “I won’t argue about it any longer.”
Cosimo seemed to withdraw, his body going tense. When it was time for him to go, I hugged him close, away from Lucien. “Let me talk to him,” I whispered.
He kissed my cheek. “Thanks, sis, but I don’t think it’ll help.”
The sadness in his eyes pained me. That night, I stood by the sink in the bathroom, brushing my teeth slowly as I waited for the right moment to speak with my husband. From the bedroom I heard Lucien end a phone call and then he walked up behind me, stripping his shirt and pants off and tossing them in the hamper.
“Amadeo is fucking idealist and I need a little less of that right now,” he said wearily. He bent over the sink and splashed cold water over his face.
I laid aside my toothbrush. “Can we talk?”
He straightened, toweling off his face and neck. “What is it, baby?”
“I think you should let Cosimo marry Lorenza,” I said carefully. “What if you had fallen in love with me and we couldn’t be together? It would feel terrible?”
“I got lucky and fell for the right woman,” Lucien said. “Cosimo is being foolish. He doesn’t know what he wants, he’s too young.”
“He’s older than I am.”
“You’re more mature.”
“That’s true, but at least think about it.”
He came up behind me, sliding one bare arm around my waist and rested his chin on my head. “If he can give me one good reason as to why it benefits the outfit, I’ll reconsider.”
“I’ll think of something,” I said, smiling. From Lucien, that kind of leniency was a gift.
He went back into the bedroom and I heard him get into bed as I braided my hair and rubbed cream into my face. Then I turned out the light and stepped into the bedroom to find him already lying on his back with the covers over his legs.
“Come here, baby,” he ordered.
I went to him, kneeling on the bed by his side. His eyes, those eyes that were as glacial as ever, roamed over my body. His lips parted as he ran his fingers over my bare leg, slipping them beneath my short nightgown to caress my inner thigh. Then in a fluid movement, his broad body as graceful as a panther, he flipped me onto my back and pinned me to the bed.
His mouth skimmed over my collarbones and he kissed between my breasts. My nipples hardened and heat curled in my pussy, wetness teasing at my folds.
“Lucien, I—” The words faltered in my throat.