“That’s impossible,” my father added. “The security at this estate is already sadly lacking. Romeo would be in mortal danger here.”
“I think Romeo’s right,” Gia chimed in. “He should come to stay here for a while. It’s only fair.”
Everyone in the room whipped around to stare at her, including me. Nicky did the same thing.
“I won’t allow this,” Leo countered. “Romeo has already violated the sanctity of this house by breaking in uninvited, invading your bedroom…”
“How am I supposed to take his proposal seriously if I don’t get to know him?” she asked. “Cesare’s doing it. Romeo should do it too.”
“You shouldn’t be taking his proposal seriously at all,” Leo growled.
“I don’t approve.” My father waved toward Nicky. “One of these idiots could make another mistake that could cost my son his life.”
Nicky took a threatening step toward my father, but Gia stopped him by laying her hand on his massive arm.
“I insist,” she went on. “If you want me to consider Romeo’s proposal at all, he has to come stay here… but I warn you, Don Marco. If Romeo does anything untoward during his stay, it will mean open warfare between our families, and Romeo will be the first casualty.” She took her hand significantly off of Nicky’s arm. “We’ll send him home to you in pieces.”
“How dare you!” my father hissed, but I couldn’t stop staring at her. This woman was on fire. I couldn’t wait to get somewhere alone with her.
Leo laughed in my father’s face. “Well, Don Marco? We’ll see if your wayward son can behave himself for a week under someone else’s roof without you telling him what to do.”
My father glared back at him. “If anything happens to him, I’ll be holding you responsible.”
“I hope so,” Leo rumbled. “Our families have been pussyfooting around each other for far too long. I would love to meet you on the battlefield and send your pathetic clan back to Italy where you belong. You aren’t honorable enough to do business in New York, and all the families know it.”
My father spun away on his heel and stormed out without taking the customary farewell, but I kept gaping at Gia.
She shone with an inner light. Every word coming out of her mouth made it more obvious.
She really must be her father’s daughter if she threw down a threat like that on one of the city’s biggest dons. I couldn’t even be angry that she made that threat against my life.
This woman was going to make the most perfect mob wife anyone could ask for—that on top of what I already knew about her sexual responsiveness.
My heart leapt. I was going to stay here with her. We were going to spend time alone together. That would give me more than enough time to show her what might develop between us. The thought electrified me.
My brothers filed out of the house after my father. I had to shake myself to leave the room, but just before I reached the door, Nicky rushed me.
He seized my arm, leaned in, and hissed low in my ear. “You come to stay here, asshole, and I’ll cut your motherfucking throat the very first chance I get. Understand? You’re a dead man.”
He released me and retreated to Gia’s side, but the seething rage in his expression only got blacker by the second. I would definitely need to sleep with a gun under my pillow every night I spent in this house.
He stayed in the office with Gia and Leo. That left me, my father, and my brothers to return to the driveway where the limo waited for us.
“We’ll send your things over later,” my father was saying. “Just make sure you don’t give the consigliere any cause to complain about your behavior.”
I smiled to myself. “Don’t worry. I won’t.”
“Keep your eyes open at all times, my son. Be on watch at all times in case they go back on their word.”
“They won’t.” Leo Evangelista would never go back on his word.
Gia’s behavior convinced me more than anything else. She was going to give me a real chance. Could she be as excited as I was by that visit I paid to her room? Had she been thinking about me ever since?
Hot blood rushed to my cock just imagining it, but I couldn’t get distracted by that right now. I would have plenty of time for that later when no one was around to interfere, especially not Nicky.
My father turned to the limo. The chauffeur opened the passenger door to let Enzo and Ricky climb inside.
My father sidled over to get in too. My attention already wandered back to Gia and all the wonderful things we were going to do in her upstairs bedroom.