I scrub my face, letting my hand linger before dropping it to my side. “You’re right. I wasn’t thinking straight, since I didn’t get much sleep.”
Tristano narrows his gaze and opens his mouth to speak, but Rafael jumps in first. “Did you spend all night fucking that cunt?” My brother’s expression turns sly. “I may have missed the wedding, but you could’ve invited me over for thereception.”
I exhale, my brain still muddled from lack of sleep but mostly because of Emilia. She’s a riddle I can’t find the answer to, and it bothers me, which is why I replayed every interaction between us in hopes I’d find some explanations for her behavior. The theory of her being insane no longer holds as much credence as it once did unless she’s a glutton for pain, but even then, I saw nothing to indicate that. Overall, I have no wish to speak about her to my brothers until I’ve discovered her secrets.
“Rafael.” Tristano’s voice isn’t loud, but it doesn’t need to be. It’s filled with authority, the power of the eldest male and the one our father appointed on his deathbed to lead our family. My brother is only five years older than me, yet the responsibility he’s had to carry matured him quickly. Despite the fact the business was split equally, unheard of in the mafia world and a well-kept secret between us, Rafael and I defer to him.
Tristano is the boss. Rafael is Tristano’s adviser, or consigliere. And I am Tristano’s second-in-command, or capo. We are a trifecta the criminals of this territory did not see coming.
“Have some respect,” Tristano says. “We may despise Caruso, but his daughter is still Maximus’s wedded wife. Since our brother sacrificed to marry the girl, the least you can do is let him have his prize.” He turns to face me, his gaze sharp. “What I want to know is anything concerning Caruso. I don’t give a fuck about his daughter unless she has details of his business dealings and operations. Tell me, Max, how did Caruso react, and does your wife know anything useful?”
I down the contents of my glass and set it on the desk. “Caruso wasn’t aware his home was overrun until right before I brought his daughter to him. When I first declared my intention to marry her, he tried to bargain, but when Caruso realized that wasn’t an option, he about lost his mind. Losing that alliance with Rossi is not going to sit well with him.”
“And the girl?” Rafael asks. “Did she offer any information?”
I shake my head. “I’ve only had one evening with her, but so far I’m inclined to believe she has no knowledge of his workings. If she does, I’ll let you know.”
“Perhaps you didn’t do your duty as a husband,” Rafael says with a grin. “Give the whore to me, and I’ll have her screaming and singing like a canary in no time.”
Rafael is teasing; it’s what he does. This is nothing new, nothing out of the ordinary, but the rage building within me at his joke is far from humorous. In actuality, my fury threatens to spill from me in the form of violence at the thought of my brother fucking my wife. Emilia, with her unspoiled cunt and her throaty moans that rival a siren’s call, belongs to me.
And only me.
Tristano, the most observant of us, stares at me with an intensity I find unnerving for once. I quickly smooth over my features as if nothing is amiss and arch a brow at Rafael.
“There is no need,” I say, forcing out the words in an even tone. It takes all the self-control I have. “I really don’t think she can help us.”
When Rafael parts his lips to protest, Tristano cuts him a look that silences him. “Let’s move on to the next step in our plans.”
I give him a curt nod, relief filling me at the change of topic. “I believe my correspondence with theBrise de Merhas gone well. I’m still scheduled to meet with one of their bosses as discussed prior. If we can get this contract, it’ll get us one step closer to cutting off Caruso’s supply.”
Tristano says very little while Rafael and I toss around potential issues as well as expected timelines should this deal go through. Every action we take is with the focus of bringing Caruso to ruin. Each of the seven families represented in the syndicate, also known as the Wolf Pack, specializes in a different type of crime. Caruso is deep into sex trafficking, and for us, it’s illegal arms dealing. Not the most profitable when compared to narcotics, but we learned long ago that some avenues of revenue are too costly.
What good is money when your loved one is stolen from you or you’re killed?
I always, whether consciously or subconsciously, run my fingers over the tattoo I got in my mother’s honor. My brothers and I all did, but though they’re located in the same place, they’re all different. The centerpiece of mine is a dagger, and on each side of the handle is a small bird, a sparrow representing loyalty. The blade is surrounded by a pair of angel wings that symbolize my mother’s transition to heaven, and the birds are my parents. The dagger represents the revenge I’m seeking out on behalf of them both.
Death will come to Caruso, and if there are any others found guilty between now and then, they will be executed as well. When my brothers and I reentered the underworld, it was with new identities, since our father faked our deaths when we were children. I was not more than five or six when it happened, but Tristano remembers everything as if it took place yesterday. He is unusually quiet just like Emilia, and I have a suspicion their odd behavior could be due to the traumas they experienced. After watching Caruso interact with her, and studying my own dealings with Emilia, I have no doubt he was abusive in the physical sense and in the emotional one as well. I have no sympathy, but I’m beginning to understand her.
“Is that everything?” I ask. During the discussion, I kept finding my thoughts straying to the naked woman tied up in my bed. It’s understandable because she is beautiful and I can fuck her whenever I please, but it’s not conducive to this meeting.
Tristano adjusts his cuff link. “I believe so. Rafael?”
My other brother nods slowly. “Yeah.” Then he exhales and groans. “Why does revenge take so fucking long? It’s been years since we started this thing, and it could be another year before we finish it.”
I share his sentiments, but I have a distraction now, something to keep my mind busy until we’re able to ruin Caruso. “Killing him isn’t enough,” I say. “It’s too quick, and he doesn’t deserve that.”
Rafael rolls his eyes. “You’re just saying that because you have a new plaything to fuck around with. I still think you should pass her around so we can all have some measure of revenge. It’s only fair.”
I take a step forward, unaware I’ve done so until Tristano grips my shoulder. “Enough, Rafael,” he snaps.
My other brother peers at me curiously and then grins. Fuck me. I know that expression.
“So,” Rafael says, dragging out the word, “are you leaving Emilia behind when you travel? I’ll be a good brother-in-law andlook afterher for you.”
He’s fucking with me, but that logic doesn’t stop me from fuming. “Remove my wife’s name from your fucking mouth.”
I’m so caught up in my anger I don’t immediately spot Emilia and Rosetta standing in the doorway. Before I think to hide my astonishment, I raise my brows at the vision Emilia presents. With part of her hair swept back and piled on top of her head and the rest flowing in loose curls around her shoulders, she is stunning. Her entire body is covered except for her calves, ankles, and forearms, yet the dress hugs her tiny waist, molds to her ample breasts, and flares over the swells of her hips. It showcases everything enticing about her, and my mouth goes dry.
