“Be careful,” he advised, his voice softened just enough to make the warning sound almost like genuine concern. “My cousin can be unpredictable when he feels betrayed.”
Something inside me snapped. I was tired of being warned about Lord’s temper, his possessiveness, his unpredictability. Tired of walking on eggshells around men who lived by their own rules.
“I don’t need your advice,” I said, straightening in my chair.
“Sweetheart, I think you do. You fucked his cousin. That’s an elevated level of disloyalty.”
“And if we’re talking about betrayal, Lord cheated on me first.”
The words escaped before I could stop them. I watched Nicco’s expression change. It was subtle, but I caught it. There was a slight widening of the eyes, a tightening around the mouth. I’d revealed more than I intended, and we both knew it.
“Did he now?” Nicco leaned forward slightly. “That’s not something he shared with me.”
I pressed my lips together, mentally kicking myself. I’d opened a door I couldn’t easily close.
“It doesn’t matter,” I said, trying to recover. “What’s done is done. I’ve moved on.”
“To Lord’s cousin, a soldier, when you had a boss.” Nicco observed. “Interesting choice.”
Heat crawled up my neck. “I don’t care about your criminal positions.”
“You should. You’re one of us now. Especially after what happened between you and me.”
“I didn’t plan that. I didn’t have a choice, and you know it.”
“Sure, I will give you that one. But fucking Maurizio. That seems a little out of character even for you.”
“It just happened.” I confessed. There was no need for me to act like I hadn’t crossed the line. Nicco disposed of a body for me.
“Things rarely ‘just happen’ in our world, sweetheart.” Nicco’s voice remained level, but something dangerous lurked beneath the surface. “Every action has consequences.”
I met his gaze directly, refusing to be intimidated in my own office. “I’m well aware of that.”
“Are you?” He didn’t raise his voice, but the question slapped me hard across my face. “Because sleeping with Maurizio seems particularly unwise for a woman as smart as you.”
“My personal life isn’t your concern,” I said, though we both knew that wasn’t entirely true. In the Bregoli world, everything was interconnected, personal and business blurring until the distinction hardly mattered.
“Everything that affects my family is my concern,” Nicco corrected me. “And this situation has the potential to become problematic.”
I swallowed hard, forcing myself not to look away from his penetrating stare. “I appreciate the warning, but I can handle my own life.”
“You misunderstand,” Nicco said with chilling politeness. “I’m not worried about you, Ms. Harris. I’m worried about maintaining peace within my organization. Family conflicts are bad for business. I don’t want to have to pick a side.”
The unspoken threat hung in the air between us. If I became a source of conflict, the solution would be simple— eliminate the problem. And in the Bregoli world, I was disposable.
“I understand,” I said finally.
Nicco nodded once, seemingly satisfied. He stood with fluid grace, buttoning his suit jacket. “Good. I’m glad we had this chat. I just need to know why. I’m curious. I thought you really loved Lord.”
“I did. It’s simple. I was loyal, and he wasn’t. I’m not a fool. I’m not going to stay with a man who lies to me and cheats on me. I deserve better.”
“And you think Maurizio is better?”
“I know he’s not lying and cheating on me. He is where he says he is. He’s not sneaking around sticking his dick in other women.”
“What are you talking about? You mentioned Lord cheated on you. Who do you believe he was unfaithful with?”
“I don’t think it. I know it. I have proof.”
