“Don’t tempt me,” I moan, releasing his hair and running my hand down his shoulders to his chest. “Take me inside before I completely lose my mind.”
Humming his amusement, Leo withdraws his hands from my robe, pulling it closed and securing the belt once more. Then he wraps an arm around my hips and pops open the car door.
“Leo, what are you doing?” I hiss, my arms and legs tightening around him as he dips through the doorway without letting me go.
“I’m taking you inside,” he promises, straightening.
My robe falls loosely around my hips but stays closed up top, meaning Leo is the only thing hiding the bottom half of my front, and he smiles devilishly as he hoists me higher in his arms and presses a kiss to my throat.
Christ, he’s going to be the ruin of me.
But if this is the path to hell, I’m more than willing to follow him down.
30
LEO
“You made a fool of us, throwing yourself overboard after your wife like that.”
My father’s cold glare reaches across the desk in his study to wrap like a fist around my throat, choking off the retort that burns like acid on my tongue.
I knew this meeting wasn’t going to be pleasant.
Especially when I left my wife sleeping in our bed on the far side of the house to come listen to the don rail on his point once again.
“How can we use the Tanaka girl as a weapon if you care more about her than her own brother?” he demands, planting his palms on his desk and rising to lean over it in his fury.
But he’s not the only one who’s pissed.
“Don’t call her that,” I state flatly.
“Call her what?” he scoffs.
“‘That Tanaka girl.’ She is Sora Chiaroscuro now, mywife. And it’s time you removed your nose from our business. You’re the one who put this whole play into action. It’s your plan blowing up in our faces, like I said it would, because the Tanakas don’t want an alliance. Kenji doesn’t want this partnership. In fact, from day one, he’s done everything he can to sabotage it. But you’re too blinded by arrogance to see it.”
My father sputters, his face reddening as I rise to meet him on the field of battle.
“He threw her overboard,” I growl. “When no one was around to be hurt by it but her. She’s not a tool you can use because Kenji doesn’t care about her. He would have let her drown. You made your play, and it failed. Now I’m done following orders from you.”
Standing, I turn to leave, ready to walk away from it all if that’s what needs to happen.
“Don’t you turn your back on me, boy,” my father snarls. “You think that just because you’re my eldest, I won’t replace you?”
Whirling, I turn back to plant my palms on his desk as well, getting right up in his face. “Do it. I dare you.”
Silence stretches between us, the vein in my father’s temple pulsing as he considers his next move.
But as the seconds pass, I know he won’t go through with it.
He might not feel remorse if he killed me, but he would feel the backlash now that he’s pronounced me the imminent new don.
To revoke that now wouldn’t just cause turmoil in our family. It would make him look weak in front of thecapo dei capiand every one of our allies.
“Your time is over, old man,” I state coldly. “I’m in charge now, whether you’d like to think so or not, and I intend to do thingsmyway as the head of this family.”
Fury flashes across my father’s face, but a hint of fear lingers behind his eyes. “You’ve forgotten your place,” he warns, straightening to his full height.
“And where is that, exactly? Beneath your boot? I’m tired of being your footrest.”
