Nico believed Joel was after Barone & Sons, and that it bonded them somehow, a secret rivalry between the two of them. Dipshit.
“A shame you have to leave before the wedding.”
Nico bled into Joel’s peripheral vision, shock lining his face. “How did you know I was leaving? My father only called me an hour ago.”
“I didn’t know,” Joel lied. “I assumed you’d be leaving America now that there’s nothing left for you here.” In truth, he’d negotiated the deal himself.
Nico’s father had a modest cabinet-making business back in Italy. After researching every inch of the company, Joel had found that some unfortunate financial choices had put the company in peril. Six months max and they would have had to fold. Probably the reason Nico had comesniffing over to this side of the pond. His own inheritance was in jeopardy, so he’d come after Lucy’s.
Joel had called in a couple of favors to ensure that Nico’s father’s company would survive enough to entice the bastard home without the threat of him ever coming after Lucy again. It hadn’t been difficult, but it also hadn’t filled the vengeance Joel craved for this shithead.
“My father needed me home. Our company is doing well, but he needs my expertise,” Nico stated smugly.
This conversation could not end soon enough. “Safe travels home.”Don’t ever come back, dick face.
“Yes. And you enjoy the spoils of your victory, in both the boardroom and the bedroom.”
Joel halted mid-step, his entire body seizing, his muscles quivered with the restraint it took not to punch this motherfucker in the face in front of their combined friends and family.
Slowly, he turned to face Nico. “What did you say?”
Nico, oblivious to his arrogance, shrugged. “Luciana is a very beautiful woman.” As if he had no will to live, Nico added, “And her sister even more so. As you know, since you’ve had them both. Victorious in all things, my friend.” The leech smiled.
Heat clawed up Joel’s throat. “What are you talking about?”
Satisfaction gleamed in Nico’s darkened eyes. “Your rendezvous with Vanessa in Vancouver. The photographers were eager for pictures of the billionaire and his young model mistress. How could I not send the paparazzi your way?”
This ass twitch had organized that? “No one knew I was in Vancouver.”
Nico’s casual shrug followed his nonchalant smile. “What do you Americans like to say?All’s fair in love and war.I’ve been keeping a close eye on you, and it was not difficult to find out where you’d gone once I’d caught wind that you had left poor Luciana all alone.”
“Do not say her name ever again.” Anger filled him with an urge of violence so great he curled his fists into tight balls instead of putting them through Nico’s face. “You’ll never earn the right.”
“I have been calling her by that name since she was in diapers. We are second cous?—”
“Finish that sentence and it will be the last one you ever speak.”
Nico chuckled. “Relax, my friend. You’ve won. I put in my best efforts, but I know when to bow out. You can enjoy Barone & Sons and my beautiful cousin.”
Disgusting ass fuck. Joel’s fingers itched with the need to put this scum in his place. One call and he could destroy Nico forever. His finger twitched against the phone in his pocket.
“Ah, my two favorite boys.” Luciano’s loud baritone filled the space behind Joel.
On a deep exhale, he unclenched his fists and faced Lucy’s father with a grim smile. If Luciano noticed any tension, he chose not to show it. Then again, he might have been beyond picking up social cues based on the pink glow on his cheeks and the near empty wineglass in his hand. Joel guessed it wasn’t his first of the night, or even his third.
“You know,” Luciano went on, clapping a firm hand on Joel’s shoulder, then doing the same on Nico’s, drawing them a step closer to each other.
Joel’s molars threatened to grind into dust.
“I might never have had sons, but God blessed me with the two of you.” He laughed loudly at his declaration, as though he’d bestowed the highest honor.
Joel nearly crushed his Scotch glass in his hand. His beloved father-in-law had put him on the same pedestal as this rat.
Nico, the oblivious jerk, grinned, inclining his head as a show of gratitude and respect, then murmured something in Italian that Joel’s language app had not yet taught him. Fuck. Another reason to hate the dipshit. Nico and Luciano had a secret language Joel didn’t understand. He made a mental note to work on his Italian before the wedding.
A laugh rumbled from deep within Luciano’s chest, and he clapped Nico on the shoulder again. “Your father will be happy to have you back, but I will miss you here.”
Nico glanced in Joel’s direction, his smug lips lifting infinitesimally. But whatever the second cousin from hell saw in Joel’s face had his expression morphing. His smile faltered and his eyes widened, like prey realizing their time was up if they didn’t run. Fast.
