“Yes.”
I set the milk bottle down and couldn’t help the short laugh. “Why would I want to marry someone I don’t even know or is it to save his ass from something?”
“Mind your language, Ishika.” My uncle stood at the door, his face cast in solemn reproach.
“Forgive my insolence, but I’m sure you understand my skepticism?”
He sighed, walking further into the kitchen to sit beside his wife at the breakfast table. “This is a custom both mafia families agreed to way before my time to keep the peace and to break tradition would be seen as a sign of disrespect. Your mother was aware of this and why she preferred to keep her children in Italy as opposed to coming back to India after marriage. Besides, the boy’s family lives in the USA so you won’t need to live in India.”
Was that his selling point? I’d never been to India so I couldn’t say for sure whether I’d like it or not. Regardless, I wasn’t ready for marriage. Remo Rossi was enough to make me rethink any relationship with a mafia man.
“Why me? Why must I marry this man? I’m sure there are plenty other nieces in the family?”
“Because you’re the eldest of them all,” he replied. “And you know our custom dictates that the eldest must marry before any of the younger ones.”
“Oh, uncle,” I set a sugar bowl on the counter. “Times have changed, rituals like that no longer take preference in the modern world.”
“Nonsense,” he snorted, rising to go stand by the window. “Ajay’s family insists on the eldest and they are…” he trailed off, his expression distant. He turned, looked at his wife first then at me. “They’ve seen your photo and Ajay is adamant he wants you.”
“Wants me?” I laughed, shaking my head.
He nodded. “Ajay and his brother had an accident when they were younger. His brother didn’t survive and the doctors thought Ajay wouldn’t either. Since then, his parents indulge his desires. Now he wants you.”
My gaze drifted between the two of them. “So because he gets what he wants, you’re just going to hand me over?”
“They have something you might want, Ishika.”
I paused mid-stride as I retrieved mugs from the sink. “What could I possibly want from people I don’t know?”
thirty-four
. . .
Remo– 36 years old
Eyes on the villa, I picked up my ringing phone and answered distractedly. “Take a piss break, Gian.”
After the jet landed, I ditched the son of a bitch and drove off in the waiting SUV, leaving him stranded on the tarmac. That was an hour ago which meant he’d been trying to track my movements and failed. I’d killed my locator the second my tires hit the road.
“Fuck, boss, you can’t keep ditching me,” he whined. Courtesy of my brother’s resolute demand, Gian was never to let me out of his sight.
“Go play with your cock.” I cut the call on his protest.
Following the shitshow with D’Angelo and the fallout with Elio leading to the Cartel threat, Lorenzo was exerting a lot more caution. But I didn’t need a babysitter. If that wasn’t enough to set him on edge, my sudden return to Italy caught Lorenzo off guard, more so my silence regarding thewhy. That meant Gian was his only link to find out what I was up to, and right now, he was running on empty. Something Lorenzo wouldn’t take lightly.
Grinning, I dialed Rahul. “It’s all sorted, Mr. Rossi,” he answered on the third ring. There was no mistaking the underlying fear in his voice.
The first time we met, I’d eavesdropped on his conversation and saved his ass, killing five Russians at point blank range. A sixteen-year-old brave enough to hack into Russian Mafia accounts and play Robin Hood was worth keeping on our payroll.
I opened the app on my phone, a slow grin slipping into place as my little fox’s den came alive once more. “All angles?”
“All the ones that count.” He tried to hide his snigger.
“Smart boy.” I cut the call and did a quick flip through the cameras. They were all working again.
Two months ago, playing with Ishika Sharma during my stay here had proved the perfect escapism, for a bit. Leaving wasn’t optional, Lorenzo needed me and I returned to New York. During that time, I focused my energies solely on business. After we cut D’Angelo down at the knees and placed his empire in Alessia’s hands, we needed to stake our claim on his territory. That required strategic planning.
Nothing else held my attention, not even being inches deep in a wet pussy or mouth.Unfortunately, it seemed like the woman I attempted to forget had my dick in a chokehold.
