“Marco’s men?” Jaxon asked, his grin widening.
“Yeah, a baker’s dozen. I think the man was hedging his bet about becomingCapo dei Capi.”
“That sounds like Marco,” I told them.
“Don’t worry, Ms. Scavullo,” Jaxon’s Capo told me. “They won’t inconvenience you.”
Jaxon half laughed as he clapped his man on the shoulder. “Keep watch. We don’t want any interruptions.” He nodded to Alexander and Sinclair, who both held amused expressions while I was shaking like a leaf.
But I refused to show it.
Now I walked with the grace of a ballerina toward the old church, gathering every ounce of courage I had.
At least I wasn’t alone, his brothers Alexander and Sinclair providing a more classical edge to providing muscle. To have a huge majority of the Prince family behind me was a telling statement to any member of a crime syndicate.
There were only two guards standing outside the gorgeous facility and within seconds, they were disarmed, including their two-way radios. Some sense of secrecy would prove beneficial.
I’d never thought in my wildest dreams that I’d do a crash course in the world of the Italian mafia. My father had told me very little. Girls weren’t supposed to be involved in such affairs. With Jaxon’s assistance, and that of his fabulous computer technicians, I’d learned enough to pretend I had a clue about how the politics were handled.
Like any government, there were rules to follow.
Several of which my brother had broken.
My hope, as well of that of my… fiancé? Had Jaxon asked me to marry him? Hmmm… My hope was that the other four families would handle the atrocity themselves. In fact, I’d insisted that’s the way I wanted it. Since my brother wanted the throne so badly he was willing to murder our father, I’d allow him to taste the wrath of power.
We’d purposely planned our arrival ten minutes late and could hear voices as soon as we walked in.
Jaxon flanked my side as the Prince family soldiers easily hijacked the men from various mafia families standing guard outside the room where the meeting was held. I almost laughed when he placed his finger over his mouth, silencing them.
Given my father’s funeral was being held in only a few hours, time was of the essence.
Which was why we wasted no time entering the room, soldiers filling the space and ensuring that there wouldn’t be any unwanted interruptions.
“What is the meaning of this?” While Don Capechi stood, furious at the interruption, I was barely paying any attention to him, instead concentrating on the expression of horror briefly crossing my brother’s face.
While short-lived, his body swayed as he rose to his feet. “Anastasia.” His voice was gravelly and for some reason irritated the hell out of Jaxon.
I grabbed Jaxon’s arm to keep him from reacting, offering him a look that shared our thoughts, our passions, and our connection. Or at least I hoped.
He nodded, taking a deep breath.
“Anastasia Scavullo,” Don Bruno offered. “Please allow me to provide my condolences to the loss of your father. He was a great man.”
Hearing my full name as I’d once heard so many times as a child pulled at the taut strings in my heart. I’d forsaken my legacy for a good reason, but no longer.
“Yes, he was,” I said, enjoying how my voice echoed in the hallowed space. I’d been right all along. The building had once been used as a cathedral, the stained-glass windows still in pristine shape. How ironic a dangerous group of men would sit and determine the livelihood of generations of men and women under sunlit artistry of a depiction of Christ.
“What are you doing here, sister?” Marco kept his eyes on Jaxon and his brothers and there was no doubt he knew who they were.
So did the others.
“Don Prince.” Don Capechi’s voice boomed in the wide-open space as he approached Alexander. “To what do we owe this honor?”
I’d come to respect Alexander. While he appeared gruff on the outside, very much like Jaxon, on the inside he was an incredibly loving man. I’d also had the honor of seeing him with his wife and child, doting on them in a way that allowed me to know they were his entire world.
Maybe that’s why the thought of having a huge family with Jaxon wasn’t so farfetched.
“Anastasia is part of our family now and as you might imagine, what angers her, angers us. What saddens her, saddens us. And if she’s disparaged in any way, well…” Alexander turned his head toward Jaxon to finish.
