“So, if you’re wanting my information it must mean there is a mess to clean up.” Ripping my eyes from Nico’s, I looked at the men who surrounded me. “And you want me to clean it up.”
“We need any and all information you have, Emilia,” Nico replied as he leaned forward, resting his elbows on the desk. I couldn’t read him. For the first time since we’d spoken our vows, I couldn’t read this man. It was like he was a different person. Well, he was a different person; he was the Capo Dei Capi of Chicago. A side of him I truly hadn’t seen until this moment.
“May I?” I pointed to his chair and stood.
“What are you up to, Mrs. Venosa?” He asked as I walked around to the back of his desk.
“Give me your chair, and I‘ll show you,” I said as I leaned over and spoke quietly in his ear. He stood and moved to the front of his desk, and took the seat I’d vacated. Sitting in his chair, I looked out at the men who stared back at me with suspicion.
I held the power. At this moment, they were all waiting for me.
Shifting the chair closer to the desk, I tapped away at the keys on the computer. My father, in his limited technical ability, hadn’t bothered to change any of the systems I’d set up to monitor his organization.
Logging into the computer system, I turned the monitor towards the men and shifted so I could see what I was talking about. “This is where you’ll find all his contacts. Where he’s holding them, and when the auctions are.” Sitting back in the chair, I waited for more questions.
“When’s the next auction?” Carmine Esposito asked.
Moving the monitor so I didn’t have to try and do things backwards, I clicked a few tabs and blanched. “Tonight,” I whispered. All the trouble I went through, all the lies I told, the risks I put myself in, and he was organized again in a month.
“We’ll move on the place tonight,” Nico said as he stood and paced the office as he talked on the phone. The rest of the men filtered through the house, making their own calls.
Moving to the door, I closed it with a slight thud, and Nico turned his attention to me. “I have to go, be ready.” He hung up the phone, like a predator with its prey in its sights, and he moved toward me.
“I know this can’t be easy, but thank you.” He lowered his head, but I turned, and he kissed my cheek. When I looked back at him, the frown on his face and the deep crease between his brows told me I did the trick. “Emilia?”
“I’m coming with you.” It wasn’t a question; I would be accompanying them, and I left no room for discussion.
“No you’re not. It’s too dangerous.” He turned away from me and sat at his desk again.
“It’s no more dangerous than anything else I’ve done.” Just as I moved away from the door, it opened, and the four men whowere Nico’s equals walked through. It didn’t deter me. “There’s nobody else who knows what I do. The five of you don’t know the players in this, and if things go badly, I’m the only one who could stop it.” Planting my palms flat on his desk, I leaned over and glared at him.
“You are not coming with us.” He shouted, rage in his eyes and his fists balled up.
“She’s coming.” Turning to look at Romolo, I almost fell over. He’d been my biggest critic when I first met him, but here he was, going to bat for me. “We need her, Nico. She’s the only person who knows her father’s organization better than he does. I get that you want to protect your wife, but right now, she has to be the doña of the Carminatti family.”
CHAPTER 30
NICO
I was sofrustrated I could punch something. She wasn’t supposed to be involved in any way other than as a consultant. My wife walked out of the bathroom in tight-fitting tactical clothing. In an instant, I was pulled back to watching her on the screens, moving with fierce determination. How any of us missed that she was a woman is beyond me. The gear hugged the curve of her breasts and accentuated her hips, which I loved digging my fingers into.
“I don’t like this, Emilia. You need to stay home.” I wanted to pull her to me, to make her see she can’t do this, but I didn’t move; she did.
“Nico, you’ve kissed away all the fears I’d ever had. I feel safe in your arms and crave your closeness when you’re not beside me. I don’t want to upset you, and I will stay home if that’s what you want.” She was standing in front of me now, but still didn’t touch me. “But Nico, my being safe would mean nothing if something happened to you. Because, as independent as I am, I need you beside me. Not because I’m helpless, but because you’re my other half. Our souls were meant to be together. So Iwill stay home as long as you come back to me.” She pressed her hand over my hammering heart.
I pulled her to me and wrapped my arms around her. “Don’t do anything that will put you in harm’s way,” I whispered.
“I promise.” Was her reply, before she rolled up onto her tiptoes and pressed her mouth to mine. She slipped her tongue into my mouth and pressed her hips against my groin. What I wouldn’t give to throw her on our bed and fuck her into exhaustion.
A knock on the door made me groan against her mouth. “Everything’s ready, Boss,” Antonio called loud enough that the entire house would have heard.
“Are you ready?” I asked, and Emilia nodded.
Taking her hand, we left our room together, showing everyone in my house we were united, even if I’d rather have left her in the room.
“Nico, how the hell did you not realize she was a woman for two years?” Gabriele asked. The man from L.A. looked at my wife, and I wanted to gouge out his eyes.
“Well, to be fair, I was a little more deliberate when I was hiding.” Emilia laughed and laced her arm through mine as she looked up at me, her eyes sparkling with laughter.
