Page 27 of The Hidden Heir

“Enough,” she insists, tears twinkling in her eyes. “Valentina is safe with the Petruccis. Her son is one of them, Papa, like it or not. The most we can do is accept the defeat and look for another way forward. We can’t keep doing this. Somebody always dies; somebody always grieves. Hasn’t there been enough grieving already, for God’s sake?”

“Your daughter makes a lot of sense,” I tell Mancuso. “You should pay attention to what she’s saying.”

He points an angry finger at me. “I will not be taking advice on how to run my family from someone who couldn’t keep his own brother out of my stepdaughter’s panties!”

“This is the last time you’ll ever speak crudely of Valentina,” I warn him. “There won’t be another.”

Caroline sighs with genuine exasperation. “Papa, cut it out. The Mancuso pride is what got us into this mess in the first place. Just accept the situation. Be a man. Be a father. A leader. It’s how you want your people to remember you. Most importantly, remember what we already agreed upon. Peace with the Petruccis is the only way forward.”

“Meh…”

“If it’s not me marrying into the Petrucci family, it’s Valentina. Why not do this peacefully and put together a future merger instead?” she asks. “Why have guns slinging and blazing and threats hurled, and God knows what other foul things, when we could all just take some time to heal, then sit down and talk about this?”

“Talk?” Mancuso grumbles.

“Talk,” I agree. “I’m more than happy to discuss a merger in the future.”

Terms of said merger will be mine to establish, but the Mancusos don’t need to hear that yet. I’ll have all the bargaining chips, and the old man probably already knows it. Caroline shakes her head slowly.

“I’m tired, Papa. All this fighting, all the threats⁠—”

“Add today’s kidnapping attempt to the list,” I politely cut in.

The blood instantly drains from her face as she glares at her father. “What?”

Mancuso brushes it off. “You’re right, it’s exhausting.”

He’ll probably get an earful later, but for the time being, Caroline leaves it. The Mancuso pride is never too far behind, and I can’t take that away from her, not after I canceled our wedding.

“Caroline, it’s really simple,” I reiterate. “This Sunday, Valentina and I are getting married. I will adopt Michael. His bloodline already favors him as a Petrucci, but I will take it a step further to secure his heritage. If the Mancusos wish to bury this ancient hatchet for good, the only way forward is to make sure Michael inherits your syndicate, as well, someday in the future.

“Bringing the families closer together will give us one hell of an edge against the Russians and the Irish,” I add. “You know it, and your father knows it, as well. For too long, our skirmishes have cost us territories and suppliers. If we show strength in unity, we prevail.”

“I wholeheartedly agree,” Caroline says. “We need to remind the others of what the Italians are capable of.”

Mancuso groans in discomfort, but he doesn’t seem to disagree with the premise either. “Fine,” he ultimately says. “I’ll follow my daughter’s lead on this. But when it’s time for us to sit down and discuss unity, Luca, you’d better play fair. Or I won’t have a problem wiping you all off the face of this earth.”

“I have been nothing but fair since day one,” I remind him, then give Caroline a polite nod. “I hope my message got across.”

“It did. I apologize on behalf of the family,” she replies.

“Tell the Marchetti brothers they should move out of Chicago. They won’t survive otherwise,” I add, then head straight for the door.

I feel Shane tailing me.

The rest of his security crew joins him once I reach the top of the front stairs. Their glares drill burning holes in the back of my neck, but I know they’re not foolish enough to do something. My demise will lead to an all-out war, and Victor—ever the advocate for peace—will set everything ablaze in response.

Besides, not one of Mancuso’s men is a faster draw than me.

8

VALENTINA

It's the day before the wedding, and I can't remember the last time I felt so torn between nervous and miserable. The day I'd say yes to a man was supposed to be the happiest day of my life. Yet tomorrow fills me with nothing but dread and anxiety, made even worse by this pulsating desire within my core.

Luca has wormed his way into my mind, and I can't get him out.

"Mama!" Michael calls out. He's in his playpen, and his favorite toy, a little red plastic car, fell over the edge.