Page 16 of Stroke of Luck

I can feel Othello tensing under me as I continue on past what we agreed, but he isn’t stopping me, so I continue.

“My family will have no say in anything to do with my future or those that I am involved with. This whole mess is because of them and my bitter old hag of a grandmother. It won’t happen again. As for the Lastra ‘family business,’ I will not be a part of that. I get it’s what you do, but don’t involve me more than I need to be. What I want is to paint and travel the world, not go to strip clubs and deal with shady drug deals.”

“Firefly, you watch far too many movies if that’s all you think we do.” Paolo laughs, shaking his head.

I shrug my shoulders, not caring since I don't want to know what really happens. “Two more things… One, I will get to pick out my own clothes. No more ‘let’s play dress up with Skyler.’ Even though I should thank you, Enzo, for this outfit—it’s actually pretty perfect. Lastly, Othello needs to propose, like a real proposal with a ring, and he has to make me believe he really wants to marry me.”

Proud of my selections, I cross my arms and lean back against Othello like I haven’t just made his world hell.

“Don’t ask her again, Enzo. I don’t want to know if she comes up with any more unnecessary demands just to irritate me,” Othello interjects, cutting Enzo off. “I agree to all that she has requested, with some stipulations of my own.”

What the fuck?! How could he agree to all of that without even missing a beat?!

Wanting to look him in the face, I wriggle around, trying to get free of his hold, only to have him bite down on the skin between my neck and shoulder. “Hold still or I’m going to bend you over my desk and take you while the others watch.”

Instantly I freeze, both wildly turned on and frustrated at my response.

“As I was saying… my terms for our marriage agreement. As I said, Skyler is allowed to freely be with whoever she wants as long as they live in this house. I trust all of you with my life, and I trust you with hers. No one else will keep her as safe as the men in this room. As for the newly added demands, I see no reason that you shouldn’t have your own space, and if you choose to make it an art studio, you will always have everything you need. I will not, however, give free rein to decorate the house as you see fit. There are going to be six people living here, and we all need to feel at home. You may share with us your ideas, and we will vote on them together.”

The others seem to shift in their seats at this revelation, and it makes me think that this is not something Othello would ordinarily agree to.

“Matters regarding your family and the involvement they will have in our lives I support wholeheartedly. The more I hear about how they have treated you puts their lives at risk, but since they are dear to my grandfather, we will keep things civil. Now, the request to be detached from all matters of the mafia can be done, but there will be times as my wife that you will need to be present. You do not need to be informed of the goings on, but I do need you aware enough to keep you safe. This applies for the others as well—they will keep you informed of important matters, but other than that, it will be done behind closed doors. If at any time you change your mind, all you have to do is ask. I will not keep secrets from you unless you ask me to. Does this all seem manageable to you, mia regina?” Othello asks, shifting me so I'm sitting sideways and can finally see his face.

I can’t really argue with the rules he’s placed on my demands because they make sense. “They seem fair. What about my last two terms?”

“When we are done here, I will have Giorgio take you to go shopping. The rest of us have work to do before the gala tonight,” he informs me, then lifts his hand and grasps my chin. “I promise on my father’s grave that when I propose to you, Skyler Leto, there will be no doubt in your mind about my feelings for you. This is not a business transaction to me. I am taking this very seriously, even though we have only known each other a day. You are mine as much as I am yours, but I will give you time to see that before I ask that question. Because once you say yes to being my wife, there is no power on this earth that can take you from me.”

Shivers trail down my spine at his words, and I know he means every single one of them. How can a man so dangerous be so fucking seductive? I nod my head in response to his words, feeling like he’s waiting for some kind of acknowledgement of his promise. Seconds later, his lips seal his promise with even more passion than he had in his closet. What is this man hiding behind that rigid exterior? Something tells me that if I ever find out, there will be blood spilled.

With a final soft kiss, he lifts me from his lap and sets me on my feet. “Tell Giorgio wherever you would like to go and he will take you. Buy whatever you like. My woman wants for nothing I have the power to give her.”

Stunned at everything that just happened and the fact that I’ve agreed to marry a man I barely know freezes me. Giorgi takes my hand and gently leads me out of the office, snapping me out of my fog.

* * *

“Where to, stellina?” Giorgi asks once we pull out of the garage in a blacked-out G-Wagon.

“Did we really need to take the tank?” I ask, hating how gaudy it looks.

Giorgi pauses at the end of the driveway, looking at me with a frown on his adorable face, making it hard for me to be irritated at him. “Stellina, one thing you’re going to have to get used to, whether you want to be involved in the business or not, is that people want to kill us. I might just be Othello’s little brother to you, but to others who want to hurt him, I’m leverage. I know he seems cold and uncaring, but he does that to protect us. Family means everything to him, but knowledge like that is dangerous in the wrong hands. Yes, this car might seem garish and attention-seeking, but it’s bulletproof and able to withstand an encounter with a semi. Othello lets me do as I please, but I have to drive this car and have discreet protection with me.”

“There’s going to be bodyguards with us?!” I demand. This is everything I didn’t want and was afraid would happen.

With a sigh, Giorgi pulls out onto the street and heads towards the skyscrapers of the loop. I watch the houses and apartment buildings pass, noticing that they all have the same feel and color coordination to them. Not to mention all of them have an Italian flag waving in the air or painted on the side of the building.

“We own this whole square block. All the men live around here, with our house in the center of it. Keeps us safe and the community close knit under our protection. The shops don’t have to worry about anyone messing with them, and they keep us informed of what goes on in the surrounding area,” Giorgi explains, seeing my curious look. “There is even a great park and school for all the kids.”

“Why didn’t I grow up here if my family is a part of this whole thing?”

Giorgi shrugs, glancing at me. “If you can’t tell, I get my status from my brother. Yeah, I work managing the suppliers for our drug ring and making sure the dealers are making their quota, but that’s small potatoes compared to what the others are involved with. I never touch the stuff, so I was the best person to run the business, but other than that I don’t know a whole lot about what goes on in the rest of the world my brother rules. I’m sure if you ask Enzo he would know—he keeps tabs on membership along with Paolo, who deals with all the money that we bring in from all areas. Remo is the best to ask when you want dirt on someone or to have them killed.”

“Somehow Othello doesn’t strike me as the person to give you a job you didn’t earn,” I counter, hating to see the forlorn look on his face.

“Our mom was killed when I was six by a group of Russian mafia trying to take our turf. Our father was devastated at our mother’s loss, so Othello had to step up and be the parent to me, while keeping Father from drinking himself to death. He was only eleven at the time. I think that’s what made him turn into what he is now,” Giorgi shared. “In some ways our mother’s death pushed Othello to make the alliance with the Irish. The treaty we have with them makes us strong enough to hold Chicago against the Russians returning.”

Hearing about their past gives me a new perspective and respect for Othello. For Giorgi to turn into the sweet man he is today shows me how much work Othello put into protecting him.

We fall into a comfortable silence, Giorgi deciding to take the long route along Lakeshore Drive. I watch the scenery out the window as we drive into the city, the water of Lake Michigan choppy with the ever present wind, causing it to crash into the guard walls that keep it from washing away the roads. I picture the beaches full of people sunning themselves in the summer sunlight, while others rollerblade on the sidewalk in the shade of the trees.