Total pages in book: 125
Estimated words: 119250 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 596(@200wpm)___ 477(@250wpm)___ 398(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 119250 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 596(@200wpm)___ 477(@250wpm)___ 398(@300wpm)
I didn’t wait for his dismissal and left. On my way to my car, I sent Pietro a short text asking him to meet me in fifteen minutes at the bar in the Bologna, the casino he managed at the moment. When I entered the place, which had an annoying lava lamp theme, Pietro already perched on a stool. I headed for him and sat down beside him. He turned. Today his hair was immaculate and his clothes perfectly ironed. “I heard Jacopo was killed by a Bratva bullet yesterday.”
A Bratva bullet, not a Bratva soldier. “It was unfortunate.”
Pietro smiled. I motioned for the barkeeper to give me an espresso like Pietro.
“Father agreed to give Ines to you.”
Pietro’s expression brightened. “He does?”
“Next year, August.”
Pietro froze. “I’d prefer to marry her the year after when she’s eighteen, Dante.”
“My father insists on the date, and that you move to Minneapolis right after the wedding and prepare to become Underboss.”
Pietro looked away, running a hand through his hair. “I don’t feel comfortable being married to Ines when she’s only seventeen.”
“I assume because of the sexual aspect of your marriage,” I said in a low voice, even if I bristled at the idea of it.
Pietro gave me a pained look.
“We don’t have the bloody sheets tradition anymore. You can wait the ten months until Ines’ birthday. Marriage doesn’t mean you have to have sex.”
Pietro stared down at the bar. “Dante,” he said quietly, but the doubt rang loud in that one word. He raised his head.
I wasn’t blind. Ines was a very beautiful woman. Her blonde hair and blue eyes were desired by many men, and her tall frame added to her appeal. Pietro would be as good a husband as a man of his or my disposition could be. He was also a man—a man who’d have the right to a very beautiful woman he’d share a house and bed with.
“I’d never force Ines, you know that.”
“Ines has been brought up to be dutiful and her duty is to give her body to you. Force won’t be necessary, Pietro. You know that as well as I do.” My voice had become sharper.
“I don’t know if… if I’m strong enough to resist that long.” He searched my eyes. “Could you resist for months if your beautiful wife shared a bed with you every night?”
I prided myself on my self-control. Was I absolutely sure I could resist? No, but I wouldn’t reveal that to Pietro. “Yes.”
Pietro shook his head with a chuckle. “Then you’re a stronger man than me.”
Their wedding took place next year in August as Father insisted.
I kept an eye on Ines and Pietro at the wedding, trying to read their interactions to gauge how forceful my warning for Pietro would have to be. My eyes drifted to Carla who stood by herself, clinging to a glass of water. Her parents were dancing. I made a beeline for her. She spotted me and quickly averted her eyes in the demure way she had. I held out my hand. “Would you dance with me?”
“Of course.”
We danced for a while in silence before I bridged the subject that had been bothering me. “Are you sure you want to marry me?”
Her eyes grew wide. “Absolutely. We marry in three months… do we?”
I inclined my head. It had taken considerable effort to convince Father to have the wedding the same year as Ines’ but I didn’t want to wait. Carla’s parents were very conservative and she had already turned eighteen several months ago. “You seemed reluctant.”
“I’m not, honestly. I’m only keeping my distance considering we’re not married yet.” She gave me her first honest smile of the day.
“Three months.”
She smiled a bit wider, blushing, and nodded, and as usual, a sense of calm flooded me in her presence. After my dance with Carla, I headed toward my brother-in-law to deal with the second matter on my list.
Pietro laughed at something Rocco said. Since the old Scuderi’s death and Rocco had taken over as Consigliere his demeanor had changed. Now nobody called him Squirt anymore. Freed of his father and brother, he showed that he was a Scuderi through and through, not as depraved as them but cunning and brutal. A good Consigliere, one who was loyal to me, not my father.
“I’d like to have a word with you.”
Pietro nodded and followed me to a secluded area.
“You remember a year ago you told me Jacopo was a monster and that Ines shouldn’t be given to him.”
Pietro watched Ines talk to Carla before he turned back to me, brows pulling together. “Of course. I’m glad he got killed.”
“I hope you’ll prove tonight and every day that follows that you are a better man than Jacopo, that you deserve my sister,” I said quietly, stepping closer to him.
Pietro held my gaze. “If I don’t, will the Bratva give me an early end as well?”