I purse my lips. Sometimes I forget how observant my consigliere can be. “She’s a beautiful woman, and I’ll enjoy having her in my bed,” I say dismissively.
“She’s not just beautiful, is she? She’s unhinged. And yet, you still said yes to marrying her. All that for a lay who’ll likely try to bite your cock off on your wedding night.” He barks out a laugh.
“She won’t bite anything off.”
“She’ll drive you fucking insane with her behavior.”
“Most of her misbehavior was aimed at avoiding marriage. She failed. Why would she continue to act out after she’s married to me?”
“Don’t think she’ll see it that way. She’s not pure logic like you are. She’s marrying you because of her sister, not because she likes you, and based on what we’ve seen of her, Cleo isn’t one to suffer in silence.”
I arch a brow. “Good to know you think she’ll suffer being married to me. How have you survived all these years by my side?”
“I often ask myself that question,” he says with a grin before his expression turns serious. “I’ve seen how she gets under your skin.”
Sometimes Nero overreaches. Nothing gets under my skin. Unlike Joshua, I’m not ruled by my emotions. My own father made sure of that.
I fold my arms over my chest. “You know what does get under my skin? My consigliere doubting me.”
Nero laughs. “I’m just trying to do my job and watch out for you. Keep an eye on your drink. She might try to slip poison in it.”
“You think she can conjure some out of thin air?” She doesn’t have access to anything remotely dangerous in the bedroom I’ve kept her in.
“If I had to bet on any woman being a witch, it would be Cleo Garzolo.”
“You overestimate her.” I turn away from him and head for the stairs.
“I think you’re making a big mistake by underestimating her,” he calls out after me.
I shake my head. Cleo’s erratic behavior is a product of her father’s incompetence. Stefano Garzolo is a fool. Cleo must have sensed his weakness and exploited it.
But there’s no weakness to sense in me.
I’ll give it a week before she falls in line.
CHAPTER 4
RAFAELE
Bloody water runs down the white ceramic sink in the bathroom attached to my office. I didn’t think Joshua would hold out as long as he did. He’s a civilian, not used to violence, but greed is a powerful motivator for weak men like him. I scrub my forearms clean, dry my hands on a towel, and go to sit at my desk.
My work stares back at me. The boring kind, anyway. A bunch of documents need my signature, so I get started on them. Might as well make a dent in the bit of time I have left before I’m due to collect my fiancée.
I’m two signatures in when the door opens, and Elena enters with Fabi close behind her. Their dresses swish around them, and their heels click-clack against the hardwood floor.
That’s the end of my productivity.
I haven’t seen my sisters in a while. Elena’s dyed her hair blond, which is throwing me off. Fabi looks the same, with her dark, wavy hair loose around her shoulders. They both look tired. They must have just gotten in from the airport.
Fabi shuts the door behind her and gives me a gentle smile.
Elena scowls.
My sisters are fraternal twins, but their characters couldn’t be any more different.
I put the cap back on my pen just as Elena stops in front of my desk, her arms crossed over her chest. “I can’t believe this. What the hell, Rafe?”
“Is that how you greet your don?”
Elena narrows her eyes. “You’ve been our brother far longer than you’ve been our don. We have a right to be angry at you. You switch the girl you’re going to marry days before your wedding, and you don’t think to even call to bring us up to speed?”
“When was the last time you called me, Elena? I barely hear from you when you’re abroad.” You’d think my sisters would be a bit more grateful about the fact that I’ve allowed them to live in Geneva even after they graduated from college, but there’s nothing remotely grateful in Elena’s expression.
Her cheeks redden. “I’ve sent you texts.”
“And I’ve responded.”
“Your one-word answers to my questions hardly clarified anything. How did this happen? Rumors are that the other Garzolo girl fell pregnant with another man’s child.”
I twist the pen between my fingers. “And for once, the rumors are accurate.”