Page 14 of Heartless Union

For one: We look a bit alike. Both dark hair, tall, strong build.

But unlike me, he doesn’t have an ounce of class. He thinks he can coast on his daddy’s money and not do anything to help the business, whereas I bust my ass off to make sure we don’t fall under.

“Why are you telling me this?” I ask.

Dante’s smile is so bright, it hurts my fucking eyes. “Because I like your father. I don’t want to see him killed.” He pats me on the shoulder a little too roughly. “Have a great evening.” He saunters over to the redhead I was going to buy a drink for. She immediately melts under his gaze and forgets all about me.

I find Massimo chatting up a busty blonde and pull him away.

“What the hell?” he mutters.

“We need to talk.” I nod at Emilio, who’s also talking to a woman. Unlike Massimo, I don’t have to drag him away. He joins us at our private booth.

“What’s going on?”

“Dante is here.”

They both groan.

“Hate that pompous motherfucker,” Massimo says.

“Me, too,” Emilio growls.

“He said something interesting. Someone is plotting against our father. I don’t think he knows about us, so who could he be talking about?”

Emilio scratches his chin. “There are lot of men who would kill for Father’s job. Could be any one of them.”

“Maybe even Dante’s father,” Massimo says. “I’ve never liked Carlo. He always had a greedy face.”

I frown. “What the fuck is a greedy face?”

Massimo shrugs. “I don’t know. Just that Carlo has one.”

“Ok,” I say, shaking my head. “We need to find out who could be plotting. Because if they’re willing to go against him, they might be willing to go against us. And I don’t want any fucking competition in the way for what rightfully belongs to me.”

“I agree,” Emilio says. “We should try to find out who and soon.”

I’m about to speak when I go silent.

The reason I go silent?

Lara just walked through the doors of my nightclub.

CHAPTER 4

Lara

After Rocco and his father leave, I feel relief. There’s something so intimidating about Rocco; I’m not sure how I’m going to handle being his wife. But I’ll do it. For my father.

“I think that went well,” Dad says, taking a seat beside me on the couch.

I can only smile. To say more would reveal my true feelings—that I’m afraid to marry Rocco. I know nothing about him. And he expects me to be the perfect wife to him when I know nothing about being a wife.

“Did you like him?”

“Rocco?” I ask. “He was … a gentleman.” And he was. He didn’t say anything crude or sexualized to me. He didn’t objectify me with his eyes. All he did was tell me what he expects from me, and I can’t fault him for that. He’s a powerful Mafia man. They want certain things from their wives, and I can be that. I can be submissive and docile. It’s hard for me to speak my true feelings as is. Marrying Rocco won’t challenge any of that. If he doesn’t want to know how I really feel, I won’t tell him.

Dad smiles as he pats my hand. “I’m glad. Rocco will provide you with safety. Once I’m gone, you’ll be taken care of financially. You’ll be able to start a family of your own with him. It will help lessen the hurt of losing me.”

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