Page 100 of Diavolo

"Was there a reason why Valentina, Carmen, and Alessandro's father didn't attend the wedding?"

Malina's expression remained steadfast and calm. "Signor Vitalewished to use their absence to make a statement."

Elyse frowned. "What sort of statement?"

"A statement," the older woman specified, "to let allies know the time has come to recognizehimascapo."

Dot after dot began to connect. The politics behind Alessandro's strategy became evident. It seemed her husband wanted to prove that he was influential enough to prevent his own father, stepmother, and stepsister—power players in their own right—from attending an event as important as a Vitale-Graviano wedding. His message was clear.The old guard was irrelevant, and the new guard had taken over.

"Does this mean," Elyse inquired with a bleak expression, "his father's cancer is no longer a secret?"

Malina nodded stiffly.

Elyse demanded, "Do his enemies know already?"

"TheStiddaknow. TheCamorraknow. TheBasilischiknow. All the surrounding Italian mafias know."

This alarming warning sent another wave of shame rolling through Elyse. While she had been preoccupied with abstract problems, Alessandro had been dealing with a concrete crisis. His father was dying. Their empire was at stake. Rival mafias were waiting for him to fail at every turn.

"I criticized Alessandro and pushed him away," Elyse muttered guiltily, "when he needed my support."

Malina patted Elyse's shoulder gently. "Be kinder to yourself. To be honest, I am surprised by how well you maintained grace under pressure. You have been through hell and high water in a short span of time. Individuals with fainter hearts would have lost their minds by day two."

Elyse grimaced. "Thank you?"

The housekeeper continued in comforting tones, "You are welcome. At the end of the day,Signor Vitaleis a capable man. He does not need you to shoulder his duties, but, if you can show him some kindness, it would make a world of difference. Everyone else can go to hell as far as he is concerned. But one genuine word of praise—from you—would probably make him one happy bastard for the rest of his days."

Malina's words filled Elyse with a sudden sense of purpose. She wanted to reach out to Alessandro more than ever. Elyse wanted to show him that she could be his anchor when storms ravaged their seas. As they finished getting ready for the party, Elyse proceeded to spend the next thirty minutes grilling the housekeeper for more dirt and arsenal to use against Mariposa and Cara and Valentina. She was preparing for battle.

At seven o'clock sharp, Alessandro came to Elyse. He wore a light gray suit paired with a black dress shirt, no tie, and the top two buttons of his shirt had been left undone. Her husband looked sharp but not stuffy. Casual yet sexy. The man was completely and utterly fuckable. She could barely take her eyes off of him.

For tonight, Malina had selected a mid-length, deep emerald, satin slip dress for Elyse. Delicate, thin straps held up the hourglass silhouette of the bodice, and the color of the fabric complemented the green in her eyes like an jewel-toned dream. Elyse knew she looked stunning. A fact that didn't fail to escape Alessandro's heated gaze. His eyes raked her from head to toe even though he was clearly not ready to kiss and make up.

"You look... beautiful," he offered grudgingly.

"Thank you," Elyse replied with a small smile. "You look beautiful as well."

Her compliment seemed to catch him by surprise. A slight blush tinged his tanned cheeks. Alessandro muttered, "Grazie."

With Nils at the wheel, they got into the car and headed out to Mariposa's beachfront villa in Carini. Monte and his crew of bodyguards followed behind them in a separate vehicle. Alessandro ignored Elyse much as he had in Paris after her non-attempt to escape. His demeanor felt like ice. Cold and impenetrable. Elyse tried not to let it bother her.

They arrived at a villa framed by swaying palms and wrought iron gates. Its clean whitewashed stone walls and sienna-brown terracotta roof tiles somehow managed to merge old with new while staying true to the local architectural style. Alessandro helped Elyse out of the car with a grim expression. She joked quietly, "Let's hope tonight will be boring and uneventful."

He grunted in agreement and tried to let go of her hand once she exited the vehicle, but Elyse wasn't having it. She clung to his arm, latching on to him with firm, unwavering affection. Brown and blue-gray eyes widened at her boldness. A question simmered in his gaze. "What are you doing?"

"My hands are cold," Elyse explained. "The car ride over was a bitchilly."

His arm muscles tensed beneath her hold. In cool tones, he drawled, "I did not notice."

Yet, happily, Alessandro didn't pry himself away from her. They continued to walk, side by side, toward the villa. She took this as a sign to continue making peace with her man. In soft, pliant tones, Elyse murmured, "Alessio?"

Her use of his nickname seemed to melt his wintry countenance even more. His muscles relaxed slightly beneath her palms. "What is it?"

Elyse lowered her lashes. "I understand there are matters that remain unresolved between us, but I'm willing to set them aside for a few hours to help you in any way I can."

His eyebrows rose. "Is that so?"

Elyse leaned over to whisper in his ear, "I've wronged you. I know it. Punish me later.Sir."

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