Page 45 of Blackmailed to the Altar

Eden looked at me with gratitude, but there was also fear in her eyes. “Thank you, Sebastian.”

Mya squeezed Eden’s hand, then let go to walk over to me. She placed her hand on my arm, her touch grounding me. “Be careful.”

I looked deeply into her eyes, looking for that anger, but all I found was concern. I nodded, leaning down to kiss her forehead. “Always.”

As I turned to leave, I felt Riccardo pushing forward, his presence almost overwhelming. I fought to keep control, but I knew it was only a matter of time before he took over completely. And when he did, Darren would have no idea what hit him.

Silas watched me with a mix of worry and relief. “Keep him away from us, Sebastian.”

I gave a grim smile. “Oh, I will.”

With that, I left the kitchen, feeling Riccardo’s dark anticipation growing within me. Darren had no idea the storm that was coming his way. And I would make sure he never threatened Eden, or anyone else, again.

Riccardo

Sebastian didn’t havethe machismo to pull this off. If I left him in charge, this Darren character would probably still be breathing by the time he was through. That wouldn’t do at all. The best way to protect the famiglia was to eradicate the problem for good.

My phone rang as I headed out to my work shed. It was on the property, but deep within the vineyard. No one would ever approach the area unless they were looking for trouble.

Samuel’s nameflashed across the screen. My ever loyal soldier. The world’s greatest hacker if I needed him to be. He’d helped me a fuck ton over the years, and in exchange, I’d helped him as well.

“What do you got for me?”

“Ugh, I hate this motherfucker,” Samuel whined. “Silas should’ve killed this fucker last year, and saved you the trouble.”

I chuckled darkly. “You know him, then? My brother isn’t a good man, but he isn’t a bad man either.”

Samuel huffed. “I wouldn’t be a very good hacker if I didn’t. Besides, Silas had me track this guy, when he was looking for his wife a long time ago.”

“Ah, the incident at your university?” Eden’s past was of no consequence to me, but that didn’t mean I wasn’t aware of her story. Not only did I learn a fuck ton from her therapy sessions over the past year, but I also had Samuel send me as much information as possible on my sister-in-law, as soon as Silas touched down on Italian soil.

“Mhmm,” Samuel grunted out.

“Well, I’m planning on cleaning up my baby brother’s mess. You want in?” Samuel knew who I was. He, besides my Nonna, was the only soul I’ve told my true nature to.

I didn’t count Mya. She was an extension of me as my woman, of course. And Eden, as my sister-in-law, was an extension of thefamiglia. If this obsessed dirty fucker crossed the water, I’d put him down. For now, I wasn’t too concerned about him, but knowing all my options, and setting up contingency plans, didn’t hurt either.

“Wait, if he swims in the Schuylkill River, won’t you lose your leverage?” I heard the clacking of Samuel’s keyboard. An irritating sound.

I shook my head. “Not necessarily since the knowledge is still there, but I like how you think. This is why I need you all the time, Samuel. You make sure I don’t make mistakes.” Samuel hadn’t settled into working for the famiglia full-time, and I wasn’t ready to force the issue. Not yet, but eventually, he would have to stop dipping his hands in other pies. I think that was the American turn of phrase.

For now, Samuel was an honorary Caputo due to his service to the famiglia. His loyalty. Even across the water on this mission, he was focused on what was good for the organization. It made me proud.

A plan was forming in my mind. “She may already be pregnant,” I murmured.

Samuel mused. “You could always marry her now, and then she won’t be able to get away from you so easily.”

“A boy would be nice,” I mused.

There was a brief pause over the line as Samuel took in what I said. I pulled the phone away to check we were still connected, then Samuel laughed loudly. “Damn, how the hell did you work so fast? You’re worse than your brother.”

I chuckled, ignoring the small comparison with my little brother. “Well, there’s no resistance if she’s sleeping, right?”

Samuel laughed so hardI had to pull the phone away. “Right you are, boss, and this is why you are the man.”

I sighed, kids were draining, and Samuel was for sure a kid. “Just be grateful I gave you my last name for protection.”

“I am,” Samuel said gravely.

---