Page 50 of Convenient Mafia Vows

“Whatever we do,” Terry says, “we need to make it look like it was the don’s idea. He’s a proud man. He was born into this way of life, and he’s acutely aware that his legacy will be passed onto his only daughter. Without Caleb in the mix, he can seek an alliance with any of the other families.”

“So, we need to make our offer sing to him.” I rub my jaw with my hand. “Kyle, I need you to let me know how far we can go with casino intake. Terry, what are we talking here? Money?”

“Mostly. Old man Dragonetti is struggling financially. His daughter is bleeding him dry, which is saying something when you consider her father’s wealth.”

“But…” I prompt him.

“But…” Terry inhales deeply. “I think this goes way deeper than zeroes in his bank account. Why do you think he wanted an alliance with us in the first place?”

“Aside from offloading his daughter.” I don’t smile. Nothing about Olivia Dragonetti is humorous. “Because he trusts us.”

Before we took over from Terry, and he stepped back from the business side of the family name, he instilled in us the need for authenticity. He prided himself on his word being worth its weight in gold and insisted that if we ever let him down in that respect, he would take us down himself. He wasn’t wielding fear like a baton, he was simply protecting the family. And we would all rather cut off our right hand than destroy the family honor.

“Don Dragonetti needs people around him that he can trust.” Terry shrugs, “Sure, he hoped that you would deal with Olivia.”

“Probably wanted you to impregnate her,” Cash adds, “and give her a mansion in which to play happy families.”

He’s probably not far from the truth.

“But more than that,” Terry continues, “he knew that an alliance with the Murrays would strengthen his own position in the community.”

“Which would work both ways.” I’m still not sure where Terry is leading with this one.

“We need to make him an offer he can’t refuse, so that when we present him with his daughter on a plate, he trusts that we’re doing the right thing for both families.”

Bash scratches his head and lets out a low whistle. “Not much of an ask.”

Now Terry smiles. “Olivia is the gun just waiting to go off. We find a way to control her, and everything else will slot into place.”

“She’s so self-absorbed she’ll eventually shoot herself in her own foot.” I think of the graze on Victoria’s arm. “But I’m not risking Victoria or Abigail to get her to slip up.”

“No one’s asking you to.” Terry’s tone is firm, in control. “We need to steer her away from you and Victoria.”

“You’re planning a wedding reception, right?” Bash asks. “You know that’ll tip Olivia over the edge. She might just be crazy enough to attempt another incident that night.”

A glance around the table, and I know that my brothers and Terry agree.

“Too risky.” I shake my head.

“We need to go ahead with it though,” Terry says. “Fan her jealousy. We just make sure the distraction is in place first. It’ll bolster her ego, convince her that she’s invincible.”

“Especially if we keep the alliance quiet.” It could work. I’m already imagining the amount of security we’ll need to ensure Victoria and Abigail’s safety. “We’ll hold it in the Titan’s ballroom.”

“What about the distraction?” Kyle has been quiet until now, following the conversation, his mind one step ahead of the game.

“I’m up for it,” Cash says. “I’ll show her what a real man is made of.”

Bash snickers. “Best leave it to me then. I’ll take one for the team.”

Terry shakes his head. “The don sees you, Cash, as collateral damage. You’ll still be on his radar for getting him shot, don’t forget.”

“Hey, I’m still here,” Bash says. “Unattached. A hottie even if I do say so myself. A real catch some might say.”

I don’t like where this is going. “There must be another way. Not palming her off onto one of my brothers is the reason I married Victoria in the first place.”

“You’re not legally married in the eyes of the church,” Kyle says coolly.

I ignore him. “I still don’t think this is the way forward.”

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