Page 142 of A Beautiful Crime

“If I may say,” Gino speaks and I already know whatever is about to come out of his mouth is for my fiancé, “Giuseppe has been overcome with worry. I fear the old man may cause an ulcer or give himself a heart attack.”

Concern draws on Carina’s face. Free from the shackles of her mind and morals and how she believed herself to be dead, she now expresses what she has always felt. Carina cares for Giuseppe. And for the care he had given her, tending to her physical wounds and showing her the only affection she had known I far more than respect the old man.

“Can you tell him I’m doing far better than alright? That the home Constantine has given me is the home I’ve always belonged to be.”

Gino laughs but it lacks warmth. “He won’t believe a word I say, Carina. The poor man won’t believe you are truly cared for unless he sees it for himself.”

He is indeed a good man.

Carina looks up at me with a question in her eyes I already have the answer to. “I’ll set up a call with him, amore. He’s welcome to visit anytime.” And I truly mean it. This is a man who cared for her when no one else did. A man who held her hand. A man who bestowed upon her love when she didn’t even feel it for herself.

He serves Savio but his true allegiance lies with Carina.

Giuseppe is a butler, yes, but for all intents and purposes Giuseppe is Carina’s father.

So, no, even as cruel and ruthless as I am I will not keep the two of them apart.

Uncaring of the eyes upon us she cups my face tenderly in her hands. I would’ve never guessed myself a man for public displays of affection, but with Carina it is a necessity more than air.

“Thank you,” she says softly. Nuzzling her hand I then kiss her palm before I intertwine her hand with mine.

Pietro sheepishly looks away. And Rico, out of respect for his Don, averts his eyes.

“Proceed with what you were telling me earlier, Gino.”

And at that both men have their eyes trained on the phone as if Gino is here in the flesh. “Him and Niall are definitely working together. Truth be told I am not positive if even Seamus is aware of the fact that his eldest son is holding meetings with Luca. And the way Luca is scheming around his father I don’t think Savio knows of his plans either.” I hear the swish of a blade, no doubtGino weaving his knife through his fingers. It’s second nature to him. Sometimes I wonder if the man even notices when he does it. His knives are a fifth limb to him.

Rico’s brows furrow with thought as I stare at him perplexed.

Why would both the eldest sons of their respective families go against their father’s?

“Luca has never once gone behind Savio’s back,” Carina shares with confusion. We all notice how she doesn’t refer to Savio as papa. The man is already dead in her eyes. Rest assured I will drain him of all the blood he has before I send him to damnation. “Elio was always the one who rebelled. A free thinker. One who wanted to rule himself. But Luca has always wanted to please Savio. Anything to make him the most important piece on his chessboard.”

“And while I agree with you,” Gino begins, “I believe Luca is feeling undervalued and overlooked. He knows as long as this marriage is set to happen that you are the most important piece to Savio. Savio wants this union. He wants shares of The Donati Empire. And he knows this will only happen because of you.”

“Jealousy,” Rico says as if it explains it all.

And it does.

Luca has never once had to compete to be Savio’s most important piece. He always delivered for Savio. When he ordered to jump, Luca would ask how high. Any order Savio gave Luca did without hesitation. Every move Luca made was for the benefit and approval of his father. He gave and bled for him to prove he is the most important piece on the board for his father. That without him Savio and The Fiore Famiglia would be in ruin.

Except for this first time Luca has to grapple with the fact that he is the pawn.

And it is a bitter pill he refuses to swallow.

Distress blankets her. Causing her muscles to stiffen and her face to tense with unease. I can practically hear all the gearsturning in her head. “Luca has always been in control. And Savio has groomed him to be the Don of The Fiore Famiglia when he passes. And he’s allowing jealousy to be the ruin of his promised future?”

We all pick up on her doubts but Rico is the first to question it. “If not jealousy, what would drive him to go against his Don? He worships him like his very own God, does he not?”

Carina’s lips purse as her brows furrow with heavy thought. “It pains me to even admit it but Luca is not a dense man,” she says with a soured expression. “He may not be able to conceal his emotions but he does not let them control him. Especially not when the prize is the throne.”

“The Fiore Famiglia throne isn’t much of a throne.” Pietro makes a valid point. The Fiore Famiglia of the Sicilian Outfit are a dying breed. Their archaic and old fashioned rules with how they run their Famiglias has been their silent killer over the years.

To survive in this dark world you must be able to adapt. When you learn how to adapt you can manipulate the players on the board. Make them bend at your will. Force them to see as you do. And if they don’t, fear will have them fall in line.

Savio and the Sicilian Outfit are arrogant and filled with pride. They will never conform to today's society. And it has hurt them more than they will ever admit.

“No,” she easily agrees. Her eyes then hold mine. “But yours is everything.”

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