Page 19 of Phantom Mine

I grin. “Because you don’t have an heir.”

His smile drops. Emiliano has two children, including one son, Luca, and it’s poking at the bear with a flaming pitchfork to bring him up. Luca disowned his family, announcing he had no interest in the Mafia, and became a chef. As far as I know, he hasn’t spoken to any of the Marchesanis in years.

Emiliano may very well decide shooting me between the eyes for bringing this up is worth the headache it’ll cause.

“Watch yourself, Leone,” Emiliano warns, his tone furious.

“I mean no disrespect,caporegime,” I say, tilting my head and addressing him formally to cool him off. I haven’t been working on this plan for years just to blow it inches from the finish line by pissing off a trigger-happy old man. “I’m simply being pragmatic. Marina can never be the head of theFamiglia, that’s a fact and not one I won’t bring up simply because it displeases you. If we’re to be allies, we need to be truthful with each other. I know I intend to be.”

Emiliano bares his teeth at me and takes a step forward. “Then what is your plan, Matteo? And tell me quickly before I decide I’ve had enough of you. Your father won’t kill me for slitting your throat once I tell him about your mutinous ideations.”

“Betroth her to me.”

That surprises him. His face relaxes and he steps back. “What?”

“Let me marry Marina,” I explain. “Your branch is the largest, but mine is the most profitable. If we unite our families together when I overthrow my father, we’ll be able to avoid a civil war. The Leones will follow me and the Marchesanis will follow you. The others will fall in line.”

The added bonus of this plan is that Marina Marchesani is undoubtedly beautiful.

Try as I might, I can’t seem to conjure her to mind.

Try as I might, I don’t see red hair and a blue gaze when I close my eyes. I see brown, glossy hair, hazel eyes and a full mouth.

Now I’m faced with the difficult and completely improbable situation of having a hard, throbbing cock because of one woman as I negotiate my marriage to another.

Cursing under my breath, I try conjuring images to mind that’ll kill my erection, to no avail. I’m starting to think thatsinking into her mouth, pussy, or ass is the only way I’m going to get her out of my system once and for all.

“Matteo?” Emiliano calls. His tone suggests this isn’t the first time he’s said my name, but it’s the first time I hear him.

When our eyes meet, I expect to see anger but only catch clear interest in his gaze. Enzo, meanwhile, glares at me over his shoulder.

“Apologies,” I say for the second time in this conversation. Internally, I grit my teeth. Melody can’t become a distraction. “As I was saying, Marina will be my queen. More importantly, our children, and thus your heirs, will inherit.”

“How do I know you’ll be any different a leader than your father and brother?”

I spread my arms to either side of me. “The fact that I took the risk of having this conversation with you should be enough. If not, then the fact that I realize there’s a problem and want to fix it should. If that’s still not enough, then as I mentioned, my branch is our most profitable. I have the knowledge, the skill, and frankly, the rage, to pull this off.”

His gaze is assessing, like he’s trying to decide something. After a while, he says, “How will this work? I understand what an alliance between our families would do, but how will you actually take down your father and brother?” He lifts a brow at me. “They won’t go quietly.”

“We do nothing for now, including not proceeding with the engagement just yet. They’re doing an excellent job of burying themselves. Time is our best weapon right now — let whoever is picking off my cousins continue to do so until their point is made, let my father and brother continue to weaken theFamigliathemselves, let our numbers keep falling. Pretty soon, they’ll be weak beyond salvation and the opportunity will present itself, I guarantee it.” I smirk slowly. “And just like theylet our competitors stroll into the Underworld, we’ll walk in and grab the crown from their hands without waging war.”

I let those words land between us, my unflinching gaze never leaving Emiliano’s. This may be just a conversation to him, but it’s been years in the making for me. It’s all I’ve thought about since I was eighteen. All I’ve worked on since I came back to London.

I wait for him to make a decision, doing my best to keep my breathing even. There are backup plans if he walks away, but they’re bloodier and messier, and that’s not my style. I staunchly believe in not getting my hands dirty unless it’s absolutely necessary. In almost all situations, I can find at least five solutions before I ever resort to violence.

Finally, he extends his hand. I see Enzo’s chest heave as he takes a deep, incredulous breath.

I slip my hand in Emiliano’s and hold it. “We have a deal?”

“I have one condition.” His eyes darken, a violent expression crossing his face. His hand crushes mine in his, but I don’t flinch. “If you humiliate my daughter, Matteo,” he growls, voice vibrating in warning. “I’ll take everything you care about from you. That’s a promise, not a threat. You’ll marry and honor my daughter or you’ll lose everything.”

For some reason, my stomach twists. I fully plan on marrying Marina, so his threat shouldn’t mean anything to me.

“I’ll marry your daughter, Emiliano. I guarantee it.”

Whatever he sees in my face, it must satisfy him. He pumps my hand one final time, then releases me.

“We’ll stay in touch.”

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