Page 15 of Vincenzo's Promise
Vincenzo
“Now, tell me again why you’re driving to pick up Isabella and not sending a car?” Angelo questioned, laughing.
“Fuck you, Angelo. I’m doing it because I want to. What other reason would there be?” I really didn’t want to, but it was hard to say no to Bella. She’d made it clear she wouldn’t accept a car, and I preferred she not drive. It was safer this way.
Angelo was right; I didn’t even know the woman, and she already had me acting out of character. That night at the restaurant, no matter how much I didn’t want to admit it, I’d already made the decision I’d face whatever reckoning would come with marrying her. It wasn’t just her beauty that captivated me; she had a way about her—something that called to me like no other woman had. Something akin to familiarity. She wasn’t abrasive or haughty, like most of the women I’d dealt with, but our phone conversation revealed there may be more to the lovely Isabella Lombardo than she let people see. And I couldn’t wait to explore it.
“You sure it’s because you want to? Because it sounds like she’s already leading you around by your balls.” His laughter grew louder. If I’d been beside him, I would have punched him in the face. “You always send a car when you invite women to dinner, so if you don’t want to take them home with you, you’ll already have a way to get rid of them.”
“She’s not just any woman, Angelo.”
There was silence for a minute, and I knew what was coming before he even spoke.
“Then who is she, cousin?” he asked, all laughter and joking gone. “Because the last I heard, this was just a business transaction—a marriage of convenience. Something that needed to be done for the clan. Has something changed?”
“No, nothing’s changed,” I lied. Something was changing. I wasn’t sure what yet, but all I knew was I wanted to please her anyway I could. That was a notable change for me, but he didn’t need to know. No one needed to know. “But she’ll be my wife, Angelo. I do owe her the respect of me personally picking her up for our first date.”
Angelo’s laughter traveled over the receiver, calling me on my bullshit. He was right. I wasn’t doing it because of who she would be but because she gave me an ultimatum, making it clear it was either me, or she would drive herself, and it was what she wanted.
“Why in the hell am I even having this conversation with you? Did you inform our buyers of the change in plans?”
“I did,” he managed to say after calming his laughing fit. “And they are not happy. Instead of going out on a date, you should be sealing the deal, Vin. This deal is worth millions and expands our territory overseas. If everything comes together as it should. This isn’t like you to put your business off, especially because of a woman.”
It wasn’t like me. I always put business first, but this was the only day she had free. I wanted the chance to get to know her before she was thrust into our world and before everything changed. She was innocent, not tainted by the Life, but once we were married everything would change, including her. Not because I wanted her to or because she would want to. Because she’d have no other choice. Like I said, something was changing.
“I don’t have to explain my actions to you or anyone else, Angelo. We have the best fucking product. They can either do this on my time or go somewhere else. I can find another buyer just as easily as I found them.”
“I know, Vin. I’m just saying, it doesn’t look good to our clients you changing plans at the last minute.”
“Like I said, Angelo, I’m the one with the product. If they can’t go along with a minor change in plans, then they can go fuck themselves. I’m not begging for anyone’s business. I can replace them just as quickly as it took to connect with them. Look, I don’t have the time to talk about this shit right now. I’ve got to go.”
“There’s been chatter,” he pointed out, “so keep in touch and stay safe.”
“About?”
“Isabella.”
Of course.
“And now you want to tell me?” I asked, annoyed at Angelo for not starting the conversation off with what was more important to me than some fucking business deal—Bella’s safety. “You couldn’t have started off this conversation with that instead of worrying about why I’m picking her up for a fucking date?”
I wiped my hand over my face. I knew word would spread I’d possibly marry soon, and I was sure Daniella had been the one to spread it. When I’d talked with Angelo, I hadn’t been discreet. Didn’t think I’d needed to be. But jealousy made people do crazy things.
“We’ve got it handled,” he said. “Just saying, keep your guard up.”
“Make sure it’s handled, Angelo, by any means necessary. Nobody is exempt if it keeps Bella safe. If there’s a threat, I want it gone. And don’t worry, cousin, my guard is always up.”
I ended the call when the car stopped in front of a ranch style home in the typical cookie cutter suburban neighborhood. Houses with manicured lawns, pristine flower beds, and kid’s bicycles in the driveways lined both sides of the street.
Bella’s home was nice, simple, and not overly extravagant. It blended well with the rest of the neighborhood—not quite what I’d expected from the daughter of a Don. But since I’d met Bella, nothing had been what I’d expected. Most of the women I dealt with loved luxury cars, homes, and expensive jewelry. I’d gifted a few women some of these things and had expected the same from Isabella. Yet she continued to surprise me.
When I stepped out of the car, the street was quiet. The only sounds were that of my Giacometti’s hitting the wet asphalt, and the creatures of the night. My security parked a few houses down from Isabella’s to give us protection but remained discreet so not to alarm her of the increased security presence. I hadn’t had the chance to replace her father’s men with my own, but as soon as I returned home, I’d make sure to inform Cyrus I would use my security instead of his. I would trust no one but my men with my fiancée’s safety. They had already been shadowing her since she returned home from her father’s.
Damn, that sounds strange.
Fiancée.
The single road leading into the neighborhood was empty. The streetlamps reflected off the wet asphalt, casting an eerie white glow over the homes lining both sides of the street of the quiet, spacious development. The yellow light of lamps and blue glow of televisions lit up each home on the cul-de-sac. Out of habit, I looked up and down the desolate street, making sure there wasn’t a threat. I was sure my men were doing the same. Picking up a woman from her home was something I never do, so they were on high alert, just as I was.
