Page 71 of Sinful Mafia Prince

“Stubborn to the end,” Luca said. “I see where Dom gets it from.”

“This conversation is over.”

“Fine by me.” Luca shoved off the rail and started back to the house, but before he got to the doors, he stopped and turned back to Vincenzo.

“Dom will do whatever you ask. He’d move heaven and hell if that’s what you wanted; he loves and respects you that much. But if you care at all about his wants and needs, really think about what you’ll be taking away from him and if it’s worth it.”

Luca turned on his heel and headed back inside to seek out Dom.

CHAPTERTWENTY-NINE

SOME TIME LATER, Dom was sitting on the small stretch of beach at the edge of their property. It had taken a while for him to cool off, and luckily his father and Luca had steered well clear and given him some space.

It wasn’t like him to react so defensively to his father, especially about something that had been set in stone for years. Dom knew what was coming, and bucking against it would only drag things out before the inevitable happened.

Finding a woman to play the part and make a family with would be easy. Power and money were irresistible, so it would come down to finding someone they could trust.

Even just thinking about what was coming was hard to stomach. God, when had things changed? He’d been resolute in his path, in whom his father needed him to be…

But then he’d met Luca. Steadfast, passionate Luca, who was proving time and again that he wouldn’t back down from a challenge. He’d thought nothing of confronting Vincenzo earlier, and God knew how that went.

Luca was someone he’d been so determined to hate, but Dom couldn’t find it in himself to do it anymore. How could he? Luca had denied his birthright many times over, wanting nothing but the normal, untroubled life he’d been leading prior to meeting Dom. But after all this, howcouldhe go back?

“Mind if I join you, or are you still brooding?”

Dom looked up at Luca and shook his head. “You’re fucking out of your mind, you know that?”

Luca clearly took that as an invitation, because he dropped down onto the sand beside Dom. “That’s kind of the pot calling the kettle black, but okay. About what exactly this time?”

“You shouldn’t have done that. Talked to my father.”

“Oh. Does that mean you were listening?”

“No.”

“Then how do you know it didn’t go well?”

Dom raised a brow. “Did it?”

“Yeah, we’re playing backgammon and shooting the shit right now, can’t you see?”

“Jesus. You never know when to shut up, do you?”

“Funny, your father basically said the same thing. You two are starting to give me a complex.”

Dom groaned, wondering how big of a mess he’d need to clean up now.

Luca leaned in and nudged him in the ribs.“Hey. It’s gonna be fine. Maybe I gave your old man something to think about, you know?”

Dom shook his head. “Still. You shouldn’t have done that.”

“Why not? You should get a say in your life. Until we got here, I’d never seen you really smile or laugh. Why should you have to be miserable because of some stupid, outdated rule?”

“Because it’s just that—a rule. You’re not a part of this life, Luca. You don’t understand.”

“I understand enough to know your father could change things, but he’s too stubborn to do it. Gee, I wondered where you got it from…”

“God, you’re a mouthy shit,” Dom said, but there was no malice behind his words. He was actually a little impressed that Luca had gone to bat for him, but it raised the question…why? He’d done nothing to deserve it. After what he’d put Luca through when they met, Dom deserved to live out his life with someone he didn’t give a damn about.

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