Page 16 of Sicilian Sunset

How can she agree to this without consulting me?

“How does tomorrow evening suit?” Gualtiero asks. “We will pick you up from your hotel at seven o’clock. Where are you staying?”

Rhia gives Gualtiero the details while my heart gallops in my chest like a wild stallion.

Holy shit, I’m going to see him again.

I force a smile as I listen to them making plans, but all I want to do is bang my head against a wall and cry.

How am I going to survive a whole evening with Mr. Tall, Dark, and Handsome if twenty minutes in his presence leave me flabbergasted, tongue-tied, and uncontrollably aroused?

Chapter Three

Gualtiero

Thedoorclosesbehindthe blonde angel who saved my life as she and her friend leave for their hotel.

“Santino,” I call for my head of security. He enters moments later with a grave expression on his face.

Yes, he has every reason to be worried, but I’ll deal with him and his sloppiness later. What happened earlier can’t go unpunished, and he knows it. Perhaps his dear brother will have to lose a finger or two for Santino to sharpen up again. He cares little for his own life but would do anything for his family.

Everyone has weaknesses, and the trick is to find them. I’m good at it. It helps me to always get exactly what I want.

You don’t get to the top by being careless. And I’m at the top of my game. I’ve perfected it since I took over from my father after his death seven years ago.

“Have the girls shadowed and make sure no one goes near them.” Santino nods and disappears immediately to make the arrangements.

I can’t riskhimgetting anywhere near her.

Most likely, the café is being watched, and he’s seen Ella and her friend leave. I doubt he’ll try anything with her—she was just a random bystander, after all.

Then again, with him… you just never know. The asshole is unpredictable.

Niccolo fucking Molinaro.

For an old man, he’s got guts, I give him that. Well, old compared to me—he’s twenty years my senior.

Two years ago, when he turned fifty, something changed for him. He became power obsessed in a way that bordered on desperation—a dangerous combination.

He’s become reckless, seemingly not thinking things through. Greed is clouding his vision. He’s envied my share of the market for years, and killing me would create enough havoc for him to take over… or so he believes. But it’s never that easy.

What a stupid mistake he made in attacking me.

He’s messing with the wrong guy.

Anger boils in my blood. Nobody gets away with crossing me. My punishment is swift and not something you recover from.

Molinaro will pay for this. He’s a dead man.

When I saw the car speeding off, I knew exactly who had sent it. Violent rage rose inside me like a tidal wave… until I looked into eyes so blue, their depths swallowed me up whole and cooled my fury.

The air was punched out of my body, replaced by an instant calm… an unfamiliar tranquility filling my whole being.

Then my heart, beating ferociously with anger, sped up for an entirely different reason.

And in that moment, I knew.

For as long as papà was alive, he would say, “Son, when you meether, you will know without a single doubt in your mind. Don’t just pick any girl to continue our familia with. This is too important. You wait… you hear me, son, you wait!”

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