Page 98 of Captured Fantasy

“And…Amadeo?”

“It’s a shared drive.”

I wiped my eyes with both hands, but it was useless. The tears were streaming too fast to keep up with. I’d endured a good many humiliating moments in my life, but this was the pinnacle of embarrassment. I wanted to walk away from him, go upstairs, and crawl into bed and remain there forever.

“Fuck,” I breathed.

Lucien circled the table and took me in his arms and brought me against his chest. His touch felt gentle and so paternal it brought a lump to my throat. I hadn’t felt an embrace like that for a long time. Not since my father’s death. He ran a hand over my hair and let me cry into the front of his fine, Italian suit until I was spent.

“Lorenza Russo, what shall I do with you?” he murmured.

“Fucking kill me,” I sniffed.

“Now, now, Enza,” he said, stepping back. He passed me a handkerchief from his pocket. “Pull yourself together. Then we can figure this mess out.”

Twenty minutes later, we sat on the couches in the living room, opposite one another. I’d made some breakfast and a second pot of coffee and I sat with my legs wrapped in a soft blanket. He leaned back, still smelling like smoke from his break out on the porch.

“Alright, Enza. I’m willing to give you one of my men, even though I’m not wild about it. I’m losing a diplomatic opportunity. So choose carefully—which one do you want?”

“Which one?”

“Which one of my men are you going take? Rico or Cosimo?”

“Cosimo,” I said without hesitation.

Lucien sighed. “Good choice, but fuck you, Enza. He’s my right hand.”

“He can still be your right hand.”

“I know, but giving up the opportunity to marry him to one of the other wealthy families is a hard pill to swallow. He’s talented and he’s going to climb his way to the top faster than I can keep up with him.”

I smiled shakily. “He’s going to give you a run for your money.”

“He gives me a run for my patience every goddamn day,” Lucien said. “He’s fucking belligerent, disobedient, cocky, arrogant, but he’s too gifted to let go. He knows the cards he’s holding, which is why I haven’t kicked his ass to the curb. So I guess I’m giving him to you.”

“Thanks, I appreciate that,” I said, raising a brow.

Lucien sighed. “Him and Rico have been at each other’s throats for months. It’s causing significant issues within my organization and I can’t waste anymore time on this. The problem with giving you to Cosimo is that Rico will have an ugly vendetta. So how do I do this?”

I stared at him, lost for words. “I—I don’t know.”

“Shall I let them fight to death?” Lucien mused, taking an unlit cigarette from his pocket and putting it in his mouth. “Organize a cage match? Winner gets Mrs. Lorenza Russo? Because I’ve invested a lot in my underbosses and I’d like them both alive.”

“What if I talked with Rico and told him I will never, ever marry him?”

“Rico is a proud man. It wouldn’t settle the discord because, frankly, he doesn’t care what you want. He needs to make the choice to walk away himself.”

He took the unlit cigarette from his mouth and rolled it in his fingers.

“Do you remember the Bible story of the two women who fought over a baby and King Solomon threatened to cut it in two?” he asked, cocking his head. “Shall I cut you in two, Mrs. Russo? See who protests and who lets you die?”

“I’d rather you didn’t.”

“Or shall I have these men roll the dice? Spin the wheel? See who’s willing to risk their own neck and who’s willing to walk away with their tail between their legs.”

“I don’t know if I follow,” I whispered.

He released a heavy sigh. “You don’t have to. All you need to do is sit back and let me handle this. I’m done with feuding, I need my men focused. You’re a distraction, Enza, so I’m going to end this. And soon.”

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