Page 3 of Taming Nikki

LEO

“This is bullshit.”

My cousin hadn’t stopped complaining since we got into the car and it was grating on me. He was only fifteen, so being forced to go to parties where the primary goal was deals masked by arranged marriages was not how he wanted to spend his night. His mamma whacked him hard on the head.

“Language! We are not going to portray to these people that we are low class by speaking that way.” My aunt Carlotta had all but demanded that Frankie ride with me because she didn’t trust him not to cause trouble. I was regretting giving in to her right now.

“It’s the truth! I’m not even old enough to get married. Why do I have to go to shit like this?”

“Because one of Morelli’s daughters is around your age, and we want to make a deal with that man. He controls most of the port. We need to play ball with him if we want to bring in more product,” I replied with a growl.

“Leo! He doesn’t need to know about that!” my aunt admonished. I shot her a droll look.

“If you want him to be a part of this, he needs to know. Otherwise, we can just send him back to the nursery until his mamma thinks he’s ready to be a part of this family.”

It shut them both up and I finally got a minute of quiet. I wasn’t happy about this either. I had no interest in forcing my cousin to take on some mafia princess just to make a deal. But if we wanted the ports, we needed Morelli on our side. And it sure as shit wasn’t going to be me. I had too much to do to bother with a wife.

It agitated me, being forced into a deal. People normally came to me, not the other way around. I dragged our family out of the mud through sheer force of will and I earned the reputation that I wasn’t someone to be fucked with. The ports were the only reason I was even considering this.

I worked with Vincenzo Morelli in the past, mostly on small stuff. This kind of deal would tie our families together and that meant a big break for ours. I could see Aunt Carlotta itching to speak out of the corner of my eye.

“What now?”

“How do we know we can trust this man? We’ve come a long way since you took over for your papa. I don’t want anything to jeopardize your hard work.”

“Our only other option would be to go to war. Is that what you want?”

She sat back, pressing her lips into a thin line. I didn’t like explaining myself, especially after everything I’d done for this family. She could either trust me or go back home.

We pulled into the circular drive of Vincenzo Morelli’s home. Though, home was putting it lightly. Mansion wasn’t even a grand enough word to cover the monstrosity. I was pretty sure I saw a tennis court when we pulled in. There were valets out front who eagerly waited to sit behind the wheel of the expensive cars gathering near the door.

This event was a little twisted. Morelli parading his daughters in front of the bachelors of the Cosa Nostra hoping to score deals to gain power. But they were probably groomed from birth to expect it, so I didn’t dwell on it. I led my aunt and cousin up the front steps to greet Morelli. He wasn’t a big man, but he made up for it in raw power. His beady eyes flicked from one person to the next, shaking hands and analyzing who would bring him the best offers. Lucky for me, I had something he wanted.

His eyes narrowed on me as I stepped up to him. He may have the ports, but if he wanted to sell his product, the best place to do it was through me and my establishments. It's why I was invited. We would make millions if we joined forces.

“Morelli.”

“Vitale.” He gripped my hand firmly. He made introductions for his wife and sons, who stood behind him before turning to the long line of daughters beside him. Four girls all stood politely, their hands clasped in front of them. They were spitting images of their mother.

“Meet my daughters. Bianca is the oldest, followed by Valeria, Amara, Gemma, and…” He frowned, his eyes roaming the room again before turning to his wife with a growl. “Where’s Nicole?”

His wife shook her head and looked like she was about to say something when his son tapped his father’s shoulder.

“Here she comes.”

He pointed at the grand staircase nearby. I glanced over, but I had to do a double take at the woman he was pointing at. Unlike the rest of her sisters, who dressed like the rest of the mafia princesses I knew with their designer clothes and expensive handbags, this one looked like she stumbled into a punk rocker’s closet and thoroughly enjoyed it. All eyes swung her way as she made it down the last few stairs. A smug look overtook her face as she locked eyes with her father. She strolled over leisurely, like she wasn’t incredibly late to the party.

She stepped in line beside her sisters, winking at the younger two, who covered their mouths to mask their giggles. I dragged my attention away from the woman who was too damn good looking for a mafia princess and fought to keep my face neutral as I glanced back at her father. His eyes were wide and angry, a muscle in his jaw twitched. He was at a loss for words while she looked like she was having the time of her life.

I cleared my throat, raising my eyebrows when he jerked his attention back to me. “I apologize. That’s Nicole, the… spirited one.”

She snorted, keeping her eyes forward as she fought off a grin. The sound sent the youngest two into another fit of giggles, and finally their mother stepped in.

“Alright, girls. Time to move outside to the party. You should all followNicole.” She said her daughter’s name with such disdain that it surprised even me. I figured the outfit was an act of rebellion. If they knew she was spirited, why the hell did it seem like her mother actually hated her in that moment.

Nicole was either oblivious or just didn’t care. She spun on her heel and waltzed away, easily drawing the attention of the room as she passed by. I heard my cousin snort behind me.

“Can I marry her instead?”

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