Page 55 of Righteous Deceit

He smirks. “We’re family.”

I laugh softly. “I don’t have time for games.”

“And I don’t have the patience for disrespect,” he bites back. “You waltz into my office without an invitation, accusing me of god knows fucking what and demanding information about a situation that has nothing to do with you. You don’t scare me, Salvatore. I run a billion-dollar enterprise, and I’m threatened daily by men who have more of a vested interest in my demise than you. So tell me what you need or leave. As I said, I’m busy.”

I’ve always liked CJ, and I know Alessia does too.

“Vested interest is very different to having the stomach and means for murder.”

Mirth hits his eyes. “I’m more at risk of being shot by a stranger on the street than you.”

“Is that so?”

“You’re on parole. Security cameras track the entire building and its surroundings. If you wanted to kill me, Bianchi, you’re not stupid enough to do it here.”

I look at my drink, turning the crystal tumbler in my hand. “What were you and Alessia meeting about?”

He sighs, placing his whiskey on his desk to cross his arms over his chest. “Shouldn’t you be speaking to Alessia directly about this?”

“She’s my next visit.” I swallow the last of my drink, sliding my glass onto the coffee table.

I lean back into the sofa, crossing my ankle over my knee.

“My father’s will has stipulations. I want a way around them.”

Alessia mentioned this to me already.

“Stipulations?” I ask dumbly.

“Alessia currently holds controlling power over our business until she dies or remarries.”

I growl low in my throat. “What else?”

“Alessia has the power to sign everything back to me as long as I meet certain conditions.”

“Such as?”

“If I fall in love.”

I frown. “What?”

“My father was a sick son-of-a-bitch. He wants me to find happiness, apparently.”

“How does that involve Alessia?”

“I asked her to marry me.”

I wasn’t expecting that.

“We’re friends. It’s only a matter of time before you force her to marry some other geriatric to solidify power. I thought my solution was a win-win for us both.”

“She didn’t see it that way?”

He shakes his head. “Nope.”

My brow furrows, and my mind wanders. Why the fuck would she reject a proposal like this without discussing it with me first? CJ’s right. It’s a win-win. Our relationship with the Lincoln conglomerate remains secure, and she saves herself from any future need for her to marry.

It has to be this Greco kid. Diego is the only roadblock I can think of. The young capo is tapping my sister right under my fucking nose.Fucking hell.Out of anyone she could have tied herself to, she chooses a capo from another fucking outfit. I’m going to kill him. I’ll gut him like a fucking fish and carve his face up until it's unrecognizable. And if Caruso bats a single fucking eyelash, I’ll declare war on New York City. The audacity to come into my fucking territory and pretend we’refriendlyonly to disgrace my sister in her own goddamn city and treat her like a fucking whore instead of thebossshe is. I’ll kill them all.

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