Page 41 of Consigliere’s Revenge

I smirk. “Arman, you will be a very wealthy man with exclusive rights to the ports for your help in gaining control of them. Let your friends know we will make them whole financially with De Rosa product, and they can find a port just a state away that’s not controlled by us. A win for all, capiche?”

He nods. “I will tell them, but you and I both know there may be reprisal.” He’s not telling us anything that Salvatore, Dominic, and I haven’t spoken about at length, expected to come up, and all agreed on in terms of the strategy. No women on our docks.

Arman turns to Salvatore. “So, we are still working together on my special project, no?” he asks, smiling.

Salvatore smirks. “Arman, it’s always a pleasure doing business with you,” he says before the short, dark-haired man walks away, most likely to go and meet with the cartel, who we know good and damn well sent him.

As if we don’t have enough to deal with putting the De Rosas in their place and making them sorry they ever took Alena. “They’re not going to go for that deal,” I tell Salvatore, and all three of us know that’s true.

I glance at my watch. “It’s four a.m. I slept some of the way home, but I’m going to catch a few more hours,” I tell them. “I want to ride along tonight when we hit the restaurant, but I don’t want Izzy anywhere near it.”

Salvatore gives me a long look, and Dom smirks and turns to me. “You know that’s the I’m about to give you the third-degree inquisition from hell look from Salvatore, right?” he asks.

“I know the look.”

Dom and Sal both grin, but Sal leans in close before he speaks. “So what the hell, man? You get on a plane and chase that reporter all the way to Chicago and bring her back to your pad to lock her in your room while you come bullshit with me?”

“I needed some space.”

“To do what?”

“To think.”

“About what?”

I glare at them both, but they just laugh.

“Fucking tell her already. Every one of us already know you’ve fallen head over heels for the nosy little news reporter. Sergio was down here a while ago spilling his guts about how you were running through the airport chasing her down.”

Salvatore turns serious. “The only question I have is, how are you going to make her yours and keep her mouth shut at the same damn time?”

Chapter28

Isabella

I wakeup having fallen asleep on the couch. The sun has long since come up, and its position from high noon spills into the room, heating everything with its intensity. I glance at my watch and yawn, my biological clock all mixed up from the flights to Chicago and back that didn’t end until the middle of the night.

I’ve barely showered, dressed, and fluffed my hair when there’s a knock on the door. I answer it in bare feet, and Matteo stands at my door. “Hi.”

He gestures past me with a nod of his head. “Do you mind if I come in?”

I glance at Bruno. He doesn’t seem concerned a bit about Matteo stopping by unannounced, so I open the door to allow him entrance. He seems so gruff, just the opposite of Sergio, who is laid back and at least has said more than two words to me since I met him.

Matteo doesn’t leave me wondering why he’s come for long; he gets right to the point. “This thing you have with my cousin, end it. There’s no room in our lives for a reporter. Especially one who causes the trouble you do.”

My eyes narrow at the rude man. “Trouble? What trouble would that be, Matteo?” I ask.

“We have family affairs to set in order, and instead of doing that my cousin has me and Sergio flying across the country chasing you. Like I said, trouble.”

“I see. For the record, Matteo, I did end it. I told him to respect my wishes and not to come after me. Did your cousin listen? No, he did not. Is that something you think I can control? I assure you that it’s not. If I were you, I would direct your concerns to your cousin and not to me. Capiche?”

His eyebrows knit. “Why?”

My patience is growing thin with this entire family. “Why what, Matteo?”

“Why did you leave?”

“Are you the family counselor?”

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