Page 25 of Cruel Heir

“And if he agrees to talk to you?” Gaeta frowns. “What then, if you make peace with him?”

“Then, when I take my place as consigliere, I will make sure that your interests and businesses are elevated. You will be who I think of first, when opportunities present themselves. And I will make sure that Don Fontana takes that into the deepest consideration.” I look at him coolly, at all of them. “None of you would have believed me if I came to you before I took Lucia Fontana, and said that was my plan. But I’ve accomplished that already. Don’t you think I can do the rest?”

I can see cautious acceptance on Di Falci and Luisi’s faces, less so on Gaeta’s. But I can see them all looking to Don Amalfi, to see what he says.

He sips his port, considering. I know he’s thinking of his friendship with my father, of what that might have cost him with Fontana these past two years, of how his place in the Family’s estimation has slipped because of it. I know he’s considering how much further he might fall if he sides with me—but also how high he might rise, if I pull this off.

At long last, Don Amalfi nods. “I will take your side in this, Andre,” he says finally. “For your father’s sake, if nothing else. I will ask that the others—” he nods to the other three men “—that they do the same. We will see what other allies we have that might make a stand against Fontana, to ensure that he accepts this marriage as legitimate. But it’s you who needs to continue to take the stepsforward to ensure that what you have planned for will happen. The girl will want to free herself from this situation, I imagine.”

“She’s not pleased with it,” I admit. “But she’ll come to understand.”

“You’ll need to keep a tight rein on her until she does. She’ll be desperate. If she gets in touch with her father, she will bring all of his anger down on you. Make certain you keep her in line.”

“I will do that.” I incline my head slightly to Amalfi. “Thiswillgo the way that I intend it to. I’m certain of it.”

“I would like to be as certain.” Don Gaeta huffs. “But if the others are in agreement, so am I.”

That’s all it takes to bring Di Falci and Luisi in line. Four allies, four dons, and the men that they have to side with me against Fontana. It’s a good start.

I didn’t allow myself to think that I could fail. But having them on my side is a relief, so long as it can be trusted. It means that not everyone in Sicily is so in Fontana’s pockets that they won’t stand up to him, if they have loyalties that lie elsewhere.

And I intend to make good on those loyalties when I’ve had my vengeance. I have no intention of letting Fontana live, or his son. But that information can come in time, when I’m sure that Amalfi and his men aren’t going to stab me in the back. My father’s mistake was rushing. I have Lucia already, and I don’t intend to be careless.

I am my father’s son. But I won’t make his mistakes.

9

LUCIA

Iuse the opportunity of Andre being gone to do the only thing I can—try to find any other means of escape. I know I won’t be able to simply run from the property; it’s too well-guarded for that, but his absence gives me a chance to talk to some of the staff without worrying that he might walk in on a conversation, or overhear me.

Celeste looks particularly anxious when she brings up breakfast for me. I was allowed to call down for it today, since Andre needed to leave early, and his quick departure means that I can shower almost immediately after he finishes, too. He came tomyroom this morning, sliding into bed with me and turning me onto my stomach while I was still half-asleep, pulling my sleep shorts and panties to one side as he thrust into me. I pushed my face into the pillow as he fucked me, muffling my moans, hoping that he wouldn’t be able to tell when I came as he pinched and teased my clit. But he knew. I could tell from the way he laughed as he came, a dark sound deep in his throat. He takes almost as much pleasure in how well he can manipulate my body as in actually fucking me.

But this morning, I don’t have to lie in bed until enough time has passed that he won’t be angry with me for cleaning up. I scurry into ahot shower, washing away as much of his cum as I can, and then stand under the hot spray until the water starts to cool, enjoying the feeling of it. As long as Andre isn’t here, there’s no rush to do anything. I can wander the house as I please, and keep to my own schedule.

Celeste walks in just as I’m coming out of the bathroom, her expression tired. She looks at me as she sets down the breakfast tray, and her dark brows draw together with concern.

“Did you manage to talk to someone?” I ask her in a low voice, tugging my robe closer as I go to the closet to find something to wear. “Is that what happened last night?”

“I don’t know.” Celeste looks pale and worried, and it makes my stomach clench with fear—and guilt, for putting her in this position. “I talked to my friend at the Carruzza estate. I don’t know if he got a message to your father. But if those were his men, then he must have. Right?” She arranges the silverware on the tray nervously, as if reshuffling the fork and spoon can also set everything about this situation to rights.

“I hope so.” I bite my lip. “Someone else here must be willing to help, too. They can’t all be that loyal to Andre. Can they? Surely, some of the staff would want to see him taken down. He can’t treat them well, yousaideveryone is frightened of him—”

“Lucia.” Celeste shakes her head. “You’re going to make more trouble. Andre isdangerous. And the staff here isn’t just his—they worked for his family before he came back here. Some of them, like James, have been here since Andre’s late father was younger. There’s plenty of loyalty here to the Leone family, even if Andre himself isn’t well-liked. His father wasn’t a particularly kind man either. But for the last several years, they didn’t come to Sicily much. So the estates mostly ran without them, and we all minded our own business. You’re not going to easily find anyone here who wants to start some kind of rebellion against your husband.”

“My father would reward anyone who helped me,” I insist. “And he’s going to be furious with anyone who doesn’t. Isn’t that an incentive?”

Celeste shrugs. “I don’t think very many of them care about who your father is. I don’t mean that to be rude, Lucia—just that Andre is a more present threat.” She steps back, looking at me with that same worried expression pinched around her eyes. “If your father knows you’re here, or even thinks that you are, then it’s likely enough that he’ll try again. You’re better off just trying to survive until then. If you want my opinion, that is,” she adds, catching herself. “You didn’t exactly ask for it, miss—Lucia.”

I see a flicker of worry on her face that she’s gone too far, and I give her a small smile. “It’s alright,” I reassure her. “I want you to tell me the truth. You’re the closest I have to a friend here.”

Celeste snorts inelegantly. “Women in your position don’t usually make friends with the staff,” she points out, and I sink down onto the side of the bed, shrugging.

“You were kind to me as soon as I got here. You tried to make an impossible situation easier, even though you were frightened of Andre, too, if you did anything wrong. And I know I can trust you not to tell him what we talk about.”

Celeste nods. “Of course. It’s between us. But I’m going to urge you again to be careful. None of this matters if you push him too far, and—”

She goes quiet, but we both know what she was going to say. “I don’t think he’ll go that far,” I murmur, spearing a piece of fruit from the tray. “He could have killed me the night he found me in the garden outside my home. He had his hand on my throat—” I swallow instinctively, remembering how it felt with a shudder. “I thought he was going to do exactly that, but he didn’t. He could have hurt me since then, but he hasn’t. He needs me to provide him with an heir. I think I’m more valuable to him alive.”

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