Page 31 of Cruel Heir

“With so many precautions, how could I possibly think to try?” Her voice is still thick with sarcasm, and I grit my teeth.

“What do I have to do to make you understand that you should fear me?” I take a threatening step forward, and I see Lucia flinch slightly. I realize, in that moment, that the problem isn’t perhaps that she doesn’t fear me. It’s that she’s beginning to be so hopeless that she’s forgetting to care.

I can’t give her hope that she’s going to escape. I don’twanther tohave hope for that. The possessiveness that sweeps through me is almost startling, and I step right in front of her before I can think to stop myself, reaching down to grip her jaw in my fingers.

“You aremine,” I growl, my gaze locking with hers. “You will always be mine, Lucia.”

I hear her soft intake of breath when I say her name. I feel her stiffen under my touch. And it takes everything in me to let go of her and walk away, out of the room and down to my waiting car.

There are three other dons with Don Amalfi, Gaeta, Di Falci, and Luisi today, two of them with younger men at their sides who, I would guess, are their sons. They all look concerned, murmuring quietly among each other, but everyone looks at me when I step into the room. For the first time, I feel a taste of what kind of power my father must have commanded—the briefest glimpse of what it must feel like to be a man like Don Fontana. It tastes sweet on my tongue, heavy like good wine, and when Amalfi gets up to hand me a drink this time, I know I’m a step closer to the position I’ve craved.

“Tell them what you told us,” Amalfi urges, as we sit down. “I waited for you to fill them in.” He nods to the new arrivals. “Tell them what you’ve done.”

It’s clear to me, in just those few sentences, that my claim on Lucia is my trump card. Possessing her is the thing that will bring me the victory I want, that will keep these men on my side. I’ve done something that they would never have believed I could.

“I have Don Fontana’s daughter,” I tell them flatly. I say it without arrogance, as if it’s a simple fact, something that I never doubted I could accomplish. And in many ways, that’s the truth. I always felt confident that I would do this, because it was the means of getting the vengeance I needed. “I’ve married her in front of a priest, properly, and had our wedding night. Any day now, I expect her to tell me that she’s carrying my heir.”

The shock on the new dons’ faces is palpable. They look at Amalfi, as if waiting for him to contradict my claim, but Amalfi just nods. “He’s done exactly that,” Amalfi says calmly. “Thus, my reasoning for bringing you here. If Fontana’s daughter is his, thenDon Leone stands to gain more power than we could have anticipated.”

Don Leone. Hearing Amalfi refer to me that way in front of these men, these new potential allies, sends a rush of satisfaction through me. He’s always addressed me informally, by my first name, even in our last meeting. But now, he speaks my name as if I’m his peer.

“Do you have proof?” One of the men, older-looking with black hair shot through with grey, addresses Amalfi directly. “Have you seen the girl with your own eyes? Are yousurehe has her?”

Anger flares sharply in my chest, and I open my mouth to retort, but Amalfi gives me a quick shake of his head. “I have not,” he says calmly. “But I knew Don Leone’s father well. I would not think to question his honesty.”

“I would.” One of the other dons, who brought his son, speaks up, his Sicilian accent thick and labored. “Leone wants his father’s blood avenged, yes? So what lengths would he not go to in order to see that done? He might even lie about having Fontana’s daughter, to entice us to take his side.”

“I’m not foolish enough to lie to my allies.” I grit the words out between my teeth, knowing that I have, in some ways, done exactly that—not a lie, precisely, but omission of information. I haven’t yet told anyone that I intend for Don Fontana and his son to die. But that’s not what matters right now. “Lucia Fontana is my wife. The marriage is unquestionably valid. And her father cannot dispute that. He must recognize our union and give me the proper respect.”

“I want to see this for myself.” The first man who spoke up once again addresses Amalfi, but after a moment, he finally looks to me. “I want to see that you have Lucia Fontana. And I want to speak to the priest who married you. If you are going to request that our men possibly die for your vengeance, that’s the least you can do.”

Amalfi glances at me, and I can see that he thinks I should agree. It gnaws at me to bend to the whims of these men, who should, by rights, be lower than my family by virtue of their wealth and influence. But I hear Amalfi murmur, quietly, “Wars are not won by those who do not pick their battles.”

That sticks with me as he says it.It’s a lesson my father should have learned,I think to myself, and as much as it pains me to agree, I nod.

“Come back to the estate with me then,” I tell them calmly. “I’ll call ahead and have my staff prepare a lunch. You can all meet my beautiful new bride.”

I wait for any of them to argue, but there’s a shrug from a few, and a general murmur of assent. “Very well,” Don Amalfi says, looking around the room. “We’ll meet you at your home shortly. Two hours, perhaps?”

The moment I’m back in my car, I call James. “Have the staff prepare a lunch for seven of the mafia dons,” I say sharply. “Twelve guests total, including myself and my wife. And have Lucia’s maid get her ready. Make sure she’s aware that this is important.”

“Of course, sir. I’ll see that it’s done.”

I lean my head back against the seat, feeling a churning anxiety in my gut. Lucia is unpredictable. I’m not sure she fears my punishment enough not to plead with these dons for their help, or failing that, to not behave in a way that would cast a bad light on me. They need to see that I’m able to control my wife, or else this will all fall apart. If I can’t keep my prize under control, they won’t believe that I’m able to outsmart or overcome Fontana, even with their help.

I find her still upstairs when I arrive, sitting at her vanity while Celeste curls her hair. The maid freezes as I walk in, and I wave a hand, going to stand at Lucia’s side. “Don’t stop on my account. Our guests will be here soon, and my wife needs to be absoluteperfection.” I rest a hand on Lucia’s shoulder, looking at her reflection in the mirror. “You do understand that, don’t you,principessa?”

The threat is barely veiled, and I can see in her face that she recognizes that. “Who are our guests?” she manages, swallowing hard as she reaches for a tube of something from her makeup bag. “They must be very important for you to do all of this on such short notice.”

My hand tightens on her shoulder. “Dons from other families,” I tell her calmly. “Men who will help me achieve what I want. I expect my wife to aid me in this, not to hurt my chances of success. Do you understand?” My fingers curl against her collarbone, pressing againstthe fragile line of it, and I feel her tense. I canfeelthe fear flicker through her, and for the first time, I feel a small stab of regret that it’s necessary to frighten her.

Make this easier for me, Lucia. The thought comes into my mind unbidden, and it startles me. When did I stop wanting to hurt her? When did I stop enjoying her pain, and wish that she would understand my need for revenge instead? When did I start to want her to be on my side instead of against me?

Her blue eyes meet mine, and I shake off the feeling.It doesn’t matter. All that matters is that she obeys.I can feel Celeste’s eyes on me as she brushes out Lucia’s curls, carefully standing to one side so that she’s not in my way.

“I understand,” Lucia says softly, and I can see in her face that she does. She knows exactly what this means—the purpose of this meeting—but what I can’t read in her expression is whether or not she plans to cause a scene or not.

I catch a glimpse of the maid letting the last of Lucia’s curls fall out of her hands, and I glance over at her. “Are you finished?” I ask brusquely, and Celeste looks up at me, nodding quickly as she backs away.

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