The Bishop (The Holy Trinity Duet Book 1)

by M. E. Clayton

  My arms dropped. “Don’t,” I snapped. “Do not downplay this like an arrogant, condescending prick, Leo. Do not act as if I don’t have a right to be upset.”

  He gave me a terse nod. “Very well,” he allowed. “I’ll grant you that you may have a reason to be upset.”

  Shock and anger were doing a dangerous dance inside my chest. “You’ll grant me?”

  Leo let out an impatient sigh. “What would you like me to say, Sienna?” he asked. “What will make this better for you?”

  “Are you serious?” I cried out incredulously.

  “Since I’ve never had a girlfriend before, I’m in unfamiliar waters on how to make this better for you, Sienna,” he said, shockingly. “Apart from an apology for not being forthcoming, what do you want from me?”

  The words flew out of my mouth before I could give them much thought. “I want to be dating someone who isn’t in the goddamn Mafia, Leo.” His jaw clenched and it was enough reason to give me pause. “I’m-”

  “Well, since I am in the Mafia and that is something that will only change with my death, I suggest you ask for something else,” he said coolly, interrupting me.

  It took a few seconds for his words to register, and when they did, I couldn’t stop the gasp that escaped my lips. He made it seem as if…

  No.

  Straightening to my full height, which wasn’t much compared to his six-two, I pulled in a steady breath. “I…I think it would be best if we stop-”

  “-seeing each other?” he finished for me.

  I nodded. “I…I think so.”

  Leo didn’t comment for a while. He just stood there, those goddamn hands in his pockets, staring at me like he was deciding what to do with me. And now, knowing that he was in the Mafia, that wasn’t a particularly pleasant feeling.

  Finally, he said, “No.”

  My brows shot up. “No?”

  He shook his head. “No,” he repeated. “That’s not acceptable to me.”

  That little flicker of anger was threatening to turn into a full-blown flame. “And you think being lied to by a man who helps head up a criminal ring is acceptable to me?”

  “I never lied to you, Sienna,” he corrected.

  “Do not play semantics with me, Leo,” I bit out.

  Ignoring my requests, he said, “I will give you a few days to wrap your mind around what you’ve recently learned about me, Sienna, but that’s all I will allow. There will be no leaving me. Ever.”

  I stared at the man who I had really hoped could be The One and had no idea how to respond to that. Was he so used to getting what wanted that it never occurred to him that he couldn’t still have me? And, Christ, what happened to a person when they did refuse a Benetti? I didn’t know anything about his family, but I doubted any of it was good.

  “Excuse me?”

  “I understand you may be upset and even pissed off, Sienna,” he said. “But I don’t think this is anything we can’t work through.”

  “Are you insane?” I gasped. “You’re in the Mafia, Leo. This isn’t some…this isn’t like you forgot our anniversary or…cheated on me…or-”

  “We already had this conversation,” he interrupted. “We are as exclusive as you can get without a marriage certificate.”

  “Oh, please,” I scoffed, completely going off topic, “because married people don’t cheat?” The next thing I knew, Leo was standing in front of me, his hands no longer in his pockets.

  With my chin held between his fingers, he glowered down at me. “I know I’ve already said this before, but maybe, this time, knowing what you now know, you’ll heed my words with a little more caution.” His fingers squeezed my jaw. “I’ll kill any man who touches you, Sienna.”

  “Leo-”

  “You have three days to deal with the shock that I’m sure you’re feeling, and then we’ll talk some more,” he said. “But you’re out of your mind if you think I’m going to let you end us over a minor misunderstanding.”

  “A minor misunderstanding?” I muttered, his fingers still squeezing my chin.

  Leo let go of my chin and I watched him take a quiet breath. “I’ll be back in three days,” he repeated. “At that time, I’ll tell you anything you want to know.”

  “Leo-”

  “I’m not letting you go, Sienna,” he said. “Understand that and accept that or else we’re going to have problems.”

  I stood there, stuck on stupid, as Leo kissed the side of my head before turning around and walking out of my house, not another word spoken between us.

  Chapter 11

  Leonardo~

  It had gone pretty much as I had suspected, though I was surprised there hadn’t been some serious yelling, but I suppose shock was effective like that.

  There would also be no breaking up.

  No way in hell.

  I’d had no problem taking things slow with Sienna, but when she had mentioned breaking things off, the punch to my chest had been telling. And because if I’ve learned nothing else being a Benetti, I’ve learned to trust my instincts, and my instincts felt very strongly about Sienna Conti.

  And now it was one in the afternoon and Luca was sitting behind his desk while Sal was perched on a barstool near the bar. I took a seat in one of the chairs positioned in front of Luca’s desk and glanced over at Salvatore, who already had a drink in his hand.

  “I’ve got an hour,” Luca said. “Of course, unless you need more.”

  “I’m seeing someone,” I told them, cutting straight to the point of the meeting. “I’ve been seeing her for over a month and it’s serious.”

  Luca leaned back in his seat. “And?”

  “And I might not have been as forthcoming as I should have been in the beginning of our relationship and she’s just recently found out who I am.”

  Sal snorted. “How in the fuck could she not have known who you were?”

  I looked over at Sal. “She’s a nurse,” I told him. “She lives on Elgin and has only lived in Morgan City for about a year.”

  “That explains it,” Sal chuckled.

  “It’s still a little hard to believe,” Luca said. “Even the nice parts of town know better.”

  I nodded, silently agreeing. “She moved here to take care of her dying aunt,” I explained further. “Between that and working as an ER nurse, she didn’t get out much.”

  “And her background?” Sal asked.

  “One sister, parents are deadbeats who abandoned them to be raised by her aunt,” I told him. “No children and no ex-husbands.”

  “What’s her name?” he asked, I knew it was to do a full check on her.

  “Sienna Conti.”

  “So, how did she take the news of who you are?” Luca asked.

  I shrugged. “Not well,” I admitted.

  Sal chuckled. “I can imagine.”

  I shot him a look. “She didn’t appreciate being blindsided.”

  “How did she find out?”

  I looked back at Luca. “I was having lunch at Rousseau’s with Councilman Richardson and his little protégé, and Sienna walked in with her colleagues for lunch,” I explained. “And since I couldn’t allow her to pay for her own lunch-”

  “Naturally,” Luca commented.

  “-I paid their tab.”

  “And the waiter spilled the beans?” Sal asked.

  I shook my head. “She’s got a co-worker that seemed a little too friendly for my liking, so I went up to the table to introduce myself.”

  “You mean you went up to the table to piss on your property,” Sal smirked.

  I chuckled. “Maybe.”

  “So, after you were done staking your claim, I imagine her co-workers decided to fill her in on who you were?” Luca surmised.

  “Basically,” I confirmed. “I didn’t get into the details, but there’s no other way she could have found out.”

  “And why did you keep it from her?” Luca asked.

  “I had no clue what it was going to lead to,” I admit
ted. “It had started out as dinner but quickly escalated into more.”

  Luca’s face softened, something that rarely happened. “It happens like that sometimes.” Luca had fallen in love with Remy and had married her all in a matter of a couple of weeks. If anyone believed in love at first sight, it was Luca.

  “So, how pissed is she?” Sal asked.

  I looked over at him and watched him pour himself another drink. “I told her I’d give her three days to get over it.”

  “Do you think she will?”

  I shrugged. “It doesn’t matter,” I told him honestly. “When she suggested we take a break, I made it clear that wasn’t an option.”

  “So, she took it a little more harder than not well,” Luca remarked.

  I looked at my oldest brother. “Does it matter?”

  Luca smirked. “No,” he answered. “If she’s who you’ve chosen, then her reservations don’t matter.”

  “Maybe you introduce her to the girls,” Sal suggested. “Maybe it’ll help her to see that with the exception of Frankie, Robbie and Remy are just regular people, too.”

  “That might not be a bad idea,” I agreed, however, Luca quickly shut that suggestion down.

  “She doesn’t go anywhere near the girls until you can guarantee her trust, Leo,” he said. “No one goes near our wives who hasn’t been vetted.”

  I lifted my chin at the insult. “Do you honestly think I’d do that before Sal came back with his report or talking with Sienna first?”

  Luca didn’t react to my tone at all. “No,” he replied. “But I also know love makes a man do stupid things. And while you might not be in love with Ms. Conti just yet, that doesn’t mean it’s not headed there. You wouldn’t be here, discussing this with us, if it weren’t.”

  “Because love has made you stupid?” I challenged.

  Luca leaned forward, placing his arms on his desk. “You better believe it,” he answered. “Do you honestly think Remy, Francesca, or Roberta would be in the positions they’re in if we all weren’t stupidly in love with them? Those three women have the power, knowledge, and backbone to bring us all down if they were ever inclined to do so, Leo. So, yes, love has made me stupid.” He leaned back in his chair. “It just so happens all three women are honorable enough to never do such a thing. We’re lucky enough that they love us back just as blindly and as stupidly.”

  “Jesus Christ, I hope I never fall in love,” Sal muttered before finishing off his drink. “That shit sounds like insanity.”

  “It is,” Luca bit out.

  Putting my brother’s concerns to rest, I said, “Don’t worry, I’m not there yet, Luca.”

  He nodded, appeased. “I’ll meet her first,” he ordered. “Even after the reports and you speaking with her, I’ll meet her before presenting her to the girls.”

  “Okay,” I agreed. “That’s fair.”

  Then he leaned forward in his chair again. “I’m giving you fair warning now, Leo,” he said. “If I feel she is a threat to you-”

  I threw my palm up to stop whatever he was going to threaten. “Luca, she had no idea who I was,” I reminded him. “The last thing Sienna is doing is using me for what my last name can do for her.”

  “There’s more at risk than your money and status here, Leo,” he pointed out. “If that girl does anything to put you in handcuffs, I won’t care how deeply you feel about her. Understood?”

  It was hard not to take immediate offense and jump to Sienna’s defense, but I understood the magnitude of Luca’s position as head of the family. And if nothing else, I was his little brother. As close as he was to Ciro and Phoenix, I was still his little brother and I understood that.

  I gave him a terse nod. “Understood.”

  Luca’s black eyes speared me with a look he usually reserved for his enemies. “Do you, Leo?” he asked. “Because if Ms. Conti raises one hand to hurt you, I will treat her as I would any Benetti traitors and hand her off to Sal.”

  I leaned forward in my chair and held my brother’s gaze. “As I would expect you to, Luca,” I replied. “However, what I don’t like is how it seems as if you’ve already made up your mind about her.”

  “I haven’t,” he insisted. “She’ll get the fair shot she deserves.”

  I pulled back and relaxed in my seat. “Good.”

  “Christ, I think I’ll just buy a bitch when the time comes for me to have children,” Sal muttered.

  Luca’s gaze shot his way and a rare grin appeared. “That’s the only way any woman would have you,” he said.

  “No shit,” I agreed.

  Chapter 12

  Sienna~

  The good thing about my job being so hectic? It didn’t give me time to worry about my Mafia boyfriend. Jesus, just thinking the words were enough to make me want to tap my heels three times and get the hell out of Oz.

  After Leo had left my apartment Monday, I hadn’t slept for shit. I had laid in bed wondering how the hell life had me crossing paths with a goddamn Mafia member. And not just any member but one of the brothers in charge. One who refused to let me break up with him.

  And in all honesty, I had no idea how I felt about that. I cared about Leo and I’d had premature grand plans where he’d been concerned before learning that he was in the Mob, but now…hell, now I had no idea what to think or feel. I still cared about him, but I couldn’t see how I could continue to date him. If the rumors about the Mob were true, then that meant Leo was more than just your average criminal.

  It meant he was a killer.

  “Sienna?”

  I jumped, my scream cut short when I looked behind me to see Ryan standing there, studying me. “Jesus Christ, Ryan,” I puffed out. “You scared me to death.”

  Yesterday there’d been a five-car pileup and we’d been so swamped that there hadn’t been time for lunch or breaks, much less small talk. While I’d received a few consolatory glances from Parnell, Elsie, and Chelsea, no one had mentioned Leo or had asked further questions.

  Not that I had any answers for them.

  “Sorry,” Ryan grimaced. “You were kind of lost in thought.”

  I leaned back against the wall just outside the cafeteria. “I’m still trying to catch up from yesterday,” I lied. “And we still have six hours left to go.”

  He nodded in understanding. “Yeah, yesterday was tragic and messy.”

  “At least, lunch is realistic today,” I joked, and immediately wished I hadn’t.

  “Speaking of lunch,” he said. “I wanted to talk to you about Monday.”

  I shook my head. “Ryan, I don’t-”

  “Surely, you’ve broken things off with him, right?” he asked, overstepping big time.

  “Ryan, I need to stop you right there,” I said firmly. “Whether I’ve broken things off with Leo or not is none of your business. You’re overstepping.”

  His head reared back in shock. “Overstepping because I’m concerned for you? Because I care about you?” He glanced around, making sure we had some semblance of privacy. “He’s in the goddamn Mob, Sienna. More than that, he helps run it.”

  Lowering my voice, I said, “That still doesn’t make my personal choices any of your business, Ryan. I appreciate your concern but I’m a big girl. I’ve got this handled.”

  Ryan threw his head back in a humorless laugh. “Oh, God.”

  “Ryan-”

  He glanced around again before repeating his concerns. “He’s in the Mob, Sienna. You can’t seriously be considering staying with the man.”

  “Look, Ryan, I don’t have time for this. I barely have time to get in my lunch,” I told him. “Even if I wanted to discuss this with you, which I don’t, now is not the time.”

  “Then let’s get something to drink after our shifts tonight,” he suggested. “We can talk about it then.”

  Shock had me laughing. “Are you insane?” I looked around again myself. “If everything you’re concerned about is warranted, then how wise do you think it is to be having drinks
with me somewhere?”

  Something flashed in his eyes, but it was gone within a second. “You’re allowed to have friends, aren’t you?”

  I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. When I opened them, I said, “Look, Ryan, it’s been a rough three days. After shift, I’m going home, taking a hot bath, and falling out. And none of my exhaustion has anything to do with Leo Benetti.” I whispered his name because I didn’t need it getting out that I was dating him when I wasn’t even sure if we’d still be dating after are scheduled upcoming talk. “Now, I’m going to go grab a quick lunch, and then finish out my shift.”

  “Sienna-”

  “Don’t, Ryan,” I snapped quietly. “I don’t have time for this, and even if I did, my personal life is none of your business.”

  “Sienna, I’m not going to just stand back and let you get mixed up with dangerous people,” he replied, ignoring my request for respect of my privacy.

  “Leo would never hurt me,” I hissed, though I wasn’t entirely sure of that statement.

  “Sienna, you’ve got to listen to me,” he implored. “You need to break things off with him. I’ll be here for whatever you need-”

  I shook my head. “I’m not doing this, Ryan. I’m not doing this here and I’m not doing it with you.” I stepped around him and headed into the cafeteria.

  Grabbing things from the buffet selection and just dropping them on my tray, I did my best to calm down. It wasn’t that I faulted Ryan for being concerned because I knew they all were. This was serious and I knew it. I wasn’t kidding myself into thinking that it wasn’t.

  I paid for my lunch and went and found an empty table. Sitting down, I went through the motions of eating my lunch, not really tasting anything as I contemplated what in the hell to do. Leo said we’d talk tomorrow but what kind of conversation did someone have with a Mafia member? Did I have questions? Hell yeah, I did. However, I was pretty sure I was too terrified to ask them.

  The biggest issue keeping me awake was that I had feelings for Leo. Without the whole Mafia thing, he was the perfect man. He was the perfect gentlemen when it mattered and the perfect not gentleman when it mattered. Leo was gorgeous, virile, sexy, and a million other adjectives that made women lose their minds and hearts to a very bad idea.