King of Souls

by L A Cotton

  I couldn’t.

  Because if I did, I was worried I might say something I would regret. Something I couldn’t ever take back.

  Something that might destroy us both.

  “AHH, NICCOLÒ, DID ARIANNE tell you the happy news?” My father smirked, only provoking the storm inside me to rage harder.

  “What the fuck were you thinking?” I seethed.

  “Watch your tongue, boy.” His eyes narrowed. “Arianne came to me with an offer and I saw an opportunity. You should be thanking me. This will make her your wife. It will bind your life with hers permanently.”

  “It shouldn’t be like this.” I shook my head.

  “What you would you have me do, Son? Deny your woman and execute Fascini? Make her hate me and resent you? She’s not ready to have blood on her hands; you know I speak the truth.”

  I did.

  But it didn’t make it any easier to swallow.

  “Arianne is strong,” he went on. “She has proved that. I have no doubt she will make you a fine wife, Niccolò.”

  “It wasn’t supposed to be like this,” I looked at my father, silently pleading for him to fix this. But there was no magical solution.

  He was right.

  If he took out Fascini, Arianne would never forgive him. Forgive herself.

  Maybe even me.

  Or if he handed him over to the authorities and became a partner in Capizola Holdings like Arianne wanted, things might be okay for a while. But over time, Roberto would grow bitter and Arianne could end up resenting my family all the same.

  And I couldn’t let go of the fairytale she deserved.

  “You love her, no?” he asked me.

  “You know I do. More than I ever thought I could love another.”

  “Then perhaps it is time you trusted her.” My father’s expression softened. “Arianne has spent years having her choices removed. Now she is free, and she has chosen. I lost your mother because I couldn’t see past my own proclivities, Niccolò. She was a good woman. Strong and loyal and beautiful. God, she was so beautiful.” He stared off into the distance, shame washing over him.

  It was a strange thing, watching Antonio Marchetti acknowledge his mistakes, watching him mourn for the woman he’d let slip through his fingers.

  “Don’t do something you’ll regret, Son,” my father offered me a sad smile. “That girl is everything I could wish for my son. I see so much of your mother in her, it scares me. But it also gives me hope. Hope that you will get a chance to right my wrongs.”

  Was he right?

  Was I focusing on the wrong thing here?

  Arianne seemed so certain, so sure of her love for me. But part of me couldn’t accept that. It couldn’t fathom that a girl like Arianne Carmen Lina Capizola could love a guy like me.

  I kept pondering what Arianne deserved, but maybe the issue wasn’t her.

  It was me.

  What I deserved.

  What I was worthy of.

  “Look, I know this isn’t how you wanted things to go. But life doesn’t always go to plan, Niccolò. Sometimes opportunities arise when you least expect them. If the outcome is the same does it really matter what path you took to get there?” He ran a hand over his jaw. “I cannot give you what you most desire, I cannot free you from this life. But I can give you this.”

  My body shook with anger, frustration, and uncertainty. I was Niccolò Marchetti. Nothing would ever change that. But a life with Arianne by my side would make it all worth it.

  “You know I’m right, Son.”

  I stared at my father, giving him a sharp nod. I still didn’t know what I felt. I was too wired, too volatile.

  “Go calm down,” he ordered. “And then talk to her. She needs to know you support this, Niccolò. She needs to know you support her.”

  I DIDN’T GO TO ARIANNE.

  I sent Alessia instead, asking her to keep my girl company. My father was right, I needed to calm down. Which meant, I needed space and time. But I did text Arianne.

  I promise I’m not running. I just need to figure out some things.

  Her one word reply had almost gutted me.

  Okay.

  But when I came back, I wanted to be clearheaded and present. I wanted to be everything she deserved.

  A whistle pierced the air, and I saw Enzo waiting over by his car. “So what happened?”

  “Not here.” I yanked open the door and ducked inside.

  Enzo got in and fired up the engine. “Where’s Arianne?”

  “Inside with Alessia.” Leaning back against the headrest, I let out a weary sigh. “I just needed some space.”

  “That bad, huh?” Enzo backed out of the driveway and pulled onto the street.

  “She came here to bargain with him.”

  “She’s got balls, Cous, I’ll give her that. Let me guess, she asked Uncle Toni to spare that piece of shit?”

  “Yeah, she wants to let the law handle it.”

  Enzo scoffed. It wasn’t how we usually got shit done. We had our own code, our own justice system. If you betrayed or screwed over the Family, you were dealt with swiftly.

  And Mike Fascini had attempted what no other person ever had.

  “She’s not cut out for this life.”

  “It’s a good thing I’m not asking her to initiate into the family then, isn’t it?” Sarcasm dripped from my words.

  “Yeah, but you know what I mean. She’ll never understand this life, she’ll never understand what you do. What we do.”

  “She’s agreed to marry me,” I confessed “that’s what they negotiated.”

  “What the fuck?” The car swerved as Enzo’s eyes snapped to mine.

  “Watch the road,” I hissed.

  “You can’t just drop something like that on me and expect me to keep cool. Marriage... he wants you to marry her? Has he lost his fucking mind?”

  “Nice, E. Real nice.”

  “Sorry, I didn’t mean... But you’re both young. Like really young. Marriage is a huge deal. It’s—”

  “A life sentence?” I could see that's what he wanted to say. “I love her. I love her so fucking much.”

  “I sense a 'but' in there...” He cast me a sideways glance.

  “It shouldn’t be like this. I don’t want her to be obligated to marry me to save her father, to save that fucking monster.”

  My pulse spiked again, but I forced myself to take a breath. I was supposed to be calming down, not getting even more worked up.

  “What do you want, Nic?” There was no trace of mocking in his voice, just mild curiosity.

  “Her, I just want her.”

  “So maybe you have your answer. Maybe you just need to accept your fate and go with it.”

  I glanced out of the window. It was dark, only the headlights of passing cars and streetlamps lighting the way. My mind drifted to Arianne. To how she made me feel every time she touched me, the way my heart galloped in my chest whenever her big brown eyes found mine across a room.

  She was my anchor.

  My North star in the endless night sky.

  And although our time together had been relatively short, I couldn’t imagine life without her.

  I didn’t want to.

  “What’s going on in that head of yours?” Enzo’s voice penetrated my thoughts.

  “I know what to do,” I rushed out, a sense of peace washing over me.

  “So we’re not heading to my place?”

  “Change of plan. Can we stop by Matteo’s?” Officially, he lived with Enzo in their apartment on the edge of Romany Square and University Hill. But more often than not, he stayed with his family at their house in La Riva.

  I dug my cell out of my pocket.

  “You’re calling him?”

  “No. Luis.”

  “Okay...” He frowned. “Going to share your plan with me?”

  “I will, once we get to Matteo’s.”

  “What are you up to, Nicco?”

  A smile spread over my fac
e. “You’ll see.”

  ALMOST THREE HOURS later, Matteo looked up from his cell phone and said, “They’re on their way.”

  My heart was beating so hard I felt a little lightheaded.

  “You okay, Cous?” Enzo clapped me on the back. “You don’t look so good.”

  “I’m fine,” I mumbled, taking a long pull on my beer.

  We were back at the cabin. I didn’t want to do this there. Not with my father, Alessia, and Genevieve hanging around.

  Arianne and I needed to talk, and I wanted total privacy when we did.

  “You sure you don’t want us to stay?” Enzo asked, and I shook my head.

  “I’ve got this.”

  “Yeah, you do.” Matteo grinned. He turned to the overhead cabinets and found three glasses, setting them down in front of us. “Is there any of the good stuff lying around here?” He went over to my father’s drinks cabinet. “Bingo.” Snatching up a bottle of scotch, he brought it over and poured us each a glass.

  “I’m driving,” Enzo reminded him.

  “One won’t hurt. This deserves a toast.”

  He gave Matteo a sharp nod, accepting a glass. I took mine, swirling the amber liquid around the sides.

  Maybe it would settle my nerves.

  “To the best cousins, the best friends, a guy could ever have. I love you guys,” Matteo said clutching his own glass. “To friendship, family, and the future. Salute.”

  “Salute.” We clinked our glasses with his, downing our drinks in one.

  “Shit, that’s strong,” he spluttered.

  “You need to grow some fucking balls.” Enzo clapped him on the back.

  “Being a cold-hearted bastard does not mean you have big balls.” Matteo flipped him off and the two of them started jostling and punching one another.

  “Knock it off,” I ordered. “You two need to get going.”

  “We should probably stick around—”

  “Now,” I said, narrowing my eyes at them.

  “Come on, E. Nic’s right. We should make tracks.”

  “Call us after?” Enzo met my stare, concern shining in his icy gaze.

  “I’ll text.”

  He rolled his eyes. “Whatever, just let us know, okay?”

  “Like he needs to.” Matteo smirked.

  “Goodbye.” I tipped my chin to the door. I appreciated their support, but I wanted a couple of minutes to myself before Arianne got here.

  There would be no going back after tonight.

  I watched my friends leave. Watched as the headlights of Luis’ SUV appeared in the distance. I watched him roll to a stop and climb out, opening Arianne’s door.

  I watched her climb out, a look of trepidation on her face. “Nicco?” she said, confusion clouding her eyes. “What is it?”

  “Will you come inside with me?” I asked, holding out my hand.

  Luis caught my eye over her shoulder and gave me a curt nod before climbing back into the SUV. Arianne glanced back. “He’s leaving?”

  “I wanted to be alone with you.” I gently tugged her hand. “Come inside and we can talk.”

  “Nicco, you’re scaring me.”

  “You have nothing to fear, I promise.” I pulled her closer, brushing her cheek. “Do you trust me?”

  “You know I do.” She gave me a tentative smile.

  “Then come inside, Bambolina.” I led her to the cabin, my body trembling with anticipation.

  “You’re shaking,” she said, glancing up at me.

  “I’ll be okay in a second. Go on inside...”

  Arianne gingerly made her way up the steps. “Nicco,” she gasped when she stepped inside. “What did you do?”

  “Every girl deserves their fairytale,” I said, wrapping my hand around her waist and pulling her back against me. Dipping my head, I brushed the shell of her ear and said, “I’m sorry.”

  But they wouldn’t be the most important words I said to her tonight.

  Not by a long shot.

  Chapter 26

  Arianne

  The cabin had been transformed into something out of a fairytale. Twinkle lights hung from the wooden beams, casting a flickering glow around the room. The open fire crackled, filling the room with its smoky scent, and vases of white roses littered the table and breakfast counter. It was so beautiful; I was overwhelmed with emotion.

  Nicco walked us forward, keeping his chin tucked into the crook of my neck. “Do you like it?” he whispered.

  “I love it. But I don’t understand...”

  “Sit.” Nicco moved around me, guiding me over to one of the armchairs.

  My heart was in my mouth as he dropped to one knee in front of me. “Oh my god,” I breathed, clapping a hand over my mouth. My body trembled, blood roaring between my ears. “Nicco.”

  “Just give me a minute.” He popped the collar on his dress shirt. It was then I realized how smart he looked. The black material molded to his shoulders, and he’d rolled up the sleeves to his elbows, revealing his strong forearms.

  “You’re all dressed up.” I smiled.

  “Well, yeah, this is a special occasion.”

  My hands went to his face, as I leaned down.

  “God, I love you,” he murmured against my lips. But Nicco didn’t kiss me. He pulled away gently. “You’re distracting me.”

  “Sorry.” My cheeks burned, but he looked so good down on one knee, his eyes burning with nothing but love and adoration. “Okay,” I sat up, “go on.”

  He took a shuddering breath. “If someone had told me four months ago, that I would have been here right now... I would have laughed in their face. I wasn’t interested in a relationship. I knew what this life meant for me and, honestly, I wasn’t sure I would ever want to drag a girl into that. And then I met you.

  “That night I saw you in the alley, my first instinct was to let Bailey deal with you. And then I looked at you, really looked at you, and something snapped into place. I wanted to wipe the tears from your face. I wanted to pick you up and keep you safe. That feeling only grew the more time I spent around you.”

  Nicco took my hand in his, brushing his thumb across my skin. “It was disarming, Bambolina. You disarmed me. But I couldn’t get enough of you. You consumed my thoughts and haunted my dreams.”

  “Nicco...” My breath caught, my heart beating wildly in my chest.

  “Your inner strength never ceases to amaze me. Your compassion and big heart. Even when you found out who I really was, you didn’t run. You love without limits, Arianne. And I will spend my life trying to be worthy of you.” He slipped his hand into his pocket and pulled out a small velvet pouch. “I didn’t have much time, so consider this a stand-in until I can get you something new.”

  The world fell away as Nicco emptied out the simple band into his palm. He discarded the pouch and took my left hand in his. “Arianne Carmen Lina Capizola, you are my heart, my soul, and my future. I don’t want to do this thing called life without you.” Nicco moved the band to my ring finger. “I want you by my side, always. So will you do me the honor of being my wife?”

  “Yes,” I cried as he slid the band on. “I love you.” Flinging my arms around Nicco’s neck, I threw myself at him. He caught me, his laughter and my happy tears filling the space between us.

  “Sei la mia anima gemella.” He cupped the back of my neck. “The future Mrs. Arianne Marchetti.”

  “I like the sound of that.”

  Nicco brushed his lips over mine, sealing the moment with a kiss.

  I would be his.

  In heart, body, soul, and name.

  Nicco pulled me to my feet, peppering my face with kisses. “I’m sorry I acted like an asshole earlier. I was just so shocked that you would do such a thing with no consideration for everything you deserve.”

  “I only want you.”

  “I know that now.” He took my hand, pressing a kiss to my knuckles, the embedded diamonds of the ring glittering in the light.

  “It’s beautiful.” />
  “It’s a family heirloom of sorts. My Aunt Marcella, Matteo’s mom, had it. It was my nonna’s. As soon as it’s safe I’ll take you to pick something—”

  “No,” I said, already feeling possessive over it. “I love it.” The fact it was a family heirloom only made it all the more special.

  “You’re sure about this?”

  My head almost bobbed off my neck in agreement and I smiled so hard it made my cheeks ache.

  “Give me a second.” He dropped a kiss to my head and left me standing there while he went over to the kitchen. There was a bottle of champagne on ice, two glasses waiting for us.

  “You’ve thought of everything.”

  “I had a little help.” Nicco uncorked the bottle and poured us each a glass. I went to him, accepting a glass.

  “To us.”

  “To us.” I clinked my glass with his. His eyes never left my face as I took a sip of bubbly.

  “You are so beautiful, amore mio.”

  I held out my hand, admiring the ring. It was the last thing I had expected when I’d turned up at Antonio’s house.

  “What are you thinking?” Nicco asked me.

  “I’m so happy... earlier, at the house, I thought that perhaps you were having second thoughts about us.”

  “It was never about not wanting you, Bambolina. I just didn’t want you to make such a big decision out of obligation. Our love isn’t a bargaining chip. Our future isn’t leverage. You are not some possession to be traded.” He spoke with such vehemence it took my breath away.

  “What changed your mind?”

  “My father, Enzo... you.” He took the glass from my hand and placed it down on the counter. “You own me, Arianne. I am yours, in this life and the next.”

  Startling me, Nicco bent down and slid his hand under my legs, picking me up and cradling me against his chest. “What are you doing?” I shrieked, laughter spilling from my lips.

  “You’ll see.”

  He carried me into the bedroom, and a sweet aroma flooded my senses. “What is—” I spotted the container on the nightstand.

  “Tell me that’s not what I think it is.” My stomach clenched.