“That’s a matter of opinion.”
Lucian heads into the room and looks at me warily. “Have you made your decision yet?”
“No.”
He sighs and reaches for the same bottle my brother has just replaced. “Well, don’t take long about it. If I am to marry Miss. Moretti, I don’t want to waste any more time. If you decide against it, I want your written confirmation that you won’t come back and challenge me for my position. This ends now, Lorenzo because it’s too unsettling for the guards, our associates and this family. We need clear lines to operate within and if I’m to step up and take charge on a permanent basis, I want to do so with no blurred lines.”
He stares at me with the intense look that I know so well. My father looked at us in the same way and the steel behind his eyes reminds me of that man and how cruel he could be. Maybe Lucian is the perfect successor because he has a thirst for this life where I had my fill years ago. I already know I want no part in it but to throw Sophia to a monster is not my style and leaves a bitter taste in my mouth, so I say in a dark voice. “Then I am prepared to negotiate.”
Immediately, I have their attention and Lucian says in a low voice, “We’re listening.”
“I have no interest in picking up where I left off and am happy for Lucian to take charge, on one condition.”
I see the spark of interest in Lucian’s eyes as he leans forward. “Name it.”
“You walk away from the Moretti’s and set Sophia free.”
I think I hold my breath because I expect I’ve played right into their hands. They will now know I have feelings for her because I shouldn’t care what happens to her but it’s now obvious, I do.
Lucian says slowly, “Interesting. So, you would give all this up for a woman.”
“That’s not what I said.”
Romeo laughs. “It sounded like that to me.”
“Then you haven’t understood, I see some things never change.”
Romeo makes to rise and Lucian snaps, “Sit down.”
He turns to me and says in an emotionless voice. “Why would we do that, it doesn’t make good business sense? The whole purpose of marrying the Moretti girl is to expand our empire in a place we don’t control. Her brother is weak because he is looking for a way out and if Miss. Moretti becomes a Romano, then we have access to their network. We could easily take that over in exchange for a cut, keeping her brother in the style he is accustomed to. If we let her walk away, we would lose access to all that and nothing would change. This isn’t an emotional one, brother, it’s business and that, as you know, comes above everything.”
I turn away because I thought as much. It was never about Sophia and they are not interested in bringing me back into the fold because it compromises their own positions.
Romeo laughs softly. “If we agree and let the girl leave with you, what would that achieve? Lucian’s right. Nothing would change, so how is that good for business?”
“What about her brother?”
Dante raises the subject nobody has mentioned until now, and Lucian shrugs. “I’m guessing if his sister is ok with it, he would be too. Once we’ve agreed a course of action, then she will contact her brother and tell him the happy news. We would set up a meeting and assure him of our best intentions and offer our management services, enabling him to concentrate on his businesses that he appears to value higher than the family one. Everyone is happy and Lorenzo gets his freedom.”
“Do you really think that brother—that everyone will be happy?”
“If you’re talking about the girl, I can assure you I will make her very happy.”
My brothers laugh and it’s like pouring acid on my heart picturing Sophia married to this unfeeling bastard. It would destroy her and yet if I stepped up, I would never leave a place that destroys my soul.
Dante stands and sets his glass down. “We’ve run out of time. Nonna will be expecting us. My advice would be to settle this tonight and then we can move on. There are two choices. Lorenzo stays and marries the girl, or walks away and Lucian takes his place. The decision is yours, Lorenzo, you have until the morning to decide.”
He makes toward the door and we stare at him in surprise. I wonder when he became so cold. Of all my brothers, he was always the one to sit in the background and let the rest of us fight among ourselves. He had no interest in the business or forming an opinion, yet now he appears to be the coldest of us all.
Lucian watches him go and then says in a low voice. “He’s changed, Lorenzo. There is no hope left and he has switched off from life. The perfect mind set for the job we do, but we all know that isn’t the real him. He will self-destruct and we will be left to pick up the pieces. Talk to him and see if you can get through to him, unless you intend on leaving in the morning that is.”
He stands and nods toward the door. “We must go, we can’t keep the women waiting.”
As we follow him from the room, I feel the walls closing in on me. I’ve been here for five minutes and I already feel trapped. This is an impossible situation and I don’t know what the hell to do about it.
26
Sophia
As meals go, this one feels like the last supper. I am sitting dressed in a long red dress that clings to my body like a well-fitting glove. Apparently, they had a whole new wardrobe delivered for my visit, which totally took my breath away. I had everything I could wish for waiting inside a walk-in closet that would rival any high-end store. This family certainly know their stuff because the whole pretty woman thing is intoxicating.
I am now surrounded by four delicious devils and one incredibly powerful woman, eating food that wouldn’t look out of place in a top restaurant, served by liveried servants who are silent and blend into the shadows.
It’s a world away from life at my own home with just Mrs. Billings for company and if I wasn’t so scared, I would find this whole set up spell binding.
Maverick is seated beside Elena who is at the head of the table at the opposite end to me. I feel it was deliberate due to the daggers he is throwing his brother Lucian as he refills my wine glass. I am seated to his left and beside me is Romeo with Dante opposite him. Maverick sits beside him with Elena at his side at the opposite end to Lucian.
Feeling the scrutiny of every person here is a lot to deal with and makes my glass reach my lips much more than it should.
The food is divine and the conversation stilted. There is an undercurrent of tension that Elena is trying hard to diffuse.
My hand shakes a little as Lucian fills it once again and he leans across and whispers in a low, deep voice, “Relax, Sophia. Nobody here wishes you harm.”
I stare into the darkest eyes I have ever seen and swallow hard. “Are you sure about that?”
He looks at me with interest and then laughs as he sees Maverick looking at him with a frown.
“It appears that my brother has an issue with me, I wonder what that could be?”
I shrug and steal a look at the man himself and shiver inside. I can tell he is on the edge and one false move could turn this civilized meal into a full-blown war and as our eyes connect, I shiver for a different reason entirely. That look is promising me that he hasn’t even got started with me yet and makes thinking about anything other than him very difficult. However, Lucian has other ideas and leans close, whispering, “My brother has a decision to make that he’s struggling with.”
I stare at him in surprise, “Which is?”
“You.”
“Me?”
He laughs softly. “You see, Sophia, my brother likes to keep his cards very close to his chest. He is a private man who lets no one in. The fact he delivered you to me tells me he has allegiance to this family that he can’t just switch off. He knew we were always going to find you and for reasons of his own, he chose to deliver you personally. That tells me he has an interest in you because he has made it crystal clear he has no interest in us, our grandmother aside. So, you are the reason he is here, which is of great c
oncern to me.”
“Why do you care?”
I take another gulp of my wine and he says darkly, “Because I have no desire to see him back where he belongs almost as much as he does. However, unlike him, I put the family business first and am prepared to do whatever it takes to make us invincible. Lorenzo gave all that up when he left and if he returned, it would be unwillingly.”
My head spins as I look at Maverick and see the unhappiness on his face. He is tortured and I know it’s because of me. He doesn’t want to be here—I know that and yet he came, anyway.
Lucian whispers, “If he chooses to marry you, he will be sucked back into this life. If he walks away, he leaves you behind to face it alone with me by your side.”
I stare at him with fear and he laughs softly. “Make no mistake, I would make your life more comfortable than you could ever imagine. You would want for nothing because as my wife, you would control all you survey. All I would ask is your share in your family business in return for bearing my children. We would have a union of business with many delicious benefits. I’m not offering you my heart, Sophia, but I am offering a good life in exchange for your loyalty. If Lorenzo chooses to stay, that would be a problem for me and for you.”
“Me? How is that a problem for me?”
“Because he would hate every minute of it.”
“Excuse me.”
He laughs and I watch his eyes flash with a ruthless spark that makes my blood run cold. “He thinks he wants you now but when the passion settles, it would leave a bitter taste in his mouth. He would begin to resent the fact he gave up his freedom for you and after a time, begin to hold you responsible. You would always know you had been the ruin of him and your perfect love would shatter and die. You see, Sophia, the biggest act of love there is, is sacrifice. If you love my brother, you will set him free—us all free to follow the path our hearts desire. You may find I’m not so bad after all and realize that you made the correct choice in the end. Think about it because you are the only person here who has that power.”
He turns away, leaving me shattered. As I steal a look at Maverick, I am not surprised to find him staring at me with a yearning I most definitely understand. My heart fills with so much love because I see the lost man inside of him who is trying to do the right thing and can’t see a way out of this situation. Will he give it all up for me and come back to a place he doesn’t want to be? I already know my answer to that as we share a look that promises a path set with passion and destruction. Yes, Lucian is right about that—the decision will be mine to make because do I love Maverick enough to set him free and lock the door behind him to live in a gold-lined prison with a bastard?
I think I always knew the answer to that.
27
Maverick
The second I saw Sophia sitting beside my brother, I knew. I have no other choice. I am coming home with her as my wife. There is really no other choice because she is mine and it’s taken coming here to make me realize that.
I watch him whisper his poison in her ear and know there is nothing I can do to stop it. Whoever organized this seating plan knew what they were doing because it has made my mind up in a heartbeat.
“She’s a beautiful woman, Lorenzo.”
Nonna leans in and whispers, and I smile. “She is like you.”
“You flatter me, mio angelo, but then you always were a charmer, just like your grandfather.”
She smiles and says sadly, “I miss him so much. He always knew what to do, even in the most difficult circumstances. I wonder what he would make of all this.”
Feeling the guilt she is shoveling on me, weighing me down as she intended, I shrug it off. “He would understand.”
“Are you sure about that, you see, family was everything to him, why is it so hard for you?”
There is no answer to that because family is everything to me, just not this one. I have a new family now and it’s tearing me apart that I may not have a choice to return home, so I shake my head and says gruffly. “I will do the right thing.”
“For you, or for her?”
“Both.”
She leans a little closer and whispers, “Don’t let infatuation rule your heart, Lorenzo. You have known this girl five minutes and she is not your problem to solve. Lucian would make a good husband, but we both know there is more to it than that. When I fell in love with your grandfather, it was not immediate, you know that. I grew to love him and she could do the same.”
“Or he could destroy her like my father did my mother.”
“He could, there is always that option.”
Once again, I look at Sophia and my heart twists inside me. She looks so beautiful, but I can tell she’s afraid. She sits there like a cornered animal, her great beauty dazzling like a star trapped in a darkened room. She deserves better than this—better than me because I am weak and she doesn’t need that quality in her life right now. Maybe nonna is right and I should walk away for my own self-preservation. But that would also destroy me, so I know my decision before the main course is even served. I will marry Sophia to save us both and figure out the details at a later date.
My attention turns to Dante who is sitting beside me locked in his own little world.
“Tell me how it really is with you.”
“I told you, I’m fine.”
“Have you met anyone since…”
He laughs dully. “Yes brother, I have met many women since Ava, just none of them measure up. It doesn’t mean that I don’t use them to satisfy an ache inside me that never really goes away.”
“Are you sure you’ve left no stone left unturned?”
“Do you take me for a fool, Lorenzo?”
“Of course not.”
“Then don’t treat me like one. If Ava was anywhere, I would have found her by now, so I must face the fact she’s probably dead. I must move on and let go and try not to remember what love felt like.”
He pushes his plate away and growls, “Have you made your decision yet?”
“I have.”
He looks at me with interest. “Which is?”
“You’ll know soon enough.”
He laughs and I see a little of the light that used to be part of him return as he smiles. “Then I will look forward to the fireworks.”
Romeo is now talking to Sophia and she looks as uncomfortable as fuck. God only knows what line he is spinning her, probably one to get her in his bed. It strikes me that I don’t trust a single one of my brothers that sit around this table and yet I have fifty more back at home who I would trust with my life. That’s a real family. One that chooses to be one, rather than the one fate thrusts upon you. Once again it makes my choice an extremely difficult one, but the woman who drives it deserves the best even at my own expense.
By the time the meal is over and we retire to the living room, my nerves are so ragged I almost can’t see straight. I need some time with Sophia on our own to lay out my plan and I pray to God she accepts my offer.
Sophia sits beside nonna and my brothers take the surrounding chairs. I prefer to stand by the window and the atmosphere is awkward as fuck. We are all skirting around the real issue here and I can tell Sophia is on edge, which is nothing to where I’m hanging right now, so after a while, I snap. “Sophia, can I have a minute?”
She looks up in surprise and I don’t miss the smile that passes across the face of my grandmother and the razor-sharp stare of Lucian as Sophia blushes prettily and excuses herself. Watching her walk toward me, reinforces my decision because I have never seen her looking so beautiful as the flush to her cheeks and the brightness of her eyes betrays her feelings.
I nod toward the open door and say nothing as she follows me outside. Once we reach the peaceful garden a cool breeze causes her to shiver and I place my jacket around her shoulders and say huskily, “Follow me.”
I don’t take her hand and I don’t speak until we are some way from the house obscured by trees. I know that won’t mean anything because
every meter of this place is guarded by cameras, but I know a way around that and duck into an alcove near the citrus trees and pull her into my arms.
She jumps back a little and I hold on tight and say firmly, “Now listen to me.”
She nods and I can’t resist the temptation of Eve as I tilt her head back and kiss those lips that beg for it. She moans against me and I pull her tight and growl, “You’re mine, nobody else’s, they will have to deal with that.”
“But how? This is an impossible situation?”
Stroking her hair, I hold her tightly against me and whisper, “This is not how I imagined it to be. I want the best for you and I want to give you the world. It’s only been a short time but long enough for me to know I can’t let you walk away. Something about you is deep inside me and I know if I lost you, my life would be meaningless. So, with that in mind and despite the reason we are here…”
I pull back and stare at her with an intensity that makes her color a little and then I drop to my knee and take her hand, saying simply, “Sophia Moretti, will you marry me?”
28
Sophia
I stare at Maverick in total shock. I can’t believe he just did that. He is kneeling before me promising me the world—everything I want and I should be ecstatic. But how can I be? This is a forced proposal because we have run out of options. This is a deal to be made for business rather than love. I am under no illusions that he is doing this for me and my world comes crashing down at the realization I have only one answer possible.
“No.”
He blinks in disbelief and shakes his head. “No?”
Taking a deep breath, I say with a tremble to my voice. “I can’t marry you, Maverick.”
“But why?”
“Because this isn’t the answer. You are doing this out of some misguided sense of what’s right for me but if it meant you had to give up everything you worked so hard to build, of course my answer is no.”
Broken Beauty Page 11
