Sweet Temptation

“How dare you after everything we’ve done?” Mom whispered harshly.

“After everything you’ve done?” I shouted. My stomach constricted with a sharp pain, but I ignored it. “You married me off to Cassio so he’d guarantee Dad’s position. You married your own niece off to the monsters from Las Vegas for the same reason, and you want my gratefulness?”

I turned, clutching my belly, my heart pounding in my chest. Elia waited in the lobby, his hand on his gun, his eyes narrowed.

“You better take your hand off your gun or you won’t live to see tomorrow,” Christian growled.

Elia ignored him and stepped up to me, cupping my elbow. “Are you all right, Giulia?”

I gave a terse nod. “Take me home. I’m done here.”

Elia led me outside, grabbing my coat on the way. Christian followed. I sagged down on the passenger seat. Before I closed the door, my brother leaned in. “Text me when you’re home so I know you’re okay.”

I gave him a shaky smile. “I wish you already were Underboss.”

“Even then I wouldn’t be able to stop Dad from spreading the news. You know our parents. This is their chance.”

“I know.”

“I’ll try talking them out of it anyway.”

Cassio and Christian had come to a tentative understanding over the years. They still weren’t friends but they respected each other. Christian would never spread the news, even if it could potentially better his position.

“Don’t waste your time,” I said before I closed the door. There was only one person who could guarantee my parents’ silence at this point. The man my father feared like the devil, and not just because he was his Capo.

“Is Luca still in Philly?”

Elia frowned. “I think so. The meeting is supposed to go late. He won’t return to New York until tomorrow morning.”

“Find out where he is and take me to him.”

Elia cut his gaze to me. “You can’t just go to the Capo.”

“Said Capo is also my cousin. He can make time for family, right?”

“What is going on, Giulia? You can trust me, or Cassio wouldn’t have chosen me as your bodyguard.”

“I trust you.” I looked out of the window. Elia was a good man, and an even better soldier and bodyguard.

“But you won’t tell me what this is about?”

I leaned my forehead against the glass. “I can’t.” Elia was Cassio’s soldier first. He was loyal to him. He’d tell Cassio the truth the moment he found out.

“Because Cassio isn’t supposed to know.” A hint of suspicion rang in his voice.

“Take me to Luca, Elia. That’s all you need to know.”

Elia’s mouth tightened, but he picked up his phone and called someone to ask where the Capo was. As it turned out, Luca was back in his hotel when we finally returned to Philadelphia.

“Do you have Luca’s number?” I asked as we stepped into the luxurious lobby of the Ritz Carlton.

“No. Not every soldier gets the Capo’s number, Giulia. He rules over thousands of men. I haven’t even talked to him so far.”

I walked up to the reception and smiled at the receptionist. Finding out Luca’s room number proofed tricky. The receptionist refused to give it to me. “Then call his room and tell him his cousin Giulia wants to talk to him.”

The woman did just that, nodding as she spoke into the phone. “All right, Mr. Vitiello.” She hung up and smiled politely at me. “The presidential suite on the thirtieth floor.”

I headed toward the elevators. Elia shook his head as he stalked after me. “He probably thinks it’s a trap and awaits with blazing guns. Luca is the most distrustful man I know, and for good reason.”

“Well, he won’t shoot a pregnant woman. And he knows me, so calm down.”

Elia’s tenseness stirred my own anxiety. The moment we arrived on the thirtieth floor, I touched Elia’s chest. “You stay here. I need to talk to Luca alone.”

Elia’s expression hardened. “I can’t let you out of sight.”

“Are you going to tell Luca that you don’t trust him with me? I’d like to see that.”

Elia swallowed. “I’m staying right outside the door.”

I rolled my eyes. “So you can react if you hear me screaming? Are you going to kill your Capo to defend me? Don’t be ridiculous. He’d kill you before you could blink.”

Elia didn’t contradict me. I knocked at the door. Nothing happened for a while then finally the door opened, and Luca stood in the gap. He held a gun in his right hand and his expression was the usual harsh mask.

I smiled, trying to mask my nerves. “Good evening, Luca. I’m sorry to disturb you. Can I have a word with you?”

Luca glanced behind me at Elia and the look in his eyes sent a chill down my back. “I didn’t expect you, Giulia.” His wary gaze settled on me. We were cousins, but that didn’t mean we were close or that Luca trusted me the slightest bit. He didn’t trust anyone. After a moment, he nodded and opened the door for me. “Come in.”