She didn't dare say otherwise. She nodded her head vigorously. He blew her a kiss, already anticipating the evening. He would go see the lovely widow, take care of business, retreat to his wing of his other home, stay a day and then recover enough to see Lissa and give her the last and final assignment - the one that would make him boss of both families.
The elation was so strong he thought his heart might burst out of his chest. He'd begun planning when his brother ascended to the Abbracciabene throne. Marcello might have been older, but Luigi should have been the natural successor. He was very, very good at what he did. That was when the plan had come to him.
He stared out the window as the car sped toward the town Cosmos resided in. It was nearly an hour away. He had plenty of time to anticipate what the good widow would be doing for him and all the money he'd make off of her after. Seventeen years of waiting was coming to an end, and the nearly euphoric feeling was almost better than when he was finally told his brother and sister-in-law were dead.
He really wanted to go see Aldo before he sent his best weapon after him. Smug, little Aldo who ruled his empire and treated Luigi as a poor relation. Luigi shook his head, a small smirk playing around his mouth. He could see his reflection in the window now. He was young enough to rule both empires for a very long time. He would have it all. Power. Wealth. Women. He enjoyed playing chess with other people's lives. And he'd won. He'd nearly toppled the king. It was his own little pawn that was going to take that king down.
He burst out laughing. "We're so close, Arturo."
"You got that right, boss," Arturo said, elation in his voice as well. "She came through again, didn't she? She always does."
The smile faded from Luigi's face. It wasn't that he had affection for Lissa. He didn't feel emotions like affection, but he definitely regretted having to kill her. He'd sent her to the States to get her away from him. She was too damned intelligent to keep around on a daily basis. She would have figured the entire plan out by now had he allowed her to stay close.
Angeline had been with him seventeen years and she hadn't figured out a damn thing. Not. One. Damn. Thing. She believed he loved her. He gave a little snort of derision. He despised the bitch. She claimed to love him, but she didn't know the first thing about him and she sure as hell didn't do anything to show him. She hated him touching her. She found sex too messy. She lay under him, the only position she'd go for, completely unmoving while he rutted like an animal. It was never fun, and she always had a look of distaste on her face afterward.
He'd given up long ago trying to make something of his marriage. In the beginning, he thought to keep her alive, but after the first five years he'd changed his mind. Once he had sons he could mold into what he wanted - and needed - he left her alone. Well, unless he was seriously pissed at her. Then he got drunk enough to make sex last a long time and he forced her to do her duty, just because he enjoyed punishing her that way.
Arturo pulled the car onto the private drive leading up to the Agosto mansion. It was a mansion, nothing less. This would be his as well. He pushed all thoughts of his wife away and looked forward to what was to come.
Cosmos's wife, Carlotta, stood anxiously waiting in the doorway. She was seriously beautiful. Her face was perfection and the flow of wavy, black hair tumbling around her soft, delicate features only accented her classic bone structure. Her eyes were enormous, dark and surrounded by thick, long lashes. She'd been in countless magazines, famous for that face and body.
Cosmos had dictated that his wife keep her body through diet and exercise, and she had obeyed him. He'd managed to make her submissive in a way Luigi had failed with Angeline, but that was all right, Luigi was going to reap the benefits of Cosmos's training.
He walked right up to her and took her into his arms, holding her close while she wept. She wore a skirt and blouse. Cosmos didn't like her in pants or underwear. When they went out, he liked showing her off and her clothes bordered on scandalous. Even now, her blouse was low-cut and thin, the material see-through to show her black bra, the one that lovingly pushed her breasts up so that the shadow of her nipples showed.
Luigi patted her back, moving her into the house, Arturo right behind him, closing the door. "I'll take care of you, Carlotta," he assured. "You saw the body?" He put her from him gently, smiling down at her.
She tipped her face up, nodding. "He fell just at the cliff. I didn't call the authorities. I didn't know what to do, so I called you. I knew you'd come, that I could rely on you."
"You did the right thing. First, I need you to show me where Cosmos kept his safe. He had important papers he wanted me to deal with in case of his death."
"He had the safe in the bedroom, built into the wall."
He took her hand, again, quite gently, turned up her wrist and kissed the soft skin there. "Show me, bella. You have the code to open the safe." He made that a statement.
She beamed when he called her beautiful, eagerly nodding her head. "He made me memorize it just in case something like this happened. He said the papers were important."
He nodded solemnly as he followed her into the bedroom. Arturo trailed behind. Carlotta didn't seem to notice. She pointed to a picture on the wall and stepped back.
"Cosmos had a lot of enemies," Luigi said, pouring concern into his voice. "Did he explain that to you? Enemies he worried would harm you."
She nodded, her hand going defensively to her throat. She was tall, nearly as tall as Luigi, but slender and delicate looking.
"He wanted me to look after you." Luigi spoke to her, as he swung the picture aside. It opened like a door. "Tell me the code."
She did and he pressed the numbers she gave him. Already, Arturo crowded close to her. He and Arturo had a way of having a very good time with women. It mattered little to them whether or not the woman had a good time.
"I want you to look after me, Luigi," Carlotta said. "I need you."
He glanced over his shoulder, his gaze sweeping over her body. He turned back to the contents of the safe, dismissing her. "I don't know, Carlotta. I have a big territory and a demanding wife. What do I need with you? What can you do for me in return for my protection?"
He glanced over his shoulder again and saw her twist her fingers together. She looked deliciously anxious. He pulled out the heavy stack of papers from the safe, quickly sifting through them, looking for the journal Cosmos had kept of their pact together. He found it, scanned it and slipped it inside his jacket pocket.
"Please, Luigi. I don't know what I can give you in return, but anything." She sounded close to tears.
"Come here, bella." Luigi's voice was gentle. Loving even. "Right now, Carlotta." He pushed a little command into his tone, just enough that her submissive nature would demand she obey. That and her fear of being abandoned. She already looked at him with hope.
When she approached cautiously, he reached out, caught the front of her blouse and gave it a vicious yank. The material parted and he threw the scraps aside. "You know what to do to please me. Cosmos said you were very good at showing him how grateful you were to him for giving you this home."
She stood there, looking shocked, afraid, and a little uncertain. Arturo grabbed her hair in his fist and yanked her head back so hard she nearly fell over.
"You heard him, bitch. Get rid of the clothes and crawl to him. Show him you're thankful for his protection." He kept his hold on her hair with one hand and with the other he produced a knife. "Don't move yet. Stay very still. Luigi doesn't like blood. I don't mind it, but he likes a woman's body without a blemish." He slid the blade of the knife flat along her cheek and then down to the swell of her breasts.
Carlotta kept her eyes on Luigi. He smiled and winked at her. "Arturo won't hurt you, not as long as you behave. And you will behave, won't you, bella? You'll do whatever I ask."
"Yes," she whispered. "Yes, Luigi, anything for you."
The knife
cut the straps of the bra and then slid along the side to cut the material, freeing her breasts to their sight. Arturo slipped the blade into the waistband of the skirt and shredded that as well. She wasn't wearing panties, and she stood completely naked between the two men.
Luigi went back to looking through the papers as if dismissing her again. Arturo applied pressure until she was kneeling, and then on all fours. "Crawl to him," he snapped. "Show him how grateful you are."
She did, and the closer she got the more Luigi moved back, forcing her to follow him. Arturo laughed. "She's a well-trained bitch already, Luigi. I don't think it will take much time to get her into shape."
Luigi smiled at Arturo. "I think she's very cooperative." He stopped moving so Carlotta could catch up to him. He made certain it was in the center of the room where they could have plenty of room to do whatever they wanted with the woman.
"Luigi, I'll do whatever you want," Carlotta said.
Arturo's belt landed hard on her naked butt. She screamed. "You don't call him Luigi. He is no longer your friend. He's your protector. Show some respect."