8. Elio

8

ELIO

T he last thing I want to do is leave Piper. When I'd arrived this morning, my goal had been to talk to her and reconnect to rebuild what we lost. Somehow, I ended up in her bed, making love to her like no time has passed. The feel of her soft skin, the sound of her breathless moans, it was all so familiar, yet it felt brand new.

As I held her in my arms, a deep sense of contentment washed over me. This is where I'm meant to be, with Piper. For so long, I had tried to move on from her, to convince myself that my feelings for her were just a fleeting teenage infatuation. But the moment I laid eyes on her again, those feelings came rushing back, more powerful than ever.

Any doubts I might have had are gone. She's mine. Yes, there are logistics to deal with. I need to end my engagement and her marriage. What a fucking idiot her husband must be to not cherish the woman he married, to not spend his time making sure she's happy. And she's not happy. The light in her eyes, that spark of challenge, is gone. There's no way she'd have let me touch her if she was happy with her husband. Piper isn't one to betray someone she loves.

The question is, will he leave quietly? For his sake, he'd better. I have no qualms about making him disappear. I won't let anyone stand in the way of Piper and me being together, not the law or my own family's obligations. I've waited eight long years to have her back in my arms, and I'm not about to let her go again.

I wish I could stay with her now, but I have responsibilities waiting for me. Business, for one. And of course, the matter of ending my impending marriage to Ava Rinella. The alliance between our families is crucial, and ending my engagement isn't going to go over well. I need to figure out a way to appease Vincenzo.

Arriving at my office, my mind shifts into the calculated, ruthless mindset required to lead our organization.

"Where you been, Boss?" Matteo asks as he follows me into my office.

"Busy." I'm not ready to explain Piper or my plans to end the engagement to Ava with him at this time. "What's Alderson?" I ask regarding the call I received that morning.

"He's balking at percentages again."

I roll my eyes. It wasn't so long ago that a man like Alderson would be gunned down on the street. Today, we're more subtle, and it's possible Alderson is working with the Feds. His disappearing now could cause more trouble than putting the fear of God, or more accurately, the fear of me, into him.

"I'll go talk to him. Did you contact Rinella?"

"I did. Is it about the wedding? That's the impression he has."

I nod. "It is." I move on to the next piece of business, bark out a few orders to some of my other men, review reports from both my legit and illegit businesses, then head out to pay Alderson a visit.

I'm on my game except in down moments. During the drive to Alderson's store that fronts for illegal betting, my mind drifts back to Piper. The soft curve of her body as she melted into my embrace. The moment when the shadows of her eyes lifted and I saw into her soul as her body came apart from pleasure.

By the time I leave Alderson, he's back under hand. My threats are subtle, said in a calm, professional tone. If anyone is listening, they're not getting anything that can be used against me, but Alderson is clear that things can take a turn if he doesn't get his shit together.

That evening, I head home. I take a deep breath as I walk through the front door, reviewing my speech in my head. The Rinellas will be arriving soon, and I know I need a solid explanation and consolation prize to end this arrangement with him.

I head to my office, wanting to grab a drink before Vincenzo arrives. My sister is waiting, a glass of wine in her hand.

Her sharp, suspicious eyes greet me. "Why the last-minute dinner with Rinella?"

I shrug and pour myself a scotch.

"All of a sudden, you want to be a part of the wedding plans?"

"Where's Matteo?" I ask, not wanting to discuss my reasons for the dinner beforehand. Like Rinella, Lana isn't likely to take the news well. I love my sister, but I'm the head of this family. I don't have to run my decisions by her. I allow her to give her input on business, but she's not an advisor.

"I'm here." Matteo enters and helps himself to a drink at my bar. "I hear Alderson is behaving. How bad of spanking did you give him?"

I smirk. "Bad enough to hurt."

"He'll whine again."

I nod. "He's going to force us to do something more permanent."

"He likes to go out on the lake. Sometimes shit happens out there."

"Let's see if he can hold it together before we start feeding him to the fishes."

Lana crosses her arms. "You should talk to him about Lazaro. He was one of the last to see him."

I suck in a breath. I wish she'd accept that Lazaro is dead. And I'd already leaned hard on Alderson about Lazaro's movements the day he vanished. Alderson might quibble about his payments, but he's not dumb enough to be involved in my brother's murder.

"Right now, I need to prepare for dinner," I say, taking my drink with me as I exit my office. I head up to my room to freshen up. When my servant informs me of Rinella's arrival, I head down to greet him. I'm a little annoyed that he's brought Ava with him, as I don't want to hurt her. But I suppose he thinks this meeting is about wedding plans.

"Thank you for coming, Vincenzo." I shake his hand. "You too, Ava." I give her a kiss on the cheek. "Come. Dinner is ready."

I escort them to the dining room where Lana and Matteo are already waiting. As we sit around the table, my staff serves wine, and we make small talk.

Once dinner is served, I roll the tension from my shoulders and clear my throat. "I have some unexpected news."

All eyes turn on me. As if he suspects something is up, Vincenzo's eyes narrow.

"I will not be able to go through with our wedding in two weeks' time."

"How much time do you need?" Vincenzo's voice is tight with barely contained anger.

"Let me rephrase that. I will not be marrying your daughter at all." I glance at Ava. "You're a lovely woman and this decision is no reflection on you."

Vincenzo's face immediately contorts with fury as he leans forward in his chair. His hand fists around a knife that I'm sure he wants to plunge into my chest. "What is the meaning of this? Your father would never disrespect me this way."

Lana is gaping at me in shock. Matteo's brows lift in surprise.

I hold up a hand to stop Vincenzo's tirade. "Please, understand that this decision has nothing to do with you or your daughter. It's a… personal matter."

Vincenzo's nostrils flare as he lets out a humorless laugh. "Personal? Did your father raise a pussy? This is business, boy."

I suck in a breath to rein in the violent rage brewing in my gut. I know people see me as soft because I'm polite and often compromising if it can benefit me in the long run. But many people have made the mistake that they can walk over me. They learned the hard way, often with their lives, that I'm not one to fuck with.

"You're a guest in my home," I remind him.

"I deserve to know why you've rejected my daughter. Why you disrespect me."

"Like I said, this is no reflection on you or your daughter. It's personal. The details are not your business."

Vicenzo slams his fist on the table, making the utensils jump. "Not my business? When you renege on a binding agreement between our families, it most certainly becomes my business!"

Lana's eyes are wide with shock, and Matteo, the bastard, has a smirk as if he's enjoying the chaos unfolding before us. Ava, like the dutiful Mafia princess she is, sits quietly, her expression carefully neutral.

"I understand your anger," I say, doing my best to maintain a calm fa?ade. "But there are other ways we can forge an alliance without the need for a marriage."

For a moment, I think Vincenzo will lunge across the table and make use of his steak knife. "You insolent little?—"

"Please, let's not lose our tempers here. I understand your frustration. This decision wasn't made lightly. I do respect you and our potential partnership."

Vincenzo's eyes flash with fury. "Not lightly? You make a mockery of our agreement, and you expect me to simply accept it?" He leans forward, his voice dropping to a dangerous growl. "Do you have any idea the position this puts me in, the humiliation I will face?"

I can feel the weight of his glare, the intensity of his anger palpable in the air. He's right, and I need to do better to assure him that I'll make things right. "I assure you that's not my intent. But I cannot follow through on this marriage. I need you to understand that."

"Understand?" Vincenzo scoffs, his lip curling in disdain. "You expect me to simply understand when you're throwing away a union that would have cemented our families' alliance for generations to come? A union that your father made with me. You disrespect him too."

I have no doubt he's right. My father wouldn't have put up with this. When I'd made the decision to promise myself to Piper, I knew he'd be against it. I didn't give a shit then. I don't give a shit now. He's gone. This is my life. This is my business. I make the rules.

"I'm sorry, but my decision is final. I hope we can find another way to?—"

"Final?" He leans back in his chair, his eyes narrowing to slits. "I'm afraid that is not how this works, boy."

I feel the weight of his words, the implication behind them. This is no longer just about a broken engagement—it's about power, control, and the delicate balance that holds our world together.

"Yes. Final." I meet his hate-filled gaze, hoping he can see that I won't be fucked with.

He shakes his head, his expression filled with contempt. "You will go through with this wedding, Elio, or there will be consequences. Consequences that you and your family will not soon forget."

The air in the room grows thick with tension. I'm treading on dangerous ground, but I can't ignore the pull of my heart. Nor am I a pussy. I've gone this far, and giving in now would tell Vincenzo that I'm weak. I have to stand my ground or I'll lose all respect and power in my own organization as well as The Outfit.

"We can discuss other?—"

"Fuck you, Elio." He shoots up from his chair, knocking it back. "Let's go, Ava." He storms out, Ava trailing behind him with a concerned expression on her face. The sound of the front door slamming echoes through the grand foyer, reaching the dining room.

"Well… that was fun." Matteo cuts his meat, his eyes brimming with amusement.

"What the hell was that, Elio?" Lana hisses. "Do you have any idea what you've just done?"

I sigh and take a sip of my wine, wishing it were scotch. "I know exactly what I've done, Lana, and I'm not going to apologize for it."

Her eyes widen in disbelief. "Are you out of your mind? You've just jeopardized everything we've worked for—everything Dad worked for!"

"Then you marry her. Or Matteo here can marry her."

Matteo blinks. "Me?"

"Sure. You're part of the D'Amato family. Don't you think she'd be a suitable wife?"

A flush comes to his cheeks. He clears his throat. "Well… yes… she's pretty and?—"

"The deal was for you to marry her," Lana snaps.

"The deal is off."

She shakes her head. "What is wrong with you?"

"There's nothing wrong with me. I can't marry her when my heart is with someone else."

Lana scoffs, shaking her head in disgust. "Your heart? Since when do you let your heart dictate the decisions that affect this family?"

I decide it's time to come clean. "Piper is back."

"Oh, my God." Lana gapes. "This isn't about some fleeting teenage romance, Elio. This is about power, influence, and the survival of our legacy. Please tell me you're not still living in some fairy tale la-la land. Surely, you've grown out of that."

I open my mouth to respond, but Lana raises her hand, silencing me. "No, you listen to me. You're the heir to this empire, and you have a responsibility to this family that goes beyond your own selfish desires."

I clench my jaw, not wanting to exert my authority over her. We're family. But just like I can't take disrespect from Vincenzo, I can't from her, either. "I'm the head of this empire, this family, not the heir . It's already mine. And up until now, you've had no complaints about how I've run it. Not when through me, your income has more than doubled."

"It's not just about money. You're going to turn others against us."

"It is about money in the end, sweet sister. Vincenzo can try to go against me, but he'll lose. He knows it." To be honest, my ego might be bigger than what I can pull off, but I will not be swayed from what I want. "As far as Piper, it's not a fleeting romance. I love her. I've always loved her."

"And then she left?—"

I interrupt Lana because this isn't her business. "I have given all I have to this family. I think I'm owed one bit of personal happiness."

"You know, you could have both," Matteo says. "Marry Ava, have Piper on the side."

I let out a laugh. "Piper isn't an on-the-side woman. Besides, it isn't about sex with her. I love her."

"I don't care, Elio," Lana says, her tone that of a petulant child. "You're going to marry Ava Rinella, and you're going to do it for the good of this family. Anything less is unacceptable."

"He's right," Matteo says to Lana. "Remember how he was when Piper left?" He turns to me. "I wouldn't wish that on you again. You were fucking miserable to be around."

He remembers the darkness that consumed me after Piper's sudden and unexplained departure. I had spiraled into a violent, reckless haze, lashing out at anyone who dared to cross my path. It served me well as I grew into the leader I needed to be for the business. Over the last few years, I clawed back from the dark abyss, so I wasn't the violent asshole I'd been, but I hadn't seen the light nor felt its warmth until I saw Piper again.

"Who's to say she won't leave again?" Lana says.

I won't let her. I don't know why Piper left, but I'll make sure she wants to stay. "Nothing is going to stand in my way. Not even you, Lana."

"You know what's at stake here. The alliance with the Rinellas, the stability of our family's influence—all of it hangs in the balance. You can't just throw that away because of some… some childhood infatuation."

"Piper is the love of my life, and I won't let her go again. Not this time."

Lana opens her mouth to protest, but I rise from the table. "This is not up for debate or discussion."

I leave the dining room and head to the bar. I need a drink. I know I've made my business life more difficult, but the lightness that fills my chest that I'm now clear to pursue a life with Piper far outweighs that.

I hold my glass of scotch up, saluting myself. "Here's to you, Piper. I'm going to make sure all my promises to you come true."