Chapter 17

CHAPTER 17

“ T here is a charm about the forbidden that makes it unspeakably desirable.”

—Mark Twain

Nico

It was a quote my mother had whispered after seeing her male cousin a long time ago. They’d purposely stayed away from each other at the single-family reunion we’d dared attend. I might have been fairly young, but I’d seen both their faces, the longing that seemed broken.

I’d dared not ask her about why she’d whispered the words or what they meant as I suspected he was her first love but unrequited. I hadn’t thought about it for years as there’d been no reason to. My mother and family had always seemed genuinely happy together. But I was now fully appreciating and understanding what she’d meant.

Granted, with no blood relations whatsoever, the situation could be considered entirely different, but not to everyone. Taboo was still taboo.

I’d lost another night of sleep, my worry twofold. I’d watched Alexandra sleeping. I’d stood over her. I’d attempted to put our passion into a tidy bowed box, but I’d failed. Sighing, I almost dropped my nearly full mug of coffee as I placed it on my desk. Nothing seemed to suit my thirst or appetite at this point.

But her.

Christ.

I was losing my mind in all of this.

Hearing footsteps, I bristled. There was no reason. The security hadn’t been breached, for God’s sake.

“Good morning, boss,” Luca said as he appeared in the doorway, far too chipper for my mood.

When I turned around, he almost seemed startled. Likely because I looked haggard. “Are the security people here?” I didn’t need questions or comments today. It was business as usual and nothing more.

He faltered before nodding. “Yeah, the team leader arrived with several men and they are currently going over the exterior. I thought I’d let you know.”

“You have. You can walk with him. I emailed a plan of what I need to the guy. I emailed one to you as well. You can keep track of what he and his team are doing for me.”

Luca wasn’t the kind of man to ignore an elephant in the room. “Are you okay, boss? I know this shit is bothering you.”

“It is. Tremendously. I have a bad feeling that the situation is going to become violent and on our turf. That won’t bode well for business.”

He nodded. “I’m keeping watch, but there’s more, isn’t there?” A single eyebrow shot up and I tried to keep from altering my facial expression. The man knew me far too well, which wasn’t usually a problem. Today I just needed time to figure out what the fuck was wrong with me.

“It’s nothing for you to worry about.”

“Uh-huh.” The two syllables were exaggerated coming from his mouth. “It’s tough to have a woman living in the same house as you are. Isn’t it?”

Retorting wasn’t something I usually did under any circumstances. I almost broke my own rule, but didn’t need to, my sister sweeping in like a breath of fresh air. Her perfume always lingered like her glorious laugh.

“Woman in your household. Would that be a guest you seem to want to hide?” Isabella nearly sang as she rushed toward me, kissing me on the cheek.

“Don’t start, Isabella,” I warned her. She was either fire made incarnate or could pass for the socialite of the year. However, she was one of the most astute businesswomen rivaling any man in the world.

Plus, I simply adored her, but she knew me too well. When I liked, loved, or hated something, she could pick it out from miles away. When I was ready to kill an asshole with my bare hands, she issued her basic warnings to stop and think about my decision. She had a knack for calming me down.

“What am I starting?” She took a step away, acting as if she was horrified I’d accuse her of something so egregious.

Luca chuckled. He’d seen our banter through the years. The fact I almost never won an argument was fodder for conversation amongst the ranks. I had no issue taking on twelve armed men at one time, always coming out the victor in the battle. I could easily destroy a man or a company in business inside a conference room. And God knows rivals knew when not to cross me.

But this woman had been the only one to push every button to the point I’d learned it was best not to push back.

Now there was Alexandra.

She was damn good at it as well. How was that possible?

I had a bad feeling between the two women, I would lose every argument for the rest of my life. Shit. There I went again thinking I was going to keep Alexandra for the rest of her life. What would I do, keep her locked inside the house? That was my inclination right now.

“I have no doubt Domino gave you an earful.”

“You seem to forget, darling brother. Domino hasn’t had the luxury of meeting this girl either. Shame on you.”

Luca was still amused.

“Don’t you have a job to handle?”

My second in command threw up his hands. “Why, yes, boss. At your service, boss.”

The man could be such a fucking wise guy. He even slammed the doors of my office when he left, leaving me alone with the tigress. I could tell she was on fire this morning.

She promptly plopped down in one of the two chairs opposite my desk, placing her elbows on the arms and steepling her hands. She had a look in her eyes that could wake the dead. I was certain of it.

I moved behind my desk, easing down more gently. The thought of breaking everything on my desk was still in the forefront of my mind.

“Alexandra Christian. Such a beautiful name, almost like a lullaby. Is she as beautiful as her name suggests?”

“Cut the crap, Izzy. This isn’t some reality television show where you get to select my future wife. The girl is in danger. She managed to get herself into some serious trouble. The woman doesn’t understand the trouble she’s in.”

“Which is it?”

“What?” I was already growing weary of the conversation.

“Girl or woman? Granted, you are my much older brother so it may seem as if all women are girls to you.”

I usually laughed or huffed when she made this joke, but not today. She instantly noticed the change in my demeanor.

“Okay, I’ll stop. I can tell it’s bothering you.”

“Bullshit,” I told her. “You’ll start up again.” Yep. I was cranky as fuck on top of everything.

She knew when to stop pushing, at least momentarily. “Domino told me about the extra security, including at my house. You’re that worried about Adonis Dimitriou? Such a pig.”

I’d forgotten when she’d taken a trip to the United States, she’d had an encounter with him that had left him… close to being forced to live life without testicles. If there was one thing my sister loathed, it was a slick asshole trying to put the moves on her.

“He’s unpredictable. Just like the Bratva. Pops once shared with me a story when all was quiet in Italy, the various families getting along. There was a strong understanding that no one could enter Italy without facing all the families and for the most part, the peace lasted for almost twenty years.”

“Then the Bratva direct from Moscow brought an army into the country and slaughtered over a thousand people. I remember the story, brother. But times have changed.”

“Have they really? Some syndicates gravitate toward the old ways and always will. Violence is innate in their DNA. I am worried. There’s something about what Alexandra witnessed that is far bigger than just a man being killed inside a bakery.”

“I’m no fool, Nico. I’ve spent a little time with a special bottle of wine, a nice fire, and my laptop. Jonathan Weber, the man who was beheaded, wasn’t just some guy who’d fucked the Greeks over.”

“I know. He was a senator.”

Isabella nodded. “Do you remember the guy I dated when I finished those two years in America?”

I glared at her, raising my own eyebrow this time. It had been a huge bone of contention from my parents, both her living in the United States for the final two years of college and with her having an American boyfriend. Heritage and customs were still strong within Italy, no matter how many changes in business operations there were. Family came first. Always. Daughters were precious. They were almost held in higher regard. They were certainly more protected, encouraged to stay close to the family unit.

Maybe the thinking was a bit Neanderthal, but not everything changed quickly in a country where arranged marriages had been a tradition. Thankfully, my mother had put her foot down on that barbaric practice.

“How could I forget? I almost killed him,” I told her.

“You almost killed every boy who came into my life.”

“Funny. What’s your point?”

“My point is that I’ve remained friendly. I contacted him last night to see if he knew anything.”

I almost laughed. She’d found the son of a mafia leader while attending Columbia. He’d been mostly good to her, although when he’d started pressuring her for marriage, I’d been forced to intervene. “Did the great Carlos know anything?” It had annoyed Pops the guy had been of Spanish descent.

“He said there is significant unrest, not only in the ranks of crime syndicates in the US, but also with certain politicians.”

“From what?”

“Just his conjecture, but it appears the Greeks managed to get themselves in on some pretty juicy secrets. Plus, there’s some pipeline project.”

“Fascinating,” I said. “Yes, and it would nearly destroy Adonis’ fortune. But I think that situation is merely a cover.”

“As in guarding better kept secrets?” Her grin was infectious.

“Perhaps. In a sense, a new form of crowd control.”

“Don’t take it lightly. Remember what our father always told us. Knowledge is the real power. What he also mentioned was that if there was a witness to one of the players’ deaths, then it could blow up their entire scheme. And I assure you the Greeks are not well liked.”

“I guess not.” That meant Alexandra was in even more danger at this point.

“You guess not? Brother. Come on. I know you. Extra security? Extra soldiers? You’re really worried.”

“Yeah, I am. We don’t need any shit at this point.”

“You’re trained for it. Stop worrying. You have state-of-the-art systems. You’ll know if and when the Greeks or anyone else make a move. Now, let’s talk about a dinner party.” Her eyes were twinkling all over again.

I huffed and shook my head. “As you said, this is something that needs to be taken seriously. I don’t think having a dinner party, even a small one is in our best interest.”

“So we’re halfway across the world and you’re going to stop living? Come on. That’s not like you. We’re talking about a family dinner. We need to meet her. Alexandra has been a part of your life for years yet we’ve never been allowed to meet her.”

Huffing and puffing wasn’t my style. She was right. I wasn’t entirely certain why I hadn’t suggested a meeting years before except I’d tried to keep my distance. “Fine, but not tomorrow night.”

“Don’t worry. I have clients coming in for a wine tasting both tomorrow and the next night. But the one after that?”

I also wasn’t going to dissuade her. “Fine. But I want nothing to do with the preparations.”

“Such a freaking hardcase. We’d be eating raw beef and nothing else if I left it up to you. I’ll handle the preparations. In the meantime… Can I at least meet this woman who managed to capture your attention?”

Her insinuations drove me nuts as well. “At some point.” I could swear karma was against me. The knock on my door wasn’t sharp enough to be one from any of my men. The door opened and Alexandra walked in without waiting for me to answer. She was a breath of fresh air, beautiful in every way. She was wearing a skirt, tee shirt, and low black shoes that I knew my sister would make fun of, likely from Target or another cheap store. Her hair was in a ponytail, but her skin was glowing.

My sister was quick to notice my expression, grinning like a Cheshire cat. I gave her a nasty look in return.

“I didn’t mean to interrupt. The packages have started to arrive and I feel… Guilty.” Alexandra eyed me then my sister, who’d turned all the way around. Soon, the woman would be out of her chair and fawning over my guest.

My ward.

My lover.

My possession.

God. The filthy thoughts running through my head were pathetic.

“Come in. Alexandra Christian, this is my sister, Isabella. The two of you are both firecrackers so please be careful so you don’t burn the house down.” I could swear the two women gave me the same rather nasty look. Why did I have a bad feeling they were going to become close?

“Packages?” Isabella prodded as she rose to her feet.

“Clothes upon your brother’s insistence.” Alexandra studied me intently. I didn’t know if she was searching for affirmation from the night before, but I was doing my best to remain emotionless.

“Of course. He likes his women a certain way.” Isabella laughed.

“Isa-bella,” I warned.

“What?” As always, my sister was acting like a drama queen. She had an audience.

I had a feeling I knew exactly what Alexandra would do and I was right. She took three long strides forward, planting both hands on her hips and grimacing. “I’m not his woman. I am a medical student who will be studying later today to take her third-year exams who just happened to witness a horrible crime. In fact, I’m nobody’s woman and will never be. Men are pigs.”

Somehow, I didn’t think her defiance was being leveled at either my sister or myself. I did my best to bite back a smile. “She’s formidable. She’ll take a bite, Izzy.”

Isabella for once didn’t seem to know what to say immediately. “I think I’m going to adore this woman. I applaud you. Becoming a doctor? I could never have the patience. Say, brother. Do you think I could take this fabulous woman out for breakfast? Scout’s honor we won’t get into any trouble.”

“Scout’s honor?” Alexandra asked, genuinely curious.

“You see, my sister spent two years in New York attending Columbia and once she returned, she was ready to renounce her Italian heritage altogether.” I was tense about Isabella taking her anywhere, but they would not be alone. I’d send my own men whether they liked it or not.

“I learned some fabulous things about American wines, brother. That has turned our vineyards into the most sought-after source in Europe. Did you forget about that?”

Alexandra laughed at the bantering. “He bites too, you know.”

“Oh, I can handle him. Somehow, I think you can too. When we return from breakfast, I can help you open all those boxes. It’ll be like Christmas,” Isabella told her. She was way too excited.

“Yes, I can as a matter of fact.” Alexandra eyed me again. There were things we needed to talk about, but not now. There was far too much work to do.

“Then grab your purse and we’re off,” my sister told her.

My ward glanced in my direction, more out of defiance than asking me permission. “I think I’ll enjoy getting out.”

“And the drive is very scenic as well.”

“You’re going with an escort,” I told them.

Isabella swung around. She had one of her own she chose to ignore and had always done a very good job. She hated the protection, but there’d been a close call with regard to her life I hadn’t told her about. And wouldn’t now unless absolutely necessary.

“You’re such a party pooper.” My sister didn’t mince words.

“So be it. You two are a huge part of my family.”

I caught Alexandra off guard while my sister laughed.

“Come on before Mr. Party Pooper changes his mind.” Isabella started to guide her from the room.

Alexandra looked at me almost longingly, her mind churning with questions and comments. They’d come later. Of that I was certain.

“The boxes? There are lots of them.” Alexandra’s tone was still defiant, but I did sense some guilt. I already knew how much she’d spent and I couldn’t care less.

“I’ll have them taken to your room.” I also had a half dozen things I wanted to say to her, but best not when my cock was rock hard. I also couldn’t get out of my chair until they’d left.

Fuck, I wanted the girl far more than I should, images from the night lingering in my mind. That wasn’t going to bode well for concentrating on business.

After they’d walked out the door, I sat back in my chair.

What kind of mess had I gotten myself into?