Chapter 16 - Marco

I was calmer after taking a good dose of morphine; I hadn’t even taken a shower, I just sat at the table with my brothers and Angel.

It filled me with pleasure to see her there at my table, smiling and talking with everyone, becoming more and more comfortable around my people, just as she had while I was being patched up, touching me and kissing me.

Angela might not have realized it, but I noticed she wanted to distract me, and I loved every second of it, especially after last night. Her father might be desperately searching for her, but she didn’t seem anxious to return at all.

"We’re going shopping this afternoon. You don’t have anything else to do anyway, and they’ll come to us."

"I don’t have any money with me." my little angel’s words caught my attention.

"Do you really think my brother will care about that? He gave up half a ton of cocaine for you; a few pairs of clothes mean nothing."

I half-closed my eyes, staring at her hard. Mel shouldn’t know the details about what Mancini took from us, none of them should know—better to keep them uninformed.

Angela choked on the strawberry she was eating and started coughing desperately at his words.

"Breathe, angel. Drink some water and take a deep breath." I said, handing her the glass of water. "I thought you knew how to keep your mouth shut, Frank."

"I didn’t say absolutely anything about last night." He shrugged, calm as he replied. "I didn’t tell anyone."

"Half a ton?" Angela asked as she caught her breath, staring at me as if a third eye was sprouting on my forehead.

"I was the one who told Mel, I didn’t know it should’ve been a secret, especially since it’s a declaration of love." Nero said calmly, as if he hadn’t just shared information that should have been kept secret.

Not that I cared about Melissa knowing things about the organization, just as I knew that soon Angela would want to be informed of everything happening.

"Declaration of love?" The innocent eyes of my little angel became even more confused.

"Yes. The Don refusing to trade her for the half-ton of stolen cocaine and the two kidnapped men is a declaration of love; it means you’re more special to him than all that."

She looked at me uncertainly, analyzing my face as if searching for answers there. If she expected to find some kind of romantic feeling, she was mistaken. What we were doing was a way to remind Mancini—and everyone else—why they called me the Devil of the Camorra. I would never bow to him for anything less than total surrender.

Having her by my side would be a bonus that would allow me to get the Cosa Nostra; everyone would be at our feet, and united, no other family would be brave enough to try to take our empire or go to war with us.

"I think the only thing left is to buy the ring." Melissa exclaimed excitedly, ending the silence that had taken over the table.

"I promised Angel I would convince her that we were made for each other, so until she decides to accept being my wife and become the Devil of the Camorra at my side, there will be no ring."

She looked at me, swallowing hard, but didn’t look away. I loved seeing her determination; this would be great in the near future, especially for taking everything from her father.

I would love to transform her into a lady in red—bloodthirsty, craving power and blood.

"But that doesn’t mean we won’t have diamonds until then, right? After today, Frank owes me a ring and maybe a pair of earrings, or a necklace." She said, smiling at her husband, who was just eating with a smile on his lips like a lovesick fool.

My sister did whatever she wanted with the poor guy; she had him completely under her control, and there wasn’t a single thing he wouldn’t do for her. But seeing Angela smiling at their interaction, I realized this could be the key to bringing her to my side even faster.

"Of course not, Melissa. My future wife can have everything she wants." The little one turned to me with wide eyes. "Have the jeweler bring his best pieces."

"No, Marco, I can’t accept anything from you. I haven’t accepted your marriage proposal yet, and I’m your prisoner here."

"You’re not a prisoner; let’s just say I’m keeping you here for your own safety until you regain your... consciousness." I reached out, touching her arm gently, making her sigh. "I insist that you have only the best of everything, regardless of what your choice is in the end."

"And… I… I can’t, it would be seen in… the wrong way." She stammered beautifully, looking so shocked by my words that she didn’t even know how to react.

"Just like our kisses, but that didn’t stop us, did it?" I said much more softly, even though everyone at the table could hear.

Her cheeks turned a deep red, and Angel quickly looked away from mine. That gave me the certainty that she wasn’t thinking about the kiss she had given me a few minutes ago, but about the intense kisses we exchanged in the bedroom last night when I pinned her against the wall and my body nearly explored her sweet virgin pussy.

She didn’t dare respond after that, and I almost thanked Nero for not making any cheeky comment about what I had said.

It didn’t take long for Giovana to enter the dining room with a tray full of pancakes. Everything that woman did smelled divine, and the famous pancakes were no exception.

"Thank you, Gio. I don’t know what I’d do without you." Nero said, standing and kissing her, and she laughed, giving him small taps. He was the most spoiled of the three of us, at least he had become so with that damn charm that enchanted everyone. "The best pancakes of my life."

"Then serve yourself before they get cold." Giovana shouted as she left the room, and my eyes returned to Angela, who, despite having a plate with some fruit, stared at the pancake tower as if it were the most magnificent thing she had ever seen.

I could almost hear her growl just by looking at the plate of pancakes. Then I remembered what Mel had told me; she lived on a strict diet where her father dictated what she could eat.

"You can eat, angel." I said, placing the pancakes right in front of her, drawing her gaze. "Don’t forget that here you’re free; you can do whatever you want."

Looking a little shy, she turned to the pancake tower and speared one with her fork, putting it on her plate. She took a deep breath, cut a small piece, almost as if about to do something wrong, and brought it to her mouth.

"Hummm." Angel moaned, closing her eyes. "This is so good."

"Isn’t it? It’s the fluffiest, most delicious pancake in all of Italy." Nero agreed while everyone gathered around her.

"I wouldn’t know about all of Italy; I’ve never eaten a pancake in my life." Her words cast a hint of sadness over the table, if Nero hadn’t been there to make jokes and lighten the mood.

I savored watching her eat two pancakes as if I myself were eating them for the first time; with each bite, Angel seemed to discover a new world, and it was enchanting to see her discoveries. It would be even better to see all the discoveries she would make while by my side.

I had to thank Mancini; he had made it really easy to bend his daughter. By denying her everything in life, he had left me an infinity of possibilities to reach the little angel’s heart.

It should be wrong for someone her age to be so innocent, but I didn’t understand why I was enjoying discovering this about her more and more.