Chapter Five

Luciano.

There’s a sweet feeling about owning the room, being in power and control. My finger tapped against the chair repeatedly; I had been doing that for a while now to ease my nerves, yet it didn’t help.

I could feel the rage burning beneath my skin as I stared at the man sitting in front of me. I had been sitting in his office for what felt like an eternity, and neither of us had said anything of real importance. He wasn’t ready to cooperate—yet. I knew he would, as soon as he realized what we had against him.

“What do you want, Rossi?” he asked with a growl.

That air of arrogance surrounding him was infuriating. It took everything in me not to snap and just kill him right there. He had been acting this way since he rushed into his office to find me already sitting there. It almost pleased me to see him so ruffled.

“I’ll make this short and simple so you can understand, Pedro. We’ve been going around in circles for far too long, and now, I think it’s time for us to come to an understanding,” I said, watching him intently.

If looks could kill, he would be on the floor by now.

He leaned back in his seat. “What understanding are you talking about? The last I remembered, you killed your father, Luciano. Why should we come to any understanding?”

I wanted to laugh at his ignorance. “We both know that I would—could never do something like that. He is my father; why would I kill my own flesh and blood?”

My voice was anything but calm, despite my attempts to control it.

I hated him so much, and all I wanted was to see him begging at my feet with a bullet in his head.

Pedro scoffed. “I’m not a child, Rossi. You killed your father—“

“And why would I do that?” I interrupted, cutting him off.

He shrugged. “There are many things you could gain by doing that. For one, the position you have now was your father’s. I’m sure you’ve wanted to be in this position for a long time, so you decided to kill him.”

I clenched my teeth tightly.

“That’s all bullshit, and you know it. I’ve done everything possible to show how sincere I’ve been, including trying to seal this bond between us.” I explained, and he scoffed.

He was justified in doing so; there was no bond between us to seal. The only thing between us was the desire to kill each other. I was here because I knew he wouldn’t dare kill me. Pedro might have men outside ready to act, but they didn’t scare me.

He rubbed his fingers on the table. “And what do you suggest would be a better way to ‘seal this bond’ between us?” he asked, his tone dripping with distaste, which I understood.

I didn’t answer right away; I took my time to observe him. He looked tense, and if anyone could explode from anger, Pedro would be the perfect example. I knew he hated that I was here instead of locked behind those four constricting walls.

“You’re wasting my time, and that’s something I don’t take lightly, Rossi,” he growled.

I nodded, once again silent. I rubbed my beard slowly before finally speaking up.

“Marriage,” I said, staring him in the eye as I did.

I hated him so much.

He stared at me for a moment before bending over and bursting into loud laughter, as if I had cracked a billion-dollar joke. The chair he was sitting on shook with each guffaw.

He stopped laughing when he realized I wasn’t joining him as he expected.

His laughter faded, and the wrinkles on his face became more pronounced. Time was not kind; he was getting old.

“You can’t seriously think anyone would offer their daughter for you to marry, Rossi. What the hell happened to you in there?” he asked.

I grinned. “I’m not suggesting marrying someone else’s daughter, Pedro.” I paused to let the implication sink in.

I watched as he slowly grasped what I was suggesting, and his reaction was just as I knew it would be. He slammed his hand on the table, his face reddening with anger.

“I will not do such a thing, Rossi. I would rather carve a knife into my chest than let you come anywhere near my daughter,” he hissed.

I knew it.

“I hope you do that when I finally marry her, Pedro,” I said.

“No marriage is happening. I’m not going to let someone as dangerous as you into my family, Rossi,” he snapped.

“But you will, Pedro, and you’re going to do it with a happy smile on your face.”

“I don’t know what you might have taken in jail, but I seriously hope it hasn’t knocked out the last brain cells you have. Now, if you’re done with this nonsense, the door is right there,” he said dismissively and took a seat.

I leaned back in my chair once more and continued to watch him.

“I know something that could maybe cheer you up,” I told him, bringing my hand slowly to my breast pocket. But before I could take whatever was in there, he picked up his gun and pointed it at me.

“Relax your mind, Pedro. I’m not going to kill you—I will kill you, but not yet,” I quickly added, so he would understand my intent.

I pulled out the piece of paper and placed it on the table, locking my eyes with his as I slid it toward him. He stared at the paper for a moment before picking it up, and I smiled widely when I saw the realization dawn on him.

He had found out.

He already knew what I discovered, and I knew he would do anything to keep it a secret.

I waited for him to react.

Five.

Four.

Three.

Two...

“Where did you get this?” he asked, his fingers starting to shake uncontrollably.

“A detective doesn’t reveal his sources, Pedro. I know what you’ve been hiding, so why don’t you sit back and listen to my demands?” His eyes shot from the paper to me, and I grinned at him.

“What do you want?” he asked through gritted teeth.

“A wedding with your eldest daughter.”