Chapter 8
Alessandro
28 Days Until The Wedding
A fter leaving Luci, I let my kitchen staff know what she will be eating for breakfast. Through Marco’s research, I found out that unless it’s Stella’s cooking, she sticks to cold brew with caramel and oat milk for breakfast. That’s a bullshit attempt at a breakfast. She will eat when and what I feed her.
I stroll into my office, finding myself wondering what Luci is doing. I can tell my body gives her the same reaction that her body does to me.
I open the window on my computer that’s streaming from the cameras in her bedroom and see her pacing around the room. What piques my interest is instead of getting dressed, she walks to her bed and climbs onto it. I have several cameras placed in her room, one of them pointing directly at her bed. She snakes her hand down the center of her body, shuttering as she slightly brushes the sensitive bundle of nerves between her legs. I lean back in my office chair, crossing one foot over the opposite knee, ready to watch the show unfold. Based on the wrinkle between her brows, I wonder if she’s trying to picture something other than me. She can’t fight her body’s attraction to me, no matter how hard she tries. The shine of the crucifix on her necklace moves as she pants, reaching closer to her climax. I’m reaching to unbuckle my belt when she leaps out of bed, searching for something to cover herself. I switch my view to the camera facing the door when it opens enough to slide the tray of food in before shutting once again. For a second she stands there, ideally trying to decide whether she should finish herself off or get dressed and eat. I sit up in my chair, anxiously waiting to see what will happen next. To my disappointment, she chooses the latter.
As she gets dressed, I notice her clothes are well-worn or potentially second-hand. I text Marco, asking him to find someone to dress Luci since he’s the one who found our stylist. With some spoiling, I’m sure Luci will be more agreeable.
Once I’m done shoving that chore onto Marco, I focus on what’s important, calling Geno to update him on the developments of the last few days. Even with the time difference, he should be able to talk. I count the rings, Geno answering as always on the third one. Never seem too eager.
“Ah, my nipote! What are you calling me about today?” Geno is the type of man who will be warm when it’s deserved. Family or not though, he will swap to cold faster than a flash of lightning.
I skip the niceties and get straight to business. “I have a sudden development on the Miani debt.” I lean back into my chair, waiting for his reaction.
“You do? Do you care to tell me, or will we sit around while you pause for dramatic effect?”
“Let me correct myself. Marco found this development. I’ve been . . . collecting on it, so to speak. You should receive the email any second.” He’s a creature of habit and I know at this time of day he’s in front of his desk. I hear the ding of his computer almost instantly when he receives my email.
“I have the file open. What is this supposed to tell me, and why is it relevant to the Miani family?”
“That is Luciana Bonacci, only granddaughter to an Aldo and Stella Bonacci. They immigrated to America after getting married forty-some years ago. Their history before living in America had been erased—I’m assuming by Aldo. According to this paperwork, courtesy of Marco, Aldo worked for your family as a low-ranking bodyguard for a Stella Miani until they both disappeared overnight without a trace. They have one daughter together, Caterina Bonacci, and a granddaughter, Luciana Bonacci, who goes by Luci. They live in suburban Philadelphia and Luci is currently in law school. I conveniently met Luci the other night in a bar and grabbed her while walking her to her car. She is now upstairs on the third floor, hating me because she has to become my wife. We’ve done it Geno, we’ve found our missing debt.”
“Are you sure she is the right girl, Alessandro? I will not let you make a fool out of this family by marrying the wrong woman.” There’s the calculated man I know Geno to be. While he may have a soft spot for me occasionally, business comes first and as he says, he will not let anyone make him appear as a fool.
“I am confident in Marco’s skills. If he says Luci is the girl we need, then I believe him.” Marco originally worked for our family as a young apprentice for his papa, who was Geno’s head of security. Nepotism gets you far in this business.
“Good job Alessandro. I knew you’d be able to find the woman we need. You know what must be done next. I’ll finish up what I need to here and will be in town soon. You need to make sure she falls for you. Charm her, seduce her, whatever you need to do. Once I’m in town, we can have her family over for lunch. It’ll be a wonderful reunion.” He says the last part with a neutral disposition, which I know is his default mode for business. I go to respond but am met by silence. He must have hung up when I wasn’t paying attention. Typical.
My phone rings and I notice that it’s security at the gate. “What do you want? Oh yes, send her up.” I almost forgot I phoned the on-call doctor for a check-up for Luci.
Her car pulls up the second I open the door. “Hello Dr. Rossi. Let me help you grab your bag.”
She swats my hand away, grabbing it herself. “You will grab nothing. Now, who is this girl? Is she hurt? What am I examining her for?” Dr. Rossi is everyone’s stereotypical sassy nonna, a petite and powerful woman. The one person allowed to put any man who works for me in their place and I won’t bat an eye.
“This girl’s name is Luci. She’s my fiancé and I need to make sure she is healthy, but no, she is not hurt. Any tests you need to perform are approved, but I have one stipulation.” Dr. Rossi pauses, impatiently waiting for my addition. “She will not be on any birth control. If she is, you will make sure she stops. Today. You know how things go in these types of families. I’m sure you understand.”
Dr. Rossi responds with a raised eyebrow before muttering something about men and their audacity before strolling through my house like she lives here. Her personality and guts make her more powerful than most men, demanding the respect she’s earned.
I catch up to Dr. Rossi and lead her to Luci’s bedroom, scanning my fingerprint to unlock the door. Luci is sitting on her bed when we walk in, confused by Dr. Rossi’s presence before shooting daggers at me. I hope that over time Luci will show me more of this side versus the people-pleasing Catholic girl her family has raised her to be. We’re told that the only wife worth having is one that’s seen and not heard. That’s boring. I’d enjoy the thrill of a challenge with my little collection.
I close the door, walking over to her as I introduce the two of them. “Luci, this is Dr. Rossi. She is going to be examining you today to make sure you’re healthy.”
“I am perfectly healthy. There’s no reason to bring in a doctor.” There’s that fight I want.
Standing over her short frame, I tell her impatiently, “I don’t know that, therefore you will sit here while she examines you and runs any tests she finds necessary.” She stares at me, admitting defeat when she says nothing.
Dr. Rossi immediately steps in and examines her as she asks a list of questions. Health conditions, family history, all standard questions until we get to the good ones.
She rambles off the next series of questions like it’s one long question. “When was the first day of your last period? Is there any chance you could be pregnant? When was the last time you had sex? About how many sexual partners have you had? When was the last time you got tested for STDs? Are you using any form of birth control?”
Luci hesitates and glances over at me before staring at the ground, answering the doctor’s questions. “My period was about a week ago. And um . . . I’ve never had sex. In that case, I guess the answers would be no, never, none, never, and I guess abstinence.”
Those were the answers I was hoping for. I’ll be able to mold her into what I need her to be. She peers up through her lashes, waiting for my response only to see the smirk on my face. Her eyes widen and a pink hue flushes her face. The zap it gives my dick has me making a mental note to figure out how to make her do that as I fuck her.
The longer she went on answering Dr. Rossi’s questions, the more she hunched into herself, obviously self-conscious about my presence.
Dr. Rossi is finishing up her exam when Luci speaks up, “I want to talk about options for birth control.” Dr. Rossi goes to speak when I interrupt her.
“Absolutely fucking not! You’re not getting birth control and she’s not giving you any. It’s against our religious beliefs.” I bend over, face to face with her, fire in my eyes and fear in hers, until it turns to anger seconds later.
I back up when she stands, trying to make herself menacing behind her small stature. “You can’t tell me what I can and can’t do with my body! Pennsylvania state law says so.”
“I don’t give a fuck what Pennsylvania state law says. I am the law in this house and you belong to me. You will not be on birth control. Not now, not ever. End of discussion. Have a nice day.” Without giving her time to respond, I bolt out the door with Dr. Rossi in tow.
“You could have been nicer to her. Technically, she could stab you in your sleep. I know I should have done that to my first husband. Instead, he got hit by that bus. Lucky bastard.”
Dr. Rossi is on husband number three or four. Whenever she decides she’s grown tired of a man, she moves on from him, normally after some big blow-up or accident. That alone describes her distaste for men, even though I believe she’s a hopeless romantic and that’s why she keeps getting married.
“I am nice to her. She has her own bedroom until we’re married and I’m letting her plan the wedding and buy whatever she wants. She will be taken care of here. You and I both know that.”
She only answers with a “Yeah. Okay.” and her eyes scan up and down my body, for once holding back what she wants to say. Without another word, she turns around and leaves the house, driving away and leaving me to work now and play with Luci later.