#2
He was bored. He had a long day at work, and the truth was, he didn’t want to go to this party but Liana had insisted.
She had looked so fucking beautiful in the deep blue dress she had chosen.
Her long blonde hair had been spiraled, and she had on minimal makeup.
He did notice the tiny details about his wife.
He couldn’t believe Francesco had even agreed to this marriage.
He had said it was high time he married.
He didn’t want his diablo to live a lonely life.
He needed to start making babies, so that when he was too old, he would have heirs to take his place.
Francesco was always thinking about the future.
Diego knew the Colombo Mafia would not be what it was today without him.
Francesco rewarded him well. He was loyal to the family, to the cause, and would never back down from a fight.
He had taken from the Bratva, destroyed the Spanish Mafia that had threatened to come and take their city. He would not allow it to happen.
His friends had walked over to where their wives were waiting, and in the five minutes he had been standing, Liana still hadn’t returned from the bathroom.
Each of the men went to their wives. Giovanni went to Mia and put his hands on her shoulders, but Diego watched as she shoved his hands away.
He had never seen Mia act that way toward her husband.
Next, Lorenzo and Clarissa. She stepped out of his way and didn’t even let him get close.
Tatiana turned and slapped Emilio right across the face. All three men were in shock.
“Where’s Liana?” he asked.
All three women turned on him. Okay, this was scary and fucking new.
He was considered one of the scariest men of the mafia. He had men terrified and pissing themselves. He was not prepared for the evil glares directed his way.
“Oh, why don’t you go and ask the doormat?
After all, that is a lot funnier than Liana, right?
I mean, she is dull and boring, and you hate going home to her.
If she is so dull, why not go and find her?
I’m sure you know where she is.” Mia glared at him, and then turned to Giovanni with a look of disgust.
All three women turned on their heels, and within seconds were gone.
“How the fuck did they hear that?” Emilio asked.
Diego turned to Giovanni and watched his friend, practically pale. “Shit!”
“You want to tell me how our wives heard our private conversation?” Diego asked.
Emilio had gone quiet. They had said not-so-nice things about their wives. They had all shared a little confession.
“I set cameras up in every room of the house,” Giovanni said. “Including the library.”
Which is where they had been, enjoying a brandy and talking, or at least sharing their displeasure about their wives.
“Your wife has access to this?” Lorenzo asked.
“Yes. It’s in my office. She must have—” He stopped and put a hand to his face.
And that was when he realized Liana would have heard what he said.
The truth he had told his friends, that Liana was boring.
Coming home to her was dull. She always had a smile, was always amenable, and .
.. a doormat. No matter what he said, she agreed with.
The food they ate was what he wanted. He didn’t want a damn doormat.
However, he looked at his friends as they revealed their grim news to one another.
Emilio had said the best way to deal with a boring, dull wife was to get a mistress.
Lorenzo had said Clarissa just laid there in bed, and he was pretty sure there were times he had fallen asleep.
He finds her hobbies old and dull. Giovanni had described Mia as childish.
Her love of the seasons and celebrating them was grating on his last nerve.
He didn’t give a fuck about Halloween or Christmas.
He didn’t want to be married to a stupid child, but a woman.
They had all said some pretty mean stuff. Diego didn’t even know if they had meant what they had said, but that didn’t matter. Their wives had heard them talking shit.
They looked at one another, and Diego didn’t even need to be told that Liana would attempt to go to her father’s.
It was the only place she would go. The only place she could possibly go where he might not gain access.
He was pissed. He didn’t say goodbye to his friends, but instead walked right out the door, just as Phill was stepping up to the main door.
“Sir, I am so sorry.”
“Did you drive her?” he asked.
“Yes, of course I did.”
“Good. Take me to her.” He was already climbing into the passenger seat in the front. He had enjoyed two brandies, so there was no way he was going to risk driving to her home while he was over the limit. There were rules he was happy to break, but drink driving was not one of them.
“Did she say anything?” he asked as they drove out of Giovanni’s drive.
“No, sir. She was pretty upset.”
He rubbed at his temples.
Diego had not wanted to be married. Having a wife was not something he wanted, but he had dealt with it because there was nothing he could do about it.
Now, he was pissed off, and as they arrived at her father’s house, he was not surprised to see Enzo already at the main door, waiting.
His arms were folded and he did not look happy.
Climbing out of the car, he told Phill he was done for the night and could leave. He was not going to leave his wife here.
“Enzo,” he said.
“Diego.”
He made his way up the steps. “Is my wife here?”
“Your wife is here, and she has locked herself in her bedroom.”
“Look, it has been a misunderstanding.”
“So, you didn’t liken my daughter to a doormat and say a doormat had more uses than my daughter?”
Okay, coming from Enzo Valentino, who he respected a great deal, that didn’t sound so great.
The punch to the face was to be expected.
Diego had no choice but to clench his hands into fists.
The desire to hit back was strong, but it had always been that way.
No one hit him and lived to tell the tale.
Only, Enzo was a respected man in the mafia.
If he started a war with him, Diego knew he would tear the whole mafia apart.
Besides, he was in the wrong. The insults he had said about his daughter were wrong.
“I need to speak with her.”
“What you need to do right now, is to sleep it off in one of the spare bedrooms. Trust me, my daughter will likely attempt to kill you before she even ... gives you the chance to speak.”
Diego would have laughed, only Enzo looked damn serious.
He knew when to keep his mouth shut and wait to fight another day.
End of sample chapter