18. Manuel
EIGHTEEN
MANUEL
I ’d thought I’d come and teach her a lesson, but the plan had quickly changed. So here I was, hiding in her closet while she tried to get rid of her friend. I couldn’t believe the woman actually convinced me to hide in her closet. It was a first, even for me.
Cazzo, what the fuck was happening to me?
Just a few encounters with her and she’d already buried herself deep beneath my skin. I didn’t know what the fuck I was going to do with her, but I knew I had to protect her. Surprisingly, it bothered me seeing Athena distressed. I ran my tongue across my teeth, the tension in my body refusing to release.
The closet door opened and I met Athena’s gaze. She was wearing a long-sleeved T-shirt, that was slipping off her shoulder, looking entirely too innocent to be the offspring of Alexandra and Atticus or a victim wrapped up in some twisted revenge scheme by the Triads.
“Okay, out the window you go,” she pouted.
I let out a dry breath.
“I don’t think so.” Her floral scent made my head feel fuzzy. The woman must be working some charms on me. “We need to talk.”
She wrapped her arms around her stomach as if to protect herself from what was to come, then tilted her chin defensively. “About?”
“About the Triads and why they’re after you?” Her connection to Atticus Popov couldn’t be the only reason they were out to get her. If he screwed them over, they’d be focused solely on him.
She frowned. “How should I know?”
I cupped her face and ran a thumb across her cheek. “If I am to protect you efficiently, you need to be honest with me, Athena. And trust me when I say, I will be very unhappy if you gain even a scratch under my watch.”
Her lips parted, a blush rising to her cheeks.
“Very romantic.” She rose to her tiptoes and breathed against my lips. “But I really don’t know. It only happened once before.”
Alert ran through my blood. “What happened?”
She blinked. “What?”
I leaned in to nip her bottom lip to keep her distracted. “The Triads’ attack. You said it happened once before.”
She shrugged but couldn’t hide the tension in her shoulders. Her fingers reached up, playing with the ends of my hair above my collar. “They attacked my mom, looking for some information. They kept saying she took something. I was just a kid back then, but it scared me.”
My posture remained unmoved but vehemence rumbled through me.
“What happened?” She remained silent for several heartbeats, and my fingers laced through her hair at the small of her back. “Tell me what happened.”
I watched her delicate neck move as she swallowed. “They came in the middle of the night and hurt Mama badly.” She lifted a shoulder, looking past me, and something about the look in her eyes gutted me alive. “After that, she couldn’t sing for a while.”
My thoughts shifted back to that day when I found some kid singing backstage while Alexandra lip-synched, and somehow it made sense. It had to be connected to this attack.
“And did they hurt you, amorina ?”
Tension rolled through me, but I forced myself to relax, not wanting to scare her. She buried her face against my neck, making a soft noise of approval. Her body pressed against mine felt good, but I couldn’t help but think she was attempting to distract me.
“Tell me,” I demanded.
“They scared me,” she admitted. “Roughed me up a bit.” The fury that shot through me should have been my first warning that this fierce protectiveness toward her had gotten out of hand. “Up until that day, I’d hoped my dad would come and take us away.” Her voice was quiet, wistful. “But after, I never wanted to meet him. At least that wish came true.”
I wasn’t amused by her sarcasm.
“You can’t stay here,” I told her. “It’s too dangerous. We’re leaving.” When she didn’t move, I added, “Today.”
She blinked. “I can’t leave, not now when my friends need me.”
“Your friends would want you safe.”
She closed her eyes for a moment before opening them with resignation.
“I know you’re right, and I want to be smart about my safety, but I can’t leave Reina right now. At least give me until her engagement party, and then I’ll do whatever you think is best.”
I admired her loyalty to her friend, and while I knew it wasn’t the best decision, I heard myself answer, “Fine. But I’ll assign guards to keep watch over you and the apartment when I can’t be here myself.”
She nodded somberly. “Okay, but can they be invisible?”
I let out a sardonic breath. “You’ll never even know they’re here.”
I still couldn’t shake the feeling that there was something she wasn’t telling me. I would have called her on it right then, but my instincts warned me she wasn’t ready yet.
However, this wasn’t over. Not by a long shot.
I walked into the kitchen of Enrico’s home around noon to find Enzo and Amadeo drinking shots of grappa.
“ Ma che —” I snatched the bottle from Enzo’s hands. “What do you think you’re doing?”
“I’m having a shot right before an early afternoon siesta ,” Enzo answered like he was sipping on juice and not fucking alcohol.
“You’re Italian, not Spanish,” I gritted. “And you’re fourteen, Enzo. One day you’ll be head of the Marchetti empire. Act like it.”
This was the last thing I needed. There had been reports of the Triads being spotted in France, and although I got hourly updates from the men I’d assigned to watch over Athena, it still set me on edge.
“Okay, riposo, then. Stop getting hung up on semantics, zio mio . We need grappa to warm us up. Italianos aren’t meant to experience cold weather,” Amadeo interjected.
Winter in Paris wasn’t my favorite time of year either. It constantly drizzled, unlike in southern Italy.
Since the attack in Athena’s bedroom, I was getting increasingly impatient. I had men constantly on her tail when I wasn’t able to be with her. I’d also had cameras installed in her apartment, much to her dismay. Conscious of scaring her away with my overbearing nature, I promised her I’d only check the footage if there were reports of suspicious activity in the area.
Once her friend Reina’s engagement to the Leone brother was behind us, I intended to take Athena away. That was the only way I could really protect her.
“Cranky, zio mio ?” Amadeo asked, pulling me out of my thoughts.
“I noticed you were eyeing our matrigna ’s friend,” smartass Enzo added.
“Forget your matrigna ’s friends. I better not catch you drinking grappa like it’s Fireball. Capisce ?”
They both nodded gravely, giving me their full attention, but their eyes gleamed mischievously.
“Isla’s friend, Athena, will be our zia. Davvero ?” Amadeo was an expert at changing subjects.
I pointed at both of them, narrowing my eyes. “Don’t worry yourself about things that don’t concern you.” I reached for the espresso the cook had prepared and left for me on the warmer. “You better pray I don’t inform your father that you’re emptying his liquor cabinet.”
The little shits laughed.
“It will be fun with young ragazze around rather than the usual old men,” Amadeo drawled.
I swatted his head. “ Sono le donne. Voi due siete ragazzi. ” They’re women. You two are boys.
Amadeo puffed his chest. “But we know what to do. We read one of the books you bought.”
I narrowed my eyes. “What books?”
“Stacks and stacks of romance novels by A.K. Mystique,” Enzo drawled. “Dumb name, but they have very good… instructions. I lent some copies to a few friends.”
I let out a string of curses. I should have known better than to have them all delivered here.
When I learned the details about Athena’s pen name and her books, I tracked them all down and purchased every single copy. They’d be going to my home in Ischia first thing tomorrow morning where curious teenagers couldn’t get their hands on them.
“We figured you wouldn’t miss one,” Amadeo drawled, shrugging. “Well, five. One for Enzo and one for me, three for our friends. It’s very good.”
Ma che cazzo? The fucking rascals had been snooping. “Neither one of you is old enough to read those books.”
They shared a glance. These two would have to be on a short leash or they’d burn the world down before they were of age.
“ Zio ?” Enzo’s expression got serious.
“ Sì ?”
“Do we have to be as old as you and Papà before we bring women into the castello?”
Books forgotten, I studied my nephew carefully, searching for a hint that he knew what awaited him. Arranged marriages weren’t uncommon in our circles. Amadeo and Enzo understood that, especially if they expected to take the reins one day. Together.
“What do you think?” I retorted without answering him. I wanted him to enjoy his years before learning of his engagement to Penelope DiMauro.
Enzo tilted his head but said nothing while Amadeo rolled his eyes. “I’m not waiting until I’m old.”
I stood up, ruffling their heads at the same time. “We shall see, ragazzi .”
I refreshed my caffè, then headed for my office.
Enrico was with his young wife, so I knew he’d be tied up for a while. Lucky bastard. Fuck, I couldn’t wait to have Athena with me every day, show her what I liked, hear her moans and cries as I learned every inch of her body. My dick pulsed, but I forced myself to lock away those cravings… for now.
While I waited for Enrico to extract himself from Isla, I read through the emails regarding next year’s wine harvest.
Truth be told, I preferred my empire’s legitimate work, but I was born for the illegitimate business—drug-running, gambling, and money laundering.
A short while later, Enrico entered with a satisfied grin on his face. He lowered himself into the seat across from me, and I pushed away from my desk.
“How are you doing?” he asked.
“Took you long enough,” I retorted wryly.
He chuckled, unperturbed.
“I heard you’re cranky today. Maybe I should come back another time.”
I smoothed my tie, taking a second to compose myself before I responded.
“The Triads have been spotted in Omertà territory,” I stated, my voice portraying none of the turmoil brewing inside me.
“I heard.” Enrico sighed. “Lykos called.” I raised my brow, not expecting this from Costello. “I don’t understand what they could want.”
It was time to come clean. “They’re looking for someone.”
He angled his head, watching me pensively.
“Is that what’s got you in a lousy mood?”
“Partially.”
“I’m all ears, Manuel.”
My phone buzzed and I picked it up to see it was a message from a supplier, confirming another delivery went smoothly. Putting it on silent, I turned my attention to my nephew.
“The Triads are after Atticus’s ex-mistress and his illegitimate daughter.”
He frowned. “Nicki Popova?”
I shook my head.
“No, the illegitimate one. It turns out you were right, she does exist.” And she was right in front of our noses.
“What do they want with her?”
I shook my head. “My guess is to use her against Atticus for screwing them over twenty-three years ago.” Although, Athena’s comment about the Triads demanding information on something Alexandra took from them kept nagging at me.
“That’s quite the grudge.”
“It is,” I agreed. I still believed I was missing part of the story, but I didn’t know what. “Ghost has tracked down some information that you’ll find interesting.”
His brows furrowed. “He hasn’t sent me anything.”
I let out a sardonic breath. “Because I asked for it and he was getting me information on a certain woman.”
His lips twitched. “A woman?”
I sighed. “Don’t start with me, nipote .”
He put his hands up in surrender. “I wasn’t going to.” I knew he wouldn’t be able to resist. “Does it have something to do with Isla’s friend Athena?” I pinched the bridge of my nose. “By the way, I hear she’s even younger than Isla.”
“ Vaffanculo .” I pounded my fist on the table. “I’m not in the mood.”
He grinned. “Neither was I. Remember?”
Karma was a bitch.
“ Cazzo, it was more fun when it was about you,” I retorted dryly.
“I bet. Just like it’s more fun for me now.” He laughed when I crossed my arms over my chest. “So, are you going to explain to me how Athena is connected to the Triads and Atticus?”
A heartbeat passed. Tense and ominous.
“She’s Atticus’s illegitimate daughter.”
He sat up straight. “You’re shitting me.”
“I wish.”
“It has to be a mistake.”
I shook my head. “It’s not. Remember the opera singer I told you I dated briefly , years back?”
“Vaguely. Wasn’t she a fraud? She had a kid singing off-stage while she lip-synced.”
“Something like that. Turns out she was attacked by the Triads the night before her performance, which is why she couldn’t sing. Alexandra was Atticus’s mistress, and Athena is their daughter.”
“Get the fuck out. You’re kidding me.”
I tapped my fingers on my desk. “You see me laughing?”
“How would Lykos Costello know about any of this?”
I leaned back. We all kept secrets, and Lykos was no exception. “Because she’s his niece. Lykos’s wife is… was… Alexandra’s older sister.”
“But she’s dead,” he claimed. “I attended her funeral.”
I shrugged, giving him a pointed look. Perception was everything in our world and we knew it. After Enrico’s brother died, we played our own scheme to ensure the Marchetti territory remained strong until Enzo was old enough to take over.
He leaned back in his chair and considered this news. “How do the Triads come into play?”
The Marchettis had never worked alongside them, but there’d been other families that tested those waters. It never ended well.
The Triads were known for their unpredictability. If they’d zeroed in on Athena, it was only a matter of time before they got their filthy paws on her.
Unless I got her away from here.
“Remember how Atticus fucked them over way back when?” He nodded, remembering the whole fiasco of flesh smuggling over the Greek territory. Atticus was into flesh trading and continued the practice until his son took over. “This has to be their payback.”
The line between his brows deepened. “Why wouldn’t he just settle the score with interest like he did with the Albanians and the Cortes cartel? It’s not like he’s short on money, and his son, Danil, made their empire ten times bigger.”
“I don’t know.” Which was exactly what was bothering me. Danil went out of his way to settle his father’s scores, making the people Atticus fucked over very rich. “But I plan on taking Athena to my castello.”
Nobody apart from Enrico knew of its location. It’d be the safest place for Athena.
“Probably a good idea.” Then Enrico smirked. “So you were sleeping with her mother a decade ago, and now you’re sleeping with the daughter.”
I shot him an annoyed look. “I never fucked Alexandra.”
“ Cristo , that was a close one, Manuel. I’d like to see you explain that to your new young bride.”
I narrowed my eyes on him. “I never said I was marrying her.”
He rose out of his chair and laughed his ass off all the way out of my office.