Chapter 5
AMALIA
THE PHOTOS OF MY WEDDING went out everywhere I wanted them to go. Every family I hoped would notice did, including the men who circled my father like rabid dogs and the ones who whispered that a woman couldn’t hold what he left behind. Now they’re all talking about my marriage and nothing else.
I love it. They’re calling it bold, and they’re right.
Marrying Matteo was the right move, and the proof is in every reply on my phone screen.
Half of them congratulate me with words they don’t mean, and the other half don’t bother hiding that they’re rattled.
A stranger now has the Petrelli name, and no one knows what to make of him.
He’s not from around here, so there’s no history to dig through or an old grudge.
They only know one thing about him—that he’s from a mafia family.
I bet they’ll wait. None of them will move against me while they don’t understand what they’re up against, because a confused man treads carefully, and he holds back until he knows the ground under his feet.
They’ll watch Matteo and try to figure out what kind of threat he is before they risk anything.
That buys me space to breathe, which is all I’ve ever needed.
And now I have time to go after the thing I actually want.
Dominic.
I lean back in the chair and run my finger along the edge of the desk.
He’s the reason Tomasso is in the ground.
He put a bullet in the only man who ever treated me like I had a brain in my head, and he’s been circling our family for years like he’s owed something.
Well, I’m going to collect from him instead.
Every piece is finally lining up so I can take him apart, just like he deserves.
I set the phone down and look around my office. A grin pulls at my lips, because I know exactly what my father would think of this.
He’d lose his mind. A woman in his chair, leading the family.
He spent his whole life telling me a daughter’s place was anywhere but the head of the table, and that leading was a thing men did while women watched.
I look up at the ceiling and grin wider, as if he can see me from wherever he ended up.
“Look at me now,” I say. Then I remember where he probably is, so I look down at the floor instead. “Oh, right. You’re down there.” I tap my fingers on the desk. “Hope it’s nice and warm.”
A knock comes, and Marco leans in. “Boss,” he says.
“Come in.”
He shuts the door behind him and stops in front of the desk. I can tell by the set of his shoulders that he’s got something on his mind, and I’d bet money it’s the same thing it always is.
“Dominic,” he says. “Where are we?”
“Everything’s moving the way it should.” I lean forward and rest my arms on the desk. “He doesn’t know we’re coming for him yet, and by the time he figures it out, it’ll be too late to matter.”
Marco nods, but his brow furrows. “And Gaviani?”
“Petrelli. What about him?”
“You’ve got him roaming the house.” He crosses his arms. “He can go anywhere he wants, and no one’s stopping him. He already knows the place better than half your men.”
“I let him roam because a man who feels caged starts looking for the door.” I hold his gaze. “And I want Matteo comfortable. Men who feel safe get sloppy, and that’s when they show you who they really are.”
“Or he’ll learn where everything is and use it against you.”
“He could.” I shrug. “But he’s not getting near anything that matters, and he knows the second he makes a mistake, he’s back in that cell or worse. I’m not worried about him.”
“Someone should be.” He presses his lips into a tight line.
“And that’s why I have you.” I spread my lips into a smile. “Keep an eye on him. I don’t need a leash on him yet, but I want to know who he talks to. If he so much as looks at something he shouldn’t, I want to hear about it.”
Marco’s mouth twitches, and I know that’s as close to agreement as I’m going to get out of him today. He still thinks marrying Matteo was too much of a risk to take, but he’s never been the one who has to hold all of this alone, especially as a woman, so he doesn’t get a say in how I do it.
“I’ll watch him,” he says.
“Good.” I lean back again. “Now go get him for me and bring him here.”
Marco’s eyebrows lift just a little. “To the office?”
“Yeah.” I pick up my phone and glance at the messages one more time. “It’s time my husband and I had a real conversation.”