Chapter 7
AMALIA
I SPREAD THE NOTES out on the desk between Matteo and me.
Going after Dominic instead of waiting for him to circle closer is something I’ve wanted for a long time, and now that the moment has finally come, I can’t help but feel excited.
But wanting a thing and pulling it off are two different things, and the second one could get me killed if I’m sloppy about it.
Matteo leans over the papers, his arms on the desk, and I stare at him for a moment.
From my prisoner to the man I’m planning the most dangerous thing of my life with.
That should bother me more than it does, because if I make a wrong move, he could easily turn against me.
Hell, maybe he’s already planning something like that, and I have to be careful.
“Before we get into the details,” I say, “I need you to understand something.”
He glances up.
“We’re in this together now. Whatever happens in that room with Dominic, you and I are one as far as he’s concerned.” I hold his gaze. “There’s no version of this where one of us wins and the other loses.”
His blue eyes hold mine, his face serious. “I get it.”
I look back at the notes and tap the first page. “Let’s start with how we look, because Dominic will decide half of what he thinks about us before either of us says a word.”
“Appearances.” Matteo nods. “My father cared about that very much too.”
“Then your father and Dominic would’ve gotten along.” I pull the page closer. “He notices everything. If you try too hard, not good. Don’t try at all, and he’ll think you don’t respect him.”
“Enough to show we have plenty of money, but nothing too flashy or too much.”
“Exactly.” I like that he’s actually willing to participate in all this without complaining about it or wanting something in return, although maybe that will come. “So we’ll get you a nice suit.”
Matteo’s lips pull up into a smile. “And what about you?”
“I’ll be the wife who clearly runs her own life, but lets her husband do the talking when it matters.” I shrug. “Dominic’s old-fashioned. He’ll be more comfortable if you’re the one shaking his hand, so let him have that. I’ll watch his men while his attention is on you.”
“You want me to look like the one in charge while you’re the one actually reading the room.”
“Yep, pretty much.”
I can tell the idea pleases him. He likes being useful. When I asked for his opinion instead of just handing him orders, I realized that whoever he was around probably never did that, so that’s what he craves.
“Alright,” he says. “What about the introductions? He’s going to want to hear us talk.”
“Dominic doesn’t ask questions to get answers. He asks them so he can observe you while you answer. So we need to practice. We have to stick to our story no matter what.”
“Then let’s try.” Matteo straightens. “Pretend I’m him. How did you and I meet?”
I almost smile at how quickly he gets into it.
“Through my father’s network. You were a name people respected, a Gaviani, and I needed someone who understood this world from the inside.
We talked and it turned out we both wanted the kind of power that’s hard to get on your own.
And then we realized we wanted it together. ”
Matteo tilts his head, and his eyes narrow as if he’s actually playing the part. “That’s a clean story. Almost too clean. A man like Dominic might wonder why a Petrelli heir would hand half her power to an outsider she barely knows.”
Yeah, I’ve been wondering the same. “Then I can tell him the truth, or close to it. I needed strength I could trust, and you needed a name that opens doors yours couldn’t.
We’re useful to each other, and somewhere in the middle of being useful, it became more.
He’ll believe that faster than a fairy tale. ”
“Greed makes more sense to him than romance.”
“Indeed. Two people who married for advantage and got lucky enough to actually like each other... He can respect that.” I lick my lips. “It also gives us room. If we slip and look more like business partners than newlyweds, the story covers it.”
Matteo grins. “You’ve thought about every angle.”
“I’ve had plenty of time to think about Dominic.” I hold his gaze. “I just couldn’t do anything about it until you showed up.”
“Glad to be of use.” He keeps his gaze on mine.
Does he really mean it? Who knows? I don’t know him well enough to be able to tell. But I have a feeling he finds this whole thing amusing, and I’m not sure if that’s a good thing or a bad one just yet.
We continue our little pretend game. Matteo asks how long we’ve been married and why we did it so fast, who handles the money, and what I’d do if Dominic offered us a deal that would make me less than his equal. He’s good at this, and every time he pokes a hole in our story, we patch it together.
By the time we’ve gone through everything enough times, it’s already dark outside. I lean back and run a hand over my face and catch Matteo staring at me.
“What?” I ask.
“Nothing.” He shakes his head. “I just didn’t expect this. Working with you, I mean. It’s not what I thought being your husband would be.”
“What did you think it would be?” I cock my head at him.
“Honestly? Smiling at dinners and keeping my mouth shut.” A grin tugs at his lips. “This is more fun.”
I reach for the next page at the same moment he does, and the back of his hand brushes mine over the papers. It’s a super brief contact, but a flash of electricity surges through my arm.
I draw my hand back and pick up the page. “We should go over how you’ll handle if you end up on your own, without me. If this goes wrong, Dominic won’t just lose his temper and rough you up. If he decides you’re a threat, then you’re dead, and, very likely, so am I.”
“I’m aware,” he says, his voice steady. “I’ve known men like him my whole life, and I know exactly what he is and what he’s capable of.”
“Then you know I need your head clear once we get there.” I meet his eyes.
“Can I say something, without you biting my head off for it?”
I arch my eyebrows. “Depends on what it is.”
“If we’re a team, we’re a team. I’m not your father, and I’m not one of the men who are waiting for you to slip up. Whatever Dominic does, I’ll be right there with you.”
I open my mouth to tell him I don’t need the reassurance, but the truth is, I haven’t had anyone say something like that to me since Tomasso, and he’s in the ground because of the man Matteo and I are about to deceive.
“You barely know me,” I finally say.
“I know enough.” His eyes don’t leave mine.
“I know you’d rather die than let one of them see you scared.
You’re smarter than every man who underestimates you, and there are a lot of them.
And I know you’re about to face the worst danger of your life to make one man pay for what he did to someone you loved.
” His mouth curves a little. “That’s more than I knew about most people I called family. ”
I gape at him. Wow. Well, pretty and perceptive. That’s a dangerous combination, but he’s my best chance to get my revenge and stay in charge.
“We could both die doing this,” I say.
“Yeah, we could.” His smile doesn’t fade.
“And you’re still in?”
“Of course.”
“Well, then let’s continue.” I flash him a quick smile.
He’s definitely an interesting man, and it’s quite possible he’s playing a game, but it doesn’t matter. I’ll use him for what I need, and that’s all. If he thinks he’s going to get more than I’m willing to give him, he’s wrong.