Chapter 22
Dominico
“So, we will officially meet the infamous Lily Valentine this evening. It will be good to see what all the hype is about. I never got a proper look at her the other night. I hear the bounty is still out.” I don't bother acknowledging my uncle's words.
Instead, I glance at those I call famiglia , slowly entering the large hall that can accommodate the sixty invited guests, twenty from each of the Three Families.
It wasn't news that the bounty was still on Lily's head.
Clearly, the forks in Senator John Underwood's hands had not effectively conveyed my message.
But I already knew this; the last three days had proven as much.
In fact, her ex was trying to pressure me into relinquishing her by impeding my everyday operations—operations that typically ran smoothly.
Lately, we've faced more challenges than usual regarding inward supply shipments due to government interference, which is minimal most of the time since we have many officials in charge of those assets in our pockets.
However, someone with power is meddling, attempting to complicate our lives by obstructing our usual routes with an increased presence of marine border interdiction agents.
The only man who would be foolish enough, or desperate enough, to do that was her ex. And he had the means to do it.
Due to this, I had to reroute six shipments and acquire four new docks.
It was an irritation, to say the least, but not something I couldn't handle.
I hadn't been Don for so long for no reason.
New docks were acquired, some by force, as they were already handling shipments for the Mancuso brothers, a Sicilian mafia group attempting to encroach on our territory.
They were small, but their membership was increasing, and we had been keeping a close watch on them.
That watch had turned into a clear warning message after we killed a couple of their guys stationed at one of our newly acquired docks two nights ago.
That incident caused the cut on my face and my busted knuckles.
“So why are you keeping her? Does she have a golden fucking pussy or something?” Luca persists, and the smoke from his cigar and mine contributes to the already heavily polluted atmosphere in the foyer leading to the downstairs dining area.
If only he fucking knew the truth of his words.
Lily's cunt was unlike anything I had tasted before.
It wasn't even the fact that I hadn't performed cunnilingus on a woman in years, before that I had eaten enough pussy for a lifetime.
While the way she tasted was moreish and exquisite, sitting on my tongue like I'd had a meal prepared by a Michelin five-star chef, it was everything that accompanied it.
The emotions that played across her face, the way she lost control, and her vulnerability were gifts she gave me, and I treasure them like a collector of fine things.
It's better these bastards didn't know how fucking magnificent Lily was.
“Something like that,” I say to the short, greying man eyeing me with a frown; his features are so similar to his brother Lorenzo's that it feels like looking at a twin.
Except now there is only one. After our brief meeting at Mirra and the information Jean Pierre managed to acquire, Lorenzo's body was found floating in a lake three days later.
Bloated, eaten by fish and god knows what else, and beaten so severely that the autopsy and identification of the body would be difficult.
But that is the price you pay for stealing.
Luca knew I was the one who killed his brother, but said nothing.
What could he say? I am the Don, and if I allowed that kind of behavior under my roof, I wouldn’t have remained Don for as long as I have been.
His wife was allowed to live after we confirmed that she knew nothing of the account in her name or her husband’s unscrupulous actions.
She stands off to the side with a big smile as she speaks to Dante.
It seems she was not as affected by Lorenzo's death as some believed she ought to be. I don’t blame her.
After seeing pictures of Lorenzo fucking Jean Pierre in the ass, coupled with knowledge of other such incidents, why should she mourn his death?
Luca takes a sip of his brandy, and then his eyes drift upward. The way his brows lift and the catlike whistle tells me all I need to know. My little flower has joined the party.
“Excuse me.” I turn, leaving a dumbstruck Luca as my eyes find what has enamored him so.
She is standing at the top of the staircase with Matteo beside her.
They are talking to one another as she descends, her face etched with nervous tension but so fucking beautiful.
She is wearing a satin emerald green off-shoulder dress with a slit so high that I almost want to kill Alison for how much leg and thigh it reveals.
Her hair is loose on one side, pinned up, and the soft curls shimmer in the light.
Her makeup is flawless, with dark smoky eyes accentuating her whiskey-colored eyes and red glossy lips emphasizing her natural pout .
As I make my way to her, my progress is halted by family members. By the time I arrive, Basilio and his sister Francesca have beaten me to it.
“Oh my god, you look so different,” Francesca gushes, holding Lily’s hands as her gaze shifts from Lily to Basilio.
“Don’t you think she looks amazing, fratello ? You know Basilio broke up with Camille, right?” The wink Francesca gives Lily and the clear intention behind the words don’t miss the mark. Lily looks uncomfortable as Basilio stares at her, his eyes devouring her as he gauges her response.
“I’m sorry to hear that. She was so…nice.” Francesca laughs at Lily’s attempt to be polite while looping her arm through Basilio's before jabbing him in the side. “She was a bitch. But we all make mistakes, don’t we?!”
“Anyway, he is a free man now. Ready to find his flower amongst the thorns.” Fuck. Could she be more obvious?
Lily's gaze meets mine as I approach, dipping downward. The flicker of lust in her eyes and her obvious perusal of me are evident. Let's hope it is as clear to the sister trying to palm off her brother and the brother attempting to weasel his way into a scenario that will never occur.
Lily is mine.
I assert dominance by stepping into the group, my back to Basilio and Francesca, as my arms encircle her.
Her eyes widen before closing as my lips claim hers.
By the time we are done, she clings to me, her cheeks a delicious shade of red, and her lipstick smudged.
Perfect. Leaving no doubt in anyone's mind that she is mine.
I smile at her and then turn to face Francesca and Basilio, who are standing there awkwardly.
Some people around us are gaping; this display of affection is unusual for me.
I never kissed women in public. Or privately, actually. We fucked. The end.
Until now, it hadn’t seemed like a big deal. But maybe that’s exactly why I hadn’t often done it. I was saving it for my Queen.
“Basilio, Francesca, glad you could make it.” I wrap my arm around Lily, pulling her close to my side while she wipes at her lips, trying to do damage control.
“Dominico. Of course. We wouldn’t miss it for the world,” Basilio says, recovering quickly as his eyes dart from me to Lily.
Clearly, my display at Pulse needed a reminder, as this was not the first time he had seen me kiss her.
Why was he still holding out hope? Was he that in love?
Was his breakup with that gold digger meant to open the path for him and Lily?
I hope not for his sake, as I would hate to kill him.
Especially not before the opening of three new Gentlemen's Clubs next week.
“Shall we go in?” I say loud enough for everyone to hear, gesturing toward the entrance of the large dining hall.
Basilio and Francesca leave, Francesca's face still showing shock. Others follow, but I remain where I am, turning to face Lily.
“What was that about?” Lily asks, her eyes wide as they flick from me to the people heading away from us.
“Just dashing Basilio’s hopes. Rather now than later,” I say, tucking a piece of escaped hair behind her ear.
“You look fucking delicious.” She blushes and smiles, glancing away briefly before meeting my gaze again.
“You look really…nice.” She doesn’t wince as she says it, so she must mean it.
“Only nice?” I prompt, running my finger across her lips.
“Very nice?” she answers with a question, laughing when I smile.
“You can tell me later how very nice I look when my clothes are off, along with yours.” Her eyes widen, and her hands nervously smooth her dress, her squirm revealing how my words affect her.
“But for now, let's go mingle. Remember what I said to you: you belong here. Don’t let anyone make you feel otherwise."
With those words, I entwine my hand with hers.
As we enter the dining hall, not a shred of doubt resides in her elegant frame, shoulders back and head held high.
Like a true Queen.