Chapter 6
Chapter Six
KAI
I'd spent the entire night thinking about how Aria looked in those tiny cotton shorts, and now I was supposed to act professional while showing her around the estate.
This was going to be a fucking disaster.
I knocked on her door at seven sharp because my father expected punctuality and I wasn't giving him any excuse to come down on her. Or me. Or worse, Lia.
Aria opened the door looking like she'd gotten about as much sleep as I had. Which is to say, none. Her eyes were shadowed, her hair still slightly damp from a shower, and she was wearing a simple sundress that somehow made her look both innocent and completely irresistible.
My body remembered exactly what was under that dress. Every curve. Every sound she made when I touched her.
I needed to get my head straight before I did something stupid.
"Good morning, Mr. Accardi." Her voice was stiff. Formal. Like we were strangers meeting for the first time instead of two people who'd spent an entire night learning exactly how to take each other apart.
"Cut the shit, Aria. Call me Kai." I leaned against the doorframe, watching her face flush. "We fucked. Multiple times. We're way past Mr. Accardi."
Her face went from pink to bright red in about two seconds flat.
"Don't—someone might hear you—"
"Then maybe stop calling me Mr. Accardi like I'm some distant relative instead of the man who made you come so hard you couldn't remember your own name."
She looked like she wanted to murder me. Or possibly die of embarrassment. Maybe both simultaneously.
"You're impossible."
"And you're pretending like you don't remember exactly how my hands felt on you. So I guess we're both living in fantasy land this morning."
I shouldn't be pushing her. Should be playing it cool, giving her space, not reminding her of things she clearly wanted to forget. But watching her squirm made something possessive in my chest purr with satisfaction.
She was mine. Even if she didn't want to admit it yet.
"Breakfast is in five minutes. My father hates tardiness. So unless you want to start your first full day here by pissing him off, we should go."
She grabbed her phone and followed me out, maintaining a careful three feet of distance like I might pounce on her if she got too close.
Smart girl. I absolutely might.
The dining room was already set for three when we arrived. Lia was picking at a plate of fruit, her long dark hair pulled back in a ponytail, looking younger than eighteen in an oversized sweater.
When she saw us—saw Aria specifically—she lit up in a way I hadn't seen in months.
"Oh my god, you must be Aria!" Lia was up and moving before I could make introductions, pulling Aria into a hug like they were old friends instead of strangers.
"I'm so glad you're here. This house is such a testosterone factory, I was starting to forget what actual female conversation sounds like. "
Aria relaxed slightly in my sister's embrace. I could see some of the tension bleeding out of her shoulders.
Good. Lia needed a friend. And Aria needed someone in this house who didn't want to either marry her or fuck her.
Well. I wanted to make her completely mine. But that was different.
"Aria Romano, this is my sister Lia. Try not to let her enthusiasm overwhelm you. She's been living with just me and our father for too long. She gets excited about new people."
"I'm not that bad." Lia stuck her tongue out at me, then turned back to Aria. "Okay, I'm a little that bad. But seriously, having another girl here is amazing. We can actually have real conversations instead of the usual grunt-and-business-talk that passes for communication around here."
A small smile tugged at Aria's lips. The first genuine expression I'd seen on her face since she'd arrived yesterday.
It did something to me. Made that possessive thing in my chest tighten.
She was beautiful when she smiled. Had been beautiful at the club. But here, in the morning light, with that tentative hope on her face? Devastating.
"It's nice to meet you too, Lia."
The moment shattered when my father walked in.
Don Salvatore Accardi had a presence that sucked all the air out of any room he entered. Cold authority. Barely contained violence. The kind of power that made grown men flinch.
Aria's entire body went rigid. That small smile disappeared like it had never existed.
"Aria. Good morning. Sit."
Not a request. A command.
She sat. I sat across from her, where I could watch both her and my father without being obvious about it.
Breakfast was served immediately. My father didn't believe in waiting. Coffee, eggs, toast, fruit. Simple. Efficient. Like everything else in his life.
"Aria, tell me about your education. What languages do you speak?"
And just like that, the interrogation began.
"English, Italian, and French, Don Salvatore."
"Good. Essential for a wife in this life. What about household management? Can you plan events? Manage staff?"
"Yes. My mother trained me. I can organize dinners, handle seating arrangements, coordinate with vendors for large functions."
She kept her eyes down. Submissive. Everything my father expected from women.
It made me want to break something. Preferably his face.
"Excellent. You'll need those skills. I entertain frequently. Business associates, family, allies. My wife needs to be presentable, capable, and above all, obedient."
The way he said 'obedient' made my hands clench into fists under the table.
Lia caught my eye. Gave me a look that very clearly said 'don't do anything stupid.'
I forced myself to breathe. To stay calm. To not reach across the table and strangle my father with his own tie.
Not yet. Not without the evidence compiled. Not without Council approval.
Not while Lia was at risk.
"The wedding will be in three months as originally planned.
You'll spend that time learning the estate, meeting key family members, and preparing to take on your duties as my wife.
" My father sipped his coffee like he was discussing a business merger instead of marrying a teenager.
"I expect complete obedience in all things.
My last two wives understood this eventually. I trust you're smarter than they were."
The threat was casual. Conversational. Absolutely chilling.
Aria's face had gone pale, but she nodded.
"I understand, Don Salvatore."
"Good." He turned those cold eyes on me.
"I'm leaving for Chicago in two days. Business up north requires my personal attention.
Gun shipments, new distribution routes, some territory disputes that need to be handled.
I'll be gone approximately a month, possibly longer depending on how negotiations proceed. "
My heart rate kicked up. A month. He was leaving for a month.
"Kai, you're in charge while I'm gone. The estate, local operations, and most importantly, Aria.
" He gestured to her without actually looking at her.
Like she was furniture. "She doesn't leave the property.
She doesn't make phone calls without permission.
She doesn't do anything without your approval.
You are responsible for keeping her in line.
If she causes problems while I'm gone, you'll face the consequences. Along with your sister."
There it was. The leverage. Always threatening Lia to keep me compliant.
But he'd just handed me exactly what I wanted. A month alone with Aria. A month to make her see that she belonged with me, not him. A month to build something before he came back.
"I understand completely. You can count on me."
"See that I can." He stood, breakfast apparently over. "I have calls to make. Kai, show Aria the estate. Make sure she understands the security protocols. Aria, I expect you to behave. Don't make me regret this arrangement."
Then he was gone, leaving the three of us in tense silence.
Lia was the first to speak. "Well. That was pleasant. Nothing like a casual threat over breakfast to really set the tone for the day."
Despite everything, I smiled. Lia's dark humor was one of her best qualities.
Aria just looked shell-shocked.
"Come on." Lia stood, moving to Aria's side. "Let's get you out of this depressing room. I'll show you the parts of the estate my brother inevitably forgets to mention because boys are terrible at tours."
"I was literally told to show her around—"
"And now I'm coming with you. Deal with it." Lia linked her arm through Aria's, already pulling her toward the door. "Plus, she needs another woman's perspective. You'll probably just point at things and grunt 'security camera' forty times and call it a tour."
She wasn't wrong.
We walked the grounds together, Lia and Aria in front, me trailing slightly behind like the world's most dangerous chaperone.
The estate was massive. Main house, three guest houses, elaborate gardens that my mother had designed before she died, a pool that rarely got used, tennis courts, and a shooting range that definitely got used.
Guards everywhere. Cameras on every corner. Motion sensors, reinforced gates, the works.
My father didn't fuck around with security.
"See those cameras?" I pointed to the obvious ones mounted on the main gate. "There are also hidden ones you can't see. Motion sensors along the entire perimeter. Guards rotate every four hours. If you tried to leave, you'd be caught before you made it fifty feet."
I wasn't trying to scare her. Just being honest. Escape wasn't happening.
Aria's face was unreadable, but I saw her cataloging everything. The gates. The guards. The weak points that didn't actually exist.
She was smart. Looking for exits even though she had to know they wouldn't work.
"Our mother designed these gardens." Lia gestured to the elaborate flower beds, the stone pathways, the fountain in the center. "She loved roses. Said they were beautiful but dangerous. Kind of like our family, I guess."
The way Lia said it was careful. Not mentioning that we thought our father had killed our mother. Not bringing up the fact that she'd supposedly committed suicide but we both knew better.
But Aria heard it anyway. I could see it in her eyes. That moment of understanding. Of recognizing that this family had secrets darker than she'd realized.
We walked for another hour. Lia kept up a steady stream of conversation, telling stories about growing up here, about childhood adventures and teenage rebellion and all the normal things that felt surreal given our actual lives.
And I watched Aria.
Couldn't stop watching her.
The way sunlight caught in her dark hair. The way she smiled at something Lia said. The way she moved, graceful and careful, like she was constantly aware of being watched.
She was wearing a simple sundress and somehow made it look better than any designer outfit I'd ever seen on the women my father usually associated with.
Every time she laughed at one of Lia's jokes, something tightened in my chest. Every time the wind blew her hair and she reached up to tuck it behind her ear, I remembered doing the same thing last night.
Every time she looked over her shoulder to see if I was still following, those big brown eyes meeting mine, heat flooded through me.
This was dangerous. I was supposed to be protecting her. Keeping her safe from my father. Not fantasizing about getting her alone again.
But I couldn't help it. She drew me like gravity. Like something inevitable.
After the tour, Lia dragged Aria back toward the main house, talking about showing her movies and having actual girl time for once.
I let them go. I had work to do anyway.
Marco was waiting in my office when I got there, sprawled in one of my chairs like he owned the place.
Marco Vitale had been my best friend since we were fifteen.
He'd grown up in the organization, same as me, but unlike me, he'd actually wanted this life.
Thrived in it. He was charming where I was blunt, diplomatic where I was aggressive, and loyal to a fault.
We had not gotten a chance to see or talk after my text yesterday to him.
He was also one of the few people who knew about my plan to take down my father.
"Heard you got saddled with babysitting duty." His expression was amused. "How's that working out for you?"
"Fine."
"That's it? Just fine? Come on, man. I saw her yesterday when she arrived. She's gorgeous. You're human. This has to be weird."
I should have kept my mouth shut. Should have brushed it off. Instead, I told him everything.
About discovering she was Antonio Romano's daughter. About her being here now, supposed to marry my father in three months.
Marco's expression shifted from amused to horrified to completely incredulous in the span of thirty seconds.
"You fucked your father's future wife."
"I didn't know who she was."
"That doesn't make it better!" He stood up, started pacing. "Kai. Jesus Christ. This is bad. Really bad. If Salvatore finds out—"
"He won't."
"How can you be sure? Your father has eyes everywhere. And you're telling me you're just going to pretend you've never touched her? While living in the same house? While being responsible for watching her every day?"
"I'm not pretending anything."
Marco stopped pacing. Stared at me. "What does that mean?"
"It means she's mine. That night proved it. And I'm not giving her up."
"You're insane. Getting involved with her is suicide. Your father will kill you both. And then he'll kill Lia just to make sure he's eliminated any threat to his power."
I knew that. Had known it from the second I'd realized who Aria was. But it didn't change anything.
"I can't walk away from her, Marco. I won't. She belongs with me, not him."
"Even if it costs Lia everything?"
The question hit like a physical blow.
Lia. My sister. The one person in this world I'd die for. The reason I'd been gathering evidence against our father for years instead of just putting a bullet in him.
Could I risk her for Aria?
"I'll be careful. Smart about it. My father is leaving for a month. That gives me time to figure this out."
"Figure what out? How to secretly fuck your stepmother-to-be without getting caught? There's no good ending here, Kai. You know that."
"Then I'll make one." I met his eyes. "I'm not letting him touch her. Whatever it takes."
Marco shook his head. "You're going to get us all killed."
"Probably. But I'd rather die fighting for what I want than spend the rest of my life watching her belong to someone else."
He stared at me for a long moment, then sighed. "Fine. You're determined to be an idiot about this. The least I can do is help you be a smart idiot. But we need to be careful. No obvious moves. Nothing that tips off Luca or anyone else. You understand?"
I understood. But it didn't change what I was going to do.
Aria was mine. And I was going to prove it to her, even if it killed us both.