CHAPTER 60 - RED
CHAPTER
Red
NEITHER OF US are in the mood to face questions from my brothers or men, or from Arianna’s side - Maria.
The meeting with Emiliano was not what I expected. It wasn’t what either of us expected.
Sitting up against the headboard with Arianna between my legs, I absently twirl a piece of her silky hair around in my fingers.
“Did you believe him?” she asks.
“Did you?” My lips brush the delicate skin of her earlobe, a shimmer from the diamond stud in her ear catching the light of the bedroom lamp.
“I think so. Matteo’s death has extinguished Papà’s light. There’s no fight in him anymore. It’s... it’s like he’s given up.”
I rhythmically massage the hard knots in Arianna’s shoulders, my strong fingers teasing out her pent-up stress. “I’m not sure he’s given up. You don’t give yourself enough credit. Did you not see his face when you said it was you who killed Matteo? Because I did.”
Arianna falters; her reluctance to take praise for her five-star performance only raises my pride in her. “Princess, he’s realized that you are the key to save his empire. He can’t fight me alone.”
“He expects me to fight you?” Arianna gasps as she twists around, the movement risking a higher arousal level than I can control. “I’ll never fight you.”
“You don’t need to. The men remaining loyal to Emiliano will now work for us.”
“But how can we trust them? How do we know they’re loyal? And why would they work for you when you’ve been the enemy for so long?”
“It’s their only choice. Your father isn’t, and never has been, involved with the pureblood plan; you know that now, and the men who remained with him, the same. The ones who’ve jumped ship, not so. But a lot rides on whether the handover to you is made public.”
“And if it is?”
“Then...” I dip my head to kiss her lips. “...you must see to your men and instruct them accordingly.”
Arianna bites the lip I just kissed as she weighs up the situation. “Having these men on board will strengthen your numbers.”
“No,” I correct her. “It will strengthen our numbers. We’re doing this together now. You and me. Us.”
Shifting from behind, I move above Arianna, where she threads her arms around my neck.
“If Galvatore sticks to his word and publicly announces this, then by combining forces, we’ll jointly have control over the majority of London.
But...” I smile, lowering my mouth onto hers, “...there’s other more pressing needs I want to deal with first. Like you. ..”