Chapter 33
“Iannelli,” Don Giambrone’s voice slimed through the phone line. “I heard you were released.”
“And here I was hoping to never hear from you again.” I spread butter on the edge of my croissant and dipped it into my morning coffee, leaving my cell phone on speaker.
The others had already left the table after I returned from my discussion with Ainsley.
“I’d be interested to know how you got my number. ”
“I have my ways.”
“Of course you do. What do you want, old man?”
“A little respect goes a long way.”
“Sorry, all used up.” I sipped my coffee. “Did you think I wouldn’t know about my ally declaring war on my men while I was behind bars? Did you think I would so easily forget the names of my men shot down by yours?”
“All you had to do was marry my daughter. I had every right to vent my anger against you for your sins. Port access should have been given. I was simply reclaiming what was owed.”
“The marriage contract was void the moment you wed your daughter off to the Greeks and fired against my men.”
“No. Unless I say, that contract remains ironclad.”
“Your daughter can’t have two husbands.”
“I have a second daughter.” My cup clanked against the table. Unbelievable. The old fox still thought he had a hold on me. “Younger than Michaela and her twin brother by five years.”
I swiveled my coffee, the black underneath slowly engulfing the foam. This was a card I’d hoped never to have to play. “She’ll have to find another husband. I have no intention of ever marrying her.”
“Don’t you dare think you can get out of this. I’ll have all the families knowing Iannellis are nothing but oath breakers.”
Massaging my temples, I took a deep breath. “I’m already married.”
He scoffed. “I wasn’t born yesterday. You were unmarried when you went into the can. You were unmarried when you got out.”
I typed a message to Vinny to meet. “Sorry you missed my wedding yesterday, but it was quite a twofold event. Get out of jail and kiss the bride. You can understand how busy that was.”
“I can understand you’re shitting with me.”
“Not I. Love is love. That’s not something I’ll play with.” My phone buzzed softly, a message from Vinny displaying at the top. I downed my coffee in one gulp. “You’ll be wanting proof, I suppose.”
“Of course I damn well will. I don’t believe a word of this bullshit.”
“Good thing I don’t care.” I hung up, grabbed my phone from the table, and left the veranda.
Vinny was waiting with Tore in my cousin’s office, each nursing a glass of whiskey despite the midday hour. I closed the door behind me without subtlety.
“I need a bride.”
“A what?”
Tore thumbed his ear. “Sorry, I didn’t hear that right.”
“A bride. With a backdated contract as of yesterday.”
Tore gave a blank stare for a couple of seconds before bursting into laughter. He bent over in hysterics, clutching his belly. “Stop…pulling…my…chain.”
This went on for a few more long seconds. He finally pulled himself together, gazing at me as though he expected another good laugh.
Vinny rolled his eyes with a sigh of exasperation. “How soon?”
“Right now.”
“Where are we supposed to find this…this bride?” Vinny asked, setting his empty glass down.
Tore wiped a tear from his eye. “You really going to play along with this farce?”
“No farce,” I told them. “Giambrone’s still demanding the contract be upheld.”
“Idiot. He already married his daughter off.”
“Now he’s offering his youngest.”
“Isn’t she only nineteen?” Vinny poured himself another finger of whiskey.
“Her age has no bearing. I’d rather live in a ditch and get the plague than hitch myself to the Giambrones.”
“Then why the hell do you need to get married at all?” Tore asked, sitting at his desk and pulling his feet up.
“It’s my out.” I sat gingerly into an armchair in front of Tore’s desk.
The bolted leather armrests were soft and cushiony, such a contrast to the hard, rough angles of prison life.
Same with clothing, bedding, food, and so much more.
It was going to take some getting used to.
“Elio never signed a contract that wasn’t favorable to him.
He always gave himself a way out. This is mine.
He worded the contract in a way that not only allowed me to get married before a public engagement was made, but it would also void the contract with Giambrone if that happened. ”
“You sly dog,” Tore added.
“So who’s the lucky lady?”
“I was hoping the two of you had some suggestions. Needs to be someone we can easily buy off or threaten.” Seven years ago, I never would have agreed to chaining myself to a random woman.
Now, after time behind bars, I didn’t have it in me to care all that much, not when the one woman I wanted couldn’t be mine.
“Or someone loyal. A few of the capos and high-ranked enforcers have daughters in their twenties or thirties,” Vinny suggested.
“Careful, or the chosen bride’s father might think himself favored. Might cause some infighting with the capos,” Tore commented.
I nodded. “You’re right. I can’t have a power struggle right after taking back the reins.”
“You could just ask Ainsley,” Vinny muttered into his glass, or I thought that was what he said. I side-eyed him. He was staring at me, a small smile playing on his lips.
Two knocks thudded against the door.
“Hey, Tore,” Ainsley called from the other side of it. “I’ve got an errand to run for Cesare. I’ll meet up with you guys as planned in a bit.”
“Okay, Anzy. See you soon,” Tore yelled back.
“Why is she running errands for Doc?” I asked.
Vinny side-eyed me with a raised brow, while Tore waved the question aside.
“He took her on as his disciple or whatever a couple of years back. A way for her to get ahead in medical school and practicals.”
I knew that, but why today? Neither of them mentioned that anyone was injured or currently in need of medical care.
Tore waggled his finger at us. “Anzy wouldn’t be a bad idea.”
I tilted my head back and pressed my tongue hard against the floor of my mouth, begging for patience.
“She’s family. Trustworthy,” he continued. “Won’t cause power struggles with the capos. Not too young. She’s got her own place in town if you want to avoid her. And she’ll be too busy with the school year starting soon to be much of a bother.”
“No.”
“Why not?” The way Vinny asked sounded more like a taunt than out of real curiosity. “Tore’s right. She’s not a bad option. Won’t have to threaten her or bribe her, at least not the way we were discussing.”
“I said no.”
“You came to us with a problem, boss,” Vinny said plainly. “We’ve given a solution. Take it or leave it. But my guess is it’ll be harder than you think to find another adequate candidate this quickly.”
“Ainsley and I are ill-suited.”
Tore threw his head back in another fit of laughter. “That’s saying it lightly.”
“It’s not like there’ll be anything between you.” Vinny winked at me over the rim of his glass as he tipped its contents back. “Right?”
“There better not be.” Tore tossed up a finger. “I’m warning you, Ren. I love you as my cousin, but she’s like my sister. Don’t think you can lay a finger on her, even if she agrees to this.”
My heart raced in my chest. I twisted my phone round and round in my suit pocket. This was a bad idea, a terrible idea, yet I liked it a bit too much. The same way I’d enjoyed her pressed against me earlier this morning far too much.
“Let’s revisit this later. Right now, we need to go over everything you know about Micah Anderson.”