Chapter 19
EMILIA
Our not-so-quick time together put me behind for the day, but I didn’t even care; supper could be late.
Buzzing around the kitchen, I looked up at the clock and shrugged.
“It is what it is,” I said out loud. Grabbing the towel, I dried my hands and headed to change.
I couldn’t greet the heads of the Cosa Nostra in a dirty apron and a pasta sauce-spattered shirt.
As I looked in the mirror, I wondered how long my father had dreamed of being involved in a meeting like this, and here I was about to sit at the table with the five men who held all the power within the world we lived in.
When he finds out, he will be livid, but there’s nothing he can do to me.
Laughter erupted from deep within me. It was evil, and it felt good to do it.
Much less security walked through my front door than I’d imagined, but guns lined every flat surface in the foyer.
How did the heads of the Cosa Nostra wander around with so few men?
“We take one another’s safety as a top priority, so when we meet, the host is responsible for all added security.
” I turned to look at Nico. “You were counting as you scanned the room.” He smiled genuinely and put his hand on my back.
Even with the importance of tonight, he watched me. Of course, he’s watching you, you’re the problem, and if this goes to hell, it’s your fault. God, I hated my brain, but it was right. They were only here because of me.
The men had all embraced and shaken hands. They’d all been at the wedding only a day ago, but I expected this to be just their greeting every time. Chatter rose, and they all seemed to want to talk over one another, and as I stood quietly, Nico glanced over and winked at me.
“Gentlemen, I believe dinner is ready.” Nico turned to look at me, and I nodded.
“Your guards, of course, can continue their jobs, but if they would like to eat their meals hot, they’ll be set up in this room.
” I smiled and looked at all the men who flanked their bosses, and I saw a few stern faces crack into slight smiles.
“I assure you, the food is safe. I made it myself.” All eyes turned to Nico, and he smiled with pride as he looked at me.
“Impressive, Mrs. Venosa.” One of the men said. He was from New York, Dominic Ressoli. A few years older than Nico, but he took over around the same time when his father had been killed. The men laughed and walked alongside Nico into the smaller dining room.
Friendly chatter and laughter filled the intimate space. The security detail for all the men felt comfortable enough to eat together, which made our meal very casual.
“Mrs. Venosa, I have to say this was one of the best meals I’ve ever eaten.
I need you to send the recipe to my cook.
” Gabriele Amato from Los Angeles leaned back in his chair and shook his head.
“I haven’t had food this good since I left New York.
” He let out a sigh, and I couldn’t help but smile.
Catching Nico’s eye, I saw him smile at me, and he raised his glass to me when he took a sip of his wine.
“Please, it’s Emilia, and I’m so glad you enjoyed it.” I shifted in my seat and settled in. The expectation was that I would be here until I wasn’t needed, and I was about to be bored to tears.
“Emilia, is it true you’d been running your father’s territory for two years?
” My blood ran cold as my eyes settled on Carmine Esposito.
He was the head of Italians in Boston; he was arguably the “father” of the group, and I’d taken out some of his shirttail relatives only a week ago.
His dark eyes narrowed and locked on mine.
Glancing at Nico, I didn’t know what to say, but his slight nod told me I needed to be honest. Lying to these men wouldn’t end well for me, and that included my husband.
“It is, yes sir.” I kicked myself for sounding like a mouse when I admitted it. I should have sat up straight and stated it proudly.
“When did you take over?” I couldn’t blame them for wanting to know. I’d done something that hadn’t happened in the history of the Cosa Nostra.
“A week after Marco’s death.” Sitting up straighter, my voice had become stronger.
“I need to know, how did you manage it?” The man’s demeanor softened, and I didn’t feel quite as threatened. He reached for his wine and waited.
This was something I hadn’t even discussed with Nico, and I wasn’t sure how I felt about him finding out with the rest of them. This reflected badly on him, and I didn’t want that. “Amore, how?” There he was, reading my thoughts again.
“When Marco was killed, I saw the spiral, and when the funeral was over, my father made no attempts to keep up with the job required of him, so I set up a few well-worded emails, and before I knew it, he’d given the okay for his cousin from Italy to pull the strings for a while.
” Reaching for my wine, I took a sip. Was my throat dry, or did I need a little extra liquid courage?
“Once I got everything set up, it was easy: all my correspondence was through email, and if I needed to talk to anyone, it was always delivered through someone else. I made one critical error, and here I am.”
“What was that?” Nico asked from the other end of the table, smirking.
“I got caught carrying out a hit.”
“By who?” Carmine asked. I blinked at the man and thought he was joking, but he was serious.
“Niccolò Venosa. When I asked him to be backup for us, I never dreamed he’d have eyes and ears in the warehouse.” The men all laughed, and Nico looked a little too proud, sitting there with a smug look on his face.
“But how did a woman manage to do all this?” This question came from the last of the five, Romolo Barbieri, head of the Italian mafia in Las Vegas.
“My father isn’t the sharpest knife in the drawer, which I’m sure I don’t have to tell you, and he likes to talk.
He never shied away from talking about his business to anyone who would listen.
I will use you five as an example: if you took the expensive suits off, got rid of the weapons, and dressed you in regular clothes, you’d look like businessmen or just regular people.
My father could dress the same, but wouldn’t stop telling people what he did.
There’s a reason he’s never at the big meetings with you five, and don’t insult me by trying to deny it.
” Pushing my chair back from the table slightly, I shifted and crossed my legs.
“He’d be very open about business when I was present.
In his opinion, a woman could never figure out what he was talking about.
But I figured it out quickly and kept tabs on everything.
When Marco was killed, it was nothing for me to take over.
I was already up to speed on everything thanks to my father.
” I looked around the table, and they were all silent, maybe formulating their next questions, maybe figuring out how to take me out.
“Times are changing, you have very strong women in your families who would surprise you with what they can do. Don Barbieri, you only have five daughters, correct?”
“Yes.” He said, nodding.
“Would you trust any of their husbands to take over for you?” Folding my hands, I waited. I knew who his daughters married; they were all lower soldiers who’d lucked into marrying those girls.
“No, I can’t say that I would.”
“What about your daughters? I guarantee there’s one who could do it. My bet would be on Marcie.” I smiled when I watched him consider what I’d just said. Leaning back in my chair, waiting for the next put-down.
He shook his head. “Women are too emotional, and there are other factors to consider.”
“I assure you, Romolo, I never cried when I put a bullet in someone, and I was just as effective on my period as I was when I didn’t have it. All you have to do is ask Nico.” The other men around the table choked on their wine or coughed to hide their laughter.
This dinner had lasted far longer than I had the patience for.
I didn’t care to sit here listening to veiled discussions about other families and future business.
The responsibilities of a Don’s wife were universal, and I knew leaving this dinner would incur his wrath, but I didn’t care.
Grabbing my napkin off my lap, I dabbed the corners of my mouth.
“If you'll excuse me, I think my usefulness here is complete. There are important matters that don’t require my ears.” All the men around the table stood as I pushed my chair backward, my gaze never leaving the man I was married to.
“Emilia.” His voice made me stop halfway to standing, but a moment of hesitation wasn’t enough to make me stop.
Straightening up, I turned silently and moved out the door.
“Why don’t you go to the den, make yourselves comfortable?
I’ll be right back.” His voice was loud enough for me to hear.
I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, my steps steady, and I didn’t alter my pace.
My heels ticking on the marble floor would have given me away.
It took all my control not to run. Something I was good at, track star, marathon runner, if I really wanted to get away from Nico, I could.
His shoes made noise that matched mine; he was much taller than I, so his strides were longer, and I could feel him gaining ground. His sheer size was imposing, and I knew he used it to his advantage, and tonight wasn’t going to be any different.
The door to our private wing slowed me down as I tried to walk through it before opening it.
Nico pressed against me and reached around, placing his hand over mine and turning the doorknob.
Bursting through the door, the sound of him slamming it made me jump.
“You weren’t excused,” he growled behind me.
“I didn’t need to sit there. You don’t think all those men were biting their tongues, not sure they could trust your Carminatti wife? They aren’t sure you trust me either.” I crossed my arms and avoided turning to look at him.
“You spoke freely, which you had to. They would’ve known you were lying, but leaving of your own accord makes it look like I can’t control my wife.” He rolled his sleeves up to his elbows, revealing the tattooed arms that made me weak in the knees. Backing up slowly, he stalked toward me.
“What are you going to do?” I whispered as I bumped against the edge of the bed.
“The four men I rely on to make business deals and keep people safe are downstairs, wondering if I’ve brought a traitor into the fold.” His words were spoken through gritted teeth, and for the first time, I was truly scared of what my husband might do.
He reached up to the deep V of my dress and ripped it open.
He pushed it off my arms, and it fell to the floor.
Reaching behind me, he unclasped my bra and yanked it off me.
He tore my panties off me and stood back looking at my body.
“You will wait here for me and, you better still be naked when I come back.” Reaching out, he slid his fingers in my slit.
“You give yourself away amore.” He pulled his hand from me and licked his fingers as he left the room.
Why the hell did I find him so sexy? I wandered to the bathroom and grabbed my robe. I should get dressed in something that would cover me from head to toe, find my least appealing underwear, and wait for him as he said. That would teach him.
Deciding against it, I hung the robe on the back of the door and went back to wait.
Putting a blanket over the couch, I sat down and pulled it around me.
While I was fine sitting here naked, the chill that seemed ever-present in this old house wasn’t my idea of a good time.
Reaching for my book off the table in front of me, I settled in for what I imagined would be a long night of waiting.
“Emilia, wake up.” Whispers in my ear made me stir, and a hand groping my breast made me realize I wasn’t dreaming. “I didn’t expect you to have listened when I came back up here.” He let his hand trail down my body. “In fact, I was hoping you wouldn’t have.”
“You told me, and I listened. Isn’t that what you wanted?” I said my voice was full of sleep. “A wife who’s obedient and doesn’t have a mind of her own?” I stood and turned to face him.
“I want a wife that will challenge me, and knows when to be fully subservient to me.” He undid the buttons on his shirt and pulled it out of his pants.
“I have a wife who knows the expectations, but continues to push my buttons. Can you tell me why?” He walked around to my side of the sofa, and I took a step back.
“Must be my independent streak.” I shrugged and rolled my eyes.
“Did you just roll your eyes at me?” He arched his brow and tried to hide a smirk.
“Are the men gone?”
“Yes, they all send their thanks for a wonderful evening, and open conversation. I’m also expected to bring you to every meeting from now on, they like you.” He crossed his arms over his chest and stared down at me.
“Oh, how terrible for you. Your friends like me more than they like you.” I smirked up at him.
“It’s a good thing, I like you more than I like them, too.” He swiftly scooped me up in his arms and took me to the bed.