Total pages in book: 81
Estimated words: 77359 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 387(@200wpm)___ 309(@250wpm)___ 258(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 77359 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 387(@200wpm)___ 309(@250wpm)___ 258(@300wpm)
Carmine closed his eyes, and I knew he was resisting getting a drink from the bar along the wall. My father had always had a strict rule—no drinking before noon, and I’d continued the policy once this office became mine.
My brother sighed. “Seriously, with all the shit going on with this merger, you need me.”
“Yes. I need you to do what I ask you to do.”
He wrinkled his brow. “We’ve worked toward this for years. By joining our families, we have access to everything we need in New York. Striano may do things the old way, but everyone respects him there. We’ll never get another chance like this.”
Carmine didn’t even seem to realize he was strengthening my position. “And all that goes away if Striano’s daughter gets grabbed and ends up floating in the river.”
“Shit.” Carmine was considering arguing further—I could see it on his face. He was one of the few people who called me out on things, but it was a difficult dynamic. He’d known since we were kids that someday I’d be in charge. We both had. “If only the old man hadn’t insisted on you marrying that girl.”
I sighed, my eyes unfocused. I’d told myself that many times. But Striano was old-school. A gentleman among thieves, if that was still a thing. A handshake. A contract. That wasn’t enough. He’d wanted to seal the deal with a merger between our two families. So now I had a fiancé.
Allegra’s face popped into my mind. She was pretty, I’d give her that. With that dark, glossy hair that spilled over her shoulders. And dark eyes so big she looked like a cartoon character at times. She was timid, soft-spoken, pretty, and pure, of course. That was a given. No way in hell I’d take a wife who wasn’t a virgin. But left to my own devices, I’d never have chosen a pampered princess like her.
New York’s finest private schools hadn’t been good enough for her. No, she’d had tutors and nannies. And probably servants who fed her grapes off of golden platters. She’d never had to learn every single aspect of the family business. She’d had far more advantages than most women her age.
Far more than Crystal had had.
I shook off that thought. In all fairness, Allegra hadn’t chosen me, either, but that was different. She’d been raised to be married off—and was probably lucky it hadn’t happened the day she turned eighteen. I, on the other hand, had thought that I’d get to choose a bride when it was time to marry, which if I had my way, would be years from now. So we were both trapped, but I wasn’t the one moping about it.
“At least she can give you an heir,” Carmine said, revealing that his thoughts had been on the girl, too. “That’s not nothing.”
He was right. The Chicago dons were already up in arms about my alliance with the Strianos—and jealous of the access it gave me to NYC operations. They didn’t like it when I did things differently than my father had. But this—taking a wife from an old Italian family—was something they did understand. And when she was pregnant with my son, it would increase my standing even more.
“Her only two jobs are to raise children and look good. And that means…” I trailed off.
Carmine cursed under his breath. “It means I’m going wedding dress shopping.”
5
LEILA
-
“Did you enjoy your tour of Chicago?” Carmine asked as he pulled into a parking spot in front of a five-story building.
“Yes, thank you.” He’d shown me the Hancock Building, Wrigley Field, Lake Michigan, Millennium Park, and the Art Institute—all from the confines of the SUV. Peering at famous places through dark tinted windows wasn’t my idea of getting to know them, but any time I’d asked to get out, the big man said we were on a schedule. At least now that it was time for the appointment with a wedding dress designer, I’d finally be able to get out of the car.
Carmine came around and opened my door. His hand looked impossibly large as he held it out to me. My legs felt stiff as I stepped onto the sidewalk. My future brother-in-law stood close, his large form looming above me. My father’s men in New York had done the same thing.
A savory smell filled the air, and I looked down the block. There was a line out the door for some kind of restaurant. I couldn’t make out the name from this angle. “Can we eat lunch?”
Carmine frowned, his eyes skimming over our surroundings. He reminded me a little of secret service agents I’d seen in movies. “I’d have to get more men here.”
I took that as a no, and he escorted me into the building.
A sign in the elevator revealed that the bridal boutique was on the top floor, and soon, we were inside a bright, white space that smelled like flowers. Carmine looked extra huge in his dark suit as the petite proprietress greeted us.