Page 106 of House of Lies
“I trust you, Caelia. I wouldn’t ask if it wasn’t what I wanted. Please work with me. I don’t need an answer now.”
“What would my role be?”
“You’ll focus on overseeing the legal staff,” he assures me. “My team will teach you whatever you need to know. I don’t know half of it, so I’m not the best person to ask.”
“So, I’d be your employee?”
“You’re my wife. You’ll work with me, not for me.”
History has never heard this from a Benedetti. They would rather die than involve their wives in their businesses. But Kaz is a Mordvinov, and he does things differently.
“I’ll need time to think about this. I have something I wanted to ask you too.”
“Anything,” he says, even before I ask.
“Could we resume the training sessions? I understand if you’re too busy. Maybe someone else can take over?” His eyes narrow. He places his hands on my ass, slowly rolling my hips against his erection. “Not that kind of training.” I laugh.
“No one else trains my wife but me. I’ll cut off the hands of anyone who dares to touch you, Caelia, and then I’ll feed them their fingers, one by one. Remember that.”
I don’t think he’s bluffing.
“I’ll remember. I hope you remember that you promised me a spanking.” I wink.
“You’ll be the death of me.”
We’ll be the death of each other.
CHAPTER 67
Kaz
“What did you do to your Italian brother, Kaz?”
I knew this conversation would be complicated to avoid, but I had hoped to delay it. Dedushka has been postponing his visit since I returned, and I know I’m not his favorite right now. He harbors a deep dislike for my wife, even though he spent thirty seconds in her presence. He decided to hate her long before meeting her. I had thought it wouldn’t bother me, but it gnaws at me.
“He’s dead,” I reply. There’s no point in lying to him. “How long until you arrange that meeting with Sevastyan?”
My patience wears thin. Sevastyan must die, not only because he killed my father but also because he came after me. He set Mattia free and allowed him to go after Caelia, risking her life. It’s not up for discussion. I’ll wait until Dedushka is either on the ground or too mentally fragile to be in charge, but I will have revenge.
“You left a mess behind in New York,” Dedushka avoids my question. “Aleksandrov is demanding payment.”
“Then I’ll pay him.”
“It’s not that simple. He’s not asking for money.”
“What the hell is he asking for? He had issues with the Italians for years. Sooner or later, he would have tried to take them down. I merely did him a favor.”
My grandpa nods with a somber expression on his face. He looks better than he did a few months ago. I’ve had to bribe his doctors and staff to ensure he takes his heart medication and doesn’t forget his insulin shots. Some days, he’s forgetful and struggles with simple tasks. The doctors claim these are typical signs of aging, but I hate seeing him like this.
“I advised him to tread carefully. He knows you didn’t do anything he hadn’t considered doing himself, but you returned and left a bloodbath in your wake. Ermanno’s brother took over what remained of his business. He isn’t striking while still recovering, but Aleksandrov fears he’ll eventually become the primary target.”
I shove my hands into my pockets, moving closer to the window. I’ve always loved the view from my office, looking out into the garden. I also love that my wife spends a lot of time there, and I can watch her like the obsessed husband I am.
“You know that none of this would have happened if you had just told me the truth about my father’s death. You covered up his murder and protected his killer. Excuse me for doing what I believed was right.”
I would have never spoken to him like this years ago. Dedushka used to scare me to death when I was younger before I went to prison. I used to look up at him, constantly trying to please him and gain his favor. But it all went up in smoke when I discovered the truth. This family is not what I thought it was.
“Don’t blame me, Kazimir. You’re the one who initially listened to your uncle,” Dedushka retorts.