Page 27 of The Forever One
“You can. But they may also need that confirmation from your brother. He is a Volpe too.”
“What if they never find out about Everest? I mean, they still don’t know anything about him, do they?” Shit, how could I have so easily forgotten my brother in all this?
“They don’t as far as I’m aware, Tesoro. Don’t worry, I can see it in your face. We can keep this from them. They never need to find out. Okay?” He leans down and kisses my forehead and I close my eyes at the soft contact.
“Okay. Then let’s do that.” I nod my head, almost to myself, convincing myself that I can do this. “Do you have any way of getting me some detailed research on each of the capos that I can read over in the next thirty minutes? Maybe I should delay the meeting? What if—”
I sit up, suddenly alert and realizing the gravity of the situation I’m actually in. How are these people even going to take me seriously? This isn’t me.
“Oh God, Marco. I can’t do this. I shot one of our own men in the shoulder for fuck sake.” I know I’m spiraling, and yet I can’t stop it. “Wh—”
“Hey, stop that.” Marco grips my chin, careful not to let his fingers touch the wound on my cheek, and bores his eyes through mine. All I see there is love and understanding and utter devotion. If I were standing, the look would have the power to bring me to my knees. “You, Tesoro, are a fucking queen. In every way that is possible. You just need to trust in yourself and you can do anything you put your mind to.”
“Does that mean I get to wear a crown?” His trust and belief in me are my superpower, and I know I’m being obtuse by ignoring everything else he said with my response, but this man gets me. It’s an uncomfortable conversation and I’m doing what I do best… lightening the mood with obvious sarcasm.
His grin slowly grows and his grip loosens, his fingers now caressing the side of my head. “If you want to wear a crown, I’ll buy you a crown.” Marco places a soft kiss against my lips before pulling away and grabbing his cell.
“I can buy my own crown, you know.”
He smirks at me, tapping on his phone before looking me in the eyes again. “I know you can buy your own crown, Tesoro. But I love providing for you. It’s the caveman inside me. I’m never going to stop wanting to see the way your eyes light up when I can do that.”
“Okay, Captain.” I almost snort at his mock-amusement at what I call him, but his cell ringing saves him from replying.
“Si, Mamma… Si. Okay.Ti voglio bene, Mamma.” He holds the phone out to me and I raise a brow in confusion. “I texted Mamma. If anyone knows anything about the capos you’re about to meet, it’s her. She’s been around these people since before I was even born.”
This man.
He has just provided me with exactly what I need to make some big decisions and it’s like nothing to him. Like a drop in the ocean.
He winks at me again, as if to say he knows what I’m thinking, and I smile, knowing I’m going to reward my husband with an epic blowjob before the day is out.
* * *
After speaking with Gabriella for twenty minutes, only five of which were discussing who should take over as the head don of the Naples mafia, the car finally pulls up to a hotel. A Mancini Hotel.
“Wow, I didn’t realize you had a hotel in Italy. It’s stunning!” I lean into Marco as we get out of the car and just stare at the tall building. It’s as glamorous as his New York locations and I wouldn’t expect anything less at this point.
“Wehave hotels inmanycountries.”
“Okay, show off.”
He chuckles beside me as I ready myself for what’s about to go down. Not that I think I’ll ever be ready for the unexpected, but I can at least pretend to be. I take a deep breath and stroke my hands down my sides, the soft material of the sheer shirt I’m wearing a little soothing against my skin. I make sure it’s tucked into my cream-colored wide-leg pants and that I’m giving off the professional vibes I was aiming for. It’s amazing how fast people can get you what you need when you flash a little money around.
We walk into the foyer, where J and a few soldiers I recognize from the fight are standing, presumably waiting for our arrival. She’s dressed all in black, as usual, her cargo pants no doubt full of some dangerous surprises in case shit goes south.
She guides us through to a meeting room up on the second floor, where ten other people are already seated at a large wooden oval table in the center. I’m guessing these are the capos and their seconds. Gabriella told me there were five capos, two of which would be worthy to run Naples, so I search them out first.
One is a woman named Emilia La Rosa, mid-fifties, long graying hair, and full of all the elegance Gabriella described, but she also has a light surrounding her. The man sitting next to her is clearly her second and his body language alone tells me just how devoted he is to her.
Okay, yeah, I can do this. Reading people is my thing. I move my eyes over the room, which simmered down to complete silence the moment Marco and I walked in, and they land on my next possibility. Romeo Bianchi, slightly older than Emilia with brown eyes full of wisdom gained from age and experience. His second is rigid by his side, more out of fear of us than anything else.
I stand behind an empty chair and Marco stands behind me, my steady rock as I address the room.
“I want to begin by saying thank you.” Marco repeats my words in Italian. They may all speak English, but I want to be respectful in their country, so I asked him to do this for me. “You all played a part in helping our people against the Ambrosios, and I understand how difficult it was for you to go against your leader… sorry, don. I’m learning more every day here, so please bear with me if I get the terminology wrong.”
That seems to lighten the mood in the room a little, some of the tension suddenly lifted as Emilia stands, nodding respectfully to Marco before she approaches me, immediately wrapping me in her arms.
“I knew your grandma, she and I were good friends. In fact, Gabriella, your grandmother, and I used to get into a lot of trouble together in our youth.” She smiles, laughing a silent laugh at the memory as another of the capos stands.