Page 132 of Marry Me Not
“To be clear,” Dominic said, “I did not issue that order. That wasMamma.” A pause. “I imagine the three of you understand better than most what it is to have a mother whose decisions you don’t endorse.”
Alessio frowned. “I guess so, but the capos want vengeance. This deal needs to be very fucking convincing. What exactly are we talking about?”
“We partner on a massive development in Hudson Yards,” Dominic said. “I have the capital, and the Ferraros have the relationships and the infrastructure needed to get it built. In return for your assistance, I’ll grant you the construction and security contracts. Should bring in close to half a billion over five years and provide steady dividends for the capos.”
Romolo’s fingers tapped against his thigh. “Have you assembled a team to?—”
“We’ve discussed some things,” I interrupted. “But I don’t want to get into it tonight. Let’s enjoy the evening. Get to know each other a little better. Holiday spirit and all that.”
Les huffed.
“From tomorrow, every available hour goes toward ironing out the terms of the deal. The vote is soon. We have only a few days. We all need to feel completely comfortable before we putanything in front of the capos. Whatever we present has to be airtight.” I looked at each of them in turn. “Understood?”
Romolo and Alessio nodded.
“Well then,” Dominic rose from the sofa, “let’s get back out there. Your wife was quite clear that dinner starts at seven. I wouldn’t want to upset her.”
I glowered at him. Did he thinkIwasn’t keeping an eye on the clock? “Let me worry about my wife.”
“Ilovethat sweater, by the way,” Dominic said to Alessio as they headed out.
“Yeah? The snowmen are supposed to be me, Rom, and Cos,” Alessio told him. “I had it custom-made online. Next year—if this all works out and Cos doesn’t ask me to kill you—I’ll get one with you in it.”
Dominic looked touched. “That is so sweet.”
I rolled my eyes—again—and followed after them.
CHAPTER 46
FABIANA
More than a dozenguests milled around our living room on Christmas Eve. The original celebration had been planned at Rafe and Cleo’s, but a burst pipe in their house had forced a last-minute change of venue.
Somehow, the staff had worked miracles in less than twenty-four hours. A ten-foot tree sparkled in the corner beside the window, garlands of pine stretched across the shelves, and Christmas stockings hung from the mantel. There wasn’t a single sign that tonight had been thrown together in a bit of panic, and Cosimo’s home felt warmer and more welcoming than it ever had.
Cleo’s sisters, Gemma and Valentina, were both here with their husbands, and Gemma had also brought her and Ras’s baby. Massimo had been passed from lap to lap from the moment he’d arrived and was making his way around the room with the serene indifference of someone who hadn’t yet learned to be suspicious of strangers.
I heard Cosimo’s voice before I saw him. That low, commanding tenor of his still made a shiver run down my spine. He emergedfrom a hallway dressed in a blue sweater that brought out those eyes of his I loved so much.
When he spotted me across the room, his lips curved into a subtle smile. He touched my brother on the arm and said something in his ear before the two men walked away.
Relief loosened the small knot that had been sitting in my chest.
So everything had gone well.
Cosimo had said to me that if the conversation with Alessio, Romolo, and Dominic went the way he hoped, he would bring Rafe up to speed tonight as well. Cosimo wanted his explicit support. If Rafe endorsed the deal between Cosimo and Dominic, the capos would have even less reason to vote for Vita. Whatever favors she’d managed to buy for herself wouldn’t be enough to get her what she wanted.
At least that’s what I hoped. According to Cosimo, there were still a lot of things to iron out with the deal itself, but for now, I was hopeful.
“So that’s the half brother?” Mia asked, looking at Dominic curiously. She and I sat on one of the sofas drinking mulled wine out of some of the mugs I’d made. I’d filled her in on Italy in the last twenty minutes while Rom and Les had been getting the news from Cosimo. It hadn’t been quite the honeymoon she’d been expecting me to report back on, but she’d taken it all in stride.
“Yep. Want to meet him?” I lifted a hand. “Dominic.”
He turned at once, flashing me one of his effortless smiles, and crossed the room with a glass of champagne in hand. It seemed I rarely saw him without one of those after five o’clock. Accordingto him, you could always find something to celebrate if you really put your mind to it.
“I don’t believe we’ve been introduced.” He took Mia’s hand and brought it to his lips. “Dominic Santoro.”
“Mia Morales,” she said a little stiffly, still clearly trying to make sense of the fact that Cosimo had returned from Italy with a new sibling.
