Taken_ A Dark Mafia Romance - Piper Stone Page 0,19
Yeah, they were. The Council would stop at nothing to protect the fated secrets, keeping everything in the expanded family.
I was beginning to grow weary of the term. Family honor. Christian had tossed the term into my face as if I had no concept of what it meant. He had no idea the kinds of sacrifices I’d made or the nightmares that plagued me. I shifted my gaze toward the front of the tent, still able to see over the heads of the majority of guests. Even the subsequent nasty conversation I’d had with Christian had done little but toss gasoline onto my rage.
“You expect me to marry a woman I don’t know?”
Christian laughed, studying me intently. “This will be good for you, Matteo, as well as for the sect.”
“Bullshit,” I snapped, pounding my fist on his desk. “Why are you lying to me, Christian? We both know the boxes were configured based on power, which means that you and the other Council members selected me on purpose. Are you that terrified that whatever issue we’re facing can’t be overcome?” When he didn’t answer, I took a deep breath. “That’s exactly what’s going on. What threats are you receiving? What the hell aren’t you telling me? Is this about the new land development deals or something else entirely?”
He jerked up from his chair, moving to the window and shoving his hands into his pockets. “I need to get a handle on the situation, brother. I don’t want to jump to any conclusions.”
“That means you don’t trust me. Is it because I’m only your half-brother? Is this selection because of who my real father is? Is there some unsaid fear that because of what happened to Father McGivney that his son deserves a push into another level within the sect?”
When he didn’t say anything, I shook my head.
“My God. That’s what’s really going on here. This is all because I’m a bastard son.” I spat the words with more hatred than I felt, at least for my brother. We’d both suffered from the events months before.
I’d never seen such hurt rush into him before. He smashed his fist against the window before swiftly turning, snapping his hands on his desk as he leaned over. “Don’t you ever say that to me again. Ever! You are my blood and that is thicker than water. I am also the leader of the sect so you will follow the rules like everyone else. I know you better than you know yourself, Matteo. You crave the kind of domination that runs in the blood of our family. You hunger to have a woman surrender to your every desire, punishing her as necessary. You long to have her wear your marks proudly after she’s succumbed to a night of extreme passion. Don’t bother attempting to lie.”
I glared at him, the ugliness of what he was saying settling in, every cell in my body sizzling. Perhaps he was right, but I also wanted more. “And what about love, Christian? You pretend to be a man of authority, flaunting your need to control everything, including your wife. But I know how much you adore her and that you would die in order to keep her safe.”
Inhaling, he rose to his full height, never blinking. “What I am telling you is that you can have both. Winter O’Brien will be good for you. In turn, your coupling will continue to give credence to the ritual’s value. Was the choice of selecting you the only one that made any sense? Absolutely. I don’t need to tell you the reasons why. We must maintain our value.”
He was right, at least about one aspect. I wanted my version of a fairytale, only in my world, the idealistic parameters were dark and filthy. I’d never fully admitted my intense longings, sinful cravings of utter domination over a beautiful woman. I could have everything my heart desired and all because of an ancient ritual. He’d seen through my carefully positioned mask, peeling aside the front I’d maintained my entire life. We were exactly alike.
Merciless.
Dangerous.
Unforgiving.
Touché, Christian.
I took a swig of my drink as I thought about his caustic words. He was hiding more information about our enemies, including the Taglionis. In my mind, whatever it was could be dangerous for our entire community. I’d made some inquiries with a few of our esteemed colleagues outside of the sect, realizing quickly that certain city officials were under pressure to approve land development deals. If they did,