The Vatican - M.E. Clayton Page 0,39
rolled her neck to work out her kinks. “It shouldn’t take that long,” she countered. “The furniture can stay. It’s not like I’m attached to it. I just really need to pack my personal stuff.”
“Even so, we still have to go over our financial accounts, our wills, and all that shit,” I pointed out.
Her eyes bugged. “And we need to do all that today?”
My hand ran over her hip. She looked delicious wearing only the sheet. “Come on, Fiore,” I drawled out. “You’re my wife now. Considering the lives we live, we need the legalities done sooner rather than later.”
She eyed me, and then grimaced. “My entire body hurts, Benetti. I can barely move, and you’ve put in an entire day’s work for me. What kind of husband are you?”
I reached over and slapped her ass. “That kind.”
Ria laughed. “You asshole! That hurts!”
“Do you need me to kiss it and make it better?” I teased, hoping she’d say yes, but knowing she wouldn’t.
“You kissing me is what put me in this sorry state to begin with, so…uh, no,” she sassed back.
“Well, it’s either you get up, take a shower, eat breakfast and get this shit started, or I’m going to undress and get back into bed,” I warned her. “I have it on good authority that I’m on my honeymoon.”
Ria gathered the sheet to her chest and sat up. I didn’t miss the wince, and the marks I could see were already turning ugly and dark in color. I had no doubt she was sore from head to toe.
But I’d do it all over again.
“Can I ask you something, Benetti?”
I leveled her with a look. “Don’t do that, Fiore.” Her brow shot up. “Don’t start asking me for permission for shit.” I shook my head. “I don’t like it. If you have something to say or ask, then just do it.”
“I thought that’s how this thing was supposed to work?” she replied haughtily, the fun over.
My heart dropped in my chest and I realized I must not have done what I set out to do last night if she still believed this was an arrangement where she’d been given to the future Benetti Mob Boss.
I wasn’t sure how much more I could take.
“How many times do I have to say it?’
She cocked her head. “Say what?”
“That I fucking love you?” I clarified. “That I’ve been in love with you for fucking years, Luca. Since I was like thirteen or some shit.”
Anger erased sleepiness. “Because you weren’t given a choice,” she spat back. “They brainwashed you when you were twelve and you just went along with it, because…well, why the fuck wouldn’t you? I was just another piece of the story you were destined to live out.”
My head reared back.
Did she really believe that shit?
“You’ve got it all wrong,” I told her.
Her hands tightened around the sheet covering her breasts. “Oh, do I?”
“Yes, I was told you were going to be mine, but no one ever told me I had to fall in love with you, Luca,” I snapped. “That happened on its own. And don’t pretend like you don’t know there are a shitload of men in the organization who have wives and mistresses. I could have easily married you, impregnated you, and went about my life with someone else who I might have come to care for.” Her lip curled, and her jealous gave me hope. “But it’s you. It’s always been you. I’ve loved you damn near my entire life and, even if you don’t believe me or love me back, do not dismiss my words as lies just because you’re angry. I’m not a fucking liar.”
Her shoulders dropped, and she seemed to relax. Then she asked the one question I thought would be the one thing to finally make me put a bullet through my head. “So…you’re okay if I never love you back?”
The words felt like acid eating up my insides, but they were the truth. “Luca, as long as you remain faithful, respectful, and loyal to me…we’ll get along fine.”
“That easy, huh?” she whispered.
I nodded “It really is that easy,” I replied before standing up. This conversation took a dark turn and I didn’t trust myself not to demand that she love me back. If I had to deal with just having pieces of her, then that’s what I’ll have to do. I couldn’t force her to love me, but I could treat her well enough that she will never want to leave me.
Her question