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Since it’s time for lunch, I take her to my favorite Italian restaurant, where she has tagliatelle, and I have a steak.

“I think you’re showing me the best of Reno on purpose.”

“If you say so,” I say with a playful tilt. I have a plan and nothing will deter me.

Rolling her eyes at me, she returns to her food, and I give in to my quest to find out everything about her.

“If you’re so important to Augustus, why doesn’t he offer you a seat at the table? It’s a known fact that you’re his right hand, keep his ass alive and take care of all his dirty business.”

“It’s called the Council of Twelve for a reason. It’s twelve families.”

That’s not reason enough.

I wave a dismissive hand through the air. “There have been exceptions throughout the years, like Donata taking the seat instead of her brother, heirs dying, my father relinquishing his seat. Nothing is set in stone.”

She pins me with a hard stare—I am hitting a sensitive spot.

“Traditions, rituals offer a sacredness to this world riddled with sins. And Donata loves her power. That woman thinks she opened the door for other women, but she closed it shut right after her.”

“I sense there is something.”

Luciana sighs, her eyes turning into two slits. “Donata intends to take Augustus’s place. She’s constantly plotting. Shewants to secure the power for her son, who everyone knows is a spoiled, coke-addicted, hiding-behind-mommy’s-influence prick.”

“What about you and Adamo?” I ask, taking full advantage of her being chatty. Or maybe she trusts me more than she likes to admit. Whatever the reason, it gives me a clearer picture of how to make this work.

“After his father died, he’s desperate to prove himself. And he asked me to marry him.”

The pressure I apply on my plate with the knife forces a little crack.

She places her hand on mine, giving it a little squeeze. All my anger vanishes, eradicated by her caring gesture.

“I obviously refused him. I don’t respect men in general.”

“It seems to me you don’t respect women much either.”

She shrugs, biting on her bottom lip. “Perhaps. But I respect you.”

“And Augustus.”

She brings another bite to her mouth, and after delicately chewing, she says, “I have to.”

I hate that man to the point I want him gone—annihilated because he’s the one in my way, keeping her from being just mine. Possessiveness grips me in a chokehold that I want to raid any obstacle in making her mine for good. However, starting a war with the Council must be planned accordingly. Their influence spans worldwide. Throughout history, those who have tried to overtake them have lost their money, influence, or life. Sometimes, all of the above.

“How come you and Mikail united what seems impossible to unite, the Bratva and the Mob?”

Our talks always delve into deep waters, treading through murky, unexplored territory, exchanging opinions and sharing thoughts. There’s nothing surface level with us.

“Times change. We’re legitimate businessmen by day and whatever we need by night.”

“You mean criminals.”

I arch a brow at her. “You’re in no position to judge.”

She shrugs. “I don’t. Just stating facts. Drugs, human trafficking, corrupt politicians, staging coups, funding wars, taking over companies. I’ve seen it all, Enzo. Human depravity and greed know no bounds. The Council has its hands in everything. I’ve yet to meet someone in our world who wouldn’t sell their humanity for more money and power.”

“As long as there are humans, there will be violence. As long as there is a nightlife, people will want to taste the forbidden. We’re filling a need. But I abhor human trafficking. That doesn’t happen in my city and whoever dares to do that on my coast ends up dead.”

“You’re losing a lot of money. It’s a billion a year market.” Her tone, while neutral, has a cold undertone, as if testing me.