Page 56

Once I am done, I pack what I need, hoping to be on my way by tomorrow. It’s that or letting my emotions overwhelm me. Coupled with what I’ll find out from Adamo, my chances of not going off the rails are better if I focus on my job.

The moment the driver parks, we take a small boat and drive through the canals. It stinks of seaweed and decrepit buildings.

While I understand the appeal of the Council to reside in Venice for the symbolism of power alone, I prefer to be on a ground that doesn’t threaten to draw me under every day.

Augustus’s house is impressive—a centuries-old building that has stood the test of time just like his aspirations. If he continues this way, he will ensure his legacy will outlive him. The Council has thrived under his unofficial rule.

Inside, opulence surrounds me, from the patterned marble floor to the crystal chandeliers and sophisticated art and Italian handcrafted furniture. It looks more like a museum than a home.

A staff member gestures for me to follow her even though I know the path with my eyes closed.

He waits for me in his favorite room—his office giving way to the best view of the harbor. It smells of cigars and old booksthat span the right wall as he sits in his imposing wood and leather armchair, drinking his espresso.

His brown, knowing eyes set on me, and I immediately put a mask on.

“I see you survived without me,” I say, letting the arrogance I am known for slip through.

“I see the vacation didn’t curb that attitude of yours.”

His hard fucking did. That thought comes out of nowhere, and it takes every bit of sanity left to hold on to my composure.

Approaching his mahogany desk, I follow the automated process. I’ve been here hundreds of times; the difference is he’s paying more attention to me.

I must eradicate any doubt he has.

“Why would it? I am used to flashy things.”

“Do not compare Venice to that jungle of cement with no grace or inspiration,” he mumbles low.

I almost smile at how passionate he is. A true Italian nationalist, proud of his heritage.

“Miss Donata was on her best behavior?”

I had a package sent to her door of another escapade of her progeniture before I left. I am so done with her cunning ways of trying to take the power in her hands. It’s as if she’s waiting for Augustus to die which won’t happen on my watch.

He cocks his head, smirking. “Too well. Did it have something to do with you?”

I give him an intent look. “You know it did.”

He shakes his head at me, not hiding his chuckle as pride stretches the corners of his eyes. He folds his hands on his lap, eyeing me straight in the eyes. “Don’t make enemies of your family. I can’t protect you forever. I am still bound by certain rules, and you are testing the patience and ego of people who don’t like to be put in their place.”

I wave a hand through the air. “We went over this.”

His demeanor changes, becoming colder. “What is given can be taken. Don’t forget it.”

I don’t care about the veiled warning because it rings of my guilt. Yes, Enzo most definitely took away whatever he offered me.

“The Council needs me, Augustus, and all of you know that. That’s why I have power. Not because any of you gave it to me, but because no one is me.”

“That hubris of yours,” he chides me, but I don’t care. My work, my ability, my skills have brought me so far.

“Tell me how you’re going to do it,” he says, and we launch into a conversation that eases me instantly.

Afterward, we have lunch on the terrace, and then I leave, knowing Adamo will come to visit next.

I met my end of the deal, and he must as well, but I conned my way out of the precarious situation. I don’t know what I will do if he tries to do the same. My patience with him and these entitled bunch of arrogant assholes who have gotten everything they’ve wanted just by being born into the right family is being tested for the millionth time.

The Council won’t last for another generation if its control is in the hands of people like Adamo and the other heirs. Theywouldn’t know what work is even if it rolled over them, cracking their skulls open.