Page 46 of All’s Fair In Love & War (The Bulgari Cartel #2)
Everyone was gathered in the dining room by the time Khalil and I arrived.
Naeem was at the head of the long table, and Tatum sat beside him with her legs crossed, sipping a glass of what looked like water.
Next to her sat Riley, poised and polished, her silky bob framing her face.
Khalil’s mom sat at the other end beside her husband, looking elegant as ever, with a glass of red in hand and a cool expression that gave nothing away, but her eyes followed every move I made.
Sophia was missing, and so was Dallas, whom I found out at the last minute had been invited.
I didn’t know if he’d decided not to show or if something else had come up, but either way, it didn’t sit right with me.
One would think he would’ve had the decency to show up to at least make sure I was still breathing.
He hadn’t checked on me since he sold me to the Bulgari.
Khalil led me straight to her and kissed her cheek before introducing us. “Madre, this is Felicity. Felicity, this is my momma, Daphne.”
“It’s nice to meet you.” She stood and pulled me into a quick hug.
“Nice to meet you as well,” I replied, wrapping my arms around her.
When she finally released me, Khalil moved on to his father. “Papa, this is Felicity.”
“Welcome to the family,” he said before placing a gentle kiss on my forehead.
“Thank you,” I replied, forcing a smile.
As soon as he released me, I waved at the others and said, “Hello,” before taking my seat.
No sooner than my butt hit the cushion, Tatum said, “I know we met at the club, but why am I just finding out you two are in a serious relationship?”
She was poised, polished, and very obviously clocking everything .
She looked effortlessly beautiful, with her rich mocha skin and hair cascading across her shoulders in jet-black waves.
Her thick, arched brows, almond-shaped eyes, and full lips made her a timeless beauty.
I was surprised how much I hadn’t paid attention to her the first time we met.
This was the Tatum Genevese, my brother’s ex-fiancée.
During the time Dallas was with her, we had never met or spoken to one another on the phone.
I had also never even seen a picture of her.
Hell, if it hadn’t been for my mother, Isabella, calling at the last minute to extend an invitation to the wedding, I wouldn’t have even known my only sibling was engaged.
As long as I lived in Paris out of my family’s hair, no one gave a damn about me. One would think I would have some type of relationship with the woman my brother was to wed, but that wasn’t the case. She was just as much a stranger to me as I was to her.
Speaking of Naeem Bulgari, his stare was intimidating.
He was broad-shouldered and at least six-four, with a muscular physique that suggested he could handle business with or without a weapon.
His skin was deep, velvety brown, and his jawline could’ve been carved from stone.
His eyes, dark and unreadable, held the weight of a man who’d seen too much and trusted too little.
Naeem was someone I had to keep an eye on.
Khalil tensed beside me. It was subtle, but I noticed the shift.
He was probably expecting me to show my ass at this moment, but I was biding my time for the right moment.
Besides, we had not too long ago gotten here, and I wasn’t ready to leave just yet.
This was the first time in a week that I was in the company of others without Khalil breathing down my neck.
I was going to soak up as much of this moment as I could.
“It was so much going on, I never had a chance to get around to it,” Khalil answered, his tone casual, but his eyes slid to me to see if I’d call him out on his lie. “But we’re here now. Tatum, meet my girlfriend, Felicity.”
Girlfriend … hmm. That’s what we were going with now?
“Felicity, you met Tatum.” He continued, and I didn’t say a word.
My face remained still, blank, pleasant even, but inside, my stomach twisted.
Not because I wanted him to call me his fiancée, but because I wasn’t anything to Khail besides his hostage.
Introducing me as if our relationship was consensual made my insides boil.
This arranged marriage was downright barbaric and sick.
Tatum’s eyes flicked to mine. “You’re beautiful,” she said, assessing me before asking, “How long have you two been together?”
Khalil leaned back in his chair, the picture of ease. “A few months,” he answered without giving me the chance to reply to her question.
“Yeah, whatever he said.” I threw my thumb in his direction.
“Hmm.” Tatum sipped her water, her gaze glued to me. “Interesting. I didn’t think you kept anyone around long enough to hit the ‘months’ mark. Didn’t you tell me not too long ago that you were married to the game, and that money was all you needed?”
Khalil shrugged. “Things change when you meet the right woman.”
“Umm-hmm.” Tatum squinted her eyes at Khalil before directing her next question to me. “When and where did you two first meet?”
A slow, evil smile crept across my face as I stared at Tatum, refusing to let the sweetness of her tone fool me.
For some reason, she was fishing for answers, and it made me wonder if she’d be on my side if she knew what was really going on. Obviously, no one had told her that I was Veneto property and had been sold off like cattle.
“Oh, it’s quite a funny story.” I giggled, deciding to use this opportunity to blow this entire shit up. “Khalil kidnapped me when our families were at war, and my brother, Dallas, sold me as part of the peace treaty.”
“What the fuck did she just say?” Tatum’s glass slipped from her hand as her head snapped in Naeem’s direction. “Did she—nah.” She shook her head, her gaze snapping back to Khalil, her expression transforming from curious to livid in an instant.
“Felicity,” Khalil bristled, his voice low and tense, his grip on the table tightening.
The heat creeping up his neck betrayed his calm facade, and I didn’t care one bit how he felt. If he thought he could drag me into this charade without consequence, he was sorely mistaken.
“How come I'm just now hearing about this?” Tatum shouted, visibly shaking.
“I planned to tell you—”
“When, Naeem?” she asked, cutting him off before he could finish his sentence.
“In Pari, but we both know how that went.”
“Oh, don’t you dare try to flip this shit on me! You’ve known about this shit for months.” She jabbed a finger in his direction.
“Did you not know about your secret for months? I say we’re even.” He shrugged, and Tatum looked like she wanted to murder him in cold blood.
“Fuck that!” She slammed her hands on the table. “We agreed that our families would no longer take part in these outdated traditions!” she spat angrily.
“We did, but—” Naeem started, but couldn’t finish because Tatum cut him off again.
“But nothing! This shouldn’t be happening,” Tatum interjected, her tone a mix of disbelief and irritation.
“You damn right. No woman should be forced to marry against her will,” I chimed in, leaning back in my chair and crossing my arms. “One moment, I was shopping, and the next, I was being tossed into a basement and told I’m getting married.” I let my words hang in the air, daring Khalil to refute me.
The silence that followed was deafening. Tatum’s eyes narrowed, her lips pressed into a thin line. “And you were okay, Khalil?” she asked, her voice quieter but no less dangerous.
Khalil sighed, his jaw tightening. He glanced at me briefly, and I could see the storm brewing in his dark eyes. “Yes. I’m doing this for our family.”
“Of course that would be your answer,” Tatum shot back, her sarcasm.
“What would you have suggested I do?” Khalil started, his voice calm but firm.
“Not this!” She whispered with tears clouding her eyes as she returned her attention to her husband. “Is this the kind of legacy you want for our family?” Tatum asked him.
“We understand your take on arranged marriages, but this was the only way to make peace. Many people were dying,” Alejandro answered, but Tatum paid him no mind. Her focus was on her husband.
Naeem’s mouth opened and closed as he struggled to find the right thing to say. “It wasn’t... We didn’t... It was a complicated situation.”
“Complicated?” Tatum repeated with a bitter laugh.
“I don’t care what the situation was. Forcing her into an arranged marriage wasn’t the way to handle it.
” She turned her sharp gaze to me, her expression softening slightly.
“Felicity, I’m sorry. You didn’t deserve that.
I know what it’s like. The same thing happened to me with your brother. ”
“We were engaged to be married just last year,” Tatum continued, and Naeem growled, making her head whip in his direction. “You shut the fuck up!”
“Tell him, girl.” Daphne snickered into her glass of wine, and so did Riley.
Naeem immediately hushed his mouth, but his face was twisted like he had gotten a taste of the world’s sourdest candy. With him out of the way, she returned her attention to me.
“My engagement to your brother was similar. The only difference was that he and my parents tried to trick me into falling in love with him. The problem was that Dallas couldn’t hide his true nature for long, and I ended up figuring it out.
So, again, I truly understand what you’re feeling right now, and I’m so sorry that a deal like that was made without your consent. ”
I shrugged, trying to play off the tension, though her words caught me off guard. “Don’t apologize. It’s not like you tied me up and threw me into a car.”
Tatum’s lips twitched, but she didn’t fully display her humorless smile. “No, but I sure as hell would’ve untied you if I’d known.”
“I appreciate that,” I replied, my tone light but pointed. “Unfortunately, your husband and his brother have other plans for me.”