Page 80 of Sins of the Orchid

Amore wrapped her arms around her body. She wore slim jeans and a white crew neck blouse combined with white chucks. A smear of blood stained her shirt. She looked younger like this with her hair pulled up into a high ponytail.

I sat next to her, putting my arm on the small of her back.

There was nothing more I wanted to do than wrap my arms around her. My heiress had gotten caught up in mafia wars, and it wasn’t a place for someone of her caliber.

“You good?” I asked her.

Her eyes flickered to Luigi, who looked like he wanted to go join his father’s argument against Regina.

“Luigi, why don’t you go break up that party?” I recommended to him. “Before shit between those two escalates.”

The older brother’s gaze sought out Amore and she nodded. “I’m fine.”

“Stay with Santi,” he instructed.

Like I would ever let her get away from me.

Once he was out of earshot, she turned my way.

“I’m good. It was… unexpected.”

The Venezuelans were causing too much trouble. I wasn’t even sure what they were after anymore. Why did they bother coming after my father, or Bennetti, and Amore? Were they trying to finish what they started thirteen years ago? She couldn’t possibly be in their way.

My gut feeling was telling me I was missing something, though I couldn’t imagine what it could be.

“You are safe, that’s all that matters.”

She blinked her eyes and sadness crossed her features.

“A woman died,” she muttered. “Shot through the window.” Fuck, it sucked that she had to see that. It was her first true exposure to the war happening in New York City. “She had red hair,” she whispered.

Confusion washed over me at her odd comment. But then, women and men reacted differently to death. Fuck, men like us and normal men reacted differently to death. Most of the time, I didn’t even blink an eye and moved on. Unless it was someone very close to me.

But then I remembered the container with red-haired women. I eyed her, worried she heard something about it.

“What are they arguing about?” I tried to steer her mind away from death.

“Whether I should stay or go,” she mumbled. “Dad wants me to stay. Grandma wants me to go. If Dad wanted me to go, I’d bet you Grandma would want me to stay.”

She was right about that. Those two were opposites and always at war with each other. Though they both agreed to send her to Italy the last time. It was probably safer for her there than in New York City right now.

I took her hand in mine. Amore’s eyes flickered around us to ensure nobody was around. I didn’t give a fuck, she was mine, and I’d draft up a contract soon.

“What do you want?” I asked her.

Her father and grandmother were both too stubborn and too blind. They failed to see that Amore had grown up and could make her own decisions.

“I want to go,” she admitted. “It wouldn’t break my heart if I had to stay now that you—” She cut herself off and her eyes trailed away from me. I rubbed my thumb over a pale vein on her wrist, her skin soft under my rough thumb. “But I want to finish college there, and my work rotation through Regalè Fashion.”

“Then we’ll make sure you go,” I told her firmly. I wanted her protected and happy. “My little sex monster.”

Her lips curved into a soft smile, and this time it reached her eyes. Just a simple smile from her, and I’d do anything for her. Burn the world down, kill men, just to see her happy. By the time we get married, I’d be eating out of the palm of her hand.

It was dangerous to have a weakness in our world, and she was quickly becoming mine. Or maybe it was too late and she already was.

I stood up, pulling her to her feet. “Now, let’s go tell your family what you want.”

“Are you sure about that?” she asked hesitantly. She’d hated seeing those two argue for as long as I’d known her.