Page 44 of The Mastermind (Mafia Rivals #1)

CESARE

It helped that the woman I was planning on marrying hadn’t pulled the trigger that had killed our mother. But it was inconvenient as fuck that her last name was Mancinelli. And that her little sister may or may not be directly responsible for my mother no longer being alive.

I would’ve been highly entertained if I’d have been watching this on a big screen with popcorn and not living every second of this heaven and hell myself.

Every day until Orazio’s eightieth birthday was like navigating a landmine with clowns on my heels. I fucking hated clowns. The only highlights being the nights I spent between Maddelena’s thighs.

In four races, I’d closed the championship gap to Narciso to within seven measly points.

And with three more races to go, the championship was back within reach.

The sponsors were less angsty, the Turks were happy with our level of supply and service, although I wasn’t holding my breath on that lasting, and an alternative pipeline was developing with the Armenians.

All our clubs, casinos, warehouse and trucking concerns that served as the perfect cover for moving product hadn’t needed serious oversight for a while.

Everything was ticking along as smoothly as could be expected. Except there was a calm-before-the-storm vibe in the air that made me angsty as fuck.

Or maybe it was Rafaelle’s continued cold shoulder. I gave him three days to cool off after Maddelena’s bombshell revelations before I reached out. He’d agreed to turn up to the family meeting in Fallbrook only after Orazio threatened to throw his collection of guns into the Potomac.

Breaking the news of my impending marriage to Maddelena to the wider family, after telling them of her sister’s role in my mother’s demise, produced fresh outrage and more speculation as to whether I’d lost my mind, but thankfully, the temperature had died down quickly.

Giacomo had absented himself from the meeting, with Orazio’s blessing, and to my relief. The haunted grief in his eyes still devastated me. And now I’d found a woman of my own, I was beginning to understand the depths of his loss and heartache.

My grandfather shutting everyone up by reiterating his blessing had calmed things down quickly. For which I was grateful. Although the twins looked sullen and pissed off, and Bibi looked pained when she approached me after.

‘This isn’t a joke, is it? You really have a thing for the Mancinelli girl?’

‘It’s more than a thing, soru .’ That heady feeling moved in my chest with the admission. I hadn’t quite found the words to describe it yet, but it was a living, breathing thing inside me.

‘I ought to be shocked as hell but considering what this family is capable of…’ She shrugged, then her gaze shifted to Rafaelle, who sat brooding in the corner with a glass of cognac in his hand.

He’d remained silent all meeting, but he didn’t look like he wanted to tear my head off, which was something. ‘Is he going to be okay about this?’

I nodded. ‘ Sì . I’ll make sure of it.’

She kissed my cheek and left. And by silent signal from Orazio, everyone filed out, leaving him, me and Rafa.

I got straight to the point. ‘I think Father Calogero is worth looking into. I’d like to hear his version of things.’ And to thank him for keeping Maddelena safe that day.

Orazio nodded approval. ‘I had the same thought. Which was why I put out some feelers.’

My brows shot up. ‘Already?’

His scathing look told me what he thought of my reaction. ‘You think I sit around all day waiting for you to come up with all the pearls of wisdom?’

I showed respectful contrition. ‘ Scusa .’

He nodded, then turned his focus on Rafa. Who stared at me for a long moment – making my gut clench hard – before dragging his phone from his pocket.

‘I had the same thought too, surprisingly. So I started digging. With a little help from our friend.’

My brows went up for the second time. ‘Nightowl is talking to you?’ I wasn’t jealous, exactly. I was just a little sceptical of someone I thought was my person switching allegiances.

He shrugged. ‘Guess you’re not the only one needing answers.’

My spine stiffened. ‘Rafa.’

He held up a hand. ‘I’m toeing the line, as ordered. That doesn’t mean I can’t set the groundwork for when you finally come to your senses.’

‘So you haven’t been looking for her?’ I pushed.

His jaw gritted once. ‘No.’

‘ Grazii .’

He exhaled, then nodded at my pocket. ‘You should check your phone,’ he muttered. ‘Looks like they’ve been talking to you too, so no need to get your panties in a bunch,’ he added.

I glanced at my screen and frowned at the message.

Ponder Papal Positions

‘Great. We’re into alliterations now.’

‘From the looks of things, we’re on the right track.’

‘ Positions , plural? So more than one priest?’ I asked.

Orazio hummed. ‘I’m sending your father to Sicily, to see what he can dig up with Calogero.’

My surprise was reflected in Rafa’s eyes. ‘You are?’

‘This concerns your mother. He’s motivated. If there’s something there, he’ll find it,’ Orazio stated with complete confidence.

I couldn’t argue with that. So I didn’t.

And it turned out, there was. Something none of us expected.

Maddelena

‘Are you sure you don’t want me to talk to him first?’ I asked.

A week had passed since the tense meeting with Cesare and his family. A lot had happened since then, most of which I was still in the dark about, but not Cesare’s plan to meet with my grandfather.

He shook his head, then grinned fondly when he saw my gaze stray for the thousandth time to the ring glistening on my finger.

The emerald cut, 15.2 carat Harry Winston diamond, bordered with platinum-mounted smaller diamonds was a cool seven figures, a part of a bridal set that came with a mid-seven-figure price tag.

It was the most expensive thing I owned and I was very thankful I wasn’t allowed out without a small army or I would be terrified of being mugged.

Having my first anal experience right before an appointment at Harry Winston was… eye-opening.

Cesare had been as patient and gentle as he could be… up to a point. But eventually he’d broken, cursing loudly that my culu stritti biddicchiu – cute little ass – was too much for any sane man to withstand.

Which was why I’d spent the entire two-hour appointment guzzling champagne to soften the edges of my embarrassment and balancing sideways on one ass-cheek, glaring at Cesare every time his shoulders shook in silent laughter.

He was deadly serious now as he shook his head. ‘I can’t risk him doing anything stupid, baby. Let me gauge the temperature first, yeah?’

I wasn’t thrilled about Cesare facing him without me, but it made sense.

After my call to Bonafacio and my flat refusal to come home, I wasn’t looking forward to talking to him anyway.

And the news we planned to drop on him would send him into orbit.

It was a little disconcerting that I was in the midst of what might be my last ever interaction with my grandfather, possibly my father.

The rest of my family was debatable, but I didn’t plan to let my siblings go without a fight.

The agreement was for Cesare to meet my grandfather on neutral ground, like the hotel I didn’t know the Salvatores owned a massive chunk of on the Lower East Side.

Or the Sicilian restaurant Bonafacio believed was owned by a celebrity chef but was in fact fully funded by Cesare’s uncle Pietro’s wife.

It didn’t gladden my heart that the Salvatores laughed at my grandfather every time he dined there and probably had something sketchy put into his food, but since I knew to my cost his level of hubris and cruelty, I wasn’t in a hurry to spring to his defence.

‘Hey.’

I moaned softly when Cesare’s hand coasted down my back. God, I loved it when he touched me. ‘Hmm?’

He dropped a kiss at my temple. ‘It’ll be fine.’

It wouldn’t. Not for a while. Not while my mom, sisters and brother believed I’d gone over to the dark side. But I had to be patient, let things play out and settle before I could make my case.

I sighed when his hand dropped and he picked up his keys. ‘You’re leaving already?’

‘If I stay here much longer, you get fucked again. And you need a long bath to relax and rest for when I get back.’

I sighed again, then immediately got distracted by the sunlight refracting through my gorgeous ring. His low, pleased laughter drew me from my bling infatuation. ‘You’re taking Fist with you, right?’

His grin widened, and my heart galloped with pure happiness. The road ahead was all sorts of rocky, but Cesare Salvatore was mine .

‘I’ll let him know you’re a fan.’

I pouted. ‘He’ll still look through me like I don’t exist.’

‘You exist for me, bedda . That’s all that matters.’