Page 128 of Marry Me Not
Dominic, for his part, seemed completely unbothered.
In some ways, the two men felt like opposites. Cosimo treated the private jet like a boardroom. Dominic treated it like a luxury hotel. Where Cosimo was controlled, pragmatic, and disciplined to the point of severity, Dominic moved through the world like it had been arranged solely for his pleasure. There was no way this man lived in a home cooled to sixty-four degrees.
“The deal has to carry substantial benefits for the capos,” Cosimo said. “They’ll be sympathetic to your story, but your bomb killed their old don. It also almost killed my brothers.”
Dominic shrugged. “But it didn’t.” A small smile. “And now you have another brother.”
“This is not a joke,” Cosimo ground out.
“No,” Dominic said, the undercurrent of amusement disappearing from his voice. “It’s not. We are responsible for the lives of many people. So let’s not fuck this up.”
“What about Vita?” Cosimo asked. “I assume you want her to pay for what she’s done.”
“Losing her husband and losing the vote seems like punishment enough for me.”
“She hasn’t lost the vote yet,” Cosimo said.
“If your capos are smart, they will understand quickly that they can either have a bloody war if she becomes don, or prosperity ifyou do.” He paused. “As for what to do with her after, I will leave that to you.”
“Your mother will accept that?” Cosimo asked. “Somehow, I doubt that. She’s spent decades planning her revenge.”
Dominic’s lips tightened. “Mammaacted on her own before. I will steer her in the right direction. The men in my family are loyal to me. They won’t do her bidding if I forbid them from doing so. Many of them believe your family’s debt to ours was settled the night of the bomb. Few have appetite for more bloodshed, especially not if we manage to make peace look profitable for them.”
“I’m going to need to see some proof that you’re in charge of your family.”
“And I will be glad to provide it.” Dominic glanced out the window at the cloud cover below. “We have more than enough time to work through the details before the vote. So I hope you won’t mind if I—” He settled back in his seat, crossed his arms, and closed his eyes. “Take a midday nap.”
I had to bite back a laugh at Cosimo’s irritated expression.
“Seriously?” he said.
“I like to nap from two to three in the afternoon every day.” Dominic kept his eyes closed. “Ensures I have sufficient energy for the evening and whatever vigorous activities it may bring.” A faint smile curved his lips. “You should give it a try.”
Cosimo shook his head, muttering something about ridiculous Italians under his breath while I tried not to laugh.
This was going to be a memorable holiday season.
The cabin grew quiet. A few moments passed, and Dominic jerked lightly, apparently already fast asleep.
I couldn’t even imagine taking a nap right now. A restless energy vibrated beneath my skin. Cosimo and I hadn’t had a chance to talk properly since leaving Dominic’s villa, and our fight from last night still lingered between us, unresolved.
He caught my eye, and his hand tightened around mine. Wordlessly, he got to his feet and pulled me up with him. He led us toward the bedroom in the back.
Nerves tangled inside me. Was he angry I left? He didn’t seem angry at me when he’d found me, just relieved and…shaken.
I’d never seen him look shaken before. Was he really that worried about me? Something raw and tender pulsed inside my chest at the thought. I didn’t want to read into it, to imagine things I so badly wanted to be true.
The bedroom door clicked shut behind me, and Cosimo drew me against him. “Christ, Nettle. I didn’t know real fear until I couldn’t find you.”
I closed my eyes, pressing my face into his shirt, absorbing his heat and his scent.
“Thank fucking God you’re okay. I would’ve burned that entire fucking town to the ground if something had happened to you.”
The anguish in his voice made a fist tighten around my heart, but still I wondered—had he been worried because of how it would reflect on him if something happened to his new wife? Or because of how he felt about me?
He made a short, hard exhale. “I’m so sorry, baby. All of this could’ve been avoided if I’d just agreed to go back there with youthis morning. But I was too stubborn, too stuck in my own ways to realize you were making the right call.”
The backs of my eyes stung. It’d hurt when he’d dismissed me, but going back to Nunzio’s workshop on my own had also given me an opportunity to prove something important to myself.
