Page 36 of Auctioned To Her Dad's Mafia Enemies

Luca’s lips press into a thin line. “Theycould both be lying. Think about it. Enzo plants the seed of doubt about herparentage. Carmella plants the doubt about Carlo’s love. They’re trying to makeus think it’s pointless to keep Aemelia. Pointless to try. The one person wehaven’t heard from is Carlo. He’s the only one who knows the truth.”

“You think that rat has any humanity in him?He gunned down Mario like a fucking dog.”

Luca shrugs. “I don’t know.

“We should give it time,” Antonio says, likewe agreed in the car, his voice low. “Make sure Enzo isn’t bluffing about hisbrother. If Carlo isn’t coming, we need to decide what we do next.”

Luca nods slowly. “And Aemelia?”

A moment of silence stretches between us,heavy with unspoken desires.

“We don’t let her go back to that,” Antoniofinally says, his tone firm, resolute. “Not yet.”

Luca studies him, then me. “Not yet,” heagrees.

16

ANTONIO

ESCALATION

Aemelia is still sleeping, curled on her sidein her massive bed. It’s so white she almost looks like she’s resting on acloud. Her breathing is soft, her face relaxed in a way that it never is whenshe’s awake. The tension that usually lingers in her dark eyes is gone, thefear of her nightmare in the past. I watch her from the doorway, my armscrossed as I exhale slowly. She’s too trusting now. Too comfortable. Thatthought sits uneasily in my gut.

I head into the kitchen to make espresso,which will give me a welcome hit of caffeine. I hardly slept last night, mymind twisting over the panic I felt at the thought that Aemelia could beMario’s daughter, the sickness. I’ve done a lot of terrible, unforgivablethings in my life, but that would have been the worst. And now we know she’sCarlo’s, I don’t feel any better about what I did. The guilt hangs around melike a black cloud. My feelings of attraction toward her, lust for her, feelforbidden and sinful.

Luca’s already up, studying something on hislaptop. He likes to keep on top of the news and how world events or changes ingovernment policy will affect our assets and interests.

“Where’s Alexis,” I ask.

“Sleeping.”

“You want coffee.”

“Sure.”

He turns his attention back to his screen as Imanhandle the coffee machine.

A knock on the penthouse door breaks thesilence, and I turn sharply, my body instantly on edge. Luca looks up,questioning, as I move toward the door.

Vito is standing there when I pull it open,his large frame filling the doorway. But it’s not him that makes my pulsespike. It’s what he’s holding.

A bouquet of flowers.

Blood red roses, delicate and fresh, wrappedin crisp white paper with a silky ribbon tied in a perfect bow. An expensivearrangement, no doubt, but the sight of it makes my stomach twist.

I don’t move to take it. “Where did it comefrom?”

“Delivery,” Vito says, his tone wary. He holdsthe flowers out, but his eyes flick between me and Luca, reading the tensionradiating from both of us. “A guy downstairs handed them off. Said they werefor Aemelia.”

Luca stands slowly. “What guy?”

“Delivery guy.” Vito shrugs and Luca’s posturetightens.

“Did you get a look at a badge or uniform?”

Vito frowns, glancing down at the bouquet likehe’s just realized how fucked up the situation is. “I thought you ordered themfor the girl.” He tips his head in the direction of Aemelia’s room.

“The van?”

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