Page 246 of The One
Tiero never wanted me to follow in his footsteps. He encouraged me to be my own man, to use my strengths. He and Rom liked to tease me about my obsession with efficiency, about my preference for strategy over brute force, but Tiero respected it. He saw value in it. Most others don’t.
His words from the hospital echo in my mind, haunting me ever since Mari and I returned from our mini honeymoon.
“Teo, there’s more to life than upholding somebody else’s vision. Have you ever asked yourself what you really want?”
My hands curl into fists at my sides.
Before I register what I’m doing, my feet move on their own. Away from the party, away from the weight of expectation. Up the grand staircase, down the familiar hall.
To the room Tiero had remodeled for Ella.
I step inside, my heartbeat steady but my mind racing. I don’t hesitate.
Crossing the space, I head straight for the bathroom. I push the vanity aside. It’s heavy, but with enough effort, it shifts just enough to reveal the hidden compartment in the wall.
My fingers find the small indentation. I press against it.
A soft click.
The panel shifts.
Inside, a small steel box rests in the hollow space, secured by two combination locks.
I lift it out, my grip tightening around the cold metal.
What the hell did you leave me, brother?
“Where did you disappear to?” Max asks when I join him in the library half an hour later.
“The bathroom.”
“You should’ve taken your wife with you,” he teases. “Work on making an heir. It would bring some stability to your family.”
I chuckle. “Don’t worry about us. We’re working plenty on it.” Not that I make love to my wife with that in mind.
Max’s eyes drift to Mia again, watching her with an expression I can’t quite place. Like her sisters, Mia is graceful and sophisticated. The perfect Mafia bride.
“No. Mia is off the table,” I reiterate, my tone firm. “Don’t even think about it. She’s far too innocent for your perverted tastes.”
His laughter is dark. “Oh, come on, man. We’d make beautiful babies.”
“There is no making babies with my wife’s sister. Move on.”
I let my gaze sweep over the room, pausing on the group of women before something else catches my attention.
“Looks like your widowed consigliere is ready to move on. Aldo seems taken with Mari’s mother.”
Max and I both watch as Caterina Accardi speaks with Aldo, her smile soft, her posture relaxed. She seems at ease in his presence.
“She is a stunning woman for her age. I can see where her daughters got their beauty from.”
And their character, thankfully. But I don’t say that part out loud. Antonio Accardi’s death caused fewer waves than I expected, and I avoid bringing him up whenever possible.
“What will it take for you to reconsider?” Max asks, waving over a waiter to refill our glasses.
“Reconsider what?”
“Mia’s hand in marriage. As I said, I need a wife now that I’m taking over as Don soon.”
