Page 44 of The Lies We Tell

“Press it how?” Luca demanded.

“I’ve only met Nicolette once, but I know her partner. Or her father’s partner before he died and Nicolette took his place. Laurent Theroux.” Matteo shifted as everyone stared. “We’ve done business together once or twice. I can request a meeting.”

“I don’t speak French very well. I’m better at reading and writing it,” Sienna said.

“He wouldn’t meet with you anyway. Theroux doesn’t do emissaries.”

“Which means…” Carina began.

“I’d have to go to Paris for a few days.”

Luca tapped his fingers on the arm of the sofa. “I could go with you if you can wait until next week.”

“I’m going to take Tessa.”

The mood in the room changed in a finger snap, and Matteo braced himself against the angry protests. They could say what they liked. He knew this business better than they did.

Theroux preferred to play at being a good host before talking business. The easiest way to get him to sit down and talk about anything beyond opera or wine or his newest thoroughbred stallion was to bring a beautiful woman to have dinner with him and his favorite mistress.

The last two times Matteo had met with him, he’d taken Maeve. She was sharp, and even though Theroux didn't allow women into the business discussion after dinner, she always had some interesting insight to share on the way back to the hotel.

He knew his brothers and sister would disapprove of his taking Tessa, but he didn’t much care. He was not going to leave her alone for several days while he was out of the country. Not knowing her father had the means and the balls to follow her.

Who knew what Antonetti might do if he found out Matteo was out of the country on business. He would not leave her vulnerable, and he didn’t trust Luca to protect Tessa the way he would. She was going, and they’d all just have to get over it.

They were in the home stretch of this. Working out a deal with Theroux to purchase the stake Dumas-Theroux International had in Antonetti’s hotels or negotiating a peaceful transition of power when they assumed control was their biggest hurdle in taking the final step and eliminating Antonetti.

With this piece of the puzzle secured, taking out Antonetti would be easy. Then the Bianchis would sit on Sicily’s throne at long last, and with her father dead, Tessa would have less of a reason to leave. He was starting to want that as much as he wanted the throne.

“It’s not a discussion,” Matteo barked over the buzz of squabbling voices. “I know what brings Theroux to the table. And if bringing Tessa means we get what we need, then that’s what I’ll do.”

“You’re suddenly keen to take entirely too many liberties with this family and its safety,” Dom growled, shoving to his feet. “Hopefully you don’t get us all killed while you’re distracted by what’s between Tessa’s legs.”

“Domenico!” Emilia scolded.

“Don’t Domenico me,” Dom replied, his tone harsh even while he wrapped an arm around Emilia’s shoulders and pulled her close. “After the way he treated you and Sienna and even Carina, we’re all supposed to pretend we’re not seeing what’s right in front of our faces?”

“I don’t think that’s entirely fair,” Carina said. “I admit I have my reservations. But after what happened at the restaurant, I’m willing to give her a little grace and see if she surprises me.”

“We still don’t know much about her,” Dom reminded them.

“I know enough to know she’ll be fine if I take her to Paris for a few days in order to close the most important deal of the last eight months.”

“I’d feel better if you took Maeve.” Luca pinned him with a hard stare. “I think we all would.”

“Lucky for me, this isn’t a democracy,” Matteo replied. “This is my judgment call, and I’ll make it how I see fit. If you don’t agree with my choices, if you don’t think I’m doing the best job I can to get us all what we want…challenge me. If you best me, you can run this family and this island however you damn well please.”

He stalked to the door, stopping short at the threshold. “Until that time, my word is law, and you’d all do well to remember that.”

Chapter Seventeen

Tessa checked the time on the large antique clock hanging in the hall, twisting her phone in her fingers in case someone walked by and she needed to look busy. Matteo, Luca, and Sienna were all gone to Agrigento today. Another meeting to decide the best way to overthrow and take down her father.

Matteo hadn’t wanted to leave her alone, staying curled around her in bed well past when he’d normally be up and going about his day. It warmed her in a way she knew it shouldn’t, but every time Matteo touched her, a little piece of her slid back into place. His touch erased the memories of the man she’d killed.

She didn’t feel bad about killing him, not knowing the fate she’d saved Sienna from, saved herself from. But she hadn’t heard from her father since it happened, and she was beginning to worry that there’d be an unwelcome gift with his message the next time she did.

Which is why, as much as she hated it, she was going to force herself to use the empty house as an opportunity to send her father something she hoped he could use. If only to keep her mother breathing a little longer.

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