Total pages in book: 68
Estimated words: 66962 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 335(@200wpm)___ 268(@250wpm)___ 223(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 66962 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 335(@200wpm)___ 268(@250wpm)___ 223(@300wpm)
“That’s not Carlo,” Luca yelled.
“Then you are looking for a man who doesn’t exist. You’re wasting my time. I’m not going to continue to negotiate with you over a ghost. Leave now.”
“No. I will have satisfaction. I want Carlo.”
Massimo gave him a look that silenced him, then turned to face Lucien again. “This isn’t over until we have a resolution. Your family owes us a debt. It must be paid.”
Lucien gave him a look so cold even I shivered. “If you do not leave immediately, assets will continue disappearing from your Swiss accounts.”
“What the hell are you talking about?”
“Check your bank balances.”
The man pulled out his phone, and his eyes grew wide as he stared at it.
“I can stop it.” Lucien snapped his fingers, and the man looked up.
“Put the money back. Now.”
“Or I can start it again.” Another snap.
Massimo looked back at his phone. “No! How the hell are you doing this?”
“I have friends. Very powerful friends. If you don’t want to be destitute, get back on the plane, and don’t ever enter my territory again.”
I’d known Lucien could be ruthless. I’d known he was working with X, but I was stunned at the power he had. He might look like a pretty boy, but he was one scary motherfucker.
The man turned toward the plane and started walking. His brother continued to protest, but Massimo ordered the guards to load him onto the plane. Lucien asked a few of his men to stay and verify that the men left. The rest of us headed back toward our vehicles.
“When we get to the house, I expect a full explanation from you, Carlo. That man is either suffering from delusions, or there’s part of the story we weren’t told.”
I glanced at Blade, then back at Lucien. “I’ll tell you everything once we’re back.”
“I wasn’t the one who slept with Luca.” We were back in Lucien’s office where we’d gathered when we first arrived.
“And you let us believe you were,” Angelo yelled. “What the fuck? We just put ourselves in danger and—”
“Let him speak.” Blade’s voice was like ice. I’d never heard him put such power into his words, not even when he was giving me commands in bed.
Everyone went silent, but Fox looked like he was trying not to laugh.
“My mother didn’t give me a choice,” I said.
“Your mother?” Lucien looked more confused than I’d ever seen him.
“Yes.”
Matteo scowled. “I would think even a Pisano would know if he was sleeping with a man or a woman.”
I shook my head. “Our mother didn’t sleep with him. My full brother did.”
“Your what?” Biagio’s eyes were huge.
“The rumor that I wasn’t Cosmo Marchesi’s son is true. Our mother was in an on-and-off relationship with a man she knew in high school throughout much of their marriage. That man was my father. They had another child who was raised partially by him and partially by one of our mother’s friends, a woman who wasn’t as economically fortunate and needed the money.”
“You’re telling me we have another brother out there?” Biagio asked.
“A half brother,” my younger brother said. “I guess that’s what Carlo is too.”
“No,” Biagio said. “He was raised with us. He’s our brother.”
“And he is a Marchesi,” Lucien said.
That shocked me. I didn’t think I’d done anything to impress my cousin.
“What does all this have to do with the Pisanos?” Angelo asked.
I recounted the whole sordid tale. It hurt to admit how thoroughly I’d been used. Saying it out loud in front of my family made me feel like an idiot.
“Why did you go along with it?” Lucien asked.
It was as if he’d read my mind. I took a deep breath. I wanted to say I didn’t know because I felt like an idiot, but this wasn’t the time to hold back. “Because despite the fact that she hasn’t always made the best choices, I loved my mother, and I was afraid of what would happen to her if I told the truth.”
“Did she threaten you?” Biagio asked.
“She did, though she promised to help me if I got into too much trouble. But when I asked for her help, she didn’t even bother to respond.”
“And what do you think should happen to her now for putting us through all this?” Lucien asked.
Was Lucien really not going to blame me? Was he actually going to put the blame on my mother where it mostly belonged? If so, did that mean that all along I could have told him, and he wouldn’t have had her killed?
“I don’t know. She said you’d have her killed.”
Lucien sighed. “There are men in our family who would do that. What I will do is banish her. She will no longer receive the benefits of being one of the Marchesis—our money, our power, our ability to get you out of trouble. She will no longer be allowed to reside in any of the family’s holdings. She can take her son, and they can go wherever they wish. I will see that she has enough money to get started wherever she lands.”