“You did?”
Francesca nodded. “I…I want to bring Robbie in on this and give her a list of all yours, Ciro’s, and Phoenix’s properties throughout the city. We need a clean sweep, but I don’t trust anyone right now, Luca. However, I think between the six of us, Piero, Armando, Alessandro, and Umberto, we can sweep everything by the end of the week.”
It was overboard since Sensio was only privy to my residences and businesses, but I understood her need for reassurance.
“It’s easier to sell off the apartments and condos,” I told her. “Kratos needs to be swept and I agree we need to check the adjacent buildings, but it’s not a bad idea to lease the properties instead of owning them. We’ve might have become too comfortable in our own egos.”
She rolled her eyes. “Might have?”
I tapped her nose. “Brat.”
Francesca scrunched up her nose. “So?”
“Okay. Pull Robbie in and put her in charge of the real estate sales and leases. She can use yours and Phoenix’s real estate firm and work with Phoenix. I still want you managing our legit business and finances, because that’s the strength of your degree. However, I’m thinking security is where you might excel, Francesca.”
“Isn’t that Sal’s forte?”
“Yes, it is. But he’s obligated to the Benetti organization just like Leo’s bookkeeping is obligated to it. I was thinking of our security.”
“Why don’t we wait to discuss this when we’re all together,” she suggested. “Right now, we need to do something about Gio.” Her yellow gaze was worrisome, and I could kill Gio for that alone. “If he’s got a mistress, and she’s a cop…oh, God, Luca,” she rushed out. “Think of what that could mean. We need to take care of him.”
During her entire command of the situation, Francesca kept using the word ‘we’, and I loved her for it. “I’ll take care of him,” I promised her. “Any other suggestion, though?”
“Yeah,” she replied, taking charge. “Does Remy still have her apartment?” I nodded. “Then that’s where we’ll all meet to discuss this. I’ll make sure it’s swept clean, but no one would guess we’d hold up there for a meeting. Right now, I think it’s the safest place to gather for this conversation.”
“Set it up,” I told her. “I’m going to go wake Remy up and try not to murder Sensio with my bare fucking hands.”
“You can’t, Luca,” she said, telling me something I already knew. “We can’t tip Gio off until we know what we’re dealing with. Just…just be careful, please.”
I pulled her to me and kissed the top of her head. “I will. I promise.” I pulled back and looked down at her. “I want you over at Robbie’s or her here with you. Do not leave until Phoenix or Ciro come home. Got it?”
She nodded. “Yeah.”
I turned off the showers and went back to my penthouse via the staircase. By the time I walked into my bedroom, I was vibrating with untold rage. I looked down at the beautiful woman asleep, naked in my bed, and I wanted to tear Sensio apart.
Before I could decide what to do next, my phone rang and Gio’s name flashed across the screen. I slid the icon and put the phone to my ear. “Yeah?”
His chuckle was enough to make me put a bullet in his head. “I’m calling a meeting in two hours,” he said. “Bring your fiancé with you.” He hung up but told me everything I needed to know to confirm what Francesca had just told me.
I’ve only said the word ‘fiancé’ around Sensio.
Chapter 22
Remy~
Not gonna lie-I could feel myself trembling.
Luca had awakened me a couple of hours ago with explicit instructions that I was to shower, make sure my hair and makeup were done to perfection, and to dress in something that hid the marks he left on my body. And since I had no idea how to do any of that, besides shower, I had to call Frankie and Robbie for help. Robbie had done my hair and makeup while Frankie had sent for an outfit and put my final look together. What had been staring back at me in the mirror was a person I didn’t recognize.
Luca also wasn’t telling me what was going on. All he said was that there was a meeting, but for me not to worry. He said Frankie and Robbie wouldn’t be there, but Ciro, Phoenix, and his brothers would be. But since I didn’t know his brothers, that didn’t help much.
And, truth be told, I was still reeling from everything that happened yesterday, I wasn’t sure if I was up for…whatever this was. Luca and I still hadn’t reached an agreement about my job, but I had a feeling I was going to lose on that front. The real struggle was going to be how to be able to live with myself knowing I’d failed where it mattered most. And I wasn’t sure I would ever truly be happy with that failure hammering away at my conscience every day.
I had made the undeniably wrong decision to be with Luca, for better or for worse, and I knew I was going to have to suck it up. But the idea of being unhappy for the rest of my life was daunting. Frankie was born for this kind of life and Robbie had embraced the new direction her life had taken. Me? I was floundering and the water just kept getting deeper, and deeper.
And, God, my parents.
How was I going to tell me I was going to marry Luca Benetti? They might live in Nebraska, oblivious to social gossip, but how am I supposed to tell them that I’m marrying a man I only met a week ago? And when they ask what he does for a living? Or when they look him up on the internet? How do I explain guards when they come
