Bloody City: Temptations

Chapter Three

Marrying for peace and business between families had been going on for decades the twenty first century hadn't put a stop on that. We were a conservative organization and it had meant that modern revision had been hard to swallow for some of the older generation of Made Men. I would marry Aria for the strength of the Familia but a piece of me wasn't so sure that had been my sole motive.

Before my mind had the chance to delve deeper into the enigma surrounding Arianna the door opened and Lorenzo and Vivian entered looking like they were anticipating my approval of their daughter.

"I will marry your daughter, but that requires something more then her hand in marriage for me," I state lifting my glass to my lips aware that they were at the mercy of my decision. No one would say no to my demands, people had been killed for less.

"Anything," Vivian says looking ecstatic.

"She lives here with me. Arianna and I haven't officially met until today and I believe time to get to know each other before the wedding is important. Not just for the strength of our union. But also to establish connection within the whole of Italy. I am law in both your families territories the moment the vows are spoken," I affirm my voice a near growl.

If they wanted me to marry Arianna, I required the reassurance that the three largest Familias would kneel to me as a result, and I'd fucking guarantee it if it was required.

I'd killed tens of thousands, and I'd do it again.

"Will we keep our positions as heads of our Familia?" Lorenzo asked thinning his eyes slightly more out of curiosity then intimidation. Intimidating me would go about as well as a mouse threatening a bear.

"I said I was in control of Familias, I will entrust you to control your territory as I do in my own territory," I say lifting my glass to my lips and taking a long sip from it.

"Agreed," Lorenzo says as if he had a choice in the matter. I always got what I wanted, I'd get their territory if they said no it would just require a lot more blood then their capitulation did.

"I will marry your daughter a week after her twenty first birthday. That's when I will feel comfortable marrying Arianna" I say though I doubt I'd manage to wait until our marriage to do several things to her with her living under the same roof.

"Treat our daughter well Salvatorini," Lorenzo says and it showed that he cared about his daughters well being, though Vivian seemed to be less sure of my commending thoughts of her husband.

"Of course Lorenzo, you know my rules here," I say and with that Vivian excused them making an excuse about the trip ahead even if it was barely afternoon and would take just two and a half hours for them to get home.

It was only as they left my office that Matteo walked in a Cheshire grin on his face.

"So Arianna is yours then," he comments and I glare at him.

The fucker was eavesdropping.

"Yes, she'll be living here," I say finishing my glass of scotch and Matteo gave me a look that I countered with a warning look.

"If you say a single word I'll have you thrown out of this house".

"Does she know you're her captor?" Matteo inquires.

"I'm having her live here, not putting her on house arrest," I say and he hums.

"Just as long as you don't drive her mad I'm sure she'll warm to your icy charm".

"Matteo, go fuck yourself," I grit picking up a report I'd left on my desk.

"I attend parties for my share of fucking," he remarks and I glance up at him.

"So whatever look you were giving Gabriella meant nothing. I won't have my brother play emotional games with my fiancés sister" I say understanding that I was the steward of the Valentino's oldest daughter and my brother treating a Don's daughter as a casual partner would ruin that in an instant.

However Matteo's expression told me that he had been struck by guilt.

"She isn't a toy to me," Matteo defends.

"Don't say that to me, prove it to Gabriella, not that it seemed it would take much," I say knowing my brothers charm was well in excess to my own, Matteo was smirks smiles and flirting, I was the embodiment of cruelty. Antonio was the more independent of the four of us brothers and was an art and wine connoisseur, he preferred the beauty in everything but was just as vicious as he was sophisticated. Luca I trusted to keep Milan in check and he had already had his own fiancé the first out of all of us though he'd also mixed work with pleasure a dangerous conversation especially when Luca was as possessive as I was towards his fiancé as I was towards Arianna.

In his last days our father had made a remark about Celine and Luca had stormed out of the Family mansion which our father had treated as an act of treason and ordered him taught a lesson by having Celine killed. We lured him into a trap threw days later and killed him out of vengeful spite.

"Worry about your relationship brother, Arianna is clearly a kind soul, maybe she'll bring out the best of you," Matteo says and I laugh shortly.

"Don't kid yourself, I'm a fucking monster Matteo, I won't pretend I'm anything else," I say carrying my glass to the table and wiping it out to return it to its place along side the bottles of expensive alcohol.

"I have a feeling you're going to surprise each other. But perhaps I'll be wrong for once," Matteo says and I exhaled while gripping the table.

He had never been wrong and I sincerely hoped that he wasn't wrong about Arianna and I.
 

Another chapter jesus I've written 4 and completed 5 today I haven't been this productive writing wise for a while. Comment, vote, and share. Anyways

Peace✌️