Chocolate and Italian Wine (Music and Mayhem Book 1) (14 page)

“Adequate compensation? What would you do, Raffaelo? I understand that young people these days feel that arranged marriages are outdated. They don’t want their parents making such an important decision like that for them. But this is the way things are done with us. We had a bigger plan in mind when we did what we did back then, didn’t we?” he asked, leaning forward, gesturing with his hands.

Raffaelo nodded. 

“We would unite our families in wealth and marriage. We would be all powerful, Raffaelo. Unstoppable. You remember this!” Vittore said the last word with great passion. “But now that’s part of an unfulfilled dream. Finito! What reason does your son have for not wanting to honor the arrangement?” Vittore asked, eyes narrowed on Raffaelo. 

Raffaelo stared at the other man and shook his head. With a dismissive wave of his large hand, he said, “He’s young, Vittore. The young are stubborn, rebellious. That has always been Paolo. He doesn’t always abide by my wishes. Now, I 
could
 insist that he marry Maria Elena as planned, and he might do it, but it would be a very unhappy union,” Raffaelo said.  

They looked at one another. Raffaelo sipped his wine. Vittore looked at his ring hand and then stated, “My daughter believes he is besotted with another woman. She says it’s that movie star singer, the black one. The one that’s so beautiful. Is that it, Raffaelo? Is your son in love with another woman?” Vittore asked, while trying to keep the accusation from his voice.

Raffaelo walked to the front of his desk and sat on the edge of it. “My son lives in Hollywood. He is a music mogul, as they call it. He is around beautiful women all the time. That he was photographed with this particular beautiful woman means nothing,” he said looking directly at the Don. 

“So are you saying that he did not break off the engagement because of this star? This black woman?” Vittore asked, expressing the last words like they stung his soul to say them aloud. 

Raffaelo smiled at Vittore, but it didn’t reach his eyes. “My son broke the engagement because he did not want to marry a woman who was not his own choice, even though this is the way we ‘Ndrine survive. That is my fault. I allowed him to stay in America too long,” he said, taking a cigar from a box covered in seashells, and offering one to Vittore, who looked him squarely in the eye, and shook his head, declining it. Raffaelo smiled.

“America changes our young,” Vittore said.

“Si, but he has a point. Paolo wants the right to make his own marital choice. After deep consideration, I have to agree.” He walked back to the other side of the desk. His consigliere walked over and handed him a stack of papers. He accepted them as he put on a pair of glasses. 

“My family is prepared to offer you compensation. I think you will find this offer to be fair, as well as generous. Accept this as a peace offering and I hope that for the sake of our long friendship, there will be no hard feelings.” He handed over the documents as the Bianchi consigliere came to sit next to his boss.

“You’re giving me two of your American businesses?” Don Vittore said, sifting through the documents. 

“Yes, two very lucrative companies,” Raffaelo said. “Accept them with well wishes for your family’s continued prosperity.” 

Vittore Bianchi and his consigliere continued to appraise the documents. “I find it interesting that not even one share of your cannabis dynasty was included in this peace offering.  Still, I appreciate your generosity, Don Raffaelo. I was, however, looking forward to becoming a full partner with you as you navigate this new uncharted course. Legal drugs. Humph. Your power will be unrivaled for years to come,” Vittore said, with a nod and sarcastic smile that didn’t reach his small eyes. He handed the documents to his consigliere. “As for my daughter, she will get over this heartache, as they say, the heart does mend; especially for the young.”

That was the last thing he said and Raffaelo watched as his friend, perhaps now enemy posing as a friend, left with his consigliere. Vittore had sent a clear message through his words. If he knew his old friend like he thought he did, this was far from over.

                                          ***

Waking up, Karisma felt light, downy kisses along her neck. Smiling, she rolled over and faced Paolo.

“Hey,” she said softly. 

“Hey,” he said in the same tone.

“What time is it?” she asked, looking around and noticing that it was very dark in the room.

“It’s 2 AM. I need to get home. I’ve been gone for over a week and I need to see if the place is still standing. Come back with me. I don’t want you alone while that stalker is still out there,” he said, stroking her jaw line with his finger. She sat back on her elbows. 

“Hmm… Why can’t you go back in a few hours? The bed is so warm, I don’t want to get up,” she said laying back down and snuggling into his muscular chest. He hugged her to him and kissed the top of her head. 

“I’m not leaving you, sweetheart. Just throw a few things in a bag. We can be at my place and in bed by 2:30. My driver’s here,” he said rising from the bed. “Come on, let’s go.”

“Oh, no. It’s too cold to get up. I’m tired, Paolo. We just fell asleep. I’m staying here. If   you really have to go, I understand, but I need some sleep. I also have a really busy day tomorrow,” Kari said, pulling the covers over her neck and shoulders.

She could not see any signs of Paolo’s emotions because it was too dark in the room, but she heard the tension in his voice. “Please, come back with me. I need you with me.”

She sighed. “Oh, alright,” she said getting up. “Let me just go to the bathroom and I’ll be ready to go in a few minutes. You know, I was fine as far as safety goes this entire past week.”

Paolo ignored the comment, wanting her with him. No other place was acceptable. “Baby, it’s 2 in the morning. Just put on a pair of sweats or something. We’re just going back to my house. Nobody’s there except the maid, who is asleep and my men, who know better than to look at you.”

“What!” she exclaimed. Now she was wide awake and flipped the lamp switch on. “What do you mean they know better than to look at me? Why? What’s that about?”

“They are there to do a job, not gawk at Karisma Montgomery,” he said.

“Paolo, for the record, I’ll do this tonight because I’m wide awake
now
, but I don’t like being told what to do. I have a very demanding life, too, and you have to respect that and not expect me to jump from my bed to yours at this time of night. What’s so important that you couldn’t wait a few hours?” she asked, hand on her hip.

“I need to get back, that’s all. I’ve got an early conference call and I need to be ready.”

Kari walked off to her bathroom and started to brush her teeth.

Paolo came to the door, fully dressed, “Come on, Kari, we have to go,” he said, irritation creeping into his voice.

“Did you understand what I said before?” she asked, trying to talk with the toothbrush and foaming toothpaste in her mouth.

“Yes, I understood,” he said. “I would never do anything to stop you from having your way, baby, but I just feel better with you by me…it’s important for now, at least. What can I help you pack?”

              “My bag is in the closet,” she said, pointing to the large walk in. 

He walked over and yelled, “Where exactly?”

She walked in, locating a Louis Vuitton backpack and walked out with it. He stood in awe, looking at all the purses, shoes, clothing and accessories in the closet which seemed to be the size of a small boutique.

“You have a lot of stuff, Kari. Why does one woman need all this stuff?” he asked her.

She frowned. “I need all that stuff because I cannot risk being photographed wearing the same thing in a twelve month period.”

“What? Seriously?” he asked. “Are you teasing with me?”

“No, I’m not.”

“You mean to tell me that you don’t wear the same thing twice?” he asked, cocking his head at her. She raised a brow and shrugged. “What, Kari, really?” 

“Look, don’t judge. This is a tough town. I’m not shallow, but the media dissects every little thing I do. I’m scrutinized for everything, especially what I wear. It’s torture, but I make the best of it. Every few months, the outfits get donated to those places that dress women who are homeless for job interviews. It all works out.”

“You’re a sweetheart,” Paolo said. “I’m sorry that people judge you for clothes. It’s stupid and they would never do that to a man.”

“No, they wouldn’t,” she said. “Sometimes it would be nice to be a nobody, an anonymous person, but there’s no turning back now, so I roll with it.”

              He looked into her eyes. Why did she look so sad? He stepped to her and wrapped his arms around her protectively. “Is that what you want? To be anonymous? A regular person?” 

“Sometimes, maybe a lot of times. Organizing this,” she said, pointing to her closet, “is a lot of work. So much so, that I don’t even do it myself. My wardrobe person, Lyric does. But no matter what I do, I’ll run into phonies and cruel people. They are absolutely relentless so I have to be, too.”

“You’re loved by millions, no billions, all over the planet, sweetheart.”

“Yeah, but there’s so much jealousy and envy. They’re like evil twins, Paolo. You should read some of the things trolls say on Twitter. It’s scary. Then I have to deal with stalker freaks. That nut’s still lurking out there somewhere. Even with your men working on the case, too. I think I’m just at the point of burnout. I need to take some real time off. But we leave out on another long tour in a few weeks so I have to put that thought out of my mind and do what I have to. Gotta stay up.” 

Kari opened a drawer to pull out some panties and Paolo noticed something. “Why’s your gun in the drawer?” He grabbed it and checked the safety.

She looked at the gun casually. “Where else was I supposed to keep it?”

“Near your bed, babe. In your nightstand. You need to be able to get to it right away. You can’t be trying to run over to the panty drawer when you need to defend yourself.”

He walked the gun over to the nightstand and opened the drawer.

“Still not sure I could if I had to,” Kari countered.

“Then you’ll just have to move in with me. I’ll protect you,” Paolo said.

Kari looked at him and saw he was serious. “I love my house, Paolo, and I love overnight adventures, but I’m not moving in with you…and I will not be a part of any more middle of the night transfers.” 

“I know, but you have to take care of you, too, cara. You have an extraordinary life. Didn’t you tell me that?” he asked as he brought her into his embrace.

“Yes, Paolo. I’m not ungrateful. I’m tired. That’s all,” she smiled weakly at him.

“You’re my woman, Kari. I need you safe.”

                “Am I your woman?” she asked, smiling up at him.

“Mine,” he said. “Remember, you and me, we love each other.”

“Yes, we do.” Then she said, “What happened with your fiancé, or how do you say it? Fidanzata?”

“Si, that’s how you say it,” he said, kissing her cheek. “And I no longer have a fidanzata. It wasn’t pretty, but it’s over.” He moved his hand up to her neck and stroked it lightly.

“Are you okay with everything, Paolo?” she asked peering into his blue eyes.

He looked at her. “Yeah, baby. I’m relieved. It had started to feel like a noose around my neck.”

“How ugly was it?” she asked.

“There was a lot of drama, but I’ve come to expect that of Maria Elena. Don’t worry about any of that, sweetheart. It’s a part of my life that’s thankfully over. You and me? It’s just beginning for us,” he said, kissing her mouth sensually. When the kiss ended naturally, she traced her finger along the seam of his lips. He tried to ignore his growing erection. It was hard to do. Her touch awakened his addictive need for her.

“Were your parents upset? Bet they think I’m a freaking home wrecker. After what Danny said earlier,” she said, pinning him with a serious look.

“My parents were surprisingly understanding. And don’t listen to what Danny says. He’s full of shit. They don’t fault you for anything, sweetheart.” He was rubbing himself against her now.

“Good, ‘cause between the press, and that crazy stalker, I don’t need any more problems,” she said, feeling his hard-on against her stomach.

“You’re with me now. No one fucks with you,” he said, huskily, cupping her face.

“Oh yeah? You gonna keep all the freaks at bay for me, Paolo?” she asked, seductively and feminine, holding his gaze.

“Even if I have to kick some ass to do it, baby.” He trailed lovely kisses down her neck.

              “That’s sweet… And I love you for that, Mr. Montovani,” she said weakly. He was doing funny things to her hormones.

“You taste delicious,” he whispered.

“Umm…we better go while we still can, Paolo,” she said pushing out of his arms. “And also, maybe we ought to let Wolfe deal with the ass kicking. I don’t want you to hurt that gorgeous mug of yours,” she said, reaching up to touch his face. 

“I can get down, baby. Remember, I’ve got moves,” he said, waving his arms and bending his knees in a martial arts fashion.