Arranged Mafia Marriage

Michael

“I hear your wife’s throwing a Christmas party?” JJ Kane, the head of The Kane Company, tilts his head, “That’s the thing with women. They have to make their presence felt, don’t they?”

I curl my fingers into fists at my sides. How dare he talk about her? And how the hell does he know about the Christmas Party? Invitations had only been extended to my brothers, my father and my Nonna. And yeah, Beauty had insisted that Cassandra and Aurora be included.

Initially, I had refused her and she had pleaded with me. She had batted those big, green eyes at me and I had been a goner. Of course, I had agreed. Cassandra is loyal, no question. And Aurora? She knows better than to open her mouth about anything she sees and hears. There’s no way either of them would have spoken to anyone about the event. My brothers wouldn’t have breathed a word to anyone… Nor would Nonna. As for the Don… Well, much as I don’t trust him, given he knows that Karma is pregnant with his grandchild, not even he would endanger her life…

I hadn’t wanted to invite him but Nonna had insisted. He’s family. And family sticks together. We look out for each other, no matter what. Within the four walls of our home, we may turn on each other… Like my father had on my mother. Nonna’s reasoning is flawed, and yet, it makes sense. It helps us put up a unified front against our enemies. Like the Kane Company, the leader of whom graces my dinner table. I had invited him and Nikolai Solonik, the head of the Bratva for a three-way talk.

If you had asked me a few weeks ago if I’d ever think of negotiating a truce with my rival clans I’d have laughed. Yet that’s exactly what I am doing. That’s what having a baby on the way does to you, apparently. You have to try to make the world he or she is arriving into a better place. It’s the least you can do, really. If I manage to take away any possible motives for my most dangerous enemies to come after my family, I reason, I am, at least, buying us some peace…some level of safety, during which time I can devote myself to being a husband and father, spend time with my wife and child, and bond with my new family as we find ourselves?

Besides, if, indeed, it was JJ who was behind her kidnapping, that’s all the more reason to keep him close, until I find a way to kill him… Without drawing attention to myself. I’d sworn to hunt down whoever was behind the kidnapping and kill him… But the fact that I am going to be a father has put things in perspective. Don’t get me wrong; I still want my revenge. Only, I want it in a way that it doesn’t leave my child without a father.

“Michael?” JJ’s voice interrupts my thoughts, “are you inviting us to this Christmas party too?”

“It’s family only,” I train my gaze on him. Besides, I don’t trust the guy. The only reason I have him here is because it’s easier to keep an eye on him when I know what he’s up to. It’s why I am proposing an alliance with JJ and Nikolai… On the face of it, at least, it’s a business deal, but really, it’s so I can understand JJ’s… and Nikolai’s weaknesses. The only way a man survives in my cutthroat world is to keep one step ahead of his rivals.

“And here I thought you consider us to be as close as your blood relations?” Nikolai drawls. “Not that I’d want to be there. It’s bad enough that I have to spend Christmas with my entire extended family, of which there are way too many people.”

I turn to him, accepting the diversion in the conversation. I owe Nikolai for getting the bastard JJ’s attention away from the topic of the Christmas party. My wife’s Christmas party. If he thinks I am going to invite him to be anywhere within a mile of her, he has another think coming.

“Are you returning to Russia for Christmas?” I ask Nikolai.

“I’m going home,” he nods.

“To Russia?”

“To Los Angeles,” He scowls at me.

I raise my hands. “Apologies, when you said home, I just assumed-”

“Yeah,” he snorts, “of course, the man with the foreign sounding surname has to be from an exotic land, eh?”

I redden. “An honest mistake,” I murmur.

“You can make up for it by giving me control of the gun smuggling routes through Latin America.”

“No chance,” I smirk. “I am sorry, but not that sorry.”

“What about the cybercrime syndicate you control?” JJ growls. “That’s something we are-”

“Nope.”

JJ frowns, “So, what’s in it for me? Why should I agree to any kind of peace treaty?”

“Because it’s the only way for you to grow your reach in the rest of Europe. I am the key to your expanding outside the UK, and you know it.”

JJ’s features harden, but he doesn’t deny what I said outright. He can’t, because I have pointed out his weakness. The reason that has brought him here to the negotiating table, in the back office of Paolo’s restaurant. We, each of us, have left our men and teams behind. It’s just the three of us at this table, and the talks so far have been interesting, to say the least.

“So,” JJ leans back in his chair, “I repeat, what’s in it for me?”

“Money, power-”

“What are you specifically offering me, Michael?”

I raise an eyebrow at his usage of my name. He’s testing me by not using my title, calling me by my name and implying a familiarity which we don’t share currently, nor at any point in the future, if I have my way.

“Real estate scams.”

“Excuse me?” He blinks.

“Real estate,” I murmur, “it’s where there’s lot of money to be made in Europe.”Content rights by NôvelDr//ama.Org.

“You’re kidding me, right?” He leans forward, his hard British accent growing more pronounced, “If this is why you called me all the way to a back office behind a smelly restaurant then-”

“Cryptocurrency,” I throw out and he blinks again.

“Cryptocurrency?” he says slowly.

I nod, “The two of you…” I glance between the two clan leaders. “Partner with us in the deals we have going there. Nikolai, you bring the cyber experience. We bring the contacts of those at the highest echelons in the top 100 investment firms in Europe. JJ, you bring the contacts of those in the UK and together, we’ll all be able to walk away much, much richer.”

“Hmm,” JJ strokes his chin, “how much richer?”

“Molto piu ricco.”

He frowns, “I’d prefer you be specific.”

“Take a number, triple it, and I guarantee, the three of us will come into enough money to increase our sphere of influence on a global scale.”

JJ’s eyes gleam. His right eyelid twitches. He taps his fingers on the table, before he stops… And bingo, the guy is interested, all right. I turn to watch Nikolai surveying me with a shrewd look in his eyes.

“It’s going to be a challenge,” Niko murmurs. “No one knows exactly how cryptocurrency reacts to worldwide influences. Hell, we know far less about it than we know about the weather or the stock market. It’s a big risk.”

“The higher the risk…” I raise a shoulder.

“You getting cold feet, Solonik?” JJ smirks, “You can opt out of the deal. More for the two of us.”

Nikolai’s gaze narrows. He tilts his head, a question in his eyes, one he’s not going to voice because he’s not going to give away his hand. He’s smart. I respect that. And he abides by the same kinds of laws that we do. Family first and last, and above all, keep your enemies close at hand. It’s why he’s sitting here at the negotiating table.

“Perhaps it’s you who’s getting cold feet at the thought of keeping pace with the both of us?” Niko murmurs.

JJ’s features harden and a nerve throbs at his temple. “That’s enough of pleasantries,” he growls, then turns to me. “The money we make is split three ways.”

“Sixty, twenty, twenty, is more what I had in mind-”

He opens his mouth to protest.

“But I can work with fifty, twenty-five, twenty-five,” I add.

“Split three ways evenly,” JJ snaps “and not a penny less.”

“You think the same way, Nikolai?” I turn to him, “A three-way split, I presume.”

Nikolai drums his fingers on his chest, “You know what they say about three being a crowd.”

“Are you saying you are not interested?”

“I am…” he glances from me to JJ, then back at me, “interested.”

“Well then,” I knock my knuckles on the table, “gentlemen, let’s drink to our new business partnership, shall we?”

The door opens and a woman walks in with a bottle of Macallans whiskey and three glasses. She retreats, but not before JJ has looked her up and down. “Part of your crew?” he asks, “Is she-”

“No,” I pour out a shot of whiskey into each of the glasses before sliding one over to Nikolai. “She’s part of my clan and off limits to anyone except her fiance.”

“Take care of your own, eh?”

I raise my glass, “Always.”

JJ glances down, spies the glass still on the tray. He leans over and picks it up. “Now, that’s not being very polite,” he arches an eyebrow, “but to each their own.” He raises his glass.

“I don’t like this,” Christian mutters.

After the two other men leave, the rest of my crew walks in. They hadn’t been in favor of this meeting. Definitely not that I go in unarmed and without any of them as back up. But it was something that had to be done, and by me.

“What guarantee do we have that they don’t renege on their agreement?” He scowls.

“What guarantee do we have that we are all going to be alive tomorrow?” I widen my stance from the position at the head of the table. I had opted to stand, too keyed-up from the earlier meeting. Normally, I wouldn’t tolerate this kind of post-meeting analysis of my actions, but if the alliance with the rival clans is going to work, then I need my crew behind me… And currently, they, clearly, are not.

“That’s a rhetorical question, and you know that.” Christian runs a finger around the collar of his shirt. “Forming an alliance with the enemy is only going to come to bite you in the ass if we’re not careful.”

“Much as it pains me to admit it, in this instance, I agree with Christian.” Seb glowers. “Nikolai, maybe, I understand. Not that I’d trust the Bratva, but at least, they’d come at you from the front. With the Kane Company? Those asshole Brits are going to stab you in the back, make no mistake.”

I roll my shoulders, glare at the faces around the table.

“You know I don’t give a toss about your alliances,” Massimo murmurs, “but in this case, I have to admit, I don’t quite understand the reasoning behind this move. It reeks of desperation, Michael.” He leans forward in his chair, “And that’s not like you. You always plan each and every move. You strategize for months, sometimes years, before you decide to act. This time, you’re just jumping in, without any due diligence.” He drums his fingers on the table, “It’s not like you, Michael.”

“You’re right,” Xander drawls from where he’s sprawled out in a chair in a far corner of the room.

“I am?” Massimo turns to him. “So, you agree that this is Michael acting out of character?”

“It is.” He rises to his feet and prowls over to us. “This is not the Michael we know anymore.”

I glare at Xander as he comes to a halt at the table.

“It’s not?” Christian stares at his twin, “What the hell are you talking about?”

Seb curls his fingers into a fist, “Do you know something you haven’t shared with us yet?”

“Maybe.”

“This is not the time for one of your artistic jokes,” Seb growls. “Not that I could ever understand them, but if you have to say something, then now is the time.”

“Back off, Seb,” Adrian says mildly. “Have you ever known Michael to do anything that could jeopardize our future?”

“I am afraid this time he has,” Xander comes to a halt at the table.

I draw in a sharp breath, glance at him. “What are you trying to say, Alessandro?” I say in a soft voice.

“Just that you are no longer Michael, the Capo of the Cosa Nostra.”

“I’m not?” I frown.

He nods, “You are a husband and a father-to-be, too… Roles which you, clearly, place a lot more importance on than just being the leader of our clan.”

I blink, “If you mean I am neglecting my duties as the head of the clan-”

“I mean that you are taking a bigger picture into view. You are looking to the future, and for the first time, you are planning with peace in mind, rather than a short-sighed chance to gain the upper hand.”

I rub the back of my neck, “Is that a backhanded compliment? If so-”

“It’s not a compliment. It’s a fact.” He folds his arms across his chest. “You want to ensure that you neutralize any possible threats against your family. It’s understandable. It’s why you went ahead and met with two of our fiercest rivals. It’s why you didn’t breathe a word about it to anyone before-hand. You were going to do it anyway; nothing would have deterred you. And you know this is also for the good of all of us… Even though there is a very good chance that this tactic could backfire on all of us.”

I lower my hands to my sides.

“So yes, you did put us all in jeopardy, but not without reason. And I, for one, support you in this tactic.”

There’s silence around the table. The rest of the guys turn to me. Seb and Christian wear twin expressions of surprise. Xander’s lips stretch in a smile. Massimo looks like he is taking it all in. Adrian rises to his feet and walks over to me. “I am also with you. It’s time to give peace a chance. If we can grow our business and do it without bloodshed, I am totally behind you.”

“You are?”

“You bet.” He holds up his hand and I fist bump him. “It couldn’t have been an easy decision to make, Capo. It took guts to go through with it. Courage that you have. And while it could just as easily come back to haunt us, I am willing to give this tactic a chance.”

Adrian backs away a few steps and stands behind me. He’s the quiet one, but his loyalty is unshakeable. I admit, I have taken him for granted sometimes, but it’s clear that when I need someone in my corner, Adrian will always be there.

Xander’s face splits in a smile, “I am glad that Karma came along.” He plants his palms on his hips, “You’ve been a changed man since you met her. Hell, sometimes I can’t even recognize you anymore, and in a good way.”

I scowl, “Now, that is definitely not a compliment, though I appreciate your sticking up for me, fratellino.” I glance around at the rest of them, “You all do realize I don’t need approval from any of you to go ahead with this alliance. But given a choice, I’d rather you be behind me, than not.”

Christian rises to his feet. He rounds the table and grips my shoulder, “I can’t claim to understand how it feels to know that you are about to have a child, but I get the rationale behind what you did. And in all honesty, I can say that I am for it.”

Massimo raps his knuckles on the table, “Count me in, fratellone, I trust you to keep all of our interests at heart, with whatever action you take.”

“And you, Seb?” I glance toward the man at the foot of the table. “As my possible successor what do you think?”

“I still wish there was another way out.” He folds his arms across his chest, “I can’t, in all fairness, say that I agree with this alliance, but,” he raises a shoulder, “I understand why you did it. And I hope, for all our sakes, that it works out.”

So, do I. I tilt my head, “Fair enough, Seb.” I narrow my gaze on him, “You still owe me information.”

“Luca,” he exhales a breath.

I nod, “Your time is running out to track him down.”

“He’s being more elusive than I gave him credit for.” Seb rubs the back of his neck. “Give me until Christmas to track him down, Capo.”

“That’s-”

“A week away,” he murmurs.

“Seven more days,” I look down at him, “and not a minute more.”