Chapter 41
Alcee turned her head slowly to look at the smirking man holding her on his lap.
“You invited them here?”
“Without talking to me first?”
“They need to know whose family you belong to now and you will get an apology today or they will know we will walk away from any and every treaty we hold with them. Business dealings will cease immediately. Your father will apologize for ordering his men to lock you up for seven days and then for the second time when you found out you were pregnant. His behavior was atrocious. Even if I cancelled the engagement, you were still considered appropriate and special enough for the Future Don of the Lozano family. This means you should have been afforded respect.”
“I sold my virginity. In his mind, 1 didn’t deserve respect after what I did.“.
“It wouldn’t matter, Alcee if you’d had a train run on you. You are his daughter. He failed to discuss your fears and worries with you. He threw you in a torture cell. He fed you bread and water for a week. He will pay for hurting you.
The room was quiet as Torq delivered his message.
“She hasn’t even laid eyes on him in six years. You should at least warn her. Susana held Alcee’s gaze. “This is a lot of emotions to dump on her.”
“All the more reason to do it without her stressing over for hours first.” He pushed the folders across the desk. “It’s also why you two are here. We,” he waved around at the men, “are her physical army. You are the emotional one. Your father and uncle are downstairs and will be shown in if Mariani disrespects either of you. They will offer their support in terms of manpower. They are here to prove Alcee has the backing of two very powerful families here in New York. The family in Florida, Barrone, are good friends of mine. I engage in business dealings with two families out of Chicago. I actually signed a new treaty with your uncle this morning. If we go to war with Mariani as is entirely possible, the Bianchi family will be at our backs. A war is nothing I will not win.
“Why would be going to war?” Alere asked quietly aware she wasn’t going to like the answer.
“Hecause word on the street is your father is facing some financial challenges and as a result, he is intending to use our upcoming nuptials to demand the bride price. Unfortunately for him it’s already been dispensed. I made a promise to my son his mother would be provided money in her own bank account, and he would receive the same deposit in his to make him feel secure. As for doing business, your father has refused to invest in the right opportunities despite your four brothers telling him he needs to improve and update his business model. The family lost several allies with his treatment of you because in this business family is first. He is facing bankruptcy if he can’t find a new investor, but I will not put good money after bad, especially with a man who cannot listen to the counsel of his team. He’s made a series of bad decisions, and he’s encountered a few traitors in his family, one who sold out one of the bigger deals going down to a rival family.”
“He lost money due to a rival stealing business?” This was news to Alcee.
“Yes. He’s not running his business the way the family was run in the past. Your grandfather and mine were good friends and they discussed business. I think your father was hoping to continue the tradition with my father but it’s not going to happen since Corrado has been hypassed. If your father reaches out to Corrado and Corrado works with him, we might encounter problem but it’s not a problem I can’t fix.”
“You think he won’t apologize unless you pay him but you’re not going to pay him and then he’s going to call it a break in your treaty.”
The insightful comment from Susana made Torq give her a smile, “you are a smart one and your father and uncle should be using you more for business. You are correct, Susana. If Edgardo Mariani comes in here today thinking he is getting money from me for my fiancée he is sorely mistaken. He will likely throw a tantrum. He certainly won’t apologize, and I’ll be telling him point blank leaving this office without officially recognizing my Donna as someone he needs to respect, and it includes his apology, then we will consider it a threat against our family. She,” he pointed at Alcee, “deserves all the respect and she will get it, Whoever refuses to respect her will pay the toll”
“Like me,” Genevra spoke up as she stood by the door. “I still do not like your clothing but the more I am learning of you, Miss Mariani, I am respecting you. I am sorry for my earlier behavior.”
Kylen gave her a snort, “because you know nothing else is going to keep you alive but her kindness.
Genevra gave Kylen a dirty look, “why are you such a prick, you ugly American thug? Why must you always be underfoot?”
“Why are you such a pretentious bitch who thinks she’s better than everyone when you’re really nothing more than the other woman who was used as a toy for a man who isn’t worth the shit under your shoes? You throw your weight around like you’re superior but you’re nothing,
Chapter 41
Genevra.”
“Gosh, Kylen what is your problem?” Alcee asked with wide eyes.
“Genevra threw some weight around the other night when we arrived, and it rubbed him the wrong way. This is his company to run. We’re simply working out of offices within it, but Genevra treated him like he was her personal employee, and he found it irritating.”
“Not to mention she is the one who posted the fucking selfie from the airport which is likely why they were involved in a high speed chase and a shoot out twenty minutes later. Stupid. She is twenty–one but forgets to use her brain.
“My friends in Italy wanted to make sure knew I’d landed safe and sound and asked me to post
The group all exchanged glances and Kylen granted. “I swear her foolishness causes a
ve pain.”
The sound of men arguing in the hall made Alcee sigh. “He is not liking being forced to wait. Tank is going to take a telling off.”
“Genevra, go tell Tank to come in. Let Don Mariani know I am reviewing a contract with the Blanchi twins at the moment and will be right out.”
Genevra shot one more dirty look at Kylen. “Gladly. I’d rather face them than him.”
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