Sweet Temptation(88)

“Take me to Luca, Elia. That’s all you need to know.”

Elia’s mouth tightened, but he picked up his phone and called someone to ask where the Capo was. As it turned out, Luca was back in his hotel when we finally returned to Philadelphia.

“Do you have Luca’s number?” I asked as we stepped into the luxurious lobby of the Ritz Carlton.

“No. Not every soldier gets the Capo’s number, Giulia. He rules over thousands of men. I haven’t even talked to him so far.”

I walked up to the reception and smiled at the receptionist. Finding out Luca’s room number proofed tricky. The receptionist refused to give it to me. “Then call his room and tell him his cousin Giulia wants to talk to him.”

The woman did just that, nodding as she spoke into the phone. “All right, Mr. Vitiello.” She hung up and smiled politely at me. “The presidential suite on the thirtieth floor.”

I headed toward the elevators. Elia shook his head as he stalked after me. “He probably thinks it’s a trap and awaits with blazing guns. Luca is the most distrustful man I know, and for good reason.”

“Well, he won’t shoot a pregnant woman. And he knows me, so calm down.”

Elia’s tenseness stirred my own anxiety. The moment we arrived on the thirtieth floor, I touched Elia’s chest. “You stay here. I need to talk to Luca alone.”

Elia’s expression hardened. “I can’t let you out of sight.”

“Are you going to tell Luca that you don’t trust him with me? I’d like to see that.”

Elia swallowed. “I’m staying right outside the door.”

I rolled my eyes. “So you can react if you hear me screaming? Are you going to kill your Capo to defend me? Don’t be ridiculous. He’d kill you before you could blink.”

Elia didn’t contradict me. I knocked at the door. Nothing happened for a while then finally the door opened, and Luca stood in the gap. He held a gun in his right hand and his expression was the usual harsh mask.

I smiled, trying to mask my nerves. “Good evening, Luca. I’m sorry to disturb you. Can I have a word with you?”

Luca glanced behind me at Elia and the look in his eyes sent a chill down my back. “I didn’t expect you, Giulia.” His wary gaze settled on me. We were cousins, but that didn’t mean we were close or that Luca trusted me the slightest bit. He didn’t trust anyone. After a moment, he nodded and opened the door for me. “Come in.”

I walked past him. “Elia will wait outside. What we have to discuss is private.”

Luca raised an eyebrow but didn’t comment as he closed the door. According to the rules in our world, this was inappropriate. A married woman wasn’t supposed to be alone with another man, but I’d never bothered with these rules and wasn’t going to start now. Luca motioned me toward the seating area of his suite. I sank down on the white sofa. Luca took a seat in an armchair across from me. He returned his gun to the holster around his chest, but the suspicion remained on his face. “Does Cassio know you’re here?”

I pursed my lips. “No, and I’d appreciate it if it would stay that way.” Luca narrowed his eyes. As my husband, Cassio had a right to know if I met with someone, especially a man, especially the Capo.

“What is it you need to discuss with me that you don’t want your husband to find out?”

He looked down at my belly and my eyes grew wide. “It’s not about this baby,” I said quickly. “It’s about Daniele and Simona.”

I hesitated. Cassio respected Luca. He called him the best Capo the Famiglia had ever had, but trust each other? No. Men like them couldn’t afford to trust many. But Luca was the only one who could silence my parents. I had to risk telling him because otherwise the truth would get out without a doubt.

“What about them?”

“They aren’t Cassio’s.”

Surprise crossed Luca’s face. Then his expression became even harsher. “How would you know?”

“Because Mansueto told me. He did a paternal test after the thing with Andrea and Gaia.”

The moment the words left my mouth, I realized my mistake. Luca didn’t know. Every muscle in his body became taught as he leaned forward. “The thing with Gaia and Andrea?”

I blinked. Cassio had never told Luca what happened? I thought Luca knew about Gaia’s death and why she’d killed herself.

“Giulia.” The word cut through me like a blade.

I looked away. It was too late to lie. But what would the truth mean for Cassio? I swallowed. “Gaia had an affair with her half-brother, and Cassio found out. Mansueto suspected Andrea was the father and the test confirmed his suspicions.”

“And now you’re here because you want your son to become Cassio’s rightful heir instead of Daniele.”

“No,” I whispered, horrified. “I don’t want Cassio to find out. I don’t want anyone to find out, which is why I’m here. I’m asking you to force my parents into silence. They know and they’re eager to spread the news.”

Luca regarded me, and some of the brutality slipped away. “You don’t want your son to become Underboss.”

“Daniele is my son too.”

Luca stared off to the side for a couple of heartbeats. “Keeping this kind of news a secret is difficult.”