Dangerous Beauty: Part Three: This is War (52 page)

Holding his hands up in surrender, Angelo sighed, “All right, all right, I’m sorry. I’ll stop.” He sat up in his seat. “I’m worried for her as well, but we must be careful with this, son. Silas is very passionate about her. Our steps must be well-calculated, because I assure you, Silas’s are.”

Nathan nodded. “I know, Pop, I know. I am taking my time with this, but the man is unpredictable. If he snaps, he may come after my wife, too. Carter and I have our children to think of now.”

Angelo nodded his understanding. “We’ll do it together when the time comes. We’ll feel him out, see where his head is at.”

Nathan nodded just as the limo came to a stop.

“See, how hard was it for you to stop being a smartass and just answer my damn question?” The door opened for Angelo, and he exited from the limo while muttering, “You’ve had a fucking stick stuck up your ass for the past few months.”

Nathan just chuckled. He wasn’t that bad.

“You were much nicer when Carterina was working here. I don’t know how I’m going to get through the next six months without her here and not kick your disrespectful ass.”

Nathan laughed. Yes, it was very true that he missed his wife coming to work with him every morning, and it was even truer that her absence had a negative effect on his attitude toward work. However, they’d all just have to deal with it. Carter still hadn’t said when she’d return. He’d never known how much she did for him, and it made him appreciate her even more. There was noticeably more work that he had to barrel through every day to get home, but he could deal … He never realized how badly he needed her there until she wasn’t around.

~*~

As Paolo Luchini gazed at Nathan and Angelo, he had an arrogant smile in his eyes, and Nathan wasn’t particularly fond of it. Junior—which was what Nathan called Paolo’s son, Pauli Luchini—just sat silently with an impassive expression on his face while his father unabashedly looked down upon them. It was as if the sight of Nathan and his father alone disgusted Paolo, or made him feel dirty. It was fucking hilarious.

After another minute of silence, Paolo Luchini cleared his throat and straightened in his seat. “I extend my gratitude for the hospitality you have shown me and my son during our stay in New York City.”

“Well, we were happy to host this trip for you. I hope you are enjoying the hotel accommodations, as well as the tour of S.O. that you went on,” Angelo said with a smile. “We heard that you had asked for one on your
last
visit, but as you know, we were a bit too busy to offer you one then.”

Paolo waved a dismissive hand in the air. “Well, after the argument I had with my Ana, I wasn’t really in the mood to tour anyway.”

Nathan couldn’t hide the small smile that appeared on his lips when Paolo referred to Anastacia kicking his ass as merely an argument. The man was fucking crazy.

Angelo chuckled. “Well, if I were you, I wouldn’t want to show my face after a display like that either.”

Paolo didn’t respond, but a look of disdain for Angelo did flash across his face. “You know, Salerno, although I have enjoyed the majority of your accommodations so far, I must say that I am disappointed that no women were provided for our entertainment. I believe providing such a spoil is only common courtesy.”

“I do not deal in women, Paolo. It is not a courtesy I offer.”

“So I hear,” he muttered with a tight smile. “How moral of you. But I’m sure you can understand why I find your stance on the matter,” he looked over at Nathan, “ironic.”

Nathan laughed even as Angelo tensed in his seat. It shouldn’t have been funny, but it was. He couldn’t believe the bastard had just taken a shot at his mother. Nathan’s poor father looked over to him with a frown, most likely wondering why he was laughing, but Nathan said nothing. His laughter slowly subsided and he glanced over to his father, speaking to him in Russian.

“
Can we please just skip the pleasantries, Papa?
” he asked. “
We both have much to do today. Carterina will not be happy if I’m late for dinner tonight
.”

He nodded slowly. “
Of course, son
.” Clearing his throat, he shifted in his seat. “You’ve been seeking a visit for quite a while now, Paolo—”

Paolo cut off his words by waving his hand. “Excuse me, what the hell was that? That was very rude, Angelo.”

Confused by what would have offended Paolo, Angelo frowned. “I’m a bit confused. What are you referring to?”

“Your son.” He cut Nathan glare. “You will allow him to laugh at me then speak to you in some … secret language?”

Okay, this just became even more amusing
, Nathan thought. He didn’t laugh like he wanted to, but his eyes did brighten as they widened in surprise of Paolo’s stupidity.

Nathan looked over to his father. “
Secret language, Papa.
” He once again spoke to his father in Russian. “
He says that the Russian language is a secret? This is the powerful man that I am supposed to fear starting a war with? He’s a fucking idiot
.”

“Excuse me!” Paolo shouted, slamming his hand on the table. “You will tell your son to cease this behavior at once, Angelo!”

Nathan eyes grew even wider at the order the man had shot at his father.
Who in the fuck
…. “Oh will he?” Nathan snapped, appalled by the man’s command. “Who in the fuck do you think you’re talking to?”

Paolo and his son snapped back at the same time as if they were shocked by Nathan’s brazen attitude, but he didn’t give a fuck.

Chuckling, Angelo patted Nathan on the back. “Be calm, son. It is obvious that Paolo has forgotten that I no longer work for him.”

“What I have not forgotten is that you owe me much more respect than this, Salerno!” he yelled. “Have you forgotten that it was
my
money that got you here in the first place?”

Angelo nodded. “I have not.” He snapped his fingers and one of his men came forward with black suitcase, handing it to Paolo. “This should make us even.”

Paolo opened the case. “What is this?”

“Your money,” Angelo answered with a nod. “This is what you have come for, right? You want your money back, which I am happy to give. I even threw in some extra for your trouble.”

Paolo gave Angelo a look of pure disgust and closed the suitcase. “I don’t want this,” he spat, throwing it on the floor. “The girl! Where is she? This is the reason I came; to see the girl.”

And that was Nathan’s cue.

“Oh God,” Angelo groaned. “Nathan, wait. Don’t bother her with this.”

“We had a deal, Pop,” he replied. “You want to speak to Carterina?” Nathan pulled his cell from his pocket and sat it in the middle of the table. “You’ve got it.”

The phone began to ring. After a few seconds, her voice filled the silence.

“Hi honey,” she greeted softy. In the background, an infant began to whine. “Shh … I’m sorry, baby,” she whispered. “Sorry, bubby, baby B hates when I move while he’s eating. He’s almost done though.”

Nathan smiled. He couldn’t wait to get home to them.

“To what do I owe the pleasure of your call my dear husband?”

Nathan’s smile widened a bit. She was so damn cute. “Well, sweetheart, it seems you have a secret admirer.”

“Hmm … do I?”

“Yes, dear.” A sinister smile spread across his face and he lifted his eyes, locking them with Paolo’s. “He’s been just so eager to meet you that I could no longer resist denying him such a pleasure.”

“Mmmhmm.” Nathan knew she was pursing her lips. “I have a feeling that you’re trying to get a rise out of me, Mr. Salerno. Is this your way of telling that you’re bored at work today?”

Nathan chuckled. “Yes, but it’s also my way of telling you how much I miss you here at work. How much I can’t wait until you come back. How much I need you …”

For a moment there was just silence until Carter’s soft voice sounded once again. “It means a lot to me to hear you say that, bubby. It really does. Thank you.”

Nathan frowned a little at the emotion he heard in her voice. “No thank you necessary, baby, I’m just telling the truth.”
That was odd
. Nathan made a mental note to talk with her about it when he got home tonight.

She cleared her throat. “So, tell me who this secret admirer is.”

Storing their impending conversation the back of his mind, Nathan smiled deviously. “Paolo Luchini. He and his son, Junior …”

“Pauli,” Junior corrected with a glare.

Nathan ignored him. “… are sitting right here in front of myself and Pop.”

Carter chuckled. “Don’t make me curse in front of our son, Nathan. Be real.”

“I lie to you not, my love,” Nathan laughed. “They are here. Paolo would like to speak to you.”

“I could have sworn I turned my back on this particular situation.”

Nathan shrugged. “As your husband I cannot allow you to be lazy. You need to stay sharp for when you come back to work. I can’t have you rusty, dear.”

Carter chuckled. “I’m sure your intentions are as pure as all that,” she said sarcastically. “You just want me to yell at the poor man. Paolo,” she called, “how are you, my good man? What can I do for you this afternoon?”

Nathan laughed at the mischievous smile he heard in her voice. God, he loved her.

Paolo became visibly nervous when she spoke. Swallowing, he straightened in his seat. “Ms. Stone—”

“Mrs. Salerno,” she corrected.

Paolo cut Nathan a look, then back down to the phone, as if it were her sitting there staring back at him. “I wasn’t aware that you married the boy,” he said tightly.

“He not a boy; he is a man, and yes I married him. I was married to him when you first began pursing me, Paolo.”

“And you are with child?” he asked.

“I am feeding my son as we speak. I have two.”

“Salerno is the father?”

She chuckled. “Yes, Paolo, he is. I have to say, this is an interesting conversation for our first meeting. Are you nearing the reason for your pursuit of me? I don’t quite understand it.”

Paolo didn’t respond for a moment, he just stared at the phone. “You don’t talk like your mother.” He frowned. “I mean, your voice sounds like her, but,” he swallowed, “you sound like a kind woman. Your tone is not as sharp.”

“I suppose I can be kind. There are many parts of my personality, Paolo. The Carterina you get to meet today depends upon what comes out of your mouth in the next fifty seconds.”

Paolo laughed uncomfortably and rubbed his hand across his forehead. Nathan frowned at the shakiness of the action.

“Tell me, what is it that you want, Mr. Luchini?”

Carter’s words made Paolo’s eyes snap back to the phone. After a moment of nervous hesitation, he answered, “I have a proposition for you.”

“Do you?”

“Yes. It has been decades since the Luchini family and the Stones have worked together. It seems that the partnership died with Alexis Stone.”

“And you have interest in reviving that partnership?” Carter asked.

“Yes, I do,” Paolo replied.

Nathan’s brows rose as he sat back in his seat. Well this was a surprising twist. It seemed Luchini didn’t want a lover, he was looking to form an alliance with the French organized crime world. Sometimes Nathan forgot that Carter wasn’t just his wife, she was also an heir to an empire of her own. One that Anastacia had been teaching her about lately.

Carter sighed softly. “Paolo, if you are looking to make an alliance you should speak with my mother. I do not possess the power to make this decision yet.”

“But your mother will listen to you.”

“What makes you think this?” she asked in a frustration.

“Because I have heard of you. You are smart, you know what you’re doing. You have been a great asset to the Salerno family in the short time that you’ve been in New York. Your opinion matters to some very powerful individuals. I may be crazy, but I am a business man first. You are going to acquire a wealth of power, allies, and enemies. I want my family to be on the winning team, your team. Europe is cutthroat, my dear, you need friends like me to make it over there.”

Carter was silent for a moment. Nathan continued to watch the exchange, very much enthralled in the conversation. He’d never seen Carter in this light before, the one of a future boss.

“What have you done?” she asked. “Why can you not go to my mother about this?”

Paolo cleared his throat uncomfortably. “It was just a misunderstanding—”

“Tell me now,” she said sharply. “Don’t keep me waiting and don’t lie to me. I won’t hesitate to hang up this phone and forget this conversation if you do.”

While massaging the spot between his eyebrows, as if he had a headache, Paolo exhaled a sigh. “Your mother and I got into a bit of a spat a few days before I came to America. I said some … inappropriate things about you that I shouldn’t have. I came to apologize to her face-to-face, but apparently I messed up again when I became enthralled by your appearance. I am hoping that you can kindly extend a bit of understanding. You and your mother not only possess great beauty, but a captivating character that draws men like me to you. I have apologized profusely for my stupidity, but your mother will hear none of it. I even let her assault me without retaliation from my men. I deserved it, I know this.”