Scandals Of The Powerful: Uncovering the Correttis / A Legacy of Secrets

‘Like tonight?’

‘The restaurant do not want to say no to me either. They know I always am seated upstairs. It was good to observe them, to see the cousins seated at the same table and hating it.’

He left her alone for a moment and then returned with a large T-shirt for her. For a moment she considered asking where the bathroom was so she could put it on, but they were a bit past that. Still, he was back to the old Anton now. He turned his back and opened the fridge and pulled out some wine as Emily quickly took off his jacket and slipped the T-shirt on, then removed her shoes.

She sat on the sofa and tucked her legs under her, a part of her wanting only to find out about him, but she’d sworn no regrets and she did not want to be sitting at her desk on Monday without words for her work.

‘Why don’t the cousins get on?’ Emily asked as he handed her a drink.

‘Salvatore and Teresa had two sons, Benito and Carlo, brothers but rivals. Salvatore divided his empire up between them. They were killed a few years ago in a fire and the rivalry continued down the line to their children. The cousins are always trying to outdo each other. The only reason they were together tonight is for Teresa.’

‘Will they all be at the wedding tomorrow?’

‘Not all,’ Anton said. ‘There is Angelo—he is Carlo’s illegitimate son. They like to forget about him, but he has Corretti blood in his veins and he is slowly moving in on them. I doubt you will see Gio. He is one of Benito’s sons but tends to stay away from family things, though he might make an appearance. He is more interested in horses. There is the Corretti Cup in three weeks. He will be there for that.’

‘Will you be at that, too?’

‘Like a bad smell.’ Anton’s smile was black.

‘You hate them, don’t you?’

‘More than you could know.’ She could hear the loathing in his voice. ‘My family owned many properties all across Sicily, but we did not conform to the rules. We refused to bow to the Sicilian powers that be. There was a car bomb. My family was in it. I should have been in that vehicle. By chance I was not.’

‘The Correttis did that?’ She was horrified but he shook his head.

‘I do not know who. That is why I joined the polizia. My only interest now is working out who ordered the hit on my family.’

‘And then what?’

‘Justice.’

He was a police officer, Emily told herself. He just wanted the people responsible behind bars. Her imagination was working overtime from reading too much about the Correttis.

She looked down at the ring still on her finger.

‘Is this really your mother’s?’

He nodded. ‘Tonight it was worn for a very worthy cause.’

‘Anton...’ She was more confused than she had ever been. She understood now the guardedness to him, but the loathing in his voice unnerved her. She started pulling at the ring, but an olive-skinned hand halted her.

‘You’ll be needing that tomorrow. Why would my guest, my new fiancée, not be wearing her ring?’

‘You mean the wedding.’ Emily’s mouth gaped. ‘You’re invited?’

‘Of course. They hate me because they cannot buy me, yet they try to keep me on their side, too. So, would you care to join me?’

And not for the first time tonight, and certainly not for the last, as his mouth moved towards her, Emily found herself saying yes to Anton.

CHAPTER SEVEN (#u513e9808-37ee-5b1c-8569-ec733bef2466)

EMILY WOKE in an unfamiliar bed with a thumping headache and a body that was so sore and tender she wondered for a moment if she’d been in an accident, which wouldn’t account for the ache between her legs, the luxurious sheets beneath her or the aroma of coffee and the sound of gushing water from the pool.

Maybe she’d died and gone to heaven, Emily thought for a blissful moment, and stretched and then looked up into the navy eyes of Anton.

Maybe she had.

Yes, it all came back in delicious stages.

Emily drank her coffee and then figured she ought to ring Gina, but she didn’t pick up, so Emily fired off a text to say she would meet her there.

‘I hope she’s there,’ Emily said, but Anton was talking on his own phone.

‘What size are you?’ He saw her frown. ‘Dress size.’

‘I’m not sure.’

He smirked and told whomever it was he was talking to his estimate. Unfortunately he guessed right.

‘Shoe size,’ Anton said, and she wished for daintier feet but, for blisters’ sake, she told him the truth.

He must be seriously loaded, because an hour later when surely anyone who was anyone was, this morning, getting their hair done, she was sitting in one of his shirts on a bar stool having her hair curled and put up as Anton showered.

She couldn’t wait till he came out of the bathroom for a proper look at herself and, modesty long since discarded, she walked in to where he was shaving at the sink, a towel wrapped low on his hips.

‘Bella,’ he said when he saw her hair. ‘Has the dress not arrived?’

‘Not yet,’ Emily said, moving to wash her panties, but his hand halted her.

‘I asked for a selection of underwear.’

‘And a toothbrush?’

He smiled and nodded to the drawer.

It was strange for Anton. Usually he loathed getting ready with another. He liked sex but not too much conversation. He did not do the dating thing. ‘Am I taking someone’s spot?’ Emily checked, sure he must have had a date lined up.

He had naturally RSVP’d plus-one for the wedding but was reluctant to take one of his usual companions.

‘I could have gone with someone, but I chose not to. Women tend to think you are serious about them if you ask them to such things.’

‘Have you ever been serious about anyone?’

‘My wife,’ he said, not looking at her horrified expression. Instead he carried on shaving. ‘She was in the explosion.’

‘When you said family, I thought you meant just your parents.’ She was truly lost for words. ‘I don’t mean just....’

‘I did,’ Anton said. ‘They were all in the car at the time. Unfortunately I had gone back to the house to get my wallet.’