Rosalie Fierri [Book #5]

Chapter 10

Lorenzo's POV
I've been married for less than twenty hours and she's already a pain in my ass. I never wanted to be married in the first place. But after my father died, I made a vow to fulfill his dying wish.

Hearing the faint sound of her heels click-clacking up the steps, I grew angrier and angrier.

She embarrassed me tonight. She humiliated me in front of the men I conduct business with. And as much as I'd like to end her for the shit she pulled, I know what she's trying to do.

By acting out, she thought that I'd just hand her back to her brothers. But, I'm not someone who's so quick to be defeated.

And I know that ending this arranged marriage, especially after it's only just begun would have her brothers breaking down my door in a heartbeat.

I'm not stupid. I know they hate me just as much as I hate them. But I'm not willing to take the risk of going to war with the Fierri's. They have way more resources and connections than I do, which is why my father set up this arrangement in the first place.

By marrying and reproducing with a member of the Fierri family, we have no choice but to become allies. And with the Fierri's on my side, I'll have plenty more resources at my disposal to keep this Mafia up and running.

Pouring myself a glass of scotch, I sat down at the table and tried drinking away the memory of tonight.

She doesn't know how great my temper can be. I'm not one to mess with. And I'm sure she knows that.

Although it takes a lot for me to completely lose control of my temper, Rosalie has somehow found a way to get under my skin almost effortlessly.

I saw the smug little smile on her face while I had my hand around her throat. She liked it. She liked seeing me pissed. She liked seeing me lose control.

It aroused her to see me so vulnerable, which makes her dangerous and very much capable of bringing the Sinisi legacy to its knees.

And I can't let that happen. My father worked hard to maintain what generations and generations of Sinisi Mafia leaders have built.

Which is why I need her to be pregnant as soon as possible. She won't put up much of fight with a child inside of her. And she definitely won't fight me when the child is born.

I looked up, hearing Javier sigh and lean against the doorframe. "Well, the principessa mafiosa(mafia princess) is finally asleep."

I offered him a glass and he sat down, happily taking the glass from my hands. "I almost lost control tonight, Javi."

He knows what happens when I lose control. I become a beast that destroys anything and everything in its path.

"I know," he said, bringing his glass up to his lips and taking a sip. "She's a menace, Enzo. And she must be dealt with immediately, or else this Mafia won't be around for much longer."

I groaned, downing the rest of my scotch and pouring myself another.

"Do you have a plan in mind?"

"I do." He raised a curious brow, eagerly awaiting to hear my idea. "I'm going to knock her up," I stated.

"And how do you plan on doing that when you two can't even be in the same damn room together?"

"That's still to be determined."

"Please don't do anything stupid, Enzo. I already found a gray hair from all the stress you two put me through tonight."

I stared at him, confused. There wasn't a single gray hair on his head. Noticing the confusion on my face, he glared at me and said, "it wasn't on my head."

I choked on my scotch. "I did not need to know that."

Javier laughed, amused by my discomfort. The laughter faltered after a couple seconds, a serious frown taking its place. "But seriously, I need you to try and get along with her. Something tells me that this shit could quite literally blow up in our face if you don't."

"What do you mean? Is there something you aren't telling me?"

"No. Just a gut feeling is all."

"Hmm, alright."

****

When I returned from my workout the next morning, I noticed footprints in the snow leading into my garden. Everyone here knows not to step foot in my mother's rose garden.

And based on the smaller than male average size of the footprint, it couldn't have been any of my men.

Changing course, I decided to investigate instead of going inside to wash off the sweat and stench of my recent workout. Following the footprints, I ended up finding the trespasser.

Rosalie.

Of course.

She was sitting on a bench, a rose she picked from my garden in her hand. She was still in her pajamas, her attire nowhere near appropriate for such cold weather.

When I first saw her, my intention had been to scold her and maybe even punish her for yet again disobeying my rules. But after being caught off guard by the saddened look on her face, I couldn't move.

She was staring down at the black rose in her lap, her eyes filled with a pained sadness. I knew that look anywhere. It's the look you give when you've lost someone close to you.

I know all about what happened to her mother, as well as the several others who also fell victim to the unfortunate tragedy.

"Are you here to punish me?" She suddenly asked, causing me to tense up.

"I considered it," I admitted.

"What changed?" She asked, her eyes more green than blue as they flickered up to me.

Something in my heart broke seeing her so... weak. She didn't have the strength she had last night. Her voice was even softer.

"It doesn't matter," I muttered as cold as the thirty degree weather currently freezing my balls off. "I just want you out of my garden."

She didn't say anything else. She just stood up, seemingly unaffected by the cold weather slicing at her exposed arms and legs, and left.