Omerta

Chapter 77 (Nick's POV)

         The empire fell into my lap the day my brother Vincent died. I'd suddenly become the sole heir to the Luciano throne and my father took quite a large step aside to start letting me run it. I think it took a lot out of him having to have his son killed for being a trader. Everyone knows it too. That Vin was a trader and it brings shame on my fathers name.

But Nicolas Luciano is making an even bigger name for himself. Nicolas Luciano supposedly murdered his brother for what shame he brought on our family, and it's widely known now not to try it with me. 

The message was that you'd end up dead as my brother is.

        Now Dominic is sorta becoming like my number two just for the fact of how hard he worked while living with us and trying to solve the betrayal that'd been going on. Snake is my close second to my second, but he's under his own crime family and has his own separate duties. 

That leaves my cousin Marc to become my number 3. He's worked closely with us for many years, but once Vin was gone we needed another Luciano by my side. A young able guy.

        I don't blame Gia at all for her part in my brother's death. She was really the one to figure everything out and she did so impressively and mostly on her own. She did what half the Italian mob couldn't do. And when it came time to dish out the punishment she stepped up to the plate and did that too. 

She spared me that night when she pulled the trigger so I wouldn't have to. She says I saved her life, but she's also saved mine.

Maybe that's why I'm crazy about this girl. We've experienced things together that most people don't. And we survived a lot. Shootings, fires, betrayals, doing the hard thing for the other person when it counted. Putting each other first.

        I tried putting the business before Gia, but that shit didn't work. I was miserable with my choice and fucking furious at Mikhail every minute of every day. When I came close to getting her back he forced my hand and made me step away to save Gia's father who Mikhail so easily threatened. 

I knew I'd have to find a way to put Giada first. I did still save the business, but I very much killed Mikhail because he had her and I couldn't live with that.

        It still sucks that we have to keep things quiet with our relationship. We really can't disrespect the Russian's that way or I'd say for everyone to fuck off with our decison to be together. I have to play 'Nico' and she has to play sad Giada, and we both hate it. 

Just the other night her and I argued after that stupid dinner my father put together to bring the five households back together after the turbulence of the last few months.

I have to tote the line between letting girls still flirt with me so it doesn't seem weird, and not going too far that Giada would no longer trust my intentions.

I've been really damn busy and I'm tired and on my way to her house to sleep over. I could've crawled into my own bed tonight, but I like the smell of her sheets. Of her. I sleep better with her next to me.

        When I got to the apartment I went into the private garage as I always do and I went through the private entrance to take me up to her floor. I knew she was expecting me, so I knocked. When the door opened my lip tipped up into a half smile in anticipation of seeing her, but dropped when I actually saw her face. "What's wrong?" I barely got out before she was throwing something at my face.

I flinched and growled when a tube of lipstick boinked off my fucking forehead. 

"What the fuck?" I grit my teeth.