Ties of Blood (Book One)

Chapter 2 ~ Matteo

Matteo Moretti

Two weeks later

I sat across my father in my study, and clicked on my pen in a menacing rhythm waiting for the answer to my question.

Why the fuck was I doing this?

"Well," he starts, "Anton has predicted way too many of my moves and I think we have a mole, therefore I thought that we should have a truce, to stop the rivalry, momentarily anyways, then I can figure out who has been selling us out, kill them and we can move on with our lives."

I raised a brow, "And I had to marry her, for that?"

"Think about it, your lucky I'm doing the dirty work for you, and if we don't get the sorted out now, then that just leaves more work for you in the next six months." He states with a shrug, like this doesn't matter either way.

"And Anton agreed just like that?" I question, I hated Anton but even I knew the bastard wasn't that dumb.

My father leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms as he studied me with that familiar, calculating look. "Anton knows that aligning with us gives him an advantage, too. His power has been slipping, and he's desperate to regain control. A marriage between you and his daughter was his best bet to secure a temporary peace and ensure he wouldn't lose everything before he figured out how to handle his own problems."

He let out a dry chuckle, one that didn't reach his eyes. "Plus, he knows I would never agree to this if I didn't think it was necessary. He probably thinks he can keep an eye on you through Gianna, just like I'm using this arrangement to keep tabs on him."

I keep quiet, my thoughts spiralling. If I married Gianna that would mean a stranger would be living in my house. I had lived alone with staff for years, and I didn't want someone I didn't know, least of all the daughter of my enemy to live with me.

My lack of response causes Lorenzo to continue speaking to continue speaking, "This isn't forever, Matteo, when you're done you'll split up."

"Fine." I say, I lean forward again placing my pen on the table in front of me.

"Alonso will see you out." I say before he could say anything else and leave the room closing the door behind me.

The thought of Gianna being my wife haunted me. I hated the thought of getting married especially to her of all people.

I had done my research on her. She was 23. Her best friend was Camilla. She was towards being a nurse. She lost her mother to heart cancer.

Which was something we had in common, only my mother walked out. I didn't know why, my father wouldn't tell me, he kept me in that dark about a lot of things, I just I what I was told.

I knew my father was a dangerous man. With eyes dark and lifeless, he never spoke with people outside his very small social circle.

That's one of the few things he taught me. The rest were my private tutors since he refused to send me to school because of all the mafia shit which I didn't know about them.

I check the time on my watch.

7:23pm

I had scheduled for her things to be brought to my house by 9pm. I assumed she would be moving with them. Unless, of course, she decided not to, in which case I really wouldn't care, in fact I would have preferred such.