A Sicilian Marriage [PUBLISHED]

Chapter 27: The Abduction

Real art has been... what's the word? Kidnapped? No, that's not it. But, OK, kidnapped by business.

-Vivienne Westwood

16 HOURS BEFORE THE ABDUCTION...

Marco Orsini's POV

I sat on the head of the table in the boardroom of my office. The atmosphere in the room was so thick at the moment with my right side was my good friend, Lucca. We were both staring at a huge TV monitor hang on the wall while having a video conference all the way to Sicily. On the screen, two men hadn't stopped giving me disapproving looks. Since I was the one who called for this emergency meeting, I might add.

"What the hell is this 'emergency meeting' as you put it, is all about, Marco?" It was the Greek bastard who broke the silence. "Be sure your definition of 'emergency meeting' is a valid reason for normal people like us or I'll rip your head."

I sighed. This man was really cranky lately, I swear. Not that I could blame him. Laila—my sweet little one—was near on her due date and this man was so worried to death about the safety of his wife and their unborn child. Because of that reason, I would let off his grouchy attitude today. "We are facing a dire situation, gentlemen..." I paused for a while letting my word sink into their slow-witted brain. "...or at least, our club is facing disgrace."

"Theós," Nikos started, standing from his chair on the formal library of the Palazzo di Fiorenza. "I'm not having this stupid conversation. I have tons of work that needs my urgent attention than this crap." He directed his glare to the duke who was sitting silently to my side. "You—I can't believe you let that moron have this video conference I thought it's something important that's why I agree to this."

Lucca merely shrugged from his chair. I turned to face the monitor and scowled at the humorless man. "This is a very important matter, Nikos. It concerns your wife, Laila. Are you not really interested?"

He threw a dark glare in my direction. "What the hell? Why are you dragging my wife's name into this?"

"Why don't you humor him?" Leandro suggested to Nikos with amusement in his gold eyes. The two of them stare at each other for a long while in the library of Cesare Fiorenza. I was impressed that the unsmiling man let his sons-in-law used his favorite place in his palace.

Nikos sighed deeply and crossed his arms in the middle of his chest. "All right, spill. What is this all about? How does Laila fit into this?"

I hid my grin. See how fast I could get their attention? Even the most reluctant man would be interested to know everything when it concerns his own wife.

"Are you just going to grin there like a baboon or you are going to tell us about this 'emergency meeting'?" He glowered darkly, his blue eyes filled with annoyance.

I rubbed my jaw while a smile playing on my lips. I knew he would probably kill me after this but it was worth the try. I decided to bait him. "Why so cantankerous, Nick? Hell, it was not my fault that you are not getting laid lately."

Lucca and Leandro laughed out loud while the Greek bastard cursed at me loud and clear with the word he'd been missing since Laila entered her last trimester. "Enough of this, Marco. Stop baiting him for god's sake." The duke had said between laughter. "Let's just focus on the original agenda of this meeting."

"Right," I said, focusing on the main reason why I called for this meeting. "I regret to inform you that the Moretti have a divorce."

Silence followed my announcement. "So?" It was Nikos who broke the silence again with his sardonic tone. "How does it concern us or our club?"