Arranged love

An exclusive story.” The Kings have had shit written about us for years now. We were too young to run an empire. Then it was our ruthlessness to knock anyone down who got in our way. Then it went to our relationships. Who we were fucking. Grave has been arrested multiple times in the past for his drug and alcohol use. That always got him front and center. But I’ve managed to stay clear. I’m never seen out with a woman, and I keep my nose clean and my mind on work.All text © NôvelD(r)a'ma.Org.

“I’m listening,” she says, shifting in bed.

“I’m going to be at Winstons tonight with the Kings. I’ll arrive at eight thirty. Be ready.”

She gives a rough laugh. “I know some are obsessed with you, Bones, but I don’t think where you’re eating will make headlines.”

I smile. “It will. I’ll be arriving with someone. A special someone.”

“Oh?” I have her interest. “Who is she to you?”

I look over to see Mia standing in front of the shower, the towel wrapped around her still wet body and clothes underneath. She looks terrified with her wide eyes and trembling lips. “You are to make assumptions,” I answer.

There’s a long pause before she asks. “Her name?”

“Not giving it,” I state. No one knows this woman even exists, and I’ve made those who do sign an NDA. If I give a name, then the Bianchis will know it’s a setup. We need it to look like she’s got me falling for her. That I’m taking her out for a nice dinner, not that we’re playing them.

She huffs at my unwillingness to give her any information. “Is there anything specific you want me to add to the story?”

Mia’s big eyes meet mine, and I smile. “Run with it.” I hang up.

“What was that for?” Mia asks, her shoulders shivering.

“That was a reporter. She’ll take pictures and make up all kinds of shit. We’ll be all over the front-page news and social media by tomorrow.”

“And?” she asks, biting her bottom lip nervously.

“And it will get back to your father. He’ll see us as the happy couple.”

She shakes her head softly, her wet hair sticking to her cheeks. “Dillan, you don’t have to-”

“It’s done, Mia.” I interrupt whatever she was about to say.

Accepting my refusal to let this go, she asks, “What do we say when he asks why I came to Vegas in the first place? He has to know my brothers found me in California.”

“We say it was Luca.” I walk over to her, closing the small distance. Reaching out, I take a piece of wet hair and twist it around my finger while I stare down at her. “You were distraught over what happened to your brother, and I consoled you.” We don’t have to lie about that part. Especially since we think it was the Bianchis who hurt Luca to draw her here. We’ll let them think they have that win.

“You really think that will work?”

“Absolutely.” Her father won’t care how she ended up in my arms as long as she stays there.

I release her hair and pull my phone out once more to send a text. “Go to bed and get some rest. You’re going to have a busy day.”

“Why?” she asks, her dark brows pulling together.

“You have a girls’ day planned.”

Her face lights up, and her lips part. “What …?” But then it falls again. “I don’t have any money. My brothers took that cash you gave me.”

“Don’t worry about that.”

AN HOUR LATER, I’m exiting the private elevator on the thirteenth floor at Kingdom in tower one and walking into our conference room to see Nite already waiting on me. I had messaged him after my conversation with Mia and told him to meet me here ASAP. Nigel let him in.

Setting my cell on the table, I unbutton my shirt and toss it onto the black surface as well. He stares at me with an arch of his brow. I wonder if he’s thinking what I was thinking when Luca stormed into my office and started to undress. I undo my belt, then unzip my dress slacks and throw them over the back of a chair. Holding my arms out wide, I spin around in a circle, only dressed in my black boxer briefs. He’s been here enough to know that we’ve got jammers in place for electronic devices, but I need him to understand that it’s just us. And nothing is being recorded.

Dropping my arms to my side, I glare at him. “Why does Mia think that she’s responsible for your vow of silence?” I demand.

He runs a hand down his face, letting out a long breath. Then he, too, stands and starts to undress down to his boxers. He spins around, showing me he’s not wired, and falls back into his seat. I stay standing.

“It was all a lie,” he says hoarsely.

Nite hardly ever talks. Everyone thinks he’s a mute, but the Kings and I know the truth-he chooses to stay silent. “What exactly?”

“Rossi-John’s rival-wanted intel on the Bianchis. He kidnapped me; thought I would talk. And when I wouldn’t, they cut out my tongue.” My eyes widen. “At the time, we thought it was regarding Mia, but it was just a ploy. When they realized I was no use to them, they dropped me off on Luca’s doorstep. Along with my tongue. Thankfully, Luca rushed me to the hospital, and they were able to reattach it. But John saw an opportunity, and I decided to go along with pretending to be unable to talk.”

I run a hand through my hair, trying to process and make sense of all of what he just said. “I don’t understand. Why did you think it was about Mia? How did he know about her?” I thought she was some big secret. Granted, Rossi is dead now. The Kings helped Nite and Luca bury him in the desert.

“Rossi and John were friends way back in the day, before they were rivals. Back when Mia was born. We thought he was going to use her against the Bianchis. Since he knew John wanted to keep her a secret.”

“And?”

“We just recently found out that it had nothing to do with her and everything to do with Haven.”

“Luca’s wife. Why would they care about her? They weren’t married back then?” If this is true, then this happened back when we were in college. We were seniors when Nite went MIA for a few weeks. When he returned, he never spoke in public again.

“That’s not my story to tell,” he states, crossing his arms over his chest, and I know I’m not getting anything else out of him.

“You need to speak to Mia,” I tell him.

He shakes his head. “I’ve gone this long without speaking. I’m not going to start now.”

I fist my hands. “She deserves to know the truth.”

Leaning forward, he places his forearms on the table. “There are a lot of things in this world that Mia deserves, but that doesn’t mean she’s going to get them.”