Sweet Temptation by Cora Reilly

Elia cut his gaze to me. “You can’t just go to the Capo.”
“Said Capo is also my cousin. He can make time for family, right?”
“What is going on, Giulia? You can trust me, or Cassio wouldn’t have
chosen me as your bodyguard.”
“I trust you.” I looked out of the window. Elia was a good man, and an even
better soldier and bodyguard.
“But you won’t tell me what this is about?”
I leaned my forehead against the glass. “I can’t.” Elia was Cassio’s soldier
first. He was loyal to him. He’d tell Cassio the truth the moment he found out.
“Because Cassio isn’t supposed to know.” A hint of suspicion rang in his
voice.
“Take me to Luca, Elia. That’s all you need to know.”
Elia’s mouth tightened, but he picked up his phone and called someone to
ask where the Capo was. As it turned out, Luca was back in his hotel when we
finally returned to Philadelphia.
“Do you have Luca’s number?” I asked as we stepped into the luxurious
lobby of the Ritz Carlton.
“No. Not every soldier gets the Capo’s number, Giulia. He rules over
thousands of men. I haven’t even talked to him so far.”
I walked up to the reception and smiled at the receptionist. Finding out
Luca’s room number proofed tricky. The receptionist refused to give it to me.
“Then call his room and tell him his cousin Giulia wants to talk to him.”
The woman did just that, nodding as she spoke into the phone. “All right, Mr.
Vitiello.” She hung up and smiled politely at me. “The presidential suite on the
thirtieth floor.”
I headed toward the elevators. Elia shook his head as he stalked after me.
“He probably thinks it’s a trap and awaits with blazing guns. Luca is the most
distrustful man I know, and for good reason.”
“Well, he won’t shoot a pregnant woman. And he knows me, so calm down.”
Elia’s tenseness stirred my own anxiety. The moment we arrived on the
thirtieth floor, I touched Elia’s chest. “You stay here. I need to talk to Luca
alone.”
Elia’s expression hardened. “I can’t let you out of sight.”
“Are you going to tell Luca that you don’t trust him with me? I’d like to see
that.”
Elia swallowed. “I’m staying right outside the door.”
I rolled my eyes. “So you can react if you hear me screaming? Are you going
to kill your Capo to defend me? Don’t be ridiculous. He’d kill you before you
could blink.”
Elia didn’t contradict me. I knocked at the door. Nothing happened for a
while then finally the door opened, and Luca stood in the gap. He held a gun in
his right hand and his expression was the usual harsh mask.
I smiled, trying to mask my nerves. “Good evening, Luca. I’m sorry to
disturb you. Can I have a word with you?”