His Little Bird, Their Worst Nightmare

For three years, I was Damian's pampered little bird. People said I had nothing but my looks. His sister claimed if I left the Family, I wouldn't survive three days alone. I never took comments like that seriously. After all, my father was the Don of Sicily's oldest and most powerful Family, so I'd heard people underestimate me since childhood. Three years ago, I left my own Family just to be with Damian. With him, I didn't have to watch anyone's mood or clean up anyone's messes. No one cared how much I spent, and every morning I woke to another eight-figure deposit to spend as I pleased. My biggest problem was that before I could finish spending, the interest came in and ruined the nice round number in my balance. Who would willingly give up a life like that? Then I learned the other eight of Sicily's Nine Families had joined forces to swallow the Marchetti Family whole. The Don was forced to sign agreement after agreement surrendering Marchetti territory. Damian's two older brothers were detained, and even Damian was pinned against the long conference table and forced to acknowledge the agreements as legitimate. Rafe tossed a pen in front of Damian, then glanced back at me. “You've taken good care of your little bird. She's mine now.” I stayed where I was and quietly assessed the situation. If the Marchetti Family collapsed, where would I find another man who'd let me spend as much as I wanted? So, just before Damian lowered his head, I stepped forward, tossed the pen back across the table, and took the seat at its head. “If you're dividing the spoils, why exactly was the Caruso Family left out?” Then I turned to Rafe. “You'd better tell the people above you that the woman sitting here is the daughter of the Don of the Caruso Family.” “I want them here within thirty minutes.” “Anyone who refuses to come will be declaring themselves an enemy of the Caruso Family.” Chapter 1 The day the Marchetti Family ran into trouble, I was at an auction. A set of blue-diamond jewelry was being auctioned that day, and the stones were so exceptional that the moment I saw them, I knew they would look perfect with the dress I had custom-made the week before. Even when the bidding reached ninety million dollars, I raised my paddle without hesitation, and no one else tried to outbid me. Once the hammer came down, the invoice for the jewelry was immediately brought over. I handed the staff member the black card Damian had given me, the one I had always been able to use without worrying about a spending limit. The terminal beeped once before the payment was declined. “Ma'am, there must be something wrong with our system. Please give me a moment, and I'll take care of it for you.” However, I had already caught a glimpse of the message displayed on the screen, which clearly said that there were insufficient funds. I paused in surprise. Someone sitting in front of me turned around to look in my direction, so after thinking for a moment, I took out my phone and called Damian. The call rang without an answer. At the same time, messages began appearing one after another in the group chat I shared with the women I usually went shopping and partying with. “I heard the Don of the Marchetti Family is being forced by the other eight Families to sign agreements giving up their territory.” “Apparently their eldest and second sons have been detained too, but no one knows exactly what's going on yet.” “Isn't that woman who's with Damian in this group…?” Nothing said in that group chat ever stayed private for long, and before long, almost everyone at the auction seemed to have received the same news. The way they looked at me changed almost immediately. The staff member beside me received an update through her earpiece as well, and when she spoke again, there was already something different in her tone. “Ma'am, if you're unable to pay for an item after winning the bid, we'll have to keep the deposit you paid upon entry.” The deposit had been ten million dollars. Only a few minutes earlier, she had treated me with the utmost courtesy because she saw me as an important client. Now, because of some low-grade rumor that had come from who knew where, she had already started speaking to me with thinly veiled condescension. “Then keep the deposit for now. I still want the jewelry, and I'll pay for it later.” I did not have time to care about her attitude, so as soon as I finished speaking, I hurried out of the auction house. The room behind me was already growing noisy, and through the rising murmurs, I could vaguely hear Damian's name being mentioned. ... By the time I returned to the Marchetti villa, the first-floor living room was crowded with people. Accountants, the consigliere, and the men responsible for different parts of the Family's operations were all gathered there, while phones rang constantly throughout the room. The Don sat in the middle of it all, looking as though he had aged ten years since I had left the house that morning. Damian's mother kept making call after call, trying to find out what had happened to her two eldest sons, but no one was able to give her a clear answer. “The Family is practically falling apart, and you still went to an auction.” Sofia looked so furious that she was on the verge of tears. “Vera, do you even have a heart?” I looked at her in confusion. “So what exactly happened? Why can't I even use my card anymore?” “I really don't understand why my brother keeps someone as heartless as you around,” Sofia snapped. “Sofia.” Damian's voice came from the doorway. He walked into the room looking exhausted, but when he saw me, he still managed to force a faint smile. “Don't listen to them. It's nothing serious.” Then, as though the chaos around him had nothing to do with me, he reached into his pocket and took out another card. “You're out of money to spend, aren't you? I've still got another card here. There's a hundred million dollars in the account, so go buy whatever you want.” I took the card from him and frowned. “Are you sure nothing serious is happening to the Family?” I did not believe him. That evening, the villa felt almost deserted. All of the household staff had been dismissed, while the members of the Family were shut inside the study for a meeting, leaving me alone in the dining room with nine different dishes laid out in front of me. The lights in the study were still on after midnight. I eventually went upstairs because I wanted to find out what was really happening, but just as I reached the door, I heard the consigliere speaking inside. “All the Families have closed ranks against us. Our shipments have been sitting at the docks for three months, and nothing has been allowed in or out. More and more Families are refusing to do business with us, and if this continues much longer, the Marchetti Family is finished.” The consigliere's words were grim. Then I heard Damian speak. “Liquidate every asset under my name, and use whatever you can turn into cash.” He paused before adding, “Also, arrange a private jet for me.” Chapter 2 The consigliere paused in surprise. “Are you and the Don planning to leave?” “I stand or fall with the Marchetti Family.” The door opened before I could hear anything more, and from the way Damian looked at me, it seemed as though he had known all along that I was standing outside. He handed my passport back to me. “You'll leave on the plane first thing tomorrow morning,” he said with a small nod. “I'm not leaving.” I looked up at him. “You're not the only one willing to stand or fall with the Family.” Damian looked at me as though I were being unreasonable. “Vera, you have no idea how serious this is. Please listen to me and leave first.” “The place I've arranged for you is beautiful, and I know you'll like it. I'll make sure you have more than enough money, so even if I'm no longer there, you'll still be able to live exactly the way you want.” I didn't understand what he meant by that last part. “What do you mean, you won't be there?” Before I could press him for an answer, Sofia came striding toward us, her expression filled with contempt and hostility the moment she saw me. “Vera, is money really the only thing you care about?” “The Family is already in this state, our two older brothers have been taken and no one even knows where they are, and my brother gave you every cent of liquid cash he could get his hands on just to make sure you'd be safe. After all that, you're still thinking about running away?” From what she was saying, I could tell that Sofia must have overheard only part of our conversation from the stairway. I had no idea what version of it she had pieced together in her head, but I didn't let it bother me. “Sofia, don't speak to Vera like that.” “Damian, how can you still be defending her at a time like this?” Sofia's eyes were red as she turned on me. “Don't you love money more than anything? Then stop asking questions and just leave. Don't stay here and become another burden on this Family.” I had always known that Sofia was deeply prejudiced against me, but after giving her words some thought, I decided there was not much point in arguing. I really did love money more than most things. I returned to my room and began sorting through my belongings, hoping to find anything valuable that I had brought with me before, or anything else I could sell. I did not particularly care what happened to the Marchetti Family, but I cared about Damian. By the time I had gathered everything valuable together and was about to take it to him, my vision suddenly went dark. As my consciousness faded in and out, I heard Damian's voice beside me. “This isn't something you should have to carry. I want you to live a happy life from now on, because that's the only way I'll be happy too.” There was a commotion downstairs, and through the haze, I could hear what sounded like someone forcing their way inside and arguing with the Don. ... When I became aware of my surroundings again, I was already aboard the private jet Damian had arranged to take me to the place he had mentioned the day before. My luggage had been loaded onto the plane, and beside the suitcases sat several beautifully packaged boxes. I recognized them immediately as the blue-diamond jewelry set I had failed to purchase at the auction the previous day. I looked toward the cockpit and asked the pilot, “Why am I here?” “Damian arranged everything for you,” the pilot replied. “We're about to take off.” “I need to go back.” The pilot shook his head. “I'm afraid I can't take you back.” I looked straight at him. “If you won't let me go back, then once we're in the air, I'll find a way to jump out of it.” The pilot stared at me for several seconds before reaching for his phone and making a call. Chapter 3 By the time I reached the top floor of the club on the North Shore, only one room was still lit. When I pushed the door open, Damian was standing in front of the floor-to-ceiling windows, while representatives from the other eight Families sat along both sides of the long table. Sicily recognized Nine Families, and nearly all of their representatives were gathered in that room. There was also one Family that stood outside the ranking altogether, though everyone acknowledged it as the most powerful of them all. I glanced around and felt slightly relieved when I saw that no one from that Family was there. A young man named Rafe occupied the seat at the head of the table. He had once been Damian's closest friend and had also served as a consigliere to the Marchetti Family, but the entire situation unfolding around us had been orchestrated by him. The moment Damian saw me, his expression darkened. “Who told you to come here?” “I missed you, so I came to see you,” I replied. “You need to go back.” “I'm not going back.” I found an empty seat and sat down. Damian watched me for several seconds before giving in with a helpless look, then took off his jacket and draped it over my shoulders. “If you're staying, then stay beside me and don't say anything reckless.” Rafe lifted a hand to interrupt him. “I was beginning to wonder whether we came here to negotiate or to watch the two of you romance each other.” His tone hardened as he continued. “Perhaps we should get back to the reason we're all here.” He pushed a document across the table. “The terms are actually very simple. Surrender all of the Marchetti Family's territory and accept responsibility for what happened three years ago. In return, I can guarantee that your father will be allowed to step down peacefully and that both of your brothers will come home alive.” Damian turned through several pages of the agreement, and his expression grew colder with each one. “You're asking for more than our territory.” If he signed it, the agreement would not stop with the land itself. The Marchetti docks, casinos, port holdings, and every other leased territory tied to the Family would be pulled into the deal as well, leaving the Marchettis with almost nothing. “Do you really have another choice?” Rafe asked. “By tomorrow morning, every port controlled by the eight Families will have received new orders. At that point, having your shipments held at the docks will be the least of your problems.” He leaned back slightly before adding, “As for whether your two brothers walk out of this alive, that depends entirely on what you decide.” The veins along the back of Damian's hand stood out as he tightened his grip. Rafe's attention shifted toward me. “So this is the little bird you've been keeping for the past three years.” He looked me over without bothering to hide his interest. “She really is as beautiful as everyone says.” Then he turned back to Damian. “She's your personal property, after all. Don't worry. Once this is over, the rest of us will make sure she's looked after well enough.” The other men at the table turned toward me almost at once. Some lowered their voices to whisper among themselves, while others laughed openly. “She is beautiful. I'd pay a billion for a woman who looked like that.” “I heard Damian picked her up from somewhere. She isn't even from one of our Families.” Damian's voice turned hard. “She is not a toy, and none of you have the right to speak about her that way.” Rafe laughed softly. “Vera, Damian won't be able to afford you for much longer. If you stay with him, you won't even be able to keep the earrings you're wearing tonight.” His smile widened as he continued. “If you know how to behave, I can keep you instead. Would ten million a month be enough?” Laughter broke out around the table. Damian shot to his feet and seized Rafe by the collar, and almost immediately, four men around them drew their guns and aimed them at him. Chapter 4 “Don't get so worked up. If something happens to you, there won't be anyone left in your Family with the authority to sign anything.” Damian took a deep breath and released his grip. Rafe tossed a pen onto the table in front of him. “You're going to sign this agreement one way or another. As for her, she's nothing more than a pet, so I don't see why it matters if I have a little fun with her.” “I'll knock ten million off your debt if you let me fuck her once. How does that sound?” “Not a chance.” Damian immediately pulled me behind him. Rafe gave him an amused look. “I suppose I shouldn't leave you out either. Stand behind me and give me a push, and I'll knock another ten million off your debt. Happy now?” After glancing at his watch, Rafe tapped the agreement in front of Damian. “You'd better sign soon, because if you keep stalling, there won't be a cent left in any of your overseas accounts.” Damian squeezed my hand and lowered his voice so that only I could hear him. “Whatever happens in the next few minutes, don't be afraid. There's a car waiting in the underground garage, and the digital key is already on your phone. The moment that door opens, you leave.” I looked at him. “Does that mean you won't have any money left after this?” The question caught him off guard, but after a brief pause, he nodded. “That's right.” “But I still want you to keep spoiling me.” A faint smile finally appeared on his face, and he reached up to stroke my hair. “If I make it out of here, I'll work as hard as I have to so you can keep spending my money.” At that moment, the door burst open and Sofia rushed inside with her eyes swollen from crying. “Damian, don't sign it. Once you do, we'll have nothing left.” She stopped when she noticed me, then grabbed my hand and tried to pull me toward the door. “You shouldn't be here. This is a matter for the Marchetti Family, and it has nothing to do with you.” “You need to leave, Vera. Go now.” Tears spilled down Sofia's face as she spoke. “You can't stand a hard life, can you? Rafe isn't really going to take care of you. He only wants to use you to humiliate my brother.” Damian stepped in front of both of us and shielded us with his body. “I'll sign the agreement, so stop dragging them into this and let them leave.” Rafe smiled as though he had been waiting for exactly that answer. “Too late. Now they're both staying.” Sofia moved in front of me before anyone else could react, blocking the stares directed my way. “If you want to go after someone, then go after a Marchetti. What do you gain by bullying her?” I looked at Sofia's slight figure standing between me and the rest of the room, and for the first time, something in my chest softened toward her. Their father's call came in at that exact moment. Damian put it on speaker, and the Don's voice sounded old and heavy through the phone. “Sign it.” Damian closed his eyes for a moment before reaching for the pen and lowering it toward the agreement. “Wait.” Everyone in the room turned toward me. I stepped out from behind Damian and Sofia, then walked to the head of the long table. “Vera, this isn't the time,” Damian said with a frown. I ignored him and looked over the Family crests arranged across the table one by one before taking out my phone and making a call. The other end picked up after a single ring. Keeping my eyes on the agreement beneath Damian's hand, I spoke in an even voice. “Freeze all vessel movements at the ports.” Then I lifted my gaze and looked around at the people from the eight Families seated at the table. “And within thirty minutes, I want the heads of all eight Families here.”