REESE

chapter thirty five.

This Chapter Contains Content That Is Intended For Mature Readers

Reese POV:

"I am not going to say anything you guys don't already know."

I gripped my glass of wine a little bit tighter as I took in my lined up select team. My soldiers were positioned at the entrance of what we called "the member house" of our headquarters. We had just received word that the English select team and Carver were due to arrive any minute, and I wanted to make sure my team knew exactly what that meant. My American soldiers and the English soldiers were going to be housed together and if they wanted to be a uniformed unit for the France mission, then it was essential that both sides needed to establish a mutual camaraderie, something that was usually inherently difficult for proud mafia men and women.

I encouraged competition, but condemned conflict. I needed to make sure my team was well aware of that.

"Each one of you have been selected to represent the American empire and in turn the Vanderbilt name. The guns you hold have my name on them, the vests that protect you have your empire's mark on them, and the way you behave and perform demonstrate your don's reign. Act in accordance with that information."

I paced back and forth as I spoke to them. "Our alliance with both the Di Genovas and the Rutherfords is a crucial component in this war. You cannot afford to fuck anything up. Yes, this is your empire's estate, this is your space, and yes this is currently your indefinite home, but you will open your doors and welcome in our allies with a certain touch of refinement and class."

"Am I clear?"

I was met with a chorus of, "Yes Miss Vanderbilt," that had me nodding my head in appreciation.

I turned slightly just as a warning knock sounded through the main doors. I could hear the approaching SUVs all while my watch buzzed to life confirming that the English had indeed arrived. My heart jolted with excitement and I swiftly turned back towards my soldiers. "With that being said, the arrival of the English is bound to bring forth some..." I paused. "... harmless rivalry." The faces of my soldiers twitched into small smirks. "They are going to be working with you, planning with you, training with you." I took a slow sip of my wine as my own mouth morphed into somewhat of a mischievous grin. "There's no harm in giving them a little reminder of the current ranking, is there?"

This time the, "No Miss Vanderbilt," that followed was asserted with a certain fire.

"Excellent." I mused. "Let's welcome our guests then."

I took a minute to quickly finish off the rest of my wine and then handed the empty glass to one of the member house's housekeepers. I then moved forward with my entire team following behind me and opened the house doors so we could make our way onto the driveway and greet Carver and the rest of the English select team. I walked down the steps just as six matching blacked-out SUVs came to a lined stop right in front of us.

As I waited for the English to unload out of the cars, I couldn't help the excited jitter of my heart. Carver and his team were over six hours late to their arrival to Italy, which meant that for six agonizing hours I had to pretend like a certain English heir wasn't actively consuming every single thought that leaked into my already chaotic mind.

Coming to Italy may have been a decision made as a byproduct of war but that didn't mean we couldn't reap the benefits. For an unknown amount of time and with an overwhelming abundance of space, Carver and I would finally be alone. No more having to put off dates because we didn't have the time, no more secret stolen kisses while our families looked the other way, no more sitting next to each other pretending like we didn't know how each other felt, like we didn't know how each other tasted.