“You guys hurt me,” I whispered lamely.
“Not half as badly as you hurt us,” he responded quietly.
“Do you hate me?” I didn’t think he did, but I couldn’t take it for granted that he didn’t.
“No, Francesca. I don’t hate you.” He reached over and squeezed me knee. “You’re my best friend. You’ve always been that person to me. But I cannot allow you to wander anymore. I need you back home where you belong. And Phoenix won’t settle for anything other than his name attached to yours. Even if you didn’t love him anymore, which I know you still do, I’d still force you to marry him.”
“Why?”
“Because that man doesn’t know how to not love you, Francesca. And I promised him and Ciro that, when I took over, they would want for nothing,” he told me. “And the only thing Phoenix wants in this world is you.”
I didn’t have a response to that. Probably because it was true. I didn’t doubt Phoenix’s love for me. I’ve just held onto my anger for so many years, I wasn’t sure how not to feel it anymore. Both Luca and Phoenix referred to my leaving as the biggest temper tantrum of all time, and I had to wonder if they were partially right.
My phone rang, and as I pulled it out of my pocket, I saw that it was my brother. “It’s Ciro.”
Luca nodded. “Answer it.”
I swiped the answer icon. “Hey,” I greeted.
“Hey, Frankie,” he greeted back. “Are you still at Luca’s?”
“How-” I stopped. Of course, he would know where I was at. Phoenix had made it clear that I’d be monitored until I came to terms with my new life. “Yes, I’m still with Luca.”
“I’m home,” he said. “Stop by on your way back to Phoenix’s and I’ll set you up with your scan registration.”
“Okay,” I said, surrendering. I hung up and looked at Luca. “Ciro wants me to stop by.”
Luca nodded. “He’s going to get you scanned,” he said, and I rolled me eyes in defeat.
I stood up to leave, but before I turned around, I asked him the one question I couldn’t bring myself to ask Phoenix. “How many women have there been, Luca?”
His answer was quick and true. “None.”
None.
After Luca escorted me to Ciro’s apartment, which was just as lavish as Phoenix’s, if not a bit more warm, he had my hand scanned and programmed and proceeded to tell me the same thing Phoenix and Luca told me, and how I ought to just give in gracefully.
Seems like everyone was on Phoenix’s side.
Chapter 15
Phoenix~
Both Luca and Ciro had called me to tell me they made their peace with Frankie and that now it was up to me to convince her to accept her place with us. Which translated into getting her to marry me willingly. I knew they wouldn’t interfere if I had to force her, but it was better for everyone if she married me of her own free will. I didn’t want to have to pay off a priest, after all.
I walked into my apartment and I immediately saw several boxes lined up against the wall.
Frankie’s stuff.
I had already removed my jacket and tossed it over the back of the couch when Frankie walked out of the hallway. She mis-stepped when she saw me, but quickly recovered. I started taking my tie off as I nodded towards the boxes. “Your stuff?”
She nodded. “Yeah.”
“How did things go with your brother and Luca,” I asked, even though I already knew.
She cocked her head. “Like you don’t already know,” she retorted.
“I was hoping we could eat dinner before we started round two, but if you want to go now, let go,” I replied, suddenly feeling exhausted as fuck. In my earlier years, I spent hours torturing people or lying in wait, but nothing exhausted me like the woman standing before me.
Nothing.
“What would happen if I left?” she asked. “What would happen if I snuck off and…and just disappeared? Because that’s still an option, you know.”
I laughed.
I couldn’t help it.
I laughed because she must really be ignorant to what we were capable of if she really thought that was an option.
“Try it and find out,” I dared her. “As a matter of fact, I look forward to chasing you, Frankie.” I stepped to her and grabbed her by both her arms. “I dare you to run out the front door, Francesca. Let’s see how far you get, shall we?”
Her face was all anger and humiliation. She’s lost the war and she knows it. She was just trying to salvage some pride and wanted to pretend she still had choices. Frankie wanted this to be her choice, but it wasn’t. And she needed to get used to the idea that there were going to be a shitload of choices taken from her, moving forward. Everything we did, and will do, will be to ensure her safety, and as independent as Frankie was, I knew it was going to be a huge adjustment for her.
“Go to hell, Phoenix,” she spat scathingly.
“Baby, I’m already there,” I flung back. “What do you think the past six years have been?”
“You turning into a king,” she retorted. “You, Luca, and Ciro turning into royalty.”
“Luca’s the king,” I corrected. “And, yes, that makes me and Ciro royalty, but do you want to take a guess at what that makes you?”
Her eyes narrowed and there was all the hate in the world bottled up in those gorgeous irises. “I hate that I still love you,” she hissed.
“I know you do.” Because I did. The only thing that helped was that I wasn’t alone in that category. Of course, she’d always love
