“Thanks. Only the best after a long time with sludge.” I take a drink of my whiskey. “Give it twenty-four hours. I want him to lead me to the rest of them. If he’s dealing with Antonetti, then I wonder how long that’s been going on.”
“I don’t know. Your father has been making sure to keep his nose out of everything that has to do with your arrest and every detail surrounding it, but he comes off too clean, especially with connections to the victim and the real hitman.”
“I’m guessing the more he gets riled up, the quicker he’ll make a mistake.”
“Or get desperate. We have to be prepared for both.” I’ll be ready. The one thing I remember before going to prison is hitting up the shooting range and creating design patterns with my turn. I have marksman skills, which pissed my father off when I refused to bring those skills when he wanted them.
“And I am. I’ve played this chess match so many times in my head. I won’t lose to him. I’ve smartened up about how dirty people can be.”
“You need more people on this, but I know there’s too much at stake for loose lips.” He’s right, but if we send anyone in to investigate, they have to be inside and there’s no one inside the family that would let in a spy. I don’t have loyalty like that from them because I’m the son that dared to dream for better. I’m the one who turned my nose up at violent crime and murder.
“Exactly.” I already feel like my circle is too big, but I can’t do without them and I trust each one of them implicitly.
“There are a lot of people that would love to bring your father and brother down, but so far all their dealings have appeared above board, even though you and I know that’s not true.”
“Just keep me informed. We both have copies of the evidence to put Denton away. I’m betting he’ll talk, but they’ll have a hit on him before we can get the details. Do you have anything on the Avanti family?”
“Besides that they are rumored to sell girls, I’ve heard of drug trafficking.”
“Damn, then they have a lot to lose and won’t play nice. I’m going to find a way to make my family turn on theirs.” I may have already started that endeavor if they take the bait.
For the next three hours, we go over our strategy as well as my company legalities that need to be handled before I go into the office. My paternity is another issue that I’m sure Dimitri is looking into discreetly. Honestly, I want the answers from my mother. I deserve to hear them from her.
After sending him on his way, I find myself slowly creeping up the stairs and back into my bedroom. There’s a lot I want to say to Giada, but for the time being, I just have to see that she’s doing okay.
The bed has been neatly made and the bags are full on the bench by the foot of the bed. When I look toward the open bathroom door, I spot Giada examining her face. She’s only wearing a pair of underwear and a tee shirt. I move to the doorway of the bathroom and lean against it to watch her. Groaning, I can see her nipples are pebbled and pushing against the fabric.
I could stare at her all day, but not like this. My brother didn’t just fuck her. He beat her and so did my piece of shit father. God, that would kill me if he took her to bed too. That’s more than I can even stand. It’s killing me that she’s in pain. There’s no way it doesn’t hurt like hell.
“You’re back?” She doesn’t turn to face me. Instead, she watches me through the mirror. I want to see the lust I saw the first time I met her, but she’s scared of me.
“You sound surprised. I told you I would be.” I rake my eyes over her form. From head to toe I catalog each spot and what I want to do to her. God, slipping behind her and sinking my hands onto her waist and thrusting into her pussy is all I want to do right now.
“What do you want from me?” Her voice is just a whisper, revealing her vulnerability. Something I didn’t see before. I step closer, entering the bathroom, but I’m still far from her.
I look into the mirror, staring at her face, and confess, “It’s complicated.”
“I know this all has to do with Rafael.” Her body stiffens up and I want to tell her it’s not, but I can’t lie and pretend that it isn’t.
“Not all of this.” She doesn’t believe me, and it’s written all over her face. The intensity of my desire for her is only matched by my hatred for him and the life he stole from me.
“When can I leave?”
My response is instant and final. “Never.” The question sounds ludicrous to me. I can’t fathom ever letting her go.
“So I’m your prisoner.”
“If that’s the way you want to take it.” I can’t go into how I’m fucking obsessed with her. No, I want to work my way into her heart. How the fuck am I going to manage that shit?
She spins around and angrily lets loose her attitude. “What I’d like to do is get the fuck away from all of you. One after the other: abusive, criminal, cruel.”
“Baby, stealing you is the only illegal thing I’ve ever done.”
“Don’t baby me. I’m a married woman. Not some whore.” She puffs out her chest, trying to appear tough, but all it does is show her fabulous tits and those stiff nipples that are going to be in my mouth very soon.
“I never said you were a whore, but you will be mine, and you’re
