My lips spread into a grim line. “Me too.” My stomach rolled as I remembered him coming home and calling a family meeting. There was no negotiation. He was putting us on lockdown until whatever was happening was over. I didn’t want to admit that I kind of liked the fact none of us could leave. We were forced to be together. Ma was losing her mind being cooped up, but she’d found solace in cooking and baking. I was sure I’d put on ten pounds from her cannoli alone.
“Hello!” the shrill voice shouted through the speaker. “I demand you get Lorenzo.”
“Who’s that?” I asked Mrs. Larson, but when she just stared at me with wide eyes, I remembered what she’d called the woman. Veev. My anger mixed with apprehension, and for a second, I wondered if Lorenzo had asked her to come here. But that idea flew out of my head as fast as it appeared. There was no way he would have told her to go to the mansion, not after everything we’d promised each other. “I’ll handle it,” I told Mrs. Larson, pulling open the front door.
I sauntered down the drive and to the gate where she stood. Her eyes widened, shock slamming over her features, but it was gone in a flash, replaced with a smirk—the same one she’d worn the day she’d been laid out on Lorenzo’s desk as naked as the day she was born.
“Hi there,” I greeted, keeping at least five meters between us. “Can I help you with something?”
Her nostrils flared, her perfectly red-painted lips lifting into a sneer. “Be a good girl and fetch Lorenzo.” She flipped her hair behind her shoulder, her long fingernails painted to match her lips.
I looked her up and down, taking in the tight, dark-blue dress that was stuck to her like a second skin. Her long legs were on display, and the straps for her heels wrapped around her ankles. “Can I ask what it’s regarding?” I tried to keep my rage tamped down—for now anyway.
“None of your business.” She raised her brow at me, making a shoo motion with her hand. “Run along.”
I laughed so hard that I threw my head back, my stomach cramping at the force. I bent forward, holding my waist, knowing I looked crazy, but not giving a single fuck.
“What’s so funny?” Veev asked, her shrill voice coming back in full force.
My laughter waned to chuckles as I tried to get ahold of myself. “You.” I wiped the tears falling from my eyes and met her stare. “You are.”
“What—”
I lunged forward, wrapping my hands around the bars on the gates, my emotions flipping so fast I made myself dizzy. “It’s goddamn hilarious that you would turn up at my home, demanding that I get my husband for you.” I narrowed my eyes, showing her
I wasn’t fucking around now. This wasn’t her territory. It never had been.
Her fake lashes fluttered as she blinked, and I knew if this gate wasn’t between us, I would have ripped them off her eyes. “You don’t belong here.” I slowly loosened the bars from my grip, counting to ten in my head so I could gain my control back. “Leave.”
She snorted. “I doubt your husband would agree with that.”
“My husband is being taken care of by his wife. Your whoring skills are no longer of use.” I winked at her, pulling my lips up into a sweet smile. “Come here again, and I’ll shoot you myself.” I stepped back, lifting my hand in a wave. “Bye now.”
I spun around, pushed my shoulders back, and sauntered up the driveway. Lorenzo stood in the doorway, his face a mixture of anger and appreciation. “You shouldn’t have gone down there.”
I shrugged, grabbing his shirt and yanking him inside. “I don’t care.” I stared up at him, giving him the same stare I gave her. “If I catch her here again, not only will I shoot her, I’ll also chop your cock off.” His eyes flared with anger. “Am I understood?”
He stared at me, his expression filtering from frustration to—
“I wanna fuck you so hard right now,” he ground out, stepping toward me and not stopping until my back was pressed against the wall.
I bit down on my bottom lip as I trailed my hand down his chest and to his erection. “What are you waiting for?”
He slammed his hands on the wall above my head, caging me in. I gripped his cock, watching as his head tipped back, and a groan vibrated from the back of his throat. “You’ll be the goddamn death of me.”
“I’m okay with that.” I lifted up onto my tiptoes, whispering against his lips, “Now fuck me.” I paused. “Hard.”
LORENZO
My focus was split, half listening to Aida as she spoke to Ma at the dining table, and half listening to Christian, who sat next to Sofia. From the moment I’d walked out of the warehouse two weeks ago, I’d put the entire house on lockdown. Those closest to me had to stay in the house, only going out if absolutely necessary, and only when they were surrounded by protection. I wasn’t taking any chances, not when it came to my inner circle.
Uncle Alonzo and Uncle Antonio had taken their wives away on what they thought were vacations, and Dante was trying to make amends for the mess he’d created by staying in the city in my old apartment. I’d demanded Christian and Mateo move into the mansion, at least until I felt the dust had settled.
Nothing had outwardly happened—unless you counted Veev turning up out of the blue. Aida had schooled her in minutes, and even though I was mad as hell at her for going down to the gates without telling anyone, I couldn’t deny it was hot as fuck watching her take charge of Veev. She’d warned her to stay away, but she’d also warned me, too. I didn’t take people telling me what to do lightly, but when it came from Aida, I knew to fuckin’ listen.
Happy wife, happy life, right?
“How is your brother?” Ma asked, bringing me out of my thoughts and crash-landing back into the here and now. Ma’s gaze fixed on me. She knew better than anyone at this table that I wouldn’t tell her what had caused me to close ranks, but she also understood it was bad enough for me to do it. My gut told me to be on guard even if people thought I shouldn’t be.