I looked at his slicked back hair and his pinstriped suit and shake my head.
Gio has always fancied him a stylish mobster.
His favorite movie isThe Godfather,after all, and he’s fancied himself a young Al Pacino since I can remember.
But he’s still the little tyke whose nose I used to wipe when he cried himself to sleep at night after Papa died.
I let that consideration dilute my rage when I address him with teeth clenched hard enough to break my jaw. “If you know what’s good for you, little brother, you’ll turn around and leave. Right now.”
The stubborn fool saunters deeper into the living room, his wingtips clicking on the wooden floorboards.
“No can do, brother. Not after the runaround you and this delightful little lady have given me.”
“Gio, I swear to God.”
He stops a few feet away and eyes Aria up and down. Although the towel is covering her, there’s still too much flesh on show for my liking. “Do not fucking look at her! Any of you!” I roar.
Gazes are quickly directed elsewhere.
I wrap the towel tighter and snatch the shirt she dropped to put the swimsuit on and drape it over her shoulders, not stopping until all the buttons are done up.
Then I turn to my brother. “Maybe you’re hard of hearing, but I told you to leave,” I snarl.
His eyes narrow. “Are you fucking kidding me? You know what we stand to lose if she talks? Everything!”
Aria trembles but before I can comfort her, she glares at Gio. “Don’t talk about me as if I’m not here. You have something to say about me, say it to my face.”
His eyes widen a fraction. “Well, well. Guess you’re as ballsy as you’re adept at giving me and my men the slip. I like that. But you shouldn’t have been anywhere near that alley,duci. You’ve had a lot of people…agitated.”
Somehow, she’s managed to stun me by standing up to Gio even while she put some distance between us.
Now, I watch,fucking proud, as she raises her chin higher.
“You’ve been looking for me? Well, here I am! Maybe I was stupid to take a shortcut through the alley that night. Just as I was stupid enough to trust the wrong p-person…” Her wounded gaze condemns me for a brief moment before she faces her foe again. “But whatever. Go on, do your worst.”
“He’s not doing one fucking thing to you,” I warn with a snarl.
“Frati—” Gio starts.
“No! She’s mine. Nothing happens to her. End of discussion.”
“I’m n-not yours. I’m nothing to you but a piece of a-a-ass you kept in your bed until your brother could come and collect me and what? P-put a b-bullet in my head?”
My heart breaks at the quivering anger in her voice. “Aria—”
“D-don’t you dare s-say my name!” She’s shuffling backward, bumping into furniture, not knowing that one of my men is standing right behind her.
I jerk my head at him and he skids out of the way before she makes contact because even in this volatile situation, I’ll maim anyone who touches what’s mine, even accidentally.
Tension ratchets up in the room.
I walk, slowly, toward her, my arms out in a calming stance. “We’re going to talk about this, Aria. Calmly.”
“No. Y-you lied to me. About everything. God, I can’t believe how g-gullible I…” She stops and takes a breath. “I-I can’t believe a thing you say to me.” Her eyes swing past me to Gio. “He’s been hunting me all over the country. A-and you expect me to what? J-just believe we can reason this out?”
“That’s exactly what we’re going to do.”
“Is it?” Gio echoes silkily. “I’m sorry, brother, but I must disagree. And you forget. I’m the head of the outfit now. What I say, goes. And this…this is final.”