Giovanni
“If you gentlemen will excuse me, I need to make a call,” I said, getting to my feet, then turned to my cousin and said, “And when you are finished telling Reaper your story, you and I will be having a conversation. Is that clear, Reginald?”
“Yes, Gio,” my cousin nodded.
Excusing myself from my own room, I walked out into the hallway and brought up the security app I had for the house. Clicking on the master bedroom, I grinned, seeing Layla as she entered my room, and started to look around.
When Luciano upgraded the home security, he thought it best to secure my bedroom in case of a home invasion. He also set it up that anyone could enter but not leave if they didn’t know about the hidden console to the left of the bedroom door. It was fingerprint-activated. The only way out of that room was if I personally removed the security measures, and right now, I was having a little too much fun watching the beautiful sneak move about my room.
She really was a nosey little thing.
Layla truly was a beautiful woman.
That I would never deny.
I also couldn’t deny my feelings for her. It was so unlike me to react so strongly to a woman I knew nothing about, and yet there I was standing in a bathrobe in the hallway of a Howard Johnsons, smiling at the crazy woman as if she was the most beautiful creature I’d ever seen. There was just something about her that called to me on some elemental level.
The woman was a mix of everything I ever dreamt a woman should be. She was crass, vivacious, subtle, cautious, strong yet delicate. I could clearly see her being gentle and loving with a child, a seductive vixen in bed, a best friend, or a fiery warrior if needed. The woman was the whole package and more, and I wanted her.
The fact was, Layla was business. The problem was that she was in my care for protection, and I never mixed business with pleasure. Nothing more. Regardless of how I felt or what I wanted, she couldn’t be anything or mean anything to me until my obligation was fulfilled. Until then, she was off-limits.
Of course, what worried me the most was who she truly was.
Even knowing who her real father was, did nothing to hinder my feelings towards her. Reaper was right about one thing. She did need to be protected. She may not know her real father, and some part of me prayed she never learned. It was best if she continued to believe she was the daughter of James Doherty.
Then again, she did ask me to kill Angelo Capribella. Why? Did she already know he was her father and wanted him gone because of what he had done? That would make sense, but then again, it didn’t. Even if she did know, I found it hard to believe a woman of Layla’s caliber would be so vicious and have her own father killed. But what did I know? I loved my father. I had read many stories of kids murdering their parents for various reasons, yet I still couldn’t see Layla doing such a thing. Maybe that’s why she asked me to do it. However, she also said, I would want to kill him.
As much as I dislike the Capribella Family, they’ve done nothing as of late to deserve such a reaction from me. In fact, that family has kept their word and stayed in Italy. The only one in the states was Angelo, and from my understanding,he doesn’t even know his own parentage.
Or does he?
My only concern was how I would protect her and keep her from the Capribella’s, especially her father. If he or the Capribella Family were ever to find out who her biological father was, there would be a war between our families that none had seen in decades. The blood would run, and many would die. That was something I refused to let happen.
There had to be some way to protect her and keep her away from the Capribella’s? The longer I watched on my phone, a flicker of an idea came to fruition. When it expanded and formulated the perfect ruse, I knew what I had to do. It wasn’t logical by any means, but it would ensure her safety and hide her perfectly from the Capribella’s.
Now, I just had to enact it and to do that, I needed to talk to Reaper.
But first, I had to save Layla from her foolishness.
Sending a text to my brother Luciano, I quickly told him of my plans and what I needed. Of course, as I expected, my phone started ringing. Picking it up, I said, “Unless you are calling to help me, I don’t have time for anything else.”
“Too bad. I also have Illyria on the line.”
“You know I hate the party line.”
“I can easily patch in Sal, Tony, and Lorenzo, big brother,” my sister smarmily replied.
“Why is it when you two get together you gang up on me?”
“Because we love you,” Illyria replied quickly as I heard her air kiss the phone.
“Are you sure about this, Gio?” Luciano asked, bringing the conversation back to the matter at hand. So serious yet more concerned for others above himself. That was our Luc. He was the gentle heart of the family. We all loved and protected him. “This isn’t like you to use the family’s private residence. No one knows about it.”
“I know. I can’t explain it either. It just feels like the right thing to do.”
“Feels?” Illyria whispered. “You never do anything just on feelings alone. We don’t know anything about her, Gio. She could be a spy. An assassin like her brother.”
My sister was right. Layla could be all those things. But I gave my word I would protect her. I just didn’t see any other way. I may be making the biggest mistake of my life, and the woman may kill me in my sleep, but I was willing to roll the dice. She was none of those things. At least I prayed she wasn’t.