Gianni (Mafia Heat, #2)

by Jade, Ella

  “Cutting our support wasn’t enough?”

  “He’s confident he can further his career without us. He might have someone else in his pocket,” Dominick said. “He’s underestimating us.”

  “I can’t be the reason Angelique loses her father. No matter what he’s done to us, he’s her dad. If we take him out, I could never look her in the eyes.”

  “It won’t be you who does it.”

  “Dominick.”

  “That’s not in the scenario right now.”

  As much as I despised Jack, I couldn’t do that the Angel. I wasn’t completely sure I believed that my brother would hold back. I had to be proactive. I had to protect her.

  “You have to give me more time,” he said.

  “How much time?”

  “I’ve talked to a few contacts and called in some favors. I can cripple his campaign. Once he feels the heat, he’ll back down. He’s going to choose his career over his daughter.”

  “Don’t be so sure. He hates us enough to do anything to keep her away from me.”

  Unless I find a way to keep her with me.

  TWO HOURS LATER AND I still couldn’t settle down. One second I sat in my car, hoping the scent of her lingered from earlier and the next, I was driving. I didn’t intend to go to her house but that was where I had ended up. Jack was in Washington. We’d been keeping tabs on him. Monitoring his every move. With him away, he gave me a clear shot to her. Dominick would be furious but he had no idea the power she held over me. I had to make this right.

  Erica opened the door and gave me a polite smile but she wasn’t pleased with me. That was obvious in her reaction when she saw me standing on the other side of the door.

  “I know it’s late.” I came anyway. There was no stopping me tonight. “I have to see her.”

  “Why are you confusing her?”

  “It’s complicated.”

  “Isn’t it always?”

  “I should have stayed away from her but I can’t change how I feel.”

  “Come in.” She stepped back and allowed me entry. “She’s in her room. That’s where she spends most of her time these days. She’s a strong girl but she’s never been in love before. Probably hasn’t felt this kind of pain since her mother died.”

  What could I say to that? I shattered her within minutes. Not because I wanted to. There was no other way. Angelique didn’t know that. In her eyes, I was the asshole who broke her heart and promised her things I had no business promising.

  “I’ve been around long enough,” Erica continued. “I know you didn’t break that girl’s heart all by yourself.”

  “No, ma’am.” I meant every one of those promises I made. If her father hadn’t intervened, we’d be together. Happy and in love.

  “I’ll do anything to protect her,” she said. “She may have had a privileged life but she’s fragile in many ways. She’s growing stronger and finding her place in the world. When she started seeing you, she became more confident, less sheltered. She was finally morphing into the woman I knew she was destined to be. And then...”

  “We’re on the same side. From where you’re standing it looks like I don’t care but that couldn’t be further from the truth.” I was in the middle of an impossible situation. Just by being here tonight, I was jeopardizing my family. “I need to see her. I have to make this right.”

  “If you go up the staircase and down the hall, her bedroom is at the end.” She headed down the foyer. “Don’t make this worse.”

  “I won’t.” Tonight I had to make a choice. I only hoped it didn’t destroy us all.

  As I climbed the steps, I prayed my family would forgive me. The task of choosing between them and Angelique was too much to ask. There had to be a way to make this work. I had to explain to her that I never meant to hurt her without telling her why I’d done it. I couldn’t expose her father. She didn’t deserve to know what kind of man he really was. I vowed to protect her. If that included protecting Jack then so be it.

  Her door was slightly ajar when I reached her bedroom. I tapped on it but she didn’t respond. Pushing it open, I entered. She was curled up on her bed, facing away from me. Shutting the door behind me, I walked over to her, hoping she wouldn’t ask me to leave.

  “Angelique,” I whispered but she didn’t acknowledge my presence.

  In that moment, I realized this could be my biggest mistake or the best decision I’d ever make. Either way, I didn’t have a choice. I made promises to her and she needed to know that no matter how it looked, I would always keep them.

  Chapter Nineteen

  ANGELIQUE

  I Deserve Better

  I froze when he called my name. Lying still, I tried to process his presence in my bedroom. Here with me. Why? I squeezed my eyes shut when the mattress dipped beside me. It was as if my dreams were coming true. Wait... am I awake? I hoped he would come to me, realize his mistakes, and beg for my forgiveness.

  “Angel.” He stroked my hair. “I’m sorry.”

  Could I forgive him?

  I didn’t move as he comforted me with gentle caresses in my hair. After a few moments, he settled in behind me. I stiffened when he wrapped his arms around me, pushing his solid chest into my back.

  “Why are you here?” My voice was low, tired, defeated.

  “Because I have to be.”

  When he kissed my hair, I wanted to turn and stare into his beautiful eyes and lose myself in him. No! He shattered me. More than anyone ever had or ever could. How could I allow myself to forget that?

  “I want you to leave.” Liar!

  He tightened his hold on me. “I don’t believe that.”

  “Why should I believe anything you say?”

  “You shouldn’t,” he admitted. “I was a jerk. I hurt you. I broke promises but not because I wanted to.”

  “What does that mean?” I didn’t want excuses. I wanted the truth. I wanted him to absolve himself so I could continue loving him.

  “I’ve explained to you I can’t talk about some aspects of my family’s business. Sometimes you’re better off not knowing things. It’s my job to defend my family. When I said those things the other day, I didn’t mean them but I had to say them.”

  “I don’t understand.”

  “I don’t expect you to but I need you to know I didn’t want to hurt you.”

  “You did hurt me and I can’t trust you. Not ever.”

  “Don’t say that.” He guided me to face him. “Don’t ever say that. I know it may not seem like it but you can always count on me.”

  “You don’t get to decide how I feel.” I looked away from his eyes because I didn’t trust myself not to give in. “I believed you when you said you wanted to be with me forever.”

  “I meant it.” He tangled his fingers in my hair. “I’m a man of my word and I never would have done what I did to you if I had another choice.”

  “You once told me we all have choices.”

  “Being here tonight goes against what’s right for my family but I’m here anyway. I’m here with you because I choose you.”

  “You’re not making any sense. Are you saying your family doesn’t want us together?”

  “Of course not.” He traced his thumb along my bottom lip but I still wouldn’t look at him. “They adore you.”

  “Then why are you using them as an excuse for the way you treated me?”

  “We have enemies. I can’t talk about the details.” He sighed in frustration. “I need you to trust me. I need you to forgive me.”

  “How can I?” I wanted more than anything to forgive him but my heart couldn’t take much more. “How do I know this won’t happen all the time? You feel threatened by something happening within your family and I’m the first to go. I don’t get an explanation. Only a cruel goodbye. I can’t live like that.” I sat up, breaking myself from his hold. I couldn’t be rational when we were that close. “I deserve better.”

  “You’re right.” He sat up, turning me toward him
. “I need you to look at me.”

  I fidgeted with my hands, knowing once he caught me in his gaze all of my resolve would be lost. That was what I wanted. I needed to be his.

  “Please.”

  Slowly, I raised my eyes, connecting with his. They were harsh but not because of me. Whatever was torturing him went deeper. It was draining him and now that I looked directly into his eyes, I could see his struggle. He took my breath away. His pain was my pain.

  “I’ve always believed you deserve better than me.”

  “That’s not what I meant.”

  “Let me get this out. When I’m done, I’ll go.”

  No, he couldn’t leave me again. Could he?

  “What I did to you was unforgivable but I had my reasons. Reasons I wasn’t fully on board with at the time but I saw no other way. I was wrong. When it comes to you there will always be another way. You’re my life. When I’m with you it all makes sense.” He caressed my cheek. “I’ve been bound by one principle my whole life. Family first.”

  “I’ve always understood that about you.”

  “I’m very lucky to have a woman who understands what makes me tick even if I can’t always let you in. What I failed to realize was you’re my family too. You’re in my life because you want to be in it. I made a choice for you. I had no right to do that. If protecting my family doesn’t include you, then it’s wrong. I didn’t fight hard enough but I’ll never make that mistake again.”

  “Gianni.” I took his hand in mine. “No one has ever had the power to destroy me the way you have.”

  “I’m so sorry.” He pressed my knuckles to his lips. “More than you’ll ever know.”

  “I won’t ask you to tell me why you did it but I can see whatever it is, it’s taking a toll on you. If you need to walk away from me, I’ll try to understand. I’ll never accept it but I won’t make things difficult for you.”

  “No, I can’t walk away from you.” He drew me into his lap, cuddling me against his chest. “If you could trust me a little longer, I swear I’ll make this right. My family will find a way to fix this. We always do.”

  “You can’t tell me anything about it?” I knew better than to ask.

  “Not now but you’re not in any danger. I would never let anything happen to you.”

  “Are you in danger?”

  “No.”

  “I believe you when you say you want to be with me.” I ran my fingers through his hair and along his jaw, gently pressing my lips to his. “I want to trust you.”

  “You don’t know how much that means to me.” He took my face between his hands and kissed me, long and slow. Awakening my body, tantalizing my senses, and reminding me why I’d always come back to him.

  I straddled his lap, pushing against his groin as I slipped my hands under his shirt. “I want to be with you right now.” Kissing his neck, I ran my palms along his chest. “Make love to me.”

  He guided my face back to his, melting me with one blazing look of desire. “Are you sure?”

  “Do you want me to accept this is real?”

  “With everything that I am.”

  “Then make love to me.” I leaned back and lifted my tank top over my head, exposing more than my body to him. “I’m all yours.”

  Sliding his hands along my back, he kissed me, harder this time. As he dug his fingers into my flesh, I arched my back, rocking into his erection. When he brought his lips to my neck, my nipples hardened under his touch.

  “I missed you so much.” I tightened my legs around his waist. “Promise you’ll never leave me again.”

  “Never.”

  He lifted me off his lap and stood by the edge of the bed. Taking his gun from the back of his pants, he placed it on my dresser. The presence of it reminded me how dangerous his world was and I had no idea what it really entailed. I’d have to accept the secrecy if I wanted to be with him. As I pondered that reality, Gianni removed his clothes. Once he crawled back into bed, I put my worries aside and enjoyed the sensation of his warm, naked body on top of mine.

  “You’re everything to me.” Hooking his fingers inside my panties, he drew them down my legs, tossing them off the bed before hitching my calf over his hip.

  “Your one?”

  “My one.” When his lips curved into a sexy smile, everything seemed right between us. The weight he carried lifted. His features softened and his rigid muscles relaxed. “I love you.” When he entered me, all the sadness was replaced with peace. “I’ll always love you.”

  I raised my hips to meet him as he took my hands and held them above my head. “I love you too.”

  “I’m sorry I hurt you.”

  “You’re torn. That scares me.”

  “I’m not torn anymore. I know what has to be done.”

  We moved in unison, gazing into one another’s eyes in between kisses. Pinning me beneath him, he increased his tempo inside me. Long, deliberate strokes. His lips grazed my throat as his stubble scraped against my neck. My climax swirled to the brink. When he captured my nipple between his teeth, I let out a soft moan.

  “Gianni...” I closed my eyes, moving my head from side to side as I came undone.

  He licked and sucked my nipples as he pushed his pelvis into me. Wrapping my legs around his hips, he dove deeper, filling me completely. He lifted his head, closed his eyes, and released inside me, whispering my name and telling me how sorry he was.

  “I believe you.” I reached up, brushing my hand along his jaw. “We’ll find a way to make this work.”

  As he stilled inside me, he rested on his forearms. His jaw tensed and the skin between his eyes crinkled. That stress was back and I wasn’t sure why.

  “What’s wrong?”

  “Nothing.” He kissed my forehead as he slipped out of me. “Everything is right except for one thing.”

  “Can I make it right for you?”

  “You’re the only one who can.”

  “Tell me. I’ll do anything.”

  “Marry me.”

  “What?”

  “Will you marry me?” He gently kissed my lips. “I know it seems random but I can’t be without you. I won’t be without you, no matter what anyone...” He shook his head. “If you agree, we’ll do it tomorrow.”

  “Get married?”

  “I’ll arrange for everything. We’ll go away, just the two of us. No distractions, no obligations. You and I. Anywhere in the world you want to go. All you have to do is say yes.”

  “Say yes to spending the rest of my life with you?” I thought my heart would beat out of my chest. Was I excited, scared, filled with hope? Probably all three.

  “Will you take a chance on me?” When he took my face between his hands, I knew I could never resist. “Angelique, I want you to be my wife.”

  “Yes.”

  “Yeah?”

  “Yes, I want to marry you.” An excited energy came over me. “I would take a million chances with you.”

  “Thank you.” He kissed me, taking his time, pressing his warm full lips to mine. “You’ll need your passport.”

  “Why?”

  “I’ll make all the arrangements.” He rolled off me, propping himself on his elbow. “I’ll make you the happiest bride ever.”

  “As long as I’m with you, I’ll be happy.” I sunk into the pillows, snuggling closer to him. “You’re not going to leave me tonight?”

  “After tonight we’ll never spend another one apart.” He pulled the comforter over me. “Have you been sleeping since I...”

  “Not much at all.”

  “Me either.” He ran his hand through my hair. “I’ll stay until you fall asleep.”

  “You’ll come back?”

  “First thing in the morning,” he said. “Can you get things situated with work?”

  “I can take a leave of absence.” It would be inconvenient but there was enough staff to cover me. I had been dedicated to the school and the students the past year. They would understand. “Will a week be enough
?”

  “Make it two.” He kissed me. “I have so many things to show you.”

  “What about our families?” I’d been caught up in the moment, I didn’t think of anyone but Gianni. “My dad, Erica? Your parents and brothers?”

  “Remember when I said you needed to trust me?”

  “I told you I do.”

  “We need to keep this between us. I need this to just be us. No one else for now. Can you do that for me?”

  I didn’t understand but I did trust him. If he said it should be the two of us, I accepted that.

  “We’re really getting married?”

  “This time tomorrow you’ll be Mrs. Marchelli.”

  “I like the way that sounds.” I closed my eyes and smiled. “Mr. and Mrs. Gianni Marchelli.”

  I remembered the way it looked when I wrote it in my notebooks in high school. How much I wanted that dream to come true.

  “We have nothing but possibilities.” He held me close. “We’ll always have one another.”

  Chapter Twenty

  ANGELIQUE

  Where’s Gianni?

  Banging on the heavy oak door of the Marchelli estate, I couldn’t contain my rage. I’d waited hours for Gianni to come for me this morning. I’d done everything he’d asked. Got my passport out of my father’s study, packed enough clothes for two weeks, took a leave of absence from work, and worst of all, I didn’t say a word to Erica or my father. I trusted him like he told me to and he didn’t show up! He wouldn’t answer my calls or texts.

  I knocked again, harder this time. “Gianni!” I’d already been to his house but he wasn’t there. Dominick wasn’t at his either so I had no choice but to go to the main house.

  How could he have done this to me? He was a no-show on our wedding day. How could I have been so stupid?

  “Angelique.” Jennie answered the door. She appeared tired, maybe upset. “Please come in.”

  “Where’s Gianni?” I entered the house. “He’s not answering my calls.”

  “He’s not answering any of our calls,” she informed me.