by Gina Whitney
See? Women…pathetic.
Grow some fucking balls. Go after what you want, and take it. If he really loved you, he’d have you—and no one else. Plain and simple. If he calls you late at night…he wants to fuck. If he can only see you at your place…he wants to fuck. If he only has an hour…he wants to fuck. Get it? Good. Stop being weak. Stop being his bitch that he fucks any time he feels like it.
But there are moments when no matter how hard you try to stay strong, those female hormones surface. Those times piss me the fuck off. However, right now, that’s not what was happening. No. Not even close. Yes, Stefan had a way of making me feel like a female, but not in the weak way. Not in the pathetic way. But in the way that makes my cheeks flush, my heart pound, my knees weak. In the way the makes my panties wet, my clit throb, my nipples harden. In all the good ways. All the essential and important ways.
And as I watched the second hand on the clock tick by, that’s exactly how I felt. Feminine. Yet at the same time, I replayed his dirty words from the courthouse bathroom, and it empowered me. I remembered the feel of his breath on my neck and it enforced everything I’d come to terms with.
It excited me.
He excited me.
Finally, the time came to leave. My pulse pounded a staccato rhythm in my throat, making it difficult to swallow. I grabbed my coat and purse, and headed down the stairs, only to find my father at the bottom, as if waiting for me.
“Where are you going, Jordana?” The way he asked almost made me believe he knew of my plans to meet up Stefan, but I knew that couldn’t be.
“I’m meeting some friends for a drink. Catch-up time. I’ve been stuck inside for too long, and I need my girls.” I kissed his cheek and acted as if everything was normal, because it was. Things couldn’t get any more normal than this. Stefan and I together was my normal. My forever. My everything.
“I don’t think that’s such a good idea, sweetheart. It’s late.”
I cocked my head to the side and gently pressed my palm against his cheek. “Daddy, I’ll be fine. Nothing will happen to me. I won’t get hurt.” Or maybe I will, but I can guarantee I’ll like it.
“Take Sunny with you. He’ll stay out of your way, but it’ll make me feel better if he’s there keeping an eye on you. I don’t want you coming home again like you did last time. No father needs to see that.”
My eyes fell to the marble floor beneath my heels. “I know, Daddy. That won’t happen, I swear. I’m only going to have one drink considering I’ll be driving.”
“You’re right it won’t happen again because Sunny will be with you. This way you won’t have to worry about driving at all.” He kissed my cheek and walked me to the door. “Be safe, and have fun.”
I slowly walked to the driveway, hearing the hard clicks of Sunny’s loafers on the paver’s brick behind me. We called him Sunny because the man never had a smile on his face, always stern, business-like. So when I spun around and caught the smug smile on his youthful face, it sent a chill down my straightened spine. Something was off.
Sunny had been with the family for years, always there to babysit me when my father asked him to, which was probably more often than I knew. He never tended to Matty—only me. And I hated him for it. I hated it even more since he was only five years older than me. Fucking men…he could’ve been younger than me and yet he’d still hold more authority in my house than I would.
“I don’t need you to babysit me, Sunny. I’m a big girl. I can take care of myself, been doing it since my mother died. In fact, I’ve been taking care of my father since she died. I think that makes me perfectly capable of going out for a drink with my friends. Don’t you think?”
His steps didn’t falter or slow as he continued his way to the black Lincoln at the end of the driveway. “This way, Miss Jordana. You know I follow orders, but not yours,” he called smugly over his shoulder.
Judas Priest! I rolled my eyes and followed him—reluctantly.
He opened the back door for me to get in, tilting his head and raising an eyebrow at me as if daring me to question him. I knew there was no way around this other than having him drop me off at The Vine Bar and then evading him. Stefan would more than likely be irritated at me for being late, promptness was of high importance to him. But just the thought of provoking Stefan’s irritation spread a wide grin on my glossed lips, knowing the things he did to my body when he was like that. I winked back at Sunny and slid into the back seat.
“Take me to—”
“Oh, I know where I’m taking you, Jordana.”
“Excuse me? How would you know where I’m meeting my friends? Or are you kidnapping me? Should I be worried?” I didn’t sound worried, because I wasn’t. Even if he did have some ulterior motive and planned to take me somewhere else, I knew he’d never put me in danger. The man wouldn’t even look at me in a bathing suit. I thought for the longest time he might’ve been gay, but after catching him eye-fuck enough women, I had to put that theory to rest. Whatever the reason was, he never crossed the lines with me. Never even made it close enough to the line. Sunny was truly a good wise guy, which made his recent behavior a little odd.
He lifted a brow and caught my attention in the rearview mirror. “I’ve already told you…I know how to follow orders.”
“Whose orders? I do believe my father told you to take me to meet my friends.”
“You ask far too many questions, little one.”
That was it. I snapped. Fuck him and anyone crazy enough to call me “little one.” Fuck him for questioning my intelligence and belittling me. I waited until he pulled to a complete stop at the red light and then rolled down my window before reaching out and opening the door, already knowing the handle wouldn’t work on the inside.
“Jordana!” he called from behind me as I slammed the door closed and stormed off. “Fucking A! Get back in the car right now!”
I ignored him and kept walking in the opposite direction of the car. I knew he’d be stuck in traffic and unable to turn around in time to catch me before I disappeared. However, he seemed to know my move a second after I made it. He jumped out, leaving the car in the middle of the road, causing car horns to blare all around me. I turned back to notice him rushing after me, his face hard and red.
“Jordana, don’t do this. Get back in the car,” he said with his dark eyes impossibly darker as they pleaded with me. He wasn’t a begging man, he had no need or right to request anything. But his fiery eyes were of a desperate person, and it intrigued me.
“Worried my father will be angry if you lose me?” I tested him.
He shook his head, never taking his intense gaze off me.
“Who’s got your balls, Sunny? Tell me and I might get back in the car.”
“Get in and I’ll tell you. You’ll find out soon enough anyway.”
“Oh yeah? And why is that?”
“Once I take you where you need to go, you’ll figure everything out. I’m sure you already know most of it.”
I grabbed the knot on his tie and pulled—more like yanked—his face closer to mine. We were eye to eye, nose to nose, and I could practically hear his erratic heartbeat fill the night air around us. “Tell me. You’re working my last nerve here, Sunny.”
His eyes closed, shutting me out as he took in a deep breath. None of this was indicative to his normal behavior. Something had gotten to him. Someone, I should say. But with everything in such disarray, it could be anyone.
“Get in the car. Traffic is heavy, so we’ll have plenty of time to talk on our way to Mr. Giannotti’s place.” His eyes opened once my sharp gasp escaped me, ringing out over the sounds of traffic. “Mr. Stefan Giannotti, Miss Jordana. The only one that matters.”
I couldn’t deny the smile that overtook my lips as I stared back at him. He hadn’t called me Mrs. Giannotti, so he couldn’t have known everything, but he knew enough. And that was all it took to get me back to the parked Lincoln. Horns honked all around, but neither of us seemed to care. I know
I didn’t. Stefan’s plan was in the works, and I had an elated feeling about my meeting with him now.
“What do you know?” I asked Sunny once he took his place again behind the steering wheel. “And how? If you know this much, then I feel quite certain that you know my role in it all…and that it’s in your best interest to tell me everything.”
He kept his eyes focused on the road ahead as he spoke. “When you’re contacted by Carlo’s men and told not to ask questions or open your mouth if you want to keep your tongue, you do as you’re told. And with your visit to the courthouse, Stefan as your escort, I’m quite certain you know the changes being implemented in the family. They’ve reached out to various members of each family, grooming them for this redirection. Some know more than others, but none high enough on the ladder to shed light on it to the heads. Mick and your father have no idea, as I’m sure you’re aware, and no one in the Carrara fold knows anything. This is big, Jordana, and anyone involved in this stage is blessed. We will all be compensated.”
“So this is why you’re involved? To be compensated?” My disgust was evident in my tone. He was right about this being big, possibly even bigger than Gotti putting a hit on Big Paulie in 1985. It changed everything, giving Gotti power of New York at the time. That in itself should be enough to have him on board—not to mention, this came down from Italy. And you do not question those orders.
“No, ma’am.” His eyes caught mine again in the mirror, sharp and undeterred. “You know I’d do anything for this family, anything for this life. It’s not about what I get out of it, but what I can do for it. Whether that’s being your shadow and keeping the Albanese princess safe, or running errands for the new boss, I’d do anything.”
Sunny had always been loyal, and this only served to validate those claims. You never know someone’s true colors until the pressure is on. They may seem genuine to the naked eye, but put them beneath a microscope and dissect their balls…that’s when you see what they’re truly made of.
For a man overseas, one who’d remained a myth, an urban legend to the younger generations, he really knew whom to trust. It amazed me how he could do that without ever getting his hands dirty. Without ever looking into the eyes of these men. It was a gift, one only he seemed to possess. And if he wanted Stefan—and me—it was more than an honor. We were in the midst of making history. Sunny realized that, too. Whatever his motivation was, it didn’t matter, because he was chosen for a reason. And it was not my place to question Carlo or his motives.
“What do you know about the courthouse?” I had an innate curiosity to understand his knowledge on this matter. No one was supposed to know about our nuptials, but I guess it only made sense for him to since he was my shadow.
“I only know that you were there. I can make assumptions, but I would rather not. When it’s my time to know, I’ll know. Until then, I keep my eyes directed forward and my mouth shut.”
“So what is it that you do know?” This had somehow turned into a game for me—like twenty questions—and I found myself enjoying it greatly.
He cleared his throat and made a turn down the street that led to Stefan’s condo. I knew we didn’t have much time left to chat, but knowing how close I was to my man…my husband, I found myself caring less and less about Sunny and his knowledge.
“I apologize if this is overstepping, Miss Jordana, but I would rather not discuss what I know and what I don’t. I’m sure you know all of it, or at the very least most of it. And all you need to be aware of is that I’m on board with Italy’s rule. I support the decisions made by Il Padrino. And I stand behind you and Mr. Giannotti. Everything else is unimportant.”
We pulled into the parking garage beneath the condominium. I’d heard his words, but never acknowledged them. I didn’t need to. He’d given me the right answer, but he didn’t need a pat on the back. The tables were turning, and he no longer answered to my father. He answered to me—well, Carlo and Stefan first, and then me. It didn’t matter, though, because that meant he’d no longer be my shadow. He’d no longer tail me and report back to someone else. I knew Stefan trusted me enough not to need a report of my actions, and Carlo had eyes everywhere, so he’d never need Sunny’s intel on my whereabouts.
Oh, the power that gave me.
Mafia princesses everywhere would envy me. I’d be the Queen Motherfucking Elizabeth of Mafia. The mere thought of my father’s men answering to me gave me a lady-boner. And there was a man upstairs capable of relieving that for me. The same man who’d made it all possible to begin with—Stefan.
“I’ll be waiting for you down here, Miss Jordana,” Sunny said as he opened my door for me and led me to the elevator.
I smiled at him as the doors closed, and then the cart took me all the way to the penthouse. But it felt further than that. It felt as if it’d taken me to the top of the world. Because I felt high…high on adrenaline, high on euphoria, high on sexual desires.
Stefan met me in his foyer once the door opened back up. My smile fell as soon as I noticed the stoic and hard expression on his face. He wore a sharp, black suit, stiff in all the right places. Even the collar of his white shirt was starched to perfection. He appeared ready to go out, maybe another meeting, but it made no sense to me. Why would he ask me to meet him here if he had other plans? My attire certainly didn’t match his.
“What’s going on?” I asked timidly, knowing to never question the man when he looked like that. Almost angry—guarded. As if holding himself back.
“There’s business to tend to,” he gritted out, causing me to flinch slightly.
“I’m not following, Stefan. Did I misunderstand your text?” An unfamiliar fear settled into the pit of my stomach. It reminded me of the time I went to meet Mick with an offer to settle my brother’s debt, only to find Scarface instead.
Something wasn’t right. His text was vague, and then he didn’t respond. Sunny seemed a little too eager to get me here. Was this a setup? An ambush? Was Stefan involved, or just as much a victim as I? Sunny’s words replayed in my mind, of how others were involved. What if one of them…
My frantic thoughts were interrupted when Stefan took my hand in his, his gaze softening slightly. “What have I told you about letting that beautiful mind of yours wander? Huh, Tesoro? You’re always on edge…”
My forehead dropped to the center of his chest and I smiled at his teasing. “So much has been changing and I think it has me on edge. How much longer until things settle down?”
“Soon,” he said and pressed a chaste kiss to the top of my head. “We have business to deal with, though. Tonight. Like, right now. I’m not entirely eager about it, but it must be done. And you’re the only person that can do it. The only one I trust enough.”
Pride filled me as I met his gaze once more. His brown eyes held concern, but the way they regarded me was nothing slight of trust. Of love. It calmed me, wiped out the worried questions from my memory. They no longer existed. The only thing I could see right in front of me was the man I trusted. The only man I loved. And I’d do anything he’d ask of me.
“It’s time to obtain proof of the Carraras’ involvement in my brother’s murder. Things are moving along, and I need this information before taking the next step. Antonio Carrara is at his club tonight. His girl is center stage, and that means he’ll be drinking. It’s how we’ll make our move.”
Antonio was an idiot when it came to keeping his cards hidden. Everyone knew his next move because it was written plainly all over his face and in his actions. He had a dancer that worked for him, Chastity—totally cliché and completely ill fitting…the girl was a whore. We all knew that his unimpressive dick had been wound so tight around her pinky finger that the nights she took center stage, he drank himself into oblivion. Apparently, watching her rub her plastic tits on other men made him miserable. What a fucking jadrool—a loser. Stefan would never let me on stage to begin with, and if it happened, he certainly wouldn’t sit back and drink himself stupid over it. No. H
e’d gouge out the eyes of any man that even glanced my way. I couldn’t help but laugh to myself…he’d gouge out the eyes of other women, too, if their gazes lingered too long.
“What’s funny, Tesoro?”
I gave him a wicked grin and said, “I find his weakness hilarious. A total joke.”
His eyes sparkled for the first time since the elevator doors opened. “It is quite humorous, but it works to our advantage. Because tonight, you’re going to play on it. Use it to get what I need from him.”
“We’re going to the club? I’m not exactly wearing strip club material…”
He didn’t care to let me finish speaking before pulling me toward his room, leaving my words trailing off behind us. In his ornate bathroom hung a dress that I would’ve worn out prior to meeting Stefan. However, I wouldn’t dare to anymore—unless I really wanted piss him off—and not in the pleasurable way. But there it was, hanging from the hook on the wall. A black, skin-tight number that was so explicitly short that it probably wouldn’t even cover my snatch. It was lacy, which meant practically see-through and that didn’t surprise me one bit…Stefan and his obsession with lace. His predictability nearly made my eyes roll.
“You can’t possibly want me to wear that…” I pointed at it while carefully studying his rigid posture.
“Of course I don’t. But you have to. Otherwise, I won’t get the answers I need. This is why I’m not excited about this, Jordana. The thought of you flaunting what’s mine in front of these fuckers makes me want to murder someone. And if everything goes according to plan, I’ll get to do just that. It’s the only reason why I’m asking this of you.”
“Very well, then.”
He bowed his head and closed his eyes, taking in a cleansing breath before regarding me once more. “This isn’t easy for me, Tesoro. But it needs to be done. I will be there. Sunny will be there. But we have to keep our distance. Antonio can’t know we’re there. I don’t want you alone with him, and if he touches you, I’ll kill him on the spot. But this needs to be done.”