by Penelope Sky
I kept my hand on the knob as I stared at him, watching him stare back at me with the same cryptic expression. I was shirtless and in my sweatpants, my hair slightly messy from rolling around in bed with his daughter, but I wasn’t ashamed of it. I was fucking his daughter every night, but I was also loving her, protecting her, and being the man she deserved.
I thought of the last words I said to him.
Fuck. You.
He hadn’t said anything at the time, but maybe he was ready to say something now.
“Is this a bad time?” His words were anticlimactic. I expected more from him, a fist to the mouth or an insult to the ears.
“No. I’ll get Vanessa.” I turned my back on him, letting him look at all the ink I had all over my body. He hadn’t seen me shirtless before, so now he knew I was completely covered with the skulls, dragons, bullets, and gravestones.
“I’m not here for her.”
I turned back around, my muscles naturally flexing in preparation for a fight. His calmness only made me more suspicious. A part of me wanted him to finally snap and start a fight. I wanted an excuse to hit him, but he had to make the first move—otherwise, it would be a betrayal to Vanessa. “Then what do you want?” If he wanted to continue this conversation on my doorstep, it was tacky. I was handicapped with my woman in the next room.
He still didn’t seem angry, and there wasn’t a gun on his hip or tucked inside his waistband. “A drink—if you’re free.”
He wanted to get a drink with me? It wasn’t too early to hit a bar, not for someone like me. I started drinking as soon as I finished my coffee, and that was around nine in the morning. The only reason I hadn’t already had a glass of scotch was because of my woman. She’d asked me to cut back—and I listened. With her by my side, I didn’t need it anyway, not the way I used to. “A drink?” I asked blankly.
“Yes. It’s not too early, right?” He moved his hands into his pockets. “I know we both start before lunch.”
Most of the time when I was with Crow, he was drinking scotch. It didn’t matter what time of day it was. The only time he seemed to drink wine was when he was with his family. It made me wonder if he even liked it.
He must want to talk about the last conversation we had, but I didn’t think there was anything left to say. “I meant what I said. I won’t apologize for it. You stand by every decision you made until this point. Let’s just leave it alone.”
His expression didn’t change. He used to wear his rage on his face, silently threatening me with his dark eyes full of malice. But now he was a conundrum, impossible to read. He must have done that on purpose. “That’s fine. I still want that drink.”
Then what the hell did he want to talk about?
“I’ll wait for you on the sidewalk.” He took the steps back down then faced the road, his hands still in his pockets.
I finally shut the door and walked back inside.
“Who was that?” Vanessa asked from the table.
“Your father.”
She pushed away her bowl of soggy cereal. “Really? Why didn’t you invite him inside?”
“Because you’re practically naked.”
She looked down at herself, seeing my t-shirt barely hiding her pointed nipples and blue thong.
“And he wants to get a drink.”
She glanced at the time on the microwave. “It’s not even noon.”
“Yes, I know it’s late.”
She narrowed her eyes on my face, not appreciating the joke. “I’ll get dressed, then.”
“He says he’s here for me, not you.”
She was about to rise out of her chair but lowered herself instead. “Oh…that’s nice.”
She had no idea that it wasn’t nice at all. He obviously had an agenda. I was about to find out what it was. “I’ll be back in an hour or so. Where will you be?” I wanted to know where my woman was at every moment. She was officially mine, and I wanted her to be safe at all times. I had a beautiful woman to guard—and I took my job very seriously.
“I’ll shower then work at the gallery. I haven’t been open in so long…hopefully, I still have customers.”
With her kind of talent, she could close down for a year, and there would still be business. “You will, baby.”
The walk to the bar was the most awkward five minutes of my life.
We walked side by side, not making small talk. With our eyes glued to our destination, we kept as much space between us as possible. He didn’t want to be any closer to me than he had to be, and that feeling was mutual.
We walked inside the bar and got a booth in the corner. There were only a few customers there at that time of day since it was during a weekday, and lunchtime hadn’t even arrived.
We ordered our drinks, both scotch, and then faced each other.
Crow held my gaze without backing down, but he seemed disgruntled, like he didn’t want to be there at all.
Neither did I. I’d rather be at home with Vanessa, watching her paint in the living room or do the dishes in the kitchen. Everything she did was fascinating to me. When she concentrated on her work, she bit her bottom lip from time to time. Sometimes she would mouth words to a song under her breath, but she wouldn’t actually sing. I always wondered if she sang only when she was alone.
Our drinks arrived, and we both snatched the glasses and got the amber liquid down our throats as quickly as possible. We went straight for the hard liquor, skipping the beer and wine unlike everyone else in that bar.
Silence passed. It seemed to last a lifetime.
I wasn’t sure why he’d dragged me down here if he had nothing to say.
Unintimidated, I held his gaze and waited, refusing to speak first. He was the one who disturbed my day. He was the one who pulled me from Vanessa—again. This was the kind of bullshit I would have to deal with for the rest of my life, an overprotective father who wouldn’t back off.
If I didn’t love my baby so damn much…
He finally said something. “You’re right, I’m not going to apologize for the things I’ve done. I won’t apologize for taking my daughter away from you. I’ll never apologize for protecting my little girl…even if she’s not a little girl anymore.”
“Thank you for dragging me all the way down here to tell me that.”
He ignored the sarcastic jab. “I accept your hatred. In your eyes, I’ve earned it. That’s fine with me. I won’t lose any sleep over it.”
“Just as arrogant as ever.”
His eyes narrowed. “As are you.”
I drank from my glass, not denying it.
“We can’t change the past, and I’m sure neither of us wants to change it anyway. My reasons for hating you were valid. Your reasons for hating me are also valid. But I would like to put it behind us and move forward. Since you’re no longer the same man, your past is irrelevant. I’m willing to forget about it because you’ve proven how much you love my daughter. I’ve come to realize we’re very similar. I wasn’t a good man until I met the woman I love…and you have the same story.”
He wanted us to bury the past and start over, but for me, that wasn’t an option. “Look, I’m willing to put on a show for Vanessa because it makes her happy. I’ll live in Florence so she can see you all the time, I’ll come over for family dinners and shake your hand, I’ll give your wife a hug and make small talk with Conway. But let’s leave it at that. Let’s not be in the same room together any longer than that. We’re just wasting time when we would both rather be doing something else.” Maybe he felt guilty about the bullet I took for him. Maybe he felt like he owed me more because of the sacrifice I made. “All I want is Vanessa. Now that I have her, I don’t want anything else. So you don’t need to make this gesture out of obligation. I didn’t save your life for you—I did it for her.” I took another drink, letting the warm liquid fill my stomach.
He swirled his glass slightly before he looked into the liquid. It was the first time he’d dropped his gaze, abruptly ended contact
with me. Maybe he felt relieved by what I said. Or maybe he felt something else entirely. “I’m not sitting here out of obligation or guilt. I’m not sitting here for Vanessa. I’m sitting here because I misjudged you, Griffin.” He set his glass down and looked me in the eye again. “I understand you want nothing to do with me, but I want to get to know you. I want a relationship with you.”
I couldn’t believe my ears. The Crow Barsetti I knew would never say anything like that. The only time I ever heard him say anything heartfelt was when he spoke to Vanessa. I stared at him blankly, unsure if I should be annoyed or disappointed. “Is this a joke?”
“No.” He looked me in the eye, his voice not shaking. “Conway married Sapphire, and now she’s a daughter to me. Instead of losing a son, I’ve gained another Barsetti. I know you’ll never be a Barsetti, but you will be my son-in-law. But I want you to be more than that…I want you to be my son.”
I still couldn’t believe any of this. “When I called you to tell you about Conway being captured, you threatened to kill me.” That was just a few weeks ago, not ancient history like he was pretending it was.
He winced slightly.
“And you told me I was trash and I always would be trash. Why the fuck would you want trash to be part of your family?”
He winced again, soaking in the words I threw back at him.
“Your insults don’t wound me. Bullets don’t even wound me. But let’s not pretend—”
“I’m not pretending I never said those things, Griffin. I said them, and I meant them—at the time. But I realize I was wrong. You’ve proven me wrong, Griffin. You’re not trash. You’re a very powerful and admirable man. When you ask my permission to marry my daughter, I will gladly give it to you.”
“Ask your permission?” I asked with a snort. “No, asshole. I will not ask for your permission. I earned that shit when I took that bullet for you. I never have to ask you for anything else.”
He dropped his gaze again, but this time, his breathing was different. He rubbed his temple then looked out the window, his hard appearance softening right before my eyes. Minutes passed, and he didn’t say anything.
I looked away, hoping this ridiculous conversation was over.
He turned back to me a short while later. “Griffin.”
I met his gaze, swallowing my annoyance.
“Please don’t take that away from me.” He placed his hand over his heart. “Please let me give my daughter away. Please let me be involved. Please show me the ring and tell me when you’re going to ask my daughter to be your wife. I understand if you don’t care or think it’s important…but it means the world to me.”
It was my turn to look away, uncomfortable with the emotion on his face. He never showed vulnerability in front of me, and the reason it bothered me so much was because I could feel his pain. I could feel his emotion…and it made me care. Unable to form a response verbally, I only gave a nod.
He dropped his hand and breathed a sigh of relief. “Thank you, Griffin.”
I drank from my glass then waved down the bartender for another. I hated myself for caring about his feelings, for caving to his plea so easily. In my heart, I knew I didn’t do that for Vanessa. I did it out of respect…because he was a good father. I never doubted how much he loved Vanessa and Conway. I never doubted how much he loved his wife. It was one of the reasons I hated him so much…that he had something I never did.
The bartender brought new glasses then walked away.
I continued to stare at my drink, not wanting to look at Crow’s face anymore.
“I don’t expect things to change overnight. I don’t expect you to even like me. And if you never like me, that’s fine. But either way, I want to be part of your life. I want my own relationship with you, to get to know the man I’ve come to admire and respect.”
My eyes lifted to his face, to see the sincerity in his gaze.
“I’m not the kind of man who admits when he’s wrong because I’m never wrong. But with you…I was very wrong. You’ve proven your loyalty and your love. I trust you implicitly. I’m very happy to know my daughter has you. That’s all a father wants, for his daughter to marry a good man. You’re a good man, Griffin.”
The only other person who’d ever said that to me was Vanessa…that I was a good man.
Crow stared at me for a long time, as if he expected me to say something.
I didn’t have any words. Even without knowing Crow as well as Vanessa did, I knew I could assume this was challenging for him. For him to sit down with his enemy’s son and try to start a relationship couldn’t have been easy, and no one could make him do it either. Not only was this genuine, but also difficult. After everything he did to me, it was hard for me not to hate him, and it was even harder for me to stand his company like this. But something he said sank into my skin, hit the right nerve.
When I didn’t say anything, Crow spoke again. “Tell me something about yourself.”
“I’m not very interesting.” I wasn’t trying to be difficult, but that was the truth.
“I never assumed you were.” A slight smile moved onto his lips, telling me he was joking. “Tell me anything about yourself.”
I couldn’t believe I was sitting across from Crow Barsetti in a bar in Florence, having a casual conversation like friendly acquaintances. This man had been my father’s enemy for decades, and he was the reason I was orphaned before I was even ten years old. Now, I was in love with his daughter, forging a strange bond between us because we loved the same woman. “I’m not much of a talker.”
“Neither am I.”
“Then this should be fun…” I looked away, a sigh escaping my lips.
He drank from his glass, still looking at me. “Come on, meet me halfway.”
When I chuckled, it was full of anger. “I tried to meet you halfway once before…”
“You’ve proven you’re the bigger man. So do it again.”
I wasn’t used to this kind of flattery from anyone but Vanessa.
“Alright.” He swirled his scotch like it was wine. “I’ll go first.” He cleared his throat. “When that thug had his gun pointed at me, I was scared. I’ve had a gun pointed between my eyes like that many times, but it was always without a hint of fear.”
“You didn’t look scared to me.”
“I’m the best bluffer I know.”
“Why were you scared that time but not the others?” Now that we were talking about something interesting, I stopped focusing on the awkward situation that existed from the two of us being together.
“Because every other time I’ve been held at gunpoint, my family has been safe. One time, I was being tortured in a warehouse because this asshole wanted my wife. He demanded that I give up her location. She was pregnant with Conway at the time. Of course, he was wasting his time.” He shifted his gaze out the window, the memory dancing across his eyes. “He cocked the gun and prepared to pull the trigger. But I didn’t care…because my wife and son were safe. In Milan, that wasn’t the case. I did the best I could to save my son. I thought I could blow out the engine so Conway could run, but that didn’t happen. I fell to the ground, a failure. And that was why I was scared…because my son wasn’t safe.”
I held my glass but kept my eyes on him, seeing the picture he painted with his words. I remembered seeing him on the ground, staring down the barrel of the gun. He took his death with dignity, not giving his executioner any power over him. I’d killed a lot of men, and most of them went out like a pussy. They pretended to be brave until things got real, until they were held at gunpoint. Then they pissed themselves. Shit themselves. Begged for their lives. Crow Barsetti didn’t do that. He was a strong man, and it didn’t surprise me that he raised such a strong daughter.
When I didn’t speak, Crow kept talking. “I raised my son to be the strongest man he could possibly be, and I think I succeeded. But he was ambushed without any warning, and there was nothing he could do but hope that someone would rescue him. I w
on’t be around forever. I won’t always be there to save him. Sapphire won’t be able to protect him because she takes care of him in other ways. But you will be there…and that brings me peace. Before I knew you were dating my daughter, I told her I wanted her to marry a powerful man. It didn’t matter if he was rich because money can cause more problems than it solves sometimes. I’m not clueless to my daughter’s special qualities, and I can confidently say she can have any man she wants…and she’s chosen you. All I wanted was someone who could protect her when I’m gone. You fit the bill perfectly.” He took another drink, handling his liquor just as well as I did even though I was thirty years younger than him.
“No one will ever bother her as long as I live.” I said it with complete confidence, meaning every single word. A man would never get within ten feet of her without being chased off. I would be the guard dog by her side. All I would do was growl, and men would shit themselves.
He gave a slight nod. “I believe you. That’s all Pearl and I want.”
“Well, you’re getting your wish.”
He gave another slight nod. “Does that mean you’ll be quitting the business?”
“Are you going to point a gun at my head if I say no?” Our conversation was going well, but I couldn’t restrain myself from these vicious comments. For the past eight months, this man had dictated my life completely. My relationship with Vanessa revolved around him like he was the damn sun. He bossed me around and laid down all the rules.
He sighed while wearing a small smile. “No. I was only curious.”
“And nosy.”
He clenched his jaw almost imperceptibly, swallowing the frustration my words caused. “My daughter is an adult and I will respect her privacy, but one thing will never change. I will always look after her, even when I’m eighty and she’s closing in on fifty. I won’t deny that I want you to walk away from that life. After what happened with Conway, let’s learn from his mistake. The best way to guarantee a peaceful life is to live a peaceful life.”
I didn’t think my occupation would interfere with Vanessa’s safety. We were careful to hide our organization, to never show our faces. Work and pleasure were distinctly different.