I heeded my own advice, attempting to drift off. But Gia wasn’t finished with our conversation.
“Sonny gave me the list today for our wedding reception. Can you explain to me why I have to invite the men who kidnapped me? I’m not okay with that, Angelo.” She peeled herself from my arms and sat up, folding one leg over the other. “You honestly expect me to shake the hands of the men who sold me on a private auction? How about the men who threw me into a creepy room with padded walls and no windows and left me there for who knows how long without food? When I was pregnant with your daughter.”
I pinched the bridge of my nose between my fingers and sighed. “C’mon, Gia. Not now. Can we do this in the morning?”
“It is morning, Angelo. I’ve been waiting to talk to you all day and night, but I have to wait my turn. Your father and his goons are more important than this family.”
Furious, I rolled over to face her and dug my fingers into her thigh. She didn’t even flinch. Gia was used to my rough touch. “Knock it off, G. No one is more important than this family.” I released my hold on her and relaxed at her side.
“Those are just words, Angelo.” Gia dragged out my name, sounding extra whiny on purpose. “Show me you mean it, and then we can talk.”
“My brothers and father are also my family. You seem to forget that. I have a job to do, one that requires me to be out at all times of the day and night. I can’t predict when someone will get arrested, which has been a lot lately. We don’t have the same protection from the law we had before. Our war with Enzo stirred up a lot of unresolved shit which has brought us a lot of attention.”
“What about my dad? Can’t he help out? He’ll be Mayor soon enough. That has to buy him enough pull to sway a few cops and politicians in your family’s favor.” Gia folded her arms across her chest, grinding her teeth together. She was angry all the time, and it was my fault.
“It’s not like my dad is legit,” she growled, her words harsh and almost too loud. “He’s not a real politician. He’ll never be a real mayor. He’s whatever the fuck your dad wants him to be, same as you and your brothers. Same as all of us. Do any of us have a choice? Do I? Does your daughter?”
Her voice grew louder with each word. So, I did what I had to do and covered her mouth with my hand. “Would you be quiet? Faith is sleeping.”
She peeled my fingers from her lips and shoved my hand away. “Dinner tonight. Be there. I don’t care if your dad’s house is on fire. You will not miss another night with your family.”
I took her hands and mine, and she settled down. “I love you, Gianna. You are my entire world. It’s not like I’m out with other women. I am working. Please be patient with me. This will all blow over soon enough.”
“There will always be the next thing,” she pointed out, and she was right. “You’re a criminal. All of your friends and relatives are criminals. We will always have police or federal agents coming to our house with warrants. Men will still try to kill us and take what we have because of who you are and what your name represents.”
I brushed my fingers along the top of her hand, caressing her soft skin. “Ever since I got into college, you wanted to believe I had a choice, and that one day we would finally be free. You know that will never happen, and yet you fight it every step of the way. When I would leave in the middle of class, you knew I was only there with you because my father allowed it. I was there for as long as I followed his orders. Do you think one day we will wake up and have normal lives? Become lawyers at a firm downtown and pretend as if none of this ever happened?”
“For such a strong man, sometimes you sound so fucking weak.” Her words pissed me off, but I didn’t stop her. She leaned forward, pulling me to her, our hands still intertwined. “You’re not a boy anymore, Angelo. You could have told your dad to go to hell years ago. But you’re loyal, which is part of the reason I love you so much. Even when you want to say no to your family, you run to their aid. But I need you to do that with our family, the one we are building together.”
“I would do anything for you and Faith. Just because I missed a few dinners and bedtimes doesn’t mean I would put them first. When it comes down to it, I will choose you and our daughter. Always. For the month you were gone, I couldn’t function. It was like I was held under water, trying to reach the surface and left gasping for air. That’s how I felt, and I never want to be without you again.”
“Sometimes, we take the things we love most for granted,” she told me, her voice firm. “I will always be here for you, but please don’t take me for granted. I am going to be your wife. I’m the mother of your child. I have been your partner in crime since we were kids. Let me in, Angelo. Don’t shut me out. That’s what bugs me the most. When I see you for an hour or two in passing and then you won’t tell me a thing, it drives me crazy. You know it does.”
I cupped her face in my hands and kissed her. “This is why you’re mad. Not because I haven’t been around much this week but because you feel left out.”
For as long as I had known Gia, she always wanted to be involved in every aspect of my life—criminal activities included. “Some things I don’t tell you because I don’t want you to know too much. The Feds could use that knowledge against you.”
“Spousal privilege,” she said, matter of fact.
“Not for crimes committed outside the marriage. And we’re not married yet.”
“Slight technicality,” she countered. “But we will be soon enough. So, let me in. Tell me what’s been going on. Don’t worry. Sonny checked the house for bugs earlier.”
Last year, I moved out of the house I shared with Sonny and into a high-rise penthouse apartment on the waterfront with Gia and Faith. We needed more space with the baby coming, and I wanted to ensure their protection. The only way up to the apartment was with a special keycard, which only three people had in their possession. There were no ways in or out we couldn’t monitor, making the place perfect for my girls. Still, I didn’t underestimate the Feds or our enemies.
I pulled Gia to me and leaned back against the headboard, cradling her in my arms. “What do you want to know?”
“Why are so many guys getting arrested? Something has to be going on. The police didn’t decide to turn on your family out of nowhere.”
“I’m sure you heard there’s a new police chief, right?”
She shook her head. “No, I didn’t know.”
“He’s a real stickler, not someone we can influence. He has no weaknesses. I’ve tried to find something we can use against him, anything to get him on our side, but he’s squeaky clean. No mistresses, baby mamas, or any skeletons whatsoever. He’s coming down hard on organized crime and working with the local and state police to crack down on us. Anyone who was suspected of helping our family has been re-assigned to another position or has suddenly asked for early retirement. More like forced retirement.”
“That’s just the police. Your dad still has the district attorney and some judges in his pocket.”
I shook my head. “Nope, not after the last election. We have a few people who are willing to take bribes but not as many as before. Organized crime has become a priority after our war with Enzo. Whether you realize it or not, we tore up the city trying to get to Enzo and his men. Things were even worse when I was out there looking for you. Our feud drew a lot of attention. The only way for us to stay below the radar is to keep a low profile, which hasn’t been easy with all the bullshit we’ve been going through.”
“Speaking of Enzo,” she said, stroking my arm with her fingers. “I found something in my dad’s office. He asked me to go up there and grab documents to sign. We are transferring land to your dad… one of the plots my dad had bought for my mom. It was supposed to be our home in the suburbs, far away from your family and all this drama. He never built on the land because your father never let him go. Now, we have to sell it to your dad for next to nothing.”
“He told me. I’m sorry about all this, G. I know how much that l
and meant to you and your mom. If I had that kind of money, I would buy it from him. I asked the old man to pick something else, but he said he needed it for a new deal he has in the works. It wasn’t open for discussion. He’s trying to legitimize our business. If he succeeds, one day we might not have to look over our shoulders.”
“We’ll never be legit, Angelo. No matter how much your dad wants to believe he’s a real businessman, it will never happen. He will still kill, torture, and blackmail anyone who gets in his way.”
“He won’t be around forever,” I breathed against her lips.
She grunted. “No, instead you will have Pete to answer to. He’s not much better.”
“Pete is levelheaded like the old man. He plans, never reacts without thinking first. My brother is a lot of things, but he will make a good boss.”
She sucked in a deep breath and let it out. “Thank you for letting me in, Angelo. I hate when I feel like you’re keeping secrets from me.”
“It’s for your own benefit.”
“From now on… let me decide what’s good for me.”
I leaned in to Gia’s touch and took her bottom lip in her mouth to suck on it. She opened wider, granting me the access I needed. It was so easy for me to get lost in each kiss. Gia was the only person who could make me forget about the life I’d chosen for not only myself but for Gia and my daughter. With each flick of our tongues, I could block out everything I’d done that day. Every mistake I’d ever met, every sin I’d ever committed.
Once our lips separated, we stared into each other’s eyes, our breathing heavy. I pushed her back to the mattress and pinned her down with my body, spreading her legs open to make room for me. My cock was already rock hard for her, and unlike last time, I didn’t wait for her body to relax. Digging my fingers into her thighs, I threw them over my shoulders and slammed into her with violent force.
She turned her head to the side, eyes closed, and screamed out in pain. Running my lips along her inner thigh, I stuck out my tongue to taste her before I sunk my teeth into her soft flesh. With each thrust, I bit her harder. Gia looked up at me, her eyes full of pure ecstasy, and yelled for me to keep going. My girl loved it rough, and I loved giving it to her. Our shared sickness helped us heal from the sins of our pasts, each orgasm bringing us closer to our former humanity.
“I killed someone today,” I confessed, pushing her right leg toward her to change the angle. “I left that part out.”
“Yeah,” she moaned. “Why did you do it?”
“Because he was going to turn on our family. He told the police too much.”
Gia reached up to push her hands into my chest as if forcing me off her, when she only wanted me to fight her back. She loved the push and pull. I lived for the nights when she wanted me this way. When she wanted the coldblooded killer, the man I was even though I tried to be different for her.
For years, I’d told Gia, and myself, I never had a choice. But I did. Even if my father would never allow me to leave, I still had a choice. Maybe I was made for this life. And if anyone was made for me, it was Gia. Her body molded to mine like a glove, her pussy milking my cock as she found her release.
When she came down from her high, Gia muttered, “How did you do it?”
“Two shots to the back of the head,” I confessed, fucking her harder. With her insides clenched around my cock, I closed my eyes and hissed from the sensation, which rocked through my body.
“Damn,” she whispered, still out of breath. “That was…”
I collapsed on top of Gia, the sweat from my forehead mixing with hers when I dipped down to kiss her on the lips. “Therapeutic,” I answered for her.
She giggled. “That’s one word for it.”
“I can’t wait to make you my wife.” I kissed her on the forehead, slid out of her, and rolled onto my side of the bed. “Not many guys in my business can talk to their women the way I do with you.”
“This bedroom is sacred ground. You can tell me anything. There’s only one unforgivable act you could ever commit.”
I propped my elbow up on the stack of pillows behind me and turned to look into her eyes. “And what’s that?”
“Adultery. I would never forgive you.”
“Good thing you have nothing to worry about.” I kissed her mouth, making my way up to her nose and forehead. “I’ve never wanted another woman. Only you.”
She cocked a curious eyebrow at me. “Never? Not even once? You were never tempted at the strip club with your brothers?”
I shook my head. “Nope, never. Men cheat when they’re not happy or insecure. I’m neither of those things. The first time I kissed you was one of the best days of my life. You were it for me. I knew it back then, and I know it even more now.”
“For the record, I can’t wait to marry you, too. We have to get through my dad’s election first. I’d also like to lose some of this baby weight so I can fit into the dress your mom found for me.”
With Gia’s mother out of the picture, she had no one else to turn to but Ma, who was more than happy to fill the void. She took Gia shopping at every major dressmaker from Philadelphia to New England in search of the perfect gown.
“You don’t need to lose weight, babe.” I stroked her cheek with the back of my hand and smiled. “How many times do I have to tell you how beautiful you are just the way you are?”
She smiled. “Such a sweet talker, my Angelo. You always were.”
“Just stating a fact.” I removed my hand from her face to her stomach, slowly moving to her hip. “You’re perfect. Don’t change for anyone. I love you this way.”
“I love you, too.” She held her hand up to her mouth and yawned. “How about we get some sleep before Faith wakes up for her morning feeding?”
I pulled her to my chest, cocooning her in my warmth. “She’s been sleeping through the night.”
With her back to me, Gia nodded. “For this week, anyway.”
I laid my head on the pillow, with her hair in my face and the smell of her pomegranate shampoo filling my nostrils, desperate for sleep. My eyes closed a few seconds later. That night, unlike most nights where I awoke from nightmares of the horrible things I’d done, I dreamt of the only girl I’d ever loved.
Chapter Twenty-Six
Gia
I snuck out of my office when Sonny was in the kitchen grabbing a bite to eat with Faith. He wheeled her down the hall in the stroller and left one of his men to stand guard. I told his replacement I had women things to handle, pretended to go into the bathroom, and then rode the elevator upstairs to my father’s office.
My curiosity was still on high alert after I flipped through the file folders a few days before. I was sure my father had hidden something from me. We were selling off property and stock left and right as if we were in the middle of a fire sale. It drove me crazy when Angelo kept even the smallest secret from me, and even more insane when my dad did the same. He became more closed off after my mother’s death, keeping his distance from me. Dad used City Hall and his campaign for mayor as an excuse to stay away. But there had to be more to the story.
Once inside the office, I locked the door and went straight to the filing cabinet. My cell phone buzzed in my pocket. It was Sonny that much I knew without checking. He called me a few more times, all of which I didn’t bother to answer. Sonny knew where I’d be if he wanted to find me.
In a hurry, I tugged open the top drawer of the cabinet, pulled out a stack of folders, and dropped them onto the desk. I looked through the first file, about to read through the next, by the time Sonny banged on the door.
“C’mon, Gia, open up. I know you’re in there.”
I glanced at the door and sighed, knowing he would bang the damn thing down if I didn’t let him in. But I kept on going, too determined to uncover the truth. When I was in law school, I loved the research aspect of the job. Contracts were also my specialty. I knew where to look on each document and what kind of paper trail I should expect to see in its place.
Maybe if I stayed still, he would go away, or at least it was what I’d thought. Sonny jiggled the handle, a few seconds passing where he toyed with the lock before he burst inside.
He shook his head, irritated with me. “Gia, you have to stop doing this. Remember what I told you about your curiosity.”
“I won’t be the cat, Sonny,” I shot back, shuffling through the stack of folders on the desk. “You worry too much about me.”
“Someone has to worry. You’ve always gone running off on your own. Ever since we were kids, you had to be part of everything. Have you ever stopped to consider some things are hidden for a reason?” He rolled a sleeping Faith over to the desk and sat in the chair across from me. “What are you even looking for? Dusty land documents aren’t going to get you far.”
I let out a groan of frustration. “I have no idea. When it jumps out at me, I’ll let you know. My dad is keeping secrets from me.” I fisted the folder in my hand, mentally cursing my father for making me go on this witch-hunt. “Why are we selling so much of our holdings to the Morelli family? I know my dad feels obligated to pay Angelo Sr. back for buying me, but he has to be paid back by now. At this rate, I won’t have a company left to run. I’m not even sure we’re in the business of building anymore. Was this ever a construction company, or did we only buy land and manufacturing equipment to pretend we were legit?”
Sonny leaned back and kicked his dress shoe up on the edge of the desk to get comfortable. “I’d ask you to come back downstairs with Faith and me, but I have a feeling you will fight me until you find something.”
“Either help me or get out.” I pointed at the door, attempting to keep a straight face, and failed miserably.
We both laughed, our voices loud enough to cause Faith to stir in her stroller. She was a good baby and slept as much as she ate. I lucked out with her.
Sonny huffed. “Fine. Just tell me what to do. If digging through papers will make you feel better, give me some.”
The Ultimate Sin Page 14