by Penelope Sky
I didn’t.
He kept up his look of rage, furious with me just as he was at the start of the conversation. “You know where to find me.” He walked away from me without saying goodbye. He didn’t tell me he loved me or give me a kiss. He turned his back on me, being colder to me than he’d ever been before.
6
Griffin
When I got to the winery, I went straight to work in the warehouse. I avoided Crow and Cane because I was so furious I couldn’t see straight. I took care of the orders and prepared to ship them out on the shipping truck even though that wasn’t exactly in my job description anymore.
The manual labor helped relieve my rage, and we were able to get the truck loaded in a fraction of the time it normally took. When I went back into the warehouse, I calculated how much of the harvest was left before I went over the orders we would need when spring arrived.
It was past noon when Crow stepped into the warehouse.
I didn’t want to see him right then. I didn’t want to see anyone. I’d considered taking a personal day just to avoid him. Whenever I was angry, my temper exploded like a bomb, and the fallout lasted for weeks.
Crow came to my side, examining my features like he knew something was wrong. “Everything alright, son?”
He called me and Conway by the same name, making me a part of his family in a way I’d never expected. The affectionate term didn’t pierce my solid armor. I was too far gone. “I don’t want to talk about it.”
Crow continued to stand there, sliding his hands into his pockets.
I kept working, doing my best to ignore him. When minutes passed and he stayed, I knew he wasn’t going anywhere. “Yes?”
“Whenever there’s something bothering Vanessa and Conway, I usually just wait until they tell me what’s wrong. I don’t ask any questions, but they usually open up to me whenever they’re ready. So I’ll stand here and wait.” He grabbed the order sheet I was working on and scanned through it, checking through all the data I’d just reported.
I was annoyed with Crow for infringing on my space. I’d never had anyone do that before, not even Vanessa. It didn’t seem like he was being nosy; he just wanted to help me. I didn’t have any other relationship to compare it to, but it seemed like a relationship a father and son would have.
Crow was the closest thing I’d ever had to a father.
“Vanessa and I are going through a hard time.” I stared at the crates in front of me and didn’t make eye contact with him. It was strange to talk to him about his daughter, but I suspected he already assumed she was the reason I was angry. “She pissed me off, and I’m still pissed off.”
“What’d she do?”
“She put herself in danger, and she acts like it’s no big deal.” I finally ignored the crates and met his gaze. “She had lunch with Bosco and Carmen yesterday. Her bodyguard told me about it, so I hauled ass until I got into Florence and slammed Bosco into a wall. Vanessa was upset with me…and I said some things I shouldn’t. But I’m pissed she brushed it off. I’m pissed she didn’t call me. I’m pissed she doesn’t take this seriously. She’s carrying our son. I haven’t even met him, and I worry about him all the time.”
Crow didn’t react as he listened, behaving impartially to the story.
“I haven’t apologized because I want an apology from her first. I damaged Bosco pretty badly, but he didn’t retaliate. His men came in to shoot me, but he called them off. Said he promised Carmen he would never hurt any of us…and he kept his promise. He probably isn’t a threat, but that’s not the point.”
Crow crossed his arms over his chest and leaned against one of the crates.
“I know what it’s like to lose her. I couldn’t go through that again…not with my son too. I wish she understood that, but it doesn’t seem like she does.”
Crow continued to listen, remaining quiet until I was completely finished. “Pearl did something stupid shortly after we were married. I’ll skip the specifics. She basically put herself at risk with a few demons to help someone else…and she did it alone. When I found out about it and confronted her…” He shook his head and rubbed the back of his head. “I did something really terrible. I was just so angry with her for putting herself at risk, especially after everything I did to keep her safe. So…I slapped her. Slapped her hard.”
I couldn’t hide my surprise, shocked that Crow would do something like that.
“It was over thirty years ago. I haven’t done it again because I understood how wrong it was. I didn’t want to be that man ever again, regardless of how much she pissed me off. She forgave me…even when I didn’t deserve it.”
I didn’t know what to say. I would never raise my hand to Vanessa, no matter how angry she made me.
“Our women will never understand what it’s like to be in our shoes. And frankly, they shouldn’t have to. They have their own burdens, their own sacrifices they make for us on a regular basis. I understand why you’re upset. You just want Vanessa to be safe. But you’re never going to get your point across by pushing her away in the process. When it comes to marriage, there’s no such thing as keeping score. Apologize for what you said, then tell her how you feel. I know my daughter. She’s so stubborn that she won’t listen until she gets the apology she deserves. Unfortunately, that means you need to cave first. It sucks, but your marriage is more important than your sacrifice.”
I could tell he’d been married for a long time based on what he said. I slid my hands into my pockets as I considered his words. I was a simple man with simple needs. One of those needs was for Vanessa’s safety. If that requirement wasn’t met, I was often deranged.
“I hope that was helpful.” He clapped my shoulder before he walked out.
7
Vanessa
I spent most of the day in a pissed mood.
I wasn’t even hungry.
I’d never been so angry with Griffin. If he thought he could talk to me that way and get away with it just because I loved him, that was an idiotic excuse. I wasn’t putting up with it. I was the one carrying his son, and I would have to push him out in a few months.
Griffin should be kissing the ground I walked on.
My phone rang, and my father’s name appeared on the screen. I knew Griffin would never talk to my father about any of this, so I assumed he was calling about something else. “Hey, Father. How are you?”
“Hey, tesoro.” His mood was somber, like this wouldn’t be a pleasant conversation. He didn’t answer my question.
“Everything alright?”
“I just talked to Griffin.”
I stilled at the surprise. Griffin wasn’t talkative, let alone about our personal relationship. I was surprised he’d confided in my father, even if they were on good terms. “Oh?”
“Yeah. He mentioned what happened.”
“And you’re calling me because…?” I shouldn’t give my father attitude because of Griffin’s actions, but it slipped out.
My father let it slide. “Remember how much this man loves you. Remember all the sacrifices he’s made for you, made for this family.”
Oh no, the guilt trip.
“All he wants is to keep you safe. His heart is in the right place even if his mouth isn’t. He’s a good man, and you’re lucky to have him.”
I never thought my father would take Griffin’s side on anything. Now it seemed like they were conspiring against me. “Father, I know you’re trying to help, but this is between my husband and me. Just because you two are close now doesn’t mean you should gang up on me.”
“I’m not ganging up on you. He doesn’t know about this conversation. I can relate to everything he said because it’s exactly how I feel about your mother, about my children. All I want, more than anything in this world, is to keep my family safe. Griffin is the same way. He’s not asking for a lot, tesoro. All he wants is to protect you. I’m not excusing what he said. But…just keep that in mind. Try to meet him halfway.”
I rolled my
eyes because he couldn’t see me.
“Vanessa.” It was like he knew exactly what I just did. “There’s no room for stubbornness in a marriage. I learned that the hard way.”
After I finished up at work, I drove home to our house in Tuscany. I didn’t stay at the apartment again because he would just hunt me down there, and now that we had a beautiful home with a yard, that was where I wanted to be.
Griffin was in the kitchen when I walked inside, working the stove as he made dinner. He didn’t look at me when I walked in, but he somehow knew I would come home that night.
I set my purse on the table and hung up my coat on the coatrack. I didn’t face him right away because I didn’t know what to say. I didn’t even know where to start. I finally turned around and walked toward him, my guard up because I didn’t know what kind of mood he was in. “Listen…”
He turned off the pans and faced me, cooking with his shirt off even though there was hot oil everywhere and it was fifty degrees outside. He stared at me with an indecipherable expression, his look hard and his jaw tense. His eyes were the only gentle thing about him.
“I did some thinking when I was at work today. I know all you want is to keep us safe…”
His eyes softened immediately, like he’d been hoping I would say those magic words to him.
“I know you love us and—”
He cupped my face and bent his neck down to kiss me. It was an aggressive kiss, but it was soft and loving at the same time. His fingers touched my hair, and he kissed me like he loved me, adored me.
I fell into his kiss, feeling all my anger disappear.
He pulled away and looked at me, the love bright in his eyes. Just like when the clouds passed after a storm, the sun was finally revealed. “Let me take care of you.” His hand moved under my shirt to my bare stomach. “Let me protect both of you. Let me lay down my life to keep you safe. That’s all I want, baby.”
Now I actually felt bad for being so angry with him. His only crime was loving me, loving both of us. “I know…”
He moved to his knees in front of me and kissed my belly before he rested his forehead against it. “Please do as I ask. Even if you think it’s ridiculous, just do it for me. We’re a team.” He lifted his gaze to look at me again. “Let me do my job.”
“I will, Griffin. Whatever you want…I’ll do it.” It went against my stubborn nature to say that, but I forced it out for him.
“Thank you.” He kissed my stomach again before he rose to his feet. “And I’m sorry for what I said, baby. I shouldn’t have snapped at you like that. I shouldn’t have spoken to you that way…it was wrong of me.”
I knew he meant what he said, and that was enough for me. “Thank you…”
He stared at me with his hands on my belly, turning back into my husband. He was cold and rough around everyone else, but when it was just the two of us, he was soft in a way no one else ever got to see.
“But we do need to talk about Bosco, Griffin.”
“And what is there to say?” He rubbed my stomach with his hands.
“I don’t think he’s dangerous. I understand why you’re worried…but I don’t think he’s a threat. If you really don’t want me to be around him without you, that’s fine. But…I do think you’re overreacting.”
Griffin didn’t get angry, probably because I was still willing to give him what he wanted.
“You roughed him up pretty badly, and he didn’t do the same to me…and we both know he has the power to do whatever he wants.”
Griffin gave a slight nod.
“I also think you should give him a real chance. Maybe he wasn’t a good guy before…but he clearly is now. Carmen gave you the benefit of the doubt, and you should do the same for her. That’s only fair.”
He nodded again. “If they stay together, I’ll make a better effort. But until then, I’m not sure how I feel about him. And I don’t want my wife and baby around him if I’m not there.”
“Alright. Does that mean you’ll come to lunch or dinner with us?”
He sighed like that was the most unappealing thing in the world.
“Griffin?” I pressed.
He finally gave an answer. “It looks like I don’t have any other choice.”
8
Carmen
The evidence of my black eye was finally gone. The blue and purple colors disappeared, the skin returning to its normal shade. It made putting on my makeup much easier, and it didn’t make me so self-conscious in public.
I stood in the purple gown Bosco bought for me, a deep royal color that I adored. I did my hair in big curls and wore extra makeup for the evening, detailing my eyes to make them look smoky. I wore my father’s necklace and a bracelet Bosco had given me.
Bosco appeared behind me in the mirror, wearing a tuxedo. The material fit him like a second skin, showing his sculpted shoulders and arms. He wore a handsome grin as he came up behind me and presented me with a little black box. “I want you to wear this tonight.”
I stared at the little box in his hands and immediately knew it was jewelry. I was already wearing a necklace and a bracelet, so I wasn’t sure what else he wanted me to wear. I took it from his hands and popped open the box, revealing two diamond earrings.
Enormous diamond earrings.
“Uh…wow.” They caught the light and dazzled like two rainbows. “Jesus, these are huge.”
He grabbed my hair and pulled it back behind my shoulders. “Put them on.”
“They look too nice to wear. They should be sitting in a safe inside another safe…”
He leaned down and kissed my neck. “Put them on.”
I pulled each one out of the box and placed them in my lobes. They possessed a distinct heaviness, but they were also so strikingly beautiful that they pulled my outfit together perfectly. I’d never cared for expensive jewels, but anytime Bosco gave me anything, I loved it.
Bosco put my hair back in place. “Beautiful.” He left the bathroom, his dress shoes clapping against the tile. “Ready to go?”
“Yeah. Just let me grab my clutch.” I picked up the matching clutch Bosco had given to me, and we left together. We sat in the back seat of the car, and we headed down the road, approaching the opera house where we’d watch our show.
Bosco held my hand in the back seat. The back of his head didn’t seem to bother him anymore, and the swelling had gone down. He was as good as new, and as obsessed with me as ever.
“I’ve never been to the opera before.”
“Never?” he asked, his blue eyes shifting to my face. He looked handsome in his tux, his masculine physique filling out the material perfectly, from his broad shoulders to his chiseled jaw and his long legs.
“Never.”
“I think you’ll enjoy it. If you don’t, we can always do something else.” The corner of his mouth rose in a smile like he was making a joke.
But I knew it wasn’t a joke.
We entered the lobby where other couples were dressed in their finest. Bosco was immediately greeted by a crew that made him feel welcome, treating him like royalty. A few of the other guests looked at him, some with fear and others with respect.
My arm rested in the crook of his, and he guided me up the red-carpeted stairs to a private balcony. The entire box was reserved just for us, so we took the seats in the first row and waited for it to begin.
“You reserved the whole area?” I whispered.
He nodded. “I don’t share space with the public.”
“I’m surprised you didn’t rent out the whole theater, then.”
He shrugged. “I know you hate that, so I skipped it.”
Both of my eyebrows rose. “You’ve done that in the past…?”
“Like I said, I don’t share my space with the public. Their jealous and envious expressions get old. People ask for my advice or try to pick my brain about the casino. Women offer to suck my dick because they want to be covered in jewels and gowns. It gets tedious, to say the least.”
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I crossed my legs and rested my arm through his. The lights dimmed, and the curtains opened. The show started, the sound of loud music filling the auditorium. It was a play about falling in love and finding the will to go on when that love was lost forever.
My hand stayed on his, and halfway through the show, I rested my head on his shoulder. When it was just the two of us tucked inside the box, no one else could see us except the actors onstage. That allowed me to be as affectionate as I liked, just as if we were home alone.
His hand lay on my thigh as he watched the play, his warm fingers lightly touching my bare skin. His cologne was powerful, along with his body soap and natural scent. With every breath he took, I could see his muscles flex slightly, making his body rise like a filled balloon.
The show was long, a few hours at least, but sitting with him made me envision our lives together if I stayed. We would do normal things together like this, get dressed up and go to the opera while someone watched the kids. We would still be in love decades later, just the way my parents were. We would be happy, affectionate, and loving.
The thoughts made me weak in the knees and a little afraid. I’d never been able to picture a future with any of the men in my life. I could see the ending right at the beginning. But now I was getting so attached to this man, it was impossible to picture my life without him. We only had a week left together, and on that day, I would leave without looking back.
But now that seemed impossible.
When the lights came up and the curtains closed, applause filled the auditorium.