The Dictator

by Penelope Sky

  “Even the woman?” I whispered.

  He shook his head. “Said she didn’t know anything.”

  “How do you know she was lying?”

  He shrugged. “I don’t. But I can’t take any chances.”

  My heart fell into my stomach. “Won’t the people in charge come after you in retaliation?”

  “With what men?” He rubbed his palms together. “I killed them all, including the accomplices they trusted. They know I’m onto them, and it’s only a matter of time before I track them down. If they’re smart, they’ll disappear. Everyone knows you only have one chance to take me out. If you fail, I won’t stop hunting I’ve killed you and your entire family.”

  “What about Micah and Damien?”

  “That was an exception, one I’ll never make again.”

  The nights we spent alone together made me think Cato was a regular guy. We had deep conversations, tender embraces, and he said the sweetest things to me. He was soft and gentle, kissing me like he loved me and fucking me like I was the only woman he wanted for the rest of his life. But that couldn’t mask the truth—he was a crime lord.

  He turned back to me, reading the distress on my face. “What is it?”

  My answer came out as a whisper. “Nothing.”

  He reached his hand out and touched me on the ankle. “Baby?”

  “What do you want me to say?” I pulled my ankle away so he would let go. “That I’m terrified of you?”

  It was the first time he’d shown me that look of sadness, like he was genuinely disappointed by the way I felt. “You don’t need to be terrified of me.”

  “You whipped me with a belt for talking back to you. Then you executed a bunch of people.”

  “Not a bunch,” he said. “Just a few.”

  “Oh, so that makes me feel better?” I asked sarcastically.

  “And I only whipped you because you threw a plate of food in my face—in my own house in front of my butler. You thought I wouldn’t punish you for that?”

  “You were being a huge bitch.”

  He cocked his eyebrow. “A huge bitch?”

  “There’s no reason to talk to me that way.”

  “There’s no reason to question me. You had no right to do that.”

  “No right?” I asked. “I’m carrying your baby. I can ask you whatever the hell I want. Is it really that terrible that the woman you’re sleeping with actually wants to sleep with you? Because it’s one of the things she misses the most? Is it really that terrible that I wanted to ask if my brother could visit me because I feel alone?” I got off the couch because I was finished with this conversation. “Just get out, Cato. I was already upset with you, but now I really want nothing to do with you.” I stepped into the bathroom and shut the door because that was the only room in my bedroom with a door—unless I wanted to walk into the closet.

  I listened for movement outside but didn’t pick up on anything. He must still be on the couch, thinking about his next move.

  A few minutes later, his footsteps sounded. But instead of heading for the door to leave, he stopped in front of the bathroom. He didn’t try to come inside. “Baby?”

  “Don’t call me that.”

  He tapped his knuckles against the door. “Please.”

  Cato Marino knew that word? “Just leave me alone, Cato.”

  “Open the door. Or I will open the door. I’m giving you the chance to do it on your terms.”

  “Is it really on my terms?” I leaned against the counter with my arms crossed over my body.

  “It’s as close as you’re going to get.”

  I stared at the door and noticed the shadow of his feet under the crack. My stubbornness forced me to wait, to stick to my guns as long as possible.

  It was only a matter of time before Cato made good on his word.

  I unlocked the door and stepped back.

  He opened it so we could stand face-to-face.

  I gave him a look full of hatred. One moment, he was my savior. And the next moment, he was a murderer.

  He walked up to me until his hands gripped the sink on either side of me. He stood with his face just inches from mine, his eyes shifting back and forth.

  “You told me you would never hurt me.”

  “Whipping doesn’t count.”

  “It does to me. I still have the welts on my ass. I’m carrying your baby, and you disrespect me like that?”

  “You disrespected me first,” he whispered.

  “Your hostility was unnecessary. I’m just as temperamental as you are. If you provoke me, I will respond. That’s how I am, and I won’t apologize for it. If you don’t want food in your face, you’ll be nicer to me.”

  His eyes continued to shift back and forth as his hands clutched the counter tighter, restraining his rage.

  “You owe me an apology.”

  “You’re wasting your time,” he whispered. “I’ll never give you that.”

  “Then you need to promise you’ll never hurt me again—that includes whipping.”

  “Why should I do that? I’ll have no way to keep you in line.”

  “if you treat me with respect, you’ll never need to keep me in line.”

  He breathed a quiet sigh, like he couldn’t believe he was negotiating with me when he’d just executed people last night. “Alright. I promise. But that doesn’t include the day I kill you.”

  He said he intended to do it, but I still didn’t quite believe it. But now I wasn’t as certain as I was before, not after watching him shoot a crying woman. Maybe I was wrong about Cato. Maybe I was still right. “Alright.”

  The second he thought our fight was over, he pressed his lips to mine and kissed me.

  I didn’t kiss him back, keeping my lips pressed tightly together in protest.

  He pulled away, irritation in his gaze.

  “I’m still mad at you.”

  “I made amends.”

  “Doesn’t chase my anger away. Doesn’t erase what I saw last night.”

  “I did what I had to do last night. People tried to steal from me—and I can’t show mercy. I need to make an example of my enemies. Don’t expect me to feel bad for what I did. Don’t expect me to lose sleep over it. This is the real world—this is reality.”

  I still didn’t agree with it. I didn’t see the point in living this way, in killing over money. All I wanted was a little house with enough money for food, to have just enough to be happy. Constantly fighting over the wealth I had seemed like too much work.

  “I’ll make it up to you.”

  “How?”

  He rested his forehead against mine. “As a gesture of good faith…I’ll let your brother visit you.”

  I inhaled a deep breath, relieved I was getting the one thing I wanted.

  “But only when I’m in the house. He’s not allowed on my property unless I’m present. That’s the best compromise you’ll get from me.”

  “And it’s more than enough. I just want to talk to him, have lunch with him…stuff like that. You can join us if you want.”

  “We’ll see.” He grabbed my dress and slowly lifted it to my waist to reveal my black thong underneath. “I miss you.” His eyes flicked down to my panties, and he stared at my long legs.

  I hadn’t missed him all week. I’d been too pissed to feel anything but anger. So I said nothing.

  “I’ll make you miss me, then.”

  “I want to know why you won’t sleep with me.”

  He grabbed my panties and pulled them down over my hips. “I told you.”

  “I want a better reason.”

  “We’re just fucking, and I want to keep it that way.” He moved to the floor as he pulled my panties down to my ankles.

  “But I want more.”

  He stood upright and lifted me onto the counter. He pulled my knees apart before he stripped off his jacket then dropped his slacks. He unbuttoned his shirt and loosened his tie as he held my gaze. “There will never be more. You had me, but y
ou betrayed me. You don’t get to sleep with me anymore.”

  “I’m not asking you to love me, Cato. I’m not asking you for something unreasonable. I just want you on some nights.”

  “Why?” He scooted me to the edge of the counter then placed one leg over his shoulder.

  I slid my arm behind me to support myself while my other hand gripped his shoulder. I felt him push inside me, feeling my wetness even though I had just been angry with him. I felt his thick inches slide deep inside me, exactly where it belonged. “Because you make me feel safe.”

  14

  Cato

  She’d asked me for a sacrifice I couldn’t make.

  Even if I wanted to.

  It was the distance I needed not to get wrapped around her finger—more than I already was. It was the only protection I had, the only way to keep her from getting under my skin. The second we started sleeping together, everything would change. There would be no reason for her to have her own room at all.

  And then everything would get complicated.

  Not that it wasn’t already complicated.

  I knew I was in trouble when Bates asked me to promise to kill her—and I couldn’t make that promise.

  Deep trouble.

  I’d just stepped out of the conference room when Giovanni walked up to me. “What is it?”

  “This may be redundant, but your mother is here to see you, sir.” He stepped out of the way and presented my mother, who wore white slacks and a blue blouse. Her short hair was curled, and her diamond necklace sparkled around her neck.

  Having my mother drop by was the last thing I needed. “Mother, nice to see you.” I tried to cover my surprise as I kissed her on the cheek.

  “Since you haven’t called, I thought I would drop by.” She smiled at Giovanni. “Thanks so much for hunting down my son.” She smiled and watched him walk away. “Giovanni is so wonderful. I always look forward to seeing him.”

  “Yeah, he’s great,” I said quickly. “You know, today isn’t really the best day for me—”

  “You can’t even have a quick lunch?” she asked incredulously. “You have to eat sometime.”

  I skipped lunch most of the time, actually. “It would be easier if we just rescheduled.”

  “Well, I’ll just eat with Siena. She’s the reason I’m here anyway.”

  Of course she was. I didn’t want my mother and Siena to spend any time together, but since Bates had sold me out, it couldn’t be avoided. I wanted to threaten Siena to keep her mouth shut, but I had no way to enforce it. I’d promised I wouldn’t hurt her, so there was nothing I could do.

  “It’s a nice day today,” she said. “A little cool, but there’s still just a bit of summer left. I’ll ask Giovanni to prepare our lunch on the patio.” She walked into my kitchen and helped herself to my staff like she owned the place. My mother had never crossed the line like this before, and I knew she was being pushy because I was being secretive. If she didn’t take control, she wouldn’t get what she wanted. She wasn’t wrong about that.

  I called Bates as I headed upstairs. “You’re going to have to make do without me today.”

  “Why?” he demanded.

  “Mother stopped by, and she wants to have lunch with Siena. I can’t let them be alone together.”

  “Oh…that’s rough. You know what would fix your problem?” he asked sarcastically. “If you killed her.” He hung up.

  I shoved the phone into my pocket and walked into her room. She sat on the couch with a stack of baby books in front of her. Covering diapers to adolescents, she was reading everything she could about raising a child—like she would live long enough to do it.

  She was wasting her time. “My mother is here.”

  She shut the book and looked up at me. “Right now?”

  “Stopped and invited herself to lunch—us included.”

  Siena grinned. “I like her already. It’s nice to see a woman walk all over you.”

  Siena walked all over me too—she just didn’t realize it. “Get dressed and let’s go.”

  “Get dressed?” She stood up, wearing jeans and a blouse. “What’s wrong with what I’m wearing?”

  “I just thought you’d want to dress nicer to meet my mother.”

  “When she stopped by unannounced?” she asked incredulously. “No, I’m not putting in the effort.”

  I dropped the argument because I couldn’t force Siena to change. I didn’t think she looked bad. I just didn’t think she looked wealthy, like a mirror image of myself. “Alright.”

  We left her bedroom then headed to the patio outside to join my mother.

  “Anything I should know?” she asked as she walked beside me.

  “She knows we aren’t seeing each other. You’re living with me because you need help with the pregnancy.”

  “But we are seeing each other.”

  “We’re fucking—not the same thing.”

  When we stepped outside, my mother pulled off her sunglasses and rose to her feet. She smiled wide, and her blue eyes were bright with excitement. Her gaze was reserved for Siena. “It’s so lovely to meet you, Siena.” Instead of giving her a polite handshake, my mother wrapped her arms around her. “You have no idea how happy I am. Ever since my son told me the news, it’s all I’ve been thinking about. I’ve wanted a grandchild for the last decade. I was afraid neither one of my sons would give that to me.” She pulled away and cupped Siena’s face. “My god, you’re gorgeous. I knew you would be, but you exceeded my expectations.”

  I could tell Siena was a little overwhelmed by my mother’s warmth. Even I was surprised. My mother had always been affectionate with me, but she had never been over the top like she was now.

  “Thank you so much,” Siena said. “You’re very sweet.”

  My mother looked at her stomach. “You don’t look pregnant, but it’s exciting knowing that you are. These next six or seven months will go by so fast. You’ll get more comfortable by the day, but trust me, it’s worth it.”

  Siena placed her hand over her stomach. “Thanks for the advice.”

  “Excuse me, I haven’t introduced myself. I’m Chiara.”

  “It’s lovely to meet you, Chiara.”

  “The pleasure is mine, dear.” Mother sat down and slid her sunglasses back on.

  I pulled out the chair for Siena.

  She almost rolled her eyes at me before she sat.

  I moved to the other chair.

  “It’s nice to see my son behave like a gentleman,” Chiara said.

  “I am a gentleman, Mother.”

  Siena let out a slight laugh. “Yeah, okay.”

  I narrowed my eyes.

  Mother turned to Siena, a smile on her face. “I’m not an idiot. I know my son has an ego that’s bigger than a blimp. He thinks the world revolves around him until someone teaches him that it does not.”

  “Thanks, Mother,” I said sarcastically.

  “I thought you were too busy to join us.” She turned to me, her passive-aggressive tactics kicking in. She was clearly angry with me for not calling her—a second time.

  “I cleared my schedule.” I kept my eyes on Siena, hoping she would behave herself so I wouldn’t have to intervene.

  Siena turned to my mother. “You’re right. Cato can be very difficult. He’s set in his ways and rarely changes his mind.”

  I felt like she had my balls in her hand.

  “But I’ve also learned that he’s honest, protective, and has the biggest heart I’ve ever seen,” Siena added. “You just have to get past that cold exterior to see the warmth underneath. It takes a while to see it…but it’s there.”

  Mother smiled before she turned back to me. “Seems like she knows the good and the bad.”

  “I know the good and the bad too,” I countered.

  “There’s no bad,” Siena said. “Cato even told me I was perfect.”

  Fuck, I did say that.

  “If she’s perfect, then why aren’t you together?” M
other asked.

  I didn’t appreciate the personal question. “That’s between Siena and me. We’re having this baby together, but we’re just friends.”

  Mother turned to Siena. “Tell me the real reason my son wouldn’t want to be with a stunning woman who’s not afraid of him?”

  This lunch was turning into a nightmare. My mother was the one person who could do whatever she wanted without retaliation. If she were Bates, I would slap her upside the head.

  Siena shrugged. “It was an unplanned pregnancy, and he’s not looking for a wife.”

  “A wife is exactly what he needs,” Mother said. “I see all those pictures of him online and in the tabloids. Always out with those stupid bimbos that are just waiting to get their hands on his money.”

  “Mother.” I didn’t want this to go on any longer. Maybe I was her son, but discussing my personal life so candidly was inappropriate. “You barged in here and demanded to have lunch without being invited. You’ve been rude enough for the day. So stop insulting me and play nice.” I didn’t want to be disrespectful to my mother, but I didn’t let anyone talk to me like that.

  Mother turned to Siena and rolled her eyes.

  Siena laughed back.

  I grabbed the glass of wine and took a drink. “Fuck.”

  The two of them talked about wine, art, and their love of the countryside. They seemed to get along well, better than my mother and I ever did. I spent most of the time in silence, looking over the landscape of my backyard and thinking about work.

  My mother mentioned my father. “Cato’s father left us when he was very young. It was hard on the boys, not just growing up without a father, but knowing they’d been abandoned. I’m proud of my son for not being that way, for standing by you even though this was unplanned.”

  It was a compliment, but I didn’t acknowledge it since it wasn’t directly said to me.

  “Cato will be a great father,” Siena said. “I’ve never been worried about that. He’s very loyal to you and his brother. In fact, one of the reasons I fell for him in the first place is because of the way he talks about you. There’s so much pride in his voice, that you raised him on your own and did such a great job.”

  Mother slowly turned to me, a slight smile on her lips with emotion in her eyes. Her hand reached to mine on the table. “Honey…” She squeezed my hand.