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Ian lifted a hand. “We’re not going to let it happen.”
“Jade’s going to freak the fuck out when she finds out,” Tyler said.
“And that’s why we’re not going to tell her yet. I’d like to neutralize the threat and make sure it’s gone before she even knows because there’s no point in putting her through that kind of stress.”
Tyler scoffed. “You do realize my sister was kidnapped and could’ve died and we spent all this time going through all this bullshit, together.” He pointed to his face. “I don’t think it’s a good idea to keep her out of the loop on this one. She needs to watch her back because the truth is, with you unable to get public information, I have a feeling this is going to get worse.” He looked at me and I snuffed my cigarette out in the ashtray. “I’ll dig as fast as I can, and I’ll do what I can to make sure she and Maddie stay safe, but now you’ve got Giovanna staying at the house and she’s going to need to be protected as well. Especially considering his history with women.”
“Well, maybe she can stay with you and your family then, Ty.”
“Absolutely not!” he spat.
“The last thing we need is her staying by herself in a new apartment,” Ian continued. “Especially if she’s renting. Those are usually ready for move in because they don’t want to keep them vacant.”
“She’s not staying at my house,” Tyler reiterated.
“She can stay with us as long as she needs to. Jade already made it clear that she’s welcome for however long. And there’s no fucking way in hell I’m leaving them alone in that house.”
“It’s settled then,” Ian nodded, “so let’s keep this between us for now.”
“Whatever you want,” I mumbled, though I was anything but agreeable. “Is there anything else I need to know from either of you?” I arched a brow at Tyler, who shook his head. “Alright then, I have to get downstairs and open the Blue Lounge.”
Seething with anger was an understatement. It was very rare I ever got mad at Ian, but right now I wanted to punch his fucking face in and break everything in my path as I stomped out of the executive suite and down the stairwell. The elevator wasn’t fast enough for the mood I was in.
All I wanted to do was protect the two girls I loved more than anything on the planet. I didn’t want anything to happen to anybody in the club or our friends, but Jade and Maddie were special to me. A part of me felt they were my responsibility in some way.
After what Felicity did to me, I thought I’d never love again. I thought I’d never trust again. And I definitely never thought I’d melt at the sound of a little girl calling me dad. My ex-wife hated kids, and I didn’t fault her for it. It was just her feelings.
Maddie calling me dad was something that caught me completely off guard, but it was that moment where something deeper inside me changed. I knew I had a duty to her. Though Maddie was raised by a loving, bad ass mother, and had a whole village to raise her, I’d been the only father-figure in her life.
Jade was a strong and independent woman who never needed anything from me. Despite her headstrong nature, she was also one of the most caring and generous individuals I’d ever met. She didn’t rely on a man for love, protection, or financial support, as Ian made sure she was well-compensated with a six-figure salary. I wasn’t her knight in shining armor; I was simply the man she had chosen to share her life with.
As I neared the lounge, Giovanni Rovati caught my eye outside the door. He wore a troubled expression as he stared intently at his phone. I suspected what it was about, but I’d promised not to bring it up to anyone.
Our world was small. Dante was the son of a man named Tony, and he’d kidnapped someone Giovanni thought he was close to; a woman named Jane. His eldest son, Marco, had plotted with Tony against him, causing a war to erupt within the Rovati family, even inside Giovanni’s own home. Although it turned out that Jane had her own agenda, the damage had been done, and Giovanni’s relationship with his family was almost shattered as the games unfolded.
Ultimately, he and his men killed both Tony and Marco, but when Emilio found out about Jane’s betrayal to the family, he took matters into his own hands. He murdered her in the hospital shortly after she gave birth to Cristiano, leaving Giovanni to raise his infant son alone.
“What’s wrong?” I asked, coming to a stop in front of him.
“Is it that obvious that something’s wrong with me?”
“Yeah, I guess so.” I matched his reaction to keep suspicions low.
He ran his fingers through his dark, disheveled pompadour. “I just hired this new nanny for Cristiano and she’s driving me absolutely insane.”
“Is that a good thing?”
Pursing his lips, he shook his head. “I don’t even know, but I can’t keep my fucking eyes off her and all I want to do is take her to my room and fuck her until she can’t walk for a week. I’m trying to keep my distance as much as I can, but I’m failing. She’s too nice for me, though.”
As I opened my mouth to reply, the soft click of high heels echoed in the hallway as Lonnie and Amber sashayed up to us, their movements fluid and seductive. Amber’s outfit was a delicate white color, her sheer bra revealing hints of flawless skin and her matching panties hugging her curves perfectly. She completed the look with towering white heels that elongated her legs. Lonnie’s outfit matched, but in all black, a stunning contrast to Amber’s ethereal appearance. Both girls wore mischievous smiles as they stood before Giovanni, allowing him to appreciate their beauty.
His gaze swept over every inch of them before he finally spoke. “I should get in there before our drinks are delivered.” He turned his attention to me. “We’ll talk more later.” He gave them both a grin before he and Indigo entered the lounge and closed the door.
“Everything okay?” Amber asked.
I twisted to her. “Yeah.”
“Mmkay, if you say so.” Amber and I had become close, and she knew better, but she also never pushed me to talk. Especially not in front of the receptionist who we loved, but she’d not quite made it into our circle.
