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Luca: JC said you left Vixen with Garrix Cameron. Come home, immediately.
Luca: We don’t know if he’s trustworthy. Did he abduct you? Max said you’re in the Bronx and I’m coming to get you as soon as we get a precise location.
Franco: I trust you, but if you don’t touch base with me soon, I have to loop Papà in. JC is running his mouth so he may already know.
Fuck, this is a disaster. I check my other messages, finding one from French.
French: I know you’re probably okay, but please call your family. Luca barged into my home and punched me in the face.
For fuck’s sake! There are many more texts and missed calls. I scroll to the bottom of my call log and my whole body starts to shake.
My last missed call was from Papà, at 5:51 AM. Fifteen minutes ago. It’s not normal for him to call me so early, but not unheard of.
“Shit!” I scream. I’m so fucked.
“Relax.” Garrix’s strong arms wrap around me, and all my tension melts.
Then I remember why this is all happening in the first place—because he distracted me. This is the kind of shit that happens when I lose focus on my work. I wriggle out of his hold, spinning around to face him before pushing him away from me.
“You,” I seethe. “This is why I don’t do relationships. They get in the way and they’re messy and complicated.”
He backs me into the counter, grabbing my face and planting a fierce, possessive kiss on my lips. His arms cage me in.
“You do relationships, the forever kind, kitten, because I’m not going anywhere.” He trails kisses down my neck. “I made myself very clear about that last night, but I don’t mind reminding you…”
His hand is warm as it smoothes up my inner thigh. I should push him off me, tell him that I’ll never belong to any man, especially him. But the truth is, I can’t. It’s getting harder and harder to keep my walls up around him.
My phone beeps, and he stills while I check it.
Papà: I’m ten minutes from your location.
“Fuck, Papà is on his way here.” Worrying my bottom lip, I’m unsure of why I’m so scared. I think the mere idea of disappointing my father wrecks me. He changed hundreds of years of tradition so I could follow my dreams. He believes in me, allowed me a seat at the table that most Dons wouldn’t even fathom their daughters having.
He’s already disappointed in me for going AWOL, I can feel it. He’s going to be even more disappointed when he realizes why.
“Good,” Garrix says. “It’s time I talk to your father, mainly about my theory on your stalker and the security measures he has in place for you. They’re not good enough.”
He walks upstairs, then goes into the closet, which has several outfits inside. I peeked inside the closet last night, and it was empty.
As if he’s reading my mind, he throws me a smile. “I didn’t fall asleep until a couple hours ago. I arranged for us to have clothes, among other things.”
He hands me a fitted burgundy Valentino dress that molds perfectly to my hips. It has a box neckline and a twist at the side. It’s something I’d pick out myself.
“All your stalking paid off,” I razz him. “This dress is perfect.”
“We may have only met a week ago, but I know you. I recognize your soul because it’s part of my own.”
He goes into the bathroom, as if he didn’t just say something extraordinarily profound and borderline over the top. I follow him in to freshen up and rush to get dressed. He’s wearing a sharp charcoal gray fitted suit with a white shirt. His garnet cufflinks match my dress, and I can’t help but appreciate the gesture. Even if a personal shopper picked the items out, they did so on his orders.
Once I’m downstairs, I confirm the corpse from last night is gone, like it was never there to begin with. I quickly put my boots back on before a loud knock makes me almost choke on my own saliva.
Garrix maneuvers around me, pushing me behind him while he checks something on his phone. “Your father, Luca, Max, and a handful of guards are here.”
He shows me the live feed he’s watching and I sigh. Papà’s face is stone, void of emotion. Luca is furious, whereas Max seems calm. Their collective vibe makes me anxious.
Garrix opens the door, ushering my family in. Papà’s entire body relaxes when he sees that I’m not harmed.
“Don Vettore, it’s good to meet you. I’m Garrix Cameron.” Garrix extends his hand to my father, who shakes it warily.
