Page 3 of Taking His Heart

I keep my face neutral, not giving a damn emotion away. “I have no idea what you’re talking about,” I tell him. “You should get back in there, though. I’m pretty sure I just saw your daughter dancing with a man.”

“Yeah, her husband, dipshit. Come back inside.”

“I really would rather be anywhere else,” I tell him honestly.

“I know, but you’re a Bianchi, and we don’t let anyone run us out of a room,” he reminds me.

“You’re right. If anyone should be leaving, it’s her. What the fuck is she even doing here?” I grunt.

“You’re also not chasing her out. You’re going to man the fuck up and either sort out whatever it is that happened between the two of you, or ignore it and deal with being around her.”

“It’s not that simple,” I say.

“It never is, son.” My dad claps a hand on my shoulder and guides me back into the ballroom. “Also, Louie would have your balls if you left your Aunt Charlotte’s event before the auction. He expects all of us to be high-bidders for whatever shit they got donated.”

“Of course he does.” I roll my eyes.

My Uncle Louie could just bid on everything himself. He doesn’t need us to do it for him. Although, when I spot my Tío E, I know I’m not going to have to put anything up, because that particular uncle is competitive as shit and does not let anyone outbid him. Ever.

Chapter Two

Iknew it wasn’t going to be a walk in the park coming back here. I know he hates me, or at least he wants me to think he does. And for good reason, CJ is not the same man I left in a hotel room a few years ago. He’s changed, hardened, or maybe he’s always been that way. He wasn’t towards me, though. That’s what’s changed.

He no longer worships the ground I walk on. No, now he’s acting as if I’m not even in the room.

I watched him the entire night. From the corner of my eye. Trying not to make my discomfort obvious.

Well, until now. I just watched him get up and walk out with his cousin Sammie Junior. And that’s when I finally break my wall of indifference.

“Where are those two going?” I ask my brother.

“Nowhere you need to concern yourself with, that’s for sure,” Aurelio replies.

“I’m not concerned. More… curious.” I shrug, looking around the ballroom.

My parents dragged us along to the gala. For what reason, I have no idea, but here we are. I will admit the event is raising funds for a great cause, and I do love Charlotte Giuliani, the hostess—also CJ’s aunt.

I find my mum talking to Lailani, another one of CJ’s aunts, and look around for my dad, spotting him by the bar with CJ’s father. And then I’m standing. “I’m going to go hang out with Dad. He’s far better company than you.”

“Sure he is.” My brother rolls his eyes at me.

“You might want to go and see who that is Rosie is getting cozy with over there before Dad notices and paints this party red.” I nod at our little sister, who is clearly flirting with some poor, unsuspecting fool.

I feel slightly bad for throwing my sister under the bus, but I needed to get my brother’s attention away from me. Because if I don’t, he will see when I slip out of this ballroom, and he’ll follow me.

Approaching my Dad, I plaster on a smile that I don’t feel. It does nothing to fool him, though. The moment his eyes connect with mine, his face shifts from one of indifference, to one of concern.

He steps towards me, completely ignoring the fact he was mid-conversation with CJ’s dad. “Whose blood do I need to spill?” he whispers against the side of my head as he hugs me close.

“No one. I have a headache. I’m going to head up to my room.” The lie easily slips from my tongue, because admitting the truth—that I’m heartbroken, hurt, embarrassed all over CJ—isn’t an option.

I broke us. It’s my fault he hates me. Then again, that’s exactly what I wanted. For him to hate me. Because the only way to make sure he didn’t pursue a relationship with me was to make him hate me.

And now, well… Now, I’m sleeping in the bed I made. Because I didn’t want to be the one who caused CJ to miss out on something he’d eventually want. Something I could never give him. I made the choice for us, for him, because I knew he wouldn’t have.

“I’ll walk you up,” Dad says as he takes a step back and runs his scrutinizing gaze over me.

“Dad, I’m more than capable of finding my own way back to the room.” I roll my eyes. “Besides, you were in the middle of a conversation with Mr. Bianchi.”