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I heard the pain in her voice and bristled. It was difficult not to watch her, to memorize every detail of her face and drink in her aroma. She constantly touched her neck. Perhaps she was remembering that single moment of her party that had allowed her to feel happiness.
The freaking necklace that I’d never seen and couldn’t give a shit about. That was the difference in the two of us. She’d kept it after all these years, after two assholes ruining her special day. We’d tainted what should have been a beautiful memory with violence and bloodshed.
And neither my father nor I had felt a second’s worth of guilt.
“I’m not a good man, Giada. I never intended to be. For years I wanted to be just like my father. Brutal. Unforgiving. Powerful.”
“It sounds like something changed your mind,” she mused.
“I’m not certain that’s possible. I am brutal in all aspects of business, powerful enough most of our enemies won’t fuck with me. And I’m definitely unforgiving. Once you’ve betrayed me, there is no turning back.” The snarl in my tone was aggressive, more than it should have been.
“Did I betray you?” Her question was laced with innocence, somber. She was really asking.
There were so many things I wanted to say to her, but this wasn’t some fairytale love affair. This was more about business.
And I fucked hated it.
But with her, I wanted more of everything. Absolutely everything.
I traced the lines on her face, moving down the side of her cheek to her chin. “If you had, I wouldn’t be here. I’m not the man you need.”
“I still believe anything is possible. While you are a very bad man, you also have a heart.”
I lowered my gaze as I inched closer, still crazed by the scent of our combined sex. She lifted her head toward the sky, taking a deep breath.
“I wish that was the case,printsessa.” I rubbed the back of my hand across her cheek, marveling in the extreme warmth. “I believe you were the target at the restaurant and possibly here.”
“What?” She immediately pulled away, almost allowing the sheet to slip through her fingers. “Why?”
“I don’t know, but I have my suspicions.”
“Then tell me.”
The last thing I wanted to do was share any aspects of business with her. She’d seen enough. She didn’t deserve to have her world shattered any more than it had already been.
Giada gripped my wrist, closing the distance until the heat cascading between us was nuclear. “You wanted me to understand your world, our world better than you thought I did. Now, you’re pulling back. Why? I’m not the delicate flower you continue to think.”
“No, you’re a strong, resilient woman.”
“I always knew when my father had some big business on his mind. His actions were always the same. He’d switch to scotch instead of his normal bourbon, but only partaking in a single drink. Then he’d grab a cigar and retreat to his office. Little did he know I was a clever girl. After that birthday, I wanted to understand why something like the massacre of the soldiers happened. I was the baby girl. No one in my family was going to tell me anything. So I made it my mission to observe my father’s behavior as well as pay attention to visitors. I could tell instantly when a business deal had gone well or when it had tanked by his mood.”
“What kind of visitors did he have?”
“If you’re asking if they were from rival families, not that I saw other than your father. However, my father has several legitimate businesses not only in the US but also in Italy.”
“Any interest in jewels?”
“Jewels? As in rubies and diamonds?”
I laughed softly. “Something like that.”
“My mother always had incredible pieces that she wore during public events of parties, keeping them locked away in the safe. Isabella received a stunning sapphire necklace for her eighteenth birthday. Other than that, there weren’t piles of jewels in the house, just gifts given when my father was feeling generous. Why do you ask?”
I took another deep breath, still pondering what to tell her. If her observation skills were as strong as her defiance, there was a chance she could help provide decent information. “I have reason to believe your father might have crossed someone, this entity seeking retaliation.”
“You mean like he did with your family?”
“Exactly like that.”
