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Chapter Fourteen
Gualtiero
Ellastormsofftoher room as soon as we get home. She hasn’t said a word to me since we left the office at my club.
I can’t blame her for being pissed with me.
I know I overreacted with her tonight, but her defiance was the last straw in an extremely shit day. Instinct took over before my head could catch up.
When I saw the cockhead touch her, I lost it. No one gets away with trying to have what’s mine. He’s lucky to be alive.
But I’m actually grateful for the idiot’s stupidity to hit on my girl… he made an excellent punching bag to let out my frustrations on. It didn’t help his case that he reminded me of that prick from this morning. What I learned then soured my mood, but that’s nothing to what happened after dinner.
I walk into my office and pour a glass of bourbon. Sitting down, I turn on my laptop and check the camera feed from Ella’s room. Only I have access to this—nobody gets to see what’s mine. I wasn’t lying when I told her I can’t stand other men looking at her.
She isn’t in bed, and I switch to the bathroom camera. My heart sinks when I see her sitting on the shower floor. She looks defeated.
I want to go to her, take her into my arms, and comfort her. But given what happened tonight, I doubt she would let me. Her walls are up and reinforced, and it will take time to dismantle them again. I’m not worried though. What we have is strong enough to withstand anything.
My office phone rings and ”front gate”lights up on the screen. ”Si?”
“Your brother is on the way up.”
About time. I hang up the phone and pour a second drink. I’ve been waiting for Mateo to return from Rome. He took longer than I expected, and I’m curious to hear what he’s learned.
We’ve agreed not to share sensitive information over the phone until the mole has been dealt with. There have to be a few. How is Molinaro getting to my men? And how are they able to cover their tracks so convincingly?
Footsteps sound in the hallway, and I kill the camera feed from Ella’s room, just as Mateo walks into my office. I rise from my chair to greet him.
“I’m surprised to find you in here. I thought you’d be balls deep in your girl and I’d have to drag you from the bed to have this conversation.”
“I wish. She’s not exactly cooperating at the moment.”
Mateo laughs. “You’re not even married yet and she’s running the show?”
I chuckle. “That’s never gonna happen. She’ll learn her place soon enough.”
“She better learn fast never to challenge you… especially in public. I’ve heard all about what happened at the club,” Mateo says, turning more serious. “I hope you know what you’re doing with her.”
News travels fast in our circle, any weakness ready to be exploited.
“I do,” I assure him. I will never tolerate open defiance. It would be suicide. I can’t show such weakness… especially not with a woman.
“But it’s created a new problem. She’s afraid of me now. I don’t want that.”
Mateo claps me on the shoulder supportively. “You did what you had to do. At least she’s less likely to do it again. That’s crucial and you know it. I’m sure you’ll come up with some genius way to get back into her good graces.”
I hadn’t thought that far ahead, but he’s right. What’s guaranteed to bring a smile to Ella’s face?
I have an idea and grab my phone to fire off a message.
“Why did you let the prick live?” Mateo asks as he sits down on the leather lounge, taking a sip of his drink.
“Sometimes it’s good to let people tell the tale of what happens when you cross me,” I offer as an explanation, and Mateo nods.
I don’t tell him the other reason I spared the guy’s life, too uneasy to even admit it to myself. If I had killed him and Ella found out, she’d close down on me completely. I couldn’t live with that. As it stands, Blondie will need plastic surgery to make him presentable again. It’s an acceptable trade-off.
I seem to be losing my grip on my business, and I’m not sure how to fix it.
