AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I’d recognize my Uncle Giovanni’s voice anywhere. I quickly run my fingers through my hair, trying to smooth out any stray strands before hurrying from the room.
The heated voices grow louder and more intense as I approach the grand staircase. There, in the doorway, stand Giovanni and Marco, their postures tense and confrontational as they face off with my stepfather.
“Gio?” I test the waters as I step out from behind the wall and reveal myself. “Is that you?” I try to sound shocked to see my uncles here, but Gio doesn’t look like he’s buying it.
“Go back to your room,” Niccolo says tersely.
Giovanni glares at him. “No, she needs to hear this, too.”
I pause halfway down the stairs, a half-humorous, half-strangled expression on my face. “H-hear what?” I stutter.
Niccolo gives my uncle a hard look. “This is between us. It has nothing to do with her.”
Marco, as always, stands a few feet behind Giovanni with his arms crossed tightly over his chest. His towering frame casts a shadow over the room, and his imposing presence radiates a sense of danger. He’s never been one for idle chitchat—words are not his weapon of choice. Instead, he makes a living as an enforcer. He’s all muscle and menacing facial expressions that would terrify me if I didn’t know he was a sweetheart deep down.
Uncle Giovanni feels safe with Marco as his backup, and he snorts in derision at Niccolo. “This has as much to do with her as it does with you.” He looks past Nic to make eye contact with me. “Your stepfather is a problem, Chris.”
“What kind of problem?” I ask tentatively as I make it to the last step of the staircase.
Giovanni attempts to come inside, but his eager steps are halted as Niccolo raises his hand in a firm gesture to stop him.
A flash of irritation ignites in Marco’s eyes at the mere contact between his brother and Niccolo. Marco’s hands, usually relaxed at his sides, now curl into bulky, powerful fists. The tension in the room is tangible, with each man silently asserting their dominance over the other.
Niccolo sees Marco’s response and looks past Giovanni. “What?” He barks. “You wanna try me, meathead?” My stepfather has a death wish, I think.
“Nic,” I gently prod, “let them inside. We can talk. They’re my family.”
He flares up at that remark, and I know what he’s thinking. For family, they never give two shits about me until it suits them. But Niccolo takes one look at my face and softens. “Fine,” he growls at Marco and Giovanni, “but if either of you piss me off, I’ll kick you in the head.”
Giovanni rolls his eyes as he walks through the door. He makes himself comfortable, removing his jacket and putting it in the coat closet next to the entrance.
“I should be the one kicking you in the head.” He offers to take his brother’s coat, storing it next to his. “I’m in Kansas City. I’mover a hundred miles away,” Giovanni explains. “So tell me why the fuck I’m hearing rumors about the two of you.”
My jaw drops open in shock. “W-what rumors?”
He slams the closet door shut. “Rumors that the two of you are fooling around,” Giovanni explains succinctly. “You’re the family’s prized virgin. You think any man is going to want you now?”
A sudden, sickening feeling hits me like a punch in the gut. I swear my stomach falls through my ass, and I don’t know if it’s because my uncles think I’m a virgin or because the rumors imply that my family has plans for me that don’t include Niccolo.
“We’re tired of the rumors, Christine. We’re here to settle them once and for all.”
Chapter 24
Christine
Niccolo clenches his fists, the sound of his knuckles cracking through the quiet living room. “Start talking, Lucatello,” he orders as he paces back and forth with an air of impatience.
Giovanni and Marco share a look, clearly hiding something from us. Their eyes sparkle with mischief, intensifying my curiosity. Gio’s lips curl up into a sly smile as he taunts, “I think I’d like it if you begged, Terlizzi.”
Instinctively, I step forward, positioning myself between my stepfather and my uncles to prevent a violent confrontation. “Stop,” I hiss at Niccolo. “It’s not worth it.” I can sense the tension in his muscles, his eyes ablaze with anger.
“Listen to your stepdaughter, Niccolo,” Giovanni grins. “I could sic Marco on you and solve all my problems. You want that?”
Niccolo’s hands tighten into menacing fists at his sides as he cracks his neck. “Get to the point before you make me do something I’ll regret.”
Giovanni nonchalantly props his feet up on the coffee table, feigning relaxation. But beneath the facade, his face reveals a snake ready to strike. His stretched-out posture belies a hidden restlessness. “I think I’d be more inclined to talk if I had a drink. I know you’ve got good taste in bourbon, Niccolo. Why don’t you pour me a glass?”
Interrupting the growing tension, I step forward, urging Gio to reveal his purpose for coming here unannounced. “Gio, please, just tell me what you came here to say.”
