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I’m not prepared for him to start yelling, but when he does, I find myself surprised. Not many people are willing to speak to a mob boss like that and I imagine if anyone else were here, there’s no question that it wouldn’t be happening. He’s getting a pass for being family, but from the look and his grandpa’s face he’s about to find himself six feet under so I turn and face him, reaching my hand up to place it over his fast beating heart.
“Shh… Va tutto bene. Sono tuo - it’s okay, I’m yours. Ren, I’m yours. Calm down.” I say firm, but quiet. They have to stop yelling at each other to hear me, which is exactly what I was hoping for as I turn my glare to Raffaele.
“I may not be everything you expected for your grandson, but I’m what you’ve got. I’m what he wants and I’m what’s already been bartered for. I’ve finally accepted what’s to come so leave us be and we’ll make the arrangements on our own.” I say, staring him down, letting him know he doesn’t intimidate me. He sure as shit doesn’t deserve my respect, so he damn well won’t be getting it. I continue to stare into Ren’s gaze, wanting him to fully understand my meaning.
“Hmm, so you’re prepared to marry my grandson then? You’re prepared to give up your own legacy and become a wife? You will have a role to play and it’s not one you’ve envisioned; of that I can guarantee.” He laughs at me, like this is all some game and not our fucking lives. It’s enough to get me to turn my glare on him.
“We have time to decide what we want to do and how we are to go about it. That’s not up to you. Neither of us are even eighteen yet so it’s not like we can get married tomorrow. Let us take the time we need to get to know each other and… I don’t know, date? Also, no offense, but you’re in-fucking-sane if you think I’m going to sit back and be someone’s little housewife. I’m to be an Underboss in my own right, under my grandfather, Alessandro Salvatore, when I turn eighteen. I’ll agree to marrying Ren, there’s no doubt in my mind that it’s the right thing to do, but I have my own conditions.” I seethe.
“For someone who’s gotten as far in life as you have, you’d think you’d understand how these things work a lot better. First of all, you have as much time as I’m willing to give you. No more. No less. You don’t get to have conditions. You are not in charge here. Your grandfather and I will speak and come to an agreement on how you will best proceed as a wife, not an Underboss, that’s laughable. You are a woman. You are meant to bed your husband and breed the future generation. You are to be seen, not heard. You tend to the house and you feed your family. That is how things are done. Contractually, you belong to my grandson and you will do as you are told or you will die. It is all very simple you see.” He looks as though he’s attempting to smile, though it comes out as more of a grimace.
It’s ugly and nauseating. For now though, I prefer him to think he has the upper hand. I knew that everything he said was what’s expected. I won’t comply as he’d like, but he doesn’t need to know that yet. And nonno won’t agree to any of that. He’s old fashioned in business, but ruthlessly protective in family matters.
“I see. Well, then I shall leave you both to your dinner. If you’ll excuse me. Ren, I’ll see you in our bedroom. Hurry this along if you can.” I give him a light peck on his lips and turn to leave them to tend to their business. With any luck, Ren will have his grandfather gone by the end of tonight.
“Ah, ah, ah! Just a moment dear. You’ll have to bear with us a short while longer. There’s much left to be done tonight. Don’t you know that it’s my grandson’s birthday? It’s a celebrazione!” Raffaele’s vile grimace widens into a full smile, and it’s evil in every sense of the word.
When another person enters the room and I look to see someone I would’ve never expected. Looking up to Ren, I do my best to hide my panic. When he tries to mouth to me how sorry he is, I know I have to make some big decisions here.
I fuckingknewit! I knew deep in my bones that nothing good would come from Raffaele Gavino showing up.
“So there is… I guess we better get to it then. Happy birthday il mio re.” I look to Ren first, to show him that I’m ok and then to Raffaele, smiling like he isn’t fucking up all of my plans. This piece of shit won’t get to see me sweat, even as his sickening voice wafts over me.
“And so we shall…”
Chapter Thirteen
Alessandra
Imake my way around Ren’s room. Not exactly snooping, as tempting as that might be. Just getting a feel for things. For some reason, I expected his space to be dark and brooding, everything black, or red even. Maybe leather furniture or even more of the dungeon-y feel I got from my first experience here. It’s all decorated in various shades of blue, however. Intricate artwork decorates the walls, and pictures of me are framed on his bedside table. Not like a shrine, as I imagined before I knew him. Just a simple set of photos taken of me laughing or smiling.
The decor is color coordinated in a way that it almost entirely matches the spectacular view from his floor to ceiling window, which faces the ocean and sandy beaches that span for miles. Wherever it is that we are, I can’t deny its beauty.
I step into the walk-in closet and find that he wasn’t joking when he said I have an entire wardrobe here. Grabbing a pair of modest panties and one of his t-shirts instead, I move out of the expansive space and back over to the bed to lay out the clothes I’ve chosen for bed.
I’m facing away from the door and just get the shoulder of my dress pushed down when I hear the door creak open. I stiffen slightly, as I look over my shoulder to see Ren standing in the doorway staring at me with lust-fueled eyes.
“I’ll come back. Go ahead and change.” He says, unmoving, allowing himself a moment to drink me in.
“It’s okay, Ren. I trust you. Come in. I could probably use some help with my zipper anyway. One of the maids was kind enough to help me into this dress, but there’s no way I’m getting out of it on my own.” I say, genuinely meaning it. I do trust him. He messed up, going about things the way that he did, but I understand it so much more now. The pull that he felt. The draw to me, like I feel for him and the guys.
“I really shouldn’t, Quinn. I don’t know if I have much self-control left to offer you. I haven’t seen you in two weeks and now with the circumstances what they are… Not to mention that I’ve damn near driven myself mad with need for you. To see you. To touch you. Fuck… Totasteyou.”
And even though the words he’s saying tell me that he needs to stay away, he still moves closer. It’s only a moment before I feel him at my back and his hands firmly grasp my hips.
Tilting my head back, I meet his lips with my own, then turn to face him to continue the passionate dance our tongues are creating. Reaching my hands up to grasp his face, I pull him in closer. The need to be pressed against him is immediate and insistent. He reciprocates by grabbing my ass and lifting my legs up around his waist, then shifting us onto the bed with the brunt of his weight coming down on me.
Tilting my hips up, I grind myself against his erection, practically begging for his dick with the motions of my body. I allow myself a few more moments of pure bliss in his arms before trying to pull away. He follows me and continues to kiss me so deeply; I can practically feel him telling me how much he cares about me with that kiss alone.
“Wait, Ren. Slow down. A lot’s been said tonight and I need to make sure you understand the conditions in which I agreed to all of this. Your grandfather may not accept them, but he’s the least of my concerns. Do you understand what I need from you?” I push at his chest lightly. Not so he leaves my personal space, but just enough that I can look him in the eyes and convey how deadly serious I am.
“I needyouto understand something, mi amore. I’m willing to try to give you what you want. It won’t be easy, but I’ve realized that I’d rather give you what you need than lose you altogether. I can’t guarantee that it will go smoothly. I’m a jealous fucker and I’ve never wantedanythingthe way I want you. You are it for me. I just wish I were enough for you too.”
“Ren, stop. That’s not fair... If I had to live the rest of my life with you and only you, I could, but I wouldn’t feel complete, if that makes sense. I never had any control over falling in love with them, just like you had no control over falling in love with me. It just happened. And whileourconnection is strong, so is my connection to them. It means more than I could ever say that you’ve agreed to try. Especially now.” I press a kiss to his lips and pull back, wincing slightly at the look of concern he shows at my words.
“What does that mean? Especially now. Quinn…” His voice trails off and I know he knows I’m about to throw down something majorly conflicting.
“Ren, I need to tell you something. I’ve done something that you may have expected. Maybe you actually trusted menotto do it, I don’t really know to be honest.”
