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There was Cecilia being pinned down on a sideboard and a very intimidating, older man in a pinstriped black suit had his hand around her throat. A glass vase was in pieces on the floor beside them and she had her hands wrapped around his forearm, trying to pry him off.
“Get off her!” I shouted in panic and both their heads turned to me in shock. He released his grip on her throat immediately and stepped back. And that's when I saw his face. He was tall and had the same dark features as Giovanni except his hair was greying all over. But where Giovanni has a smoothness to his appearance, this man did not. He was terrifying.
“Olivia,” Cecilia choked out as she climbed off the sideboard table and rubbed her neck.
“Who is this?” the man hissed, looking me up and down with distaste.
“An employee. The children’s new nanny,” she said calmly, as if the man in front of her hadn't just been trying to choke her to death. His eyes locked with mine and he tsked. He actually made that noise and screwed his nose up as if I was beneath him. I kept my glare fixed on this entitled prick and folded my arms.
“Do all your employees sleep here?” He grumbled.
“No. It is just because of the party. The children needed her.”
He nodded once before striding towards me, his huge frame towering over me. “You better rethink that attitude of yours before it gets you killed, little girl. And know your place,” he hissed in my face and pushed past me, causing me to stumble backwards. Wow.
Suddenly, Cecilia grabbed my arm and pulled me into the room, shutting the door behind me. “What are you doing here, Olivia?”
For the first time since I had met this woman who always seemed to have so much poise and grace, she seemed flustered.
“I – I was just coming to ask Giovanni to turn down the music. The children can’t sleep.”
She paced back and forth a few steps in front of me as she fussed with her blonde hair to make it neat again. “What you saw...just now, you cannot say a word to anyone. Especially Giovanni. Do you understand?”
My eyebrows furrowed and I knew my disbelief was written all over my face. “But he was hurting you! He was trying to kill you!”
“No. It was just an argument. A misunderstanding. If Giovanni knew his uncle laid a hand on me, he would go ballistic and that would not end well for any of us.”
My eyes widened at her words. “Uncle? That was his uncle?”
“Yes. Vinny’s brother. Look Olivia, this family is complicated. It is best you stay out of these things. As for the music, I am sorry. I agree. It is getting late and we should turn it down.”
I nodded and she paused in her pacing. Her fingers played on the surface of her lips as she looked ahead into space, thinking hard, “But I am not feeling well. I need to have a lie down after...that. Will you be okay to go and speak to Giovanni yourself?”
“Well, that was what I was trying to do, but your ogres out there wouldn’t let me in!”
Her stunning face twisted into a smile and she chuckled. “Come on.”
I followed her down the hall until we stood outside the club doors again and as soon as the men saw her, they stepped aside to let her enter. She pointed her hand to the door and looked at me. “There you go.”
I sighed and went to approach the door, but her grip on my arm stopped me. “Remember. Not a word,” her voice was blunt and intimidating, that cold mask over her face once again. I nodded and she released me before turning on her Louboutin heels and strutting away.
As soon as I entered the club, I felt all that rage at Giovanni come flooding back. This was not a bloody meeting! This was a full-on rave! There must have been at least a hundred people in here and everyone seemed to be drunk, horny and having the time of their lives. I glanced around for any sign of him, but only frolicking bodies on the dancefloor were in my eyeline. And then I looked up and spotted him standing on a raised platform overlooking the dancefloor, separated by some glass. He was talking to another older man in a suit. Pushing my way through the bodies on the dance floor was a difficult mission. Every bump, grind and grope I felt against my body just added to my anger.
Then, suddenly, I ran straight into a 6ft wall of muscle. The firm grip on my upper arm made me wince as I glanced up to see who was manhandling me. Olive black eyes full of rage. A menacing scowl across his handsome features. Giovanni. He started to push through the crowd, dragging me by the arm with him, and I fought against his strong grip.
“Get off me! Mr Buccini! Giovanni!” I shouted over the music. He quickly turned and, in one smooth motion, he bent down and threw me over his broad shoulder. Very aware my ass was up in the air in a pair of very short shorts, I screamed at him and punched his muscular back, which made no difference what-so-ever. The doors opened and we were no longer in the club but back in the lobby of the ground floor. As I looked up from my position, I caught the two beefcake bouncers at the door sniggering and pointing.
“FUCK YOU!” I shouted at them and gave them the middle finger, which just seemed to make them even more amused. A loud, playful swat on my ass cheek had me yelp and my skin immediately flamed from where his hand had been.
“Curse again Olivia and your ass will be red raw,” his voice was husky and I gulped, momentarily startled and... aroused by what he just did. He climbed the stairs two at a time and I clocked Marco standing outside the kids’ door still. And there it was. That huge, beaming smile I had been trying to get out of him for days. Fucker. So that was what it took to make that robot smile. Me over Giovanni’s shoulder, humiliated beyond belief. But Giovanni kept going. Up to his floor.
He finally put me back on my feet and stepped back. I turned around and saw that we were in a bedroom. A very grand and elegant bedroom that oozes sophistication. My mouth dropped open as I realised this must be his room. I was in Giovanni Buccini’s bedroom and he was...looking at me like he was contemplating whether to murder me or have his way with me. Oh fuck this is not good. Not good at all.
“Why am I here? Is this your bedroom?” I shouted in disbelief and his eyes narrowed.
“Why were you at the club?” He ignored my question and asked his own.
“Trust me, I would have rather been anywhere else! I came to tell you to turn the music down. Your poor siblings are exhausted but cannot sleep through the unbearable techno music blaring from your oh-so important meeting.” I gave the word 'meeting' air quotations as my tone was laced with sarcasm and his nostrils flared. He took a menacing step towards me and I cursed myself for moving back instinctively.
