AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Mateo narrows his eyes at me and snarls, “You know she is. She’s just someone we can use to our advantage when the time is right.”
“Seemed like a lot more to me when she was over here for dinner the other night,” Massimo tosses out.
I fight to hide my smile. Mateo is about to explode. He hates not being in control. I wonder if he feels it slipping through his fingers which is why he’s trying so hard, again, to push the narrative that Viola is just part of the game.
“That was just a means to an end,” Mateo tries to sound dismissive, but I can hear the lie in his voice. “We needed her to think we might be good guys. We’re going to need her to drop her defenses around us and it worked. She shared things with us about herself no one else knows.”
“You think you’ll be able to use the fact that she’s a graphic designer who does pretty good business against the Guidice name?” Massimo scoffs, “I don’t think so. You just wanted to get to know her better. The same way we all want to,” Massimo emphasizes his point by waving his hand between himself and me.
“No,” Mateo’s voice is hard. “I don’t give a fuck about that woman. She’s nothing to me.”
“I think you protest too much, brother,” I sing-song.
I think steam is about to come out of Mateo’s ears and I barely stop myself from guffawing at the look on his face. Oh, he’s pissed. He feels like he’s spiraling if the way he’s gripping the arm rests of the chair he’s in is any indication.
“You,” he gives me a hard look and then gives the same one to Massimo, “both, need to keep your eyes on the prize and get your heads out of that woman’s pussy.”
“Hey now,” I chuckle, “who said anything about her pussy?”
“Even though it was so damn sweet,” Massimo ribs our brother.
“She’s a fucking job,” Mateo roars as he stands up and we both shoot out of our seats along with him. Mateo gets in Massimo’s face. “You need to get over your little crush on the woman. She’s nothing to us.” He rounds on me, and I smirk at how much he’s fighting this; it’ll only make his fall that much harder when it happens. “You need to remember that she’s just a job. Let whatever obsession you’re feeling go. It’s not real.”
“Felt pretty real to me when she was gagging on my cock,” I tell him with a shrug.
Mateo runs his fingers through his hair, something he doesn’t normally do, but it’s clear he’s losing his composure.
“The deal with Martinez went off without a problem today,” Mateo informs us. “We can’t afford to be distracted. Not right now and certainly not by a woman.”
“A woman who fits between us perfectly and already knows all about our world,” Massimo’s voice hardens with his words, as if he’s trying to fight steel against steel.
He’s probably right to take that stance. Our brother doesn’t understand soft.
Our mother was the nicest person on fucking earth, and we were lucky to have her. She treated us well and coddled us when we needed it. Mateo didn’t have a problem accepting her love, but then everything changed when she passed. It was sudden—an aneurysm we didn’t see coming.
For Mateo, affection became a thing of the past.
I can only hope Viola won’t give up on our cold and stubborn brother. He needs her love more than anyone else. If he’d give her half a chance, I know she could thaw him.
“It doesn’t matter,” Mateo insists and I’m not sure if he’s trying to convince us or himself at this point. “She’s a means to an end and nothing more.”
Mateo gives Massimo a warning look and then shoots the same one at me. I know not to push him anymore. Not tonight at least. He’s at the end of his patience about this.
I think we just need a little more time. I’m not going to give up on the idea of having Viola in our lives and between us. Permanently.
By the look in Massimo’s eyes, he’s right there with me.
Mateo turns and stomps toward his room without another word.
Does he really believe the bullshit he just said? I sure as fuck don’t.
CHAPTER 9
VIOLA
Even though I miss the triplets, I haven’t seen any of them in days. I sometimes get the feeling of being watched and I know, without looking for him, that it’s Marco. Knowing he’s still watching me leaves me with a warmth in the middle of my chest.
There is a little voice in the back of my mind which keeps telling me that this is all a game for them still. That they’re using me. I’m not sure if the voice is right or not, but I desperately hope it’s not.
