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Best Friend's Daddy, Billionaire Devil 19
CaterinaMy coworker, Josh, lifts his beer in my direction while we stand around the bar. “To the end of your first month. You survived.”I lift my glass along with everybody else, laughing a little, even if the unhappy thought of Gianni is always close to the front of my mind. How he hates me, wants to hurt me, can’t stand the sight of me, and how I stupidly still want him.“You make it sound like there was ever any doubt,” I joke, forcing a smile while trying to push thoughts of him aside.I wasn’t sure at first whether I wanted to come out for Friday's happy hour. I was afraid of what would happen if I got home, and he was waiting for me, demanding to know where I went. But I’d already turned them down so many times.Now I’m glad I said yes. I needed this. It’s like stepping out of a cave and into the sunshine. The warmth of the sun feels good on my skin.Without the nagging feeling I’m being watched hanging over me, I can even enjoy myself while sitting in the same club where Luci
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He gives me a shove, sending me toward the stairs. I take hold of the railing and turn in time to find him swinging a hinged bar into place, which I guess serves as a way of keeping outsiders from opening the door. “You weren’t flirting? Laughing at that asshole’s jokes? Why did you hang around the bar when your friends were dancing?”I can’t keep track of everything coming at me at once. There’s only one thought that rings out in my overwhelmed mind.He was watching. My intuition was right.“Go up the stairs.” His jaw works, his words grunted through clenched teeth. “Now.”Instinct tells me to move my ass, but I wonder what would happen if I didn’t. Would he throw me over his shoulder and carry me up the stairs? I wish the idea wasn’t so appealing.This is a very dangerous man, but right now, the only danger is slipping on what’s soaking through my panties.At the top of the stairs is the office I imagined sitting behind the tinted window. It’s sleek and masculine, with a large desk
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GianniResisting Caterina feels as fundamental as resisting the need to breathe. Her presence is a liability in my shadowy world, and despite my deep craving for her, I must hold back. I’m acutely aware of the danger she represents, yet I can’t escape her pull.Repeatedly, I’ve come close to letting her have the power to tear me apart. I know that if this continues, she’ll wound me so deeply that I’ll bleed out emotionally. She holds the power to destroy not just me, but my life and everything I’ve built. I’m convinced of how this will end: I’ll end up destroying her.Despite this, our path seems unavoidable. No obstacle we put between us can alter our trajectory. The moment I saw her—engaging with friends, flirting with another man, laughing at his jokes—the truth of our connection became undeniable, overshadowing everything else.Even though I’m strong, I refuse to let anyone else have her. She’s meant to be mine, and that realization drove me to abandon all restraint. I stormed out
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Her walls grip me tighter, and I thrust my hips further, earning another precious inch inside of her. The heat of her body, her sweet floral scent, and the squeezing of her walls leave me unhinged. I can’t help myself. I need to be inside her the rest of the way. She can take the pain as long as I reward her with pleasure. Gripping her hips tightly, I press forward, stopping only once my balls press against her ass, and there isn’t a single inch of space between our bodies.“I’m so fucking consumed by you, Caterina. I don’t know what’s up or down. I don’t know what’s right or wrong. I don’t care about a fucking thing except you. You’re under my skin and inside my head. I’m worried that if I don’t get another hit of your scent or taste of your body, I’ll die.”“Fuck!” she whines and tenses all at once. “Gianni.”“I’m crazy for you, little bird. Absolutely mental.” I’m not sure how it’s possible, but her fluttering muscles draw me deeper. So wet and warm. I could fucking die inside of h
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Caterina“I guess my daughter’s too wrapped up in her important job to notice her old man.”I nearly give myself whiplash, turning to him in surprise. “Sorry, Dad. What did you say?”“Are they working you too hard?” His concern is evident, his brows furrowing with worry—a familiar look that tugs at my heart. He’s always been overprotective, but it’s clear he only wants the best for me, even if his methods are a bit much.I’m distracted, but he has no idea why.He waits, his gaze fixed on me from across the table, dressed in his usual shirt and tie. I wonder how many people have felt that same intense stare while sitting at the police station.“No, it’s not that,” I say, reaching over to squeeze his hand. “I’m just tired. Didn’t get much sleep last night, that’s all.”“Is Luciano not treating you well? I can have a word with him if you’d like.”I involuntarily flinch at the mention of his name. I have yet to tell dad about the breakup. I don’t know what’s wrong with me. It’s not a big
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“What do you think?”The building’s burly owner stands in the doorway leading out to the hall, thumbs hooked into his belt loops. “I don’t want to rush your decision, but I have three interested candidates who already looked at the place.”I’m sure he does, but I also know this is a pressure tactic to get me to make up my mind. “It’s really nice,” I tell him, and it’s the truth. There are plenty of windows, so I’ll get lots of sun, and the living space itself is bigger than I expected. The kitchen is compact, but the stove and fridge are brand new. The bathroom is a nice size and extremely clean. There’s not a speck of rust or grimy grout.“Of course, I’ll need first and last month’s rent upfront,” he continues. “But I ran your credit application already, and everything looks good, so I’d have no problem with having you sign immediately.”Now I sort of wish I’d let Dad come with me, as childish as it sounds. I don’t like feeling forced into this. I’m not the kind of person who’s ever b
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Rage.It rushes out of me like a volcano, all because of what I’m witnessing outside the apartment building across the street from where I parked, waiting for Caterina.It’s enough to suck the air from inside the car and tighten my chest until my heart’s about to burst from the strain. Sweat beads along my temple, and my skin becomes tight. I’m going to explode.They’ll find me here, dead of a heart attack or stroke, sitting behind the wheel across the street from where Caterina—my Caterina, nobody else’s—ducks away from her ex-boyfriend’s attempt at mauling her.He owes her his life for that. I’m not stupid. I know he wouldn’t have stopped at a simple kiss, and then I would have had no choice but to end his miserable life. All that keeps me from firing off a bullet into the bastard’s skull is the way she rejects him. I have the grim pleasure of watching her shove him away with both hands. The windows of my car are rolled up, so there’s no telling what she says, but her facial express
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CaterinaI’m going to be sick.No matter how many times I look at this blown-up photo, it never changes. I need to stop staring at it, but I can’t, even if it makes me feel a little more nauseous every time I do.My first worry is my father. No matter what, he can’t find out. I’d never be able to explain myself. And then there’s Tatiana.Gianni notices what I’m holding and gestures for me to share it, setting down the little package he was carrying before crossing the room. “What’s the problem? Whatever it is, we’ll work it out together.”I want more than anything to believe him, but he’s a big part of the problem, so I’m not sure how he’d help—aside from promising to never touch me again, and I already know how it goes when he tries that. It’s a waste of time that makes us both miserable, and we only end up together in the end.“Promise you won’t get mad?”He arches an eyebrow, his mouth screwing up in a smirk. Even now, with my vision blurred, thanks to all the crying, I can’t look
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When I try to send a text in response, it goes undelivered. The number comes up as ID Blocked. No surprise.“I'm wondering if we should have brought more men,” he grunts, swerving around a slow-moving minivan. A glimpse at the passenger side mirror reveals the car behind us, matching our speed, following Roger's every move.“Between the five of us, if we can't handle it, then we have bigger problems.”“What if this is all a way of drawing us out? Whoever is behind this would know I'd come on the run.”“Do you want to take that chance?” He glances away from the road to stare at me for a moment. “We can always call for more backup.”“By the time they get there, what point would it make?” We're already halfway there as it is. “I don't want to wait for them.”Besides, this doesn't feel like an attack is imminent. It feels more like the attack has already taken place, I'm afraid. I don’t want to think about what we might discover when we arrive. Don't let it be Caterina. Don't let it be Ta
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GIANNI“You can tell summer's winding down.”I look up from the spreadsheet Roger insisted we compile—always organized, which I suppose I should be grateful for even if a Friday evening spent poring over spreadsheets isn’t my idea of a good time. “What do you mean?”“It's already starting to get dark, and it's barely past seven o'clock.”Sure enough, a look out the window confirms this. “I wonder how long the girls will be out.”“You know how it gets sometimes. Crack open a bottle of wine or two, and time melts.”“I don't think they'll be doing that tonight.” When he lifts an eyebrow, I break the news I've been waiting all week to share. “This stays between us, but Caterina is pregnant.”Now both brows lift. “Oh. I... congratulations?”I can't help but grin. “Yes, congratulations are in order.”“And she's happy about it?”“You know. Things are still complicated.” I'm trying to be kind toward Charles for her sake, but I can't pretend his bias against me isn't a real pain in the ass at
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Something snaps inside my head. No, no, this isn’t happening. Not to me. Not to my baby.Every self-defense lesson Dad ever taught me comes rushing back. I can’t breathe in if I want to stay conscious, so I hold my breath while stomping a foot against his instep with all my might. He grunts in pain but doesn’t release me. In my frenzy, I reach out, sinking my nails into any flesh I can touch, then I drive an elbow into his ribs.“You bitch,” he growls before slamming me headfirst into the trunk of my car. Everything goes dark and foggy. My body slumps when I lose control of it, and I can’t help but breathe in.My baby. My baby…I don’t lose consciousness, though. Not completely. It’s more like being sedated; my brain still works. I hear everything, but I can’t make my body move. I’m floating in a dream-like state, but this is all very real. A living nightmare.“Get moving,” one of the men snarls, shoving me into the car. I can’t open my eyes. My head is pounding.Tatiana’s body slumps
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CATERINA“Hey, what are you looking at?”My heart just about jumps out of my chest as I quickly close my browser before turning in my chair to find Stephanie standing at the entrance of my cubicle. The way she lifts an eyebrow while folding her arms reminds me too much of my best friend—it hurts, since we haven’t spoken all week.I touch a hand to my chest, laughing. “You're like a ghost, I swear. How are you so quiet?”“Maybe you were too busy looking at naughty things to notice me coming up behind you.”“Naughty things?” The idea makes me giggle, because she couldn't be further from the truth. It was dirty things that got me pregnant in the first place. Now, I am reading advice columns and googling baby names when I should be working.“Nobody closes their browser that fast if they aren’t looking at something they shouldn't be.”“Sorry to disappoint you, but I was reading junk on Reddit.” At least it's a believable lie. “I don't want to get caught screwing around.”“Who cares?” she s
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The look of heartbreak on Caterina’s face makes me want to order a hit on Amalia at this very moment. “That you’d want me to get an abortion if you found out because you didn’t want any more children. That the last thing you wanted was to be tied down again.” The anguish in her voice slices me down to the bone.I’ll kill her. It’s as simple as that.How long have I told myself I must spare her pathetic life because she’s Tatiana’s mother? She’s never been a mother to her, anyway. I could have done Tatiana and the world a favor by getting rid of her, but I didn’t. Now it doesn’t seem to matter if she’s alive or dead.“For one thing,” I speak carefully so I don’t spook her, “Amalia does not have the first clue on how I would feel about anything. She doesn’t know me. You should know by now that she wants me to be miserable, which means making everyone around me miserable by association. Plus, she’s herself, so I’m sure it must make her jealous, knowing you’re going to have my child—a chi
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GIANNI“Patience,” Roger advises, his eyes constantly moving as he scans the area around us while we stand beneath the covered stoop in front of his cottage. “Just because I haven't found anything yet doesn't mean I won't.”“It isn't you I'm frustrated with,” I grunt, trying not to appear suspicious. There are no fewer than five guards within my line of sight, and I can't help but wonder if it's one of them.The traitor.“It's barely been two days since I installed the software,” he reminds me. “Give it some time.”“I get it, but until then, I have to pretend I trust everyone equally, and that’s frustrating as hell when you know one of your men is sharing information he shouldn’t be.”“There is another solution. It’s faster, if that’s what you’re looking for. You could just fire everybody and start over.”He recoils under the sharp glare I shoot at him. I know he wasn’t serious, but I’m not in a joking mood. “I can't afford to lose my entire team at a time like this. Not with a new de
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“Not really.” Tatiana looks me up and down. “Are you feeling okay? You look a little green.”Once we move closer to the register, the feeling gets worse. Only once the girl behind the counter reaches for Tatiana’s clothes do I realize it’s Tatiana’s perfume that sets me off. The stronger the smell, the sweatier and more nauseated I get.“I’ll meet you outside.” Nothing in the world matters more than getting out of this store. The glass doors are my sole goal, and I walk toward them as calmly as possible, even as my insides start churning. Stupid me, thinking if I never got sick like this before now, I’d be one of the lucky ones who never had to go through it.I burst through the double doors to the outside, sucking deep breaths into my lungs. The sunshine is so bright, glaring off the concrete, but there’s an awning over the wide front window, and I take shelter beneath it. A few minutes pass, and the nausea seems to pass with every breath I take. Shit. Suddenly it occurs to me that I
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CATERINA“How come you're not trying on any clothes?”Damn it. I was hoping I’d get away with it.We’ve been shopping for the past half hour, and only now has she thought to ask why I haven’t picked out anything. I was kind of hoping she wouldn't pay attention. She's having a good time trying on skirts and dresses and jeans. Now she’s frowning at me from the three-way mirror outside her dressing room stall. “Why aren’t you shopping, too?”I’m sure the response: I don't know how much longer I'll fit into anything. It would be a waste of money to buy anything in my size when I don’t have the first idea of how pregnancy will affect my body... wouldn’t go over well.“I feel bloated,” I groan, rubbing my stomach. “It's just not a good day.”“I'm sorry. Would you prefer we go back home?”I like that she thinks of it as home for both of us. “No, I’m fine. I just know I would hate myself in everything I tried on.”“You always look great, if that helps.”“Thanks. And you look hot in that dress
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“There he is, going around with all these suspicions without solid proof. I'm finally starting to understand how he must feel.” That, and how Caterina seems determined to look after me—the way she does with him.“Speaking of which, have you reviewed the list of names I compiled?”If my head doesn't fucking explode, it will be a miracle. I walked into this room feeling good, energized, confident. All it takes is a catch-up session to remember how overwhelming the past few weeks have been. Caterina or no Caterina, I've got enough on my plate to make any man want to throw in the towel.I made her a promise. I’m going to find out who killed her mother. I only hope she isn’t in a hurry, since at least a dozen possible culprits could’ve had reason to send a message to Charles.“I scanned the names,” I confirm. “And I'd like to set up meetings. Only this is touchy, so we can't make too much noise, or word might spread that I'm digging.”“You realize one of those names was Salvatore Costello.
