The husband has arrived. What's your take on Diego Santoro?
Past "Nothing you say will convince me to work for you, Mr Gambone. You're wasting your time" A tied up Diego Santoro says. When I told Federico to bring him here, I didn't think he'd kidnap the poor man. At least he doesn't look scared.I lean closer to Federico and whisper "You tried to recruit him?" "Yes but he refused my offer" "Why? You said he was weak" "In terms of background. I don't believe his father didn't train him while he was alive" "What should I tell him?" "Why are you asking me? The wedding planner will be here in two hours. You should talk to him before then" He walks away leaving me with my future husband. I wonder if I should use threats or seduction. Which one will make him agree to this marriage fast? "Use your charms to get what you want. You're beautiful and sexy. Know how to use that Regina and you can have any man eating out of your palm" Squaring my shoulders, I move to stand in Santoro's line of vision. He looks surprised to see me but
Past "What do you think?" Regina asks spinning around. It's the third dress she's tried on and they all look good on her. She's a beautiful woman so of course she makes everything look good but damnit! Isn't there something less pretty? Something that won't give Santoro any ideas? I've already warned him about trying anything with her but at the end of the day, he's still a man. He's going to take one look at her in one of these dresses and think she truly belongs to him "Federico!" "No" "What do you mean? I think it looks good" Yes, too good. I flick my gaze to the designer "Do you have anything conservative?" "What does it matter? I won't even spend an hour in it. We'll say our vows, get a few pictures and that's it. I don't care how the dress looks" "On second thought, maybe you shouldn't get married" "What? Why?" I don't know. Why don't I want her to get married? She was with me for two years. Of course, It's normal that I'm protective of her and Ophelia.
"Jump" "No way. Are you fucking crazy?" "You need to learn a few survival skills. Your father's men won't always be there to protect you" "But you will. Right? You are going to protect me forever..." "Ma'am? Mr. Gambone is here" I don't bother opening my eyes. I'm too tired to move. His cologne assaults my nose before fingers brush my hair back. Then they caress my cheek. He's so incredibly gentle that I find myself swallowing the lump in my throat. If my eyes were open, they would be shining with tears. I'm glad they're not. Up until this moment, I didn't realize how much I missed feeling someone touch me. "Are you okay?" The answer is no, I'm not okay. If Christian hadn't forced me to jump out of a moving car, who knows what would have happened? I'll admit, I'm shaken. It just occurred to me how easy death is. I've been numb for so many years that I didn't care whether I lived or died. When I took over as the boss, a lot of people tried to kill me. I got shot at in events, som
"Hey, Ric. Where'd you disappear to?" "Are we going to pretend you don't stalk me on social media?" According to my team, she likes everything they post and always leaves a comment. Nine out of ten times, she is the first one. "I thought you didn't check your i***a account" "I have people who do and I approve everything before it goes up" "Ugh, you're no fun" She drops beside me and takes a sip of the drink I ordered for her "Why am I here? Have you decided I'm finally your type?" Sienna is the last person I would ever think of fucking. For starters, she's only twenty-three and Rizzo's only daughter. She's also the typical rich kid who lives online and spends her father's money without a care. She barely managed to finish high school and has fucked almost every famous man in this city. Even if she was older, she wouldn't be my type. I like my women classy and with brains. "What has your old man been up to lately?" "You're such a bore, Ric. If I'd known you called to talk about h
"Bring him to me. I'll make him talk" "Ma'am..." "That was an order, Tobia!" I snap, my anger flaring. "We cannot kidnap the mayor. At least not while he's still in office" "Then let's pay him a little visit" The location doesn't matter. I will make him talk. There's no way he didn't have a hand in my accident. If someone used him then they are either acquaintances who know he's holding a grudge because I refused to support him or they planned it together. "We go anywhere near him and he'll use it to take you down" "Are you suggesting that I let this go?" "No, ma'am. Never. All I'm saying is that he has less than a year in office" "What if he tries again and succeeds?" "I cannot let you walk into danger, ma'am. Let's think of another way" Right. I forgot the reason I hired him was because he is level-minded. The world could be falling apart around him and he'd only move after he had a solid plan. Most of the time, I like that about him but not today. The only lead we had turne
I don't know if I should thank Bianchi or put a bullet in his head. If I'd had a few more minutes, I wonder what lines I would have crossed. Despite being a closed book, there are times Regina forgets to hide her feelings. Like earlier. I could tell what was going through her head. How conflicted she was and how it was the perfect time for me to test the waters and see if she'd finally put the past behind her. So why did I hesitate? The answer to that question makes me mad. Because I made my bed and now I have to lie in it. Olivia is desperate so she doesn't care if I have other women but Regina would never allow that. Even if I do have a good reason for it. Besides, I know once she's in my arms, every other woman would cease to exist. She has that effect on me. Like I told her, I don't know how much longer I can hold back. "Boss, we got him" "Who?" I ask absentmindedly. "The fucker who's been stealing from us" Right. A few months ago, I noticed some of our
"You're hovering" "Let me come along. You know that bastard is a fucking asshole and we haven't caught the person who tried to kill you" "What will your presence change?" "I can end him once and for all" I lean back and look at him "This is the reason you're staying behind. I can handle assholes just fine. How's training going? Is your protege getting any good?" Alessio huffs "I want to kill him at least a hundred times a day. Tell me why you're doing this again. Why am I wasting time with that idiot?" "I'm going to turn one of them against their fathers. Do you think he has potential?" "No. With all due respect, I think the men in your family are useless. I'd rather start training Miss Ophelia as early as now" I've been thinking about doing that. While I grew up having everything I wanted, not once did Papa ask his men to train me. It was always "They'll protect you" and never "You should learn to protect yourself". If it wasn't for Christian, I wouldn't even have known how th
Fingers ghost over my face, tracing my eyes, nose, and lips. The scent surrounding me is heavenly so I turn my face to breathe it in. Thinking that I could lie here forever. It's warm, strong, and... Wait, where exactly is here? My eyes snap open. I come face to face with Federico. The expression in his eyes is soft and murderous at the same time. Why is he here? Why am I in his arms? "Did you have a nice nap?" "I don't take naps," I say trying to get up but he tightens his hands. Holding me down. "What do you call what you just did?" My memory comes rushing back. That fucking bastard Dylan. I'm done with him and the entire Irish. What the fuck is wrong with him? What did he think he could achieve from knocking me out? If he went back on his word and took all the money, I'm hunting him down and killing all his family."What happened? When did you get here?" "By the time I arrived, Cavanaugh was long gone and you were propped up against this container" "Let go of me. I need to che
"You look like a sore loser," I tell Federico sitting at the head of the table. His eyes track my movements, pausing on my chest for a second too long before dropping down to my lap. Then he looks back up to my face but doesn't say anything. He's still miffed about the phonecall from from earlier. Never thought I'd ever see this man pouting and damn if my mind doesn't conjure a mini Federico doing the same. I'd reach over and try to make amends but he started this game. I'm competitive as hell and by now, he should know how vengeful I can be. If he thought he could get me to beg him then I'm afraid he picked the wrong woman. Biting the inside of my cheek to stop myself from smiling, I study him. His intense eyes, straight nose, chiseled jaw, and the five o'clock shadow he's spotting. He has a head full of hair that isn't slicked back today but still looks neat. It's as if he can't bear looking anything other than perfect. Then there's the broad shoulders, muscular arms, and talented
I'd forgotten how vengeful Regina could be sometimes. Never in my life have I felt so helpless. My thoughts are running in circles wondering if what she said was true. Why didn't I think of it? She's young, hot and men fall at her feet. Of course, she was hung up on her dead lover and wasn't ready for another serious relationship. But that didn't mean she'd been alone. I'm the idiot for thinking like that. The thought of Tobia or that fucker Alessio with their heads between her legs makes my blood boil. Especially her head of security. No wonder he's so protective of her and hates my guts. I kick the stupid door angrily, cursing that fucker Vincelli to hell and back. You'd think he was locking a fucking criminal in this room and not his daughter. Why didn't she move to the master bedroom? How did she kill that bastard? Now that I think about it, I don't remember her telling me anything. She walked into this house, shot any man who contradicted her, and took over
My eyes pop open and it takes me a moment to figure out I'm in bed. Then another to register the heaviness across my middle is Federico's arm. He's lying on his stomach with his other hand next to his head snoring. For Someone who is sleeping in my bed for the first, he looks way too comfortable. If I truly wanted to keep his organization, it would be so easy to kill him right now. But luckily for him, I still need him for a few things. And they definitely don't involve him using his mouth, fingers or dick. Or maybe they do. Fuck, I hope one orgasm isn't going to turn me into a lovesick puppy. He was right about me being curious about what else he could do and I'll admit, it's been a long time since a man touched me but that doesn't mean anything. His moving to my house and insisting on staying in my bedroom doesn't mean we're dating. I can want him without falling in love with him. We'll satisfy each other's needs then he can go back to being his old self. I haven't slept with any
"So who was the mastermind?" Regina asks peering up at me. Even without a lick of make-up, she's still the most beautiful woman. And maybe I'm overreaching but the orgasm did wonders. She's practically glowing. I make a promise to myself to give her at least one every day. "Rizzo's cousin," I say playing with her hair, noticing the texture is the same as Ophelia's. She definitely inherited it from her. "I've never liked that bastard and I wouldn't be surprised if he was behind his cousin. Tell me you at least killed him" "Rizzo? Not yet. He's still the mayor. But they should be burying that rat right around now" What I don't tell her is that he sang like a canary before I ended him. I have all his contacts and the evidence he was smart enough to collect. Photos and videos of famous people purchasing men, women, and children. There's also a ledger detailing their sick preferences and how much they were willing to pay. I'll be keeping those for future use. Every one of them is goin
Tarah came through. When I first hired her, we made a deal. She gets to name her price and in return, I get results. Fast. She's never disappointed me. With a name and a location, Manno leaves to go get the guy. I know he's not the mastermind because I've never heard of him. Unless he has a hidden identity, there's someone else behind him. The asshole is playing hide and seek with me and he better hope I don't catch him. A lot of people might want me dead but very few have the guts to try and kill me. Especially in broad daylight. At the moment, I'm in a safe house planning my next move. Depending on what we get from the guy, we'll either be going home or hunting. I would very much like to go home. It's been a few hours since the house burnt down and I'm guessing my men have already found out. Did one of them tell Regina? Is she panicking? I fucking hope she is. There's no way she kissed me like that and then went back to not caring. I regret not doing it while Ophelia was out with
Two Months AgoI watch Regina get in the car after Ophelia and my anger rises to additional levels. Who the fuck thought it was okay to cut my weekend with my girls short? I had to carry Regina out of bed so she could be here. Mostly because I was scared how easy it would have been to lose her. Sometimes, all it takes is a few seconds to kill someone. If that bastard had wanted to kill her, she wouldn't be here. So even though someone already dealt with him, it doesn't mean I've forgotten. I still have a bone to pick with him. It's time people found out just how off-limits Regina is.I thought we'd made progress. She smiled a lot, made jokes, turned her phone off so she could spend time with Ophelia and I thought I could convince her to spend the rest of the day with me. When I suggested we go back, I didn't actually mean I was going to drop her at home. Manno was to take Ophelia to the house so I could get a few more hours with her mother. But these idiots decided to ruin everything.
"A cop? You know who she is and you're still fucking around with her?" Regina bellows, her eyes flashing. Even from where I'm standing, I can see her body vibrating with anger. And any other time, I'd be happy to see her display of jealousy. It means she cares. But not now. Right now, I feel like throttling her because she never listens to anything I say. Never. "How many times do I have to tell you that she's not my girlfriend?" "You showed up with her last night and you've been with her..." "Christ woman, do you ever listen? Or do my words go in one ear and exit the other?" "Do you ever tell me anything? You should have told me who she was the moment you found out, damnit!" "So you could kill her?" "Yes. Unless you're afraid of losing your whore, I don't understand why she's still breathing. Ophelia is off limits and anyone who goes near is as good as dead. No compromises, Federico" I take in what's supposed to be a calming breath but it's not working. An angry Regina is
I must have lost my mind too because my body reacts to his command. My stomach flexing behind the wet clothes and my core clenching. Luckily, his eyes are on my face so he doesn't me pressing my knees together. That makes this whole situation weird and has me questioning my sanity. This madman dropped me in the shower while I was still dressed and I'm turned on? But the thought of having his hands on my bare skin is almost enough for me to forget what an asshole he is. Almost. Knocking his hands away, I take a step back. "Get out" "Not until you wash the remnants of him off you" Okay, maybe borrowing Marcelo's body wash and cologne was a bit diabolical but Federico deserves it. I can't believe I thought being with another man would be cheating while he was probably screwing that bitch every day for the past two months. Anger blurs my vision and I want to punch him until his dick falls off. Ugh, that is so childish. I can think of better ways to make him regret his existence.
"Are you staying or will you go back?" Ophelia asks. "Go back where?" I ask absentmindedly while my fingers flex around the coffee cup in my hand. It's already ten in the morning but Regina hasn't come back. I fucking spent the night here, waiting for her but she never came. I even tried calling her and that crazy woman sent my calls to voicemail. Did she really spend the night with Bianchi? I hope she didn't. Because if he so much as touched a single hair on her head, he wouldn't live to see another day. From the moment she kissed me back, she was mine. Fuck it. She's always been mine. From the moment I laid my eyes on her, she belonged to me. "...Rico" "Yes, principessa. I'm staying" "Here? With us?" I start to tell her that I'll be at my house but pause. Why can't I live with them? Nothing is stopping me from moving in here. My men have been reporting to Regina so it wouldn't hurt if they continued doing it for a while longer. I can stay here and keep an eye on the p