Refusing the King (The Sovrano Crime Family #12)

Chapter 8

8

Giselle

I’d just finished showering from our afternoon of love with Carlo.

He and Eve had fallen asleep in each other’s arms after we all collapsed to the bed after the last round.

Needless to say, Carlo enjoyed his ménage-filled afternoon with us.

I tried to sleep, but I couldn’t quite find peace.

So, I decided to get up and shower and then start making supper.

My hair was still wet, but it would dry in the sun and warm breeze outside. First, I had to slip the roast in the oven and get the veggie dishes ready. I contemplated whipping up a seafood dish, too. Goodness knows there was enough of it in the fridge.

I opened a bottle of water and took a long sip. Halfway through the bottle, I heard a familiar voice say, “All that fucking makes a girl thirsty.”

I dropped the bottle on the floor and choked on the water I’d just inhaled.

I spun around to see my freaking father standing in the doorway.

I wiped my mouth and coughed. “What are you doing?” I choked out in between coughing up a lung.

He sneered and walked to the edge of the island. After leaning on it, he stole a handful of crackers from a bowl. “Keeping an eye on you.” He snickered, while crunching away. “I’ve learned that you’re a very busy girl, Bella.”

His eyebrows rose on his forehead, and he looked me over. “Never thought you’d be one to have a ménage à trois at two in the afternoon.” He shrugged and shoved in the rest of the crackers in his hand. “Or at all, really. You were always such a good kid. Never expected this kind of lifestyle from you.”

The blood in my veins turned to ice.

How did my father know what I was just doing?

Was he watching us?

I felt the bile in my stomach rise. “You’re sick.”

He let out a lecherous laugh. “I wasn’t the one licking Eve Rosetti’s tits.” Then he shrugged again. “Although I’d really fucking love to. That woman’s got a great rack on her. I’d bet they’re real, too.” He pointed toward my chest. “Not like your store-bought ones.”

Okay.

I was going to kill him.

Right here in the kitchen.

“Either way,” he said with cracker crumbs falling out of his mouth and onto his shirt, “Carlo seemed to enjoy railing you both. Guess he’s got low standards.”

Yeah.

I was going to kill him.

Right after I barfed.

“Didn’t have anything else to do other than ogle young women?”

He spotted another bowl that had grapes in it and pulled it closer. “I have to keep an eye on you. Besides, it wasn’t my fault none of you saw or heard me open the door. Not my fault at all. They make locks for a reason.” He nodded at me.

“You need to get out of here before someone comes down and sees you,” I warned him of something he should be very well aware of. The fact that he was taking these risks—first, working for Carlo and now sneaking into his home and wandering around—worried the crap out of me.

I wasn’t sure exactly why he was doing it. There were other ways to keep track of me than opening my bedroom door while I was in there with Carlo and Eve.

And what if one of them had seen him?

My father wasn’t the smartest guy in the world. But even this was pretty dumb for him.

“Oh, yeah, now I remember what I was going to tell you.” He jabbed a finger into the air. “Got wind of the fact that people saw you and Carlo at the gala you guys went to. You might want to tell Carlo and get him to amp up his security. If Sergio gets wind of that…” His eyebrows rose even higher on his face. “Well, you know what’ll happen.” His hand sliced across his neck for full effect.

My stomach sank and part of me wanted to scream so one of the men would come rushing down here.

The other part of me knew my dad would sing like a freaking canary if I did that. "And who saw me exactly?" I asked in as calm a voice as I could possibly muster. I didn't want him to know how much he'd shocked me with this news.

Depending on who saw me and how long it would take that information to waft its way over to Sergio—I might not have much time left at all.

“Bad people, Bella. You need to get back home, grab my money, and then take the fuck off." His dirty hand pulled more grapes out of the bowl.

"And since when did you start caring about whether I lived or died?" It was a relevant question after all. And I knew the answer.

Never.

My father had never actually cared whether I lived or died.

The only time he ever did was when he wanted something.

Like using me to pay off a huge freaking gambling debt to a horrible mafia boss.

Yeah.

Then he gave a crap about me.

Otherwise, no.

"I've raised you since birth. Everything I ever did was for you.”

That made me laugh right the heck out loud. "Really? Like selling me off to Sergio? That was looking out for my best interests?" I asked my idiot of a father.

The scowl on his face scared the crap out of me, but I'd never let him know that. "You said you wanted to help me. If you didn't want to then you shouldn't have volunteered.”

I shut my eyes and shook my head. "Are you shitting me right now?" I opened my eyes and stared directly at him. "Volunteered? Do you seriously think I volunteered to marry Sergio and have his babies? So, he could continue to grow his army?”

He set his elbow on the island counter and leaned into it. "First of all, yes, you volunteered to save my life. You know Sergio would have shot me in the back of the head if you hadn't married him.”

Yeah, I knew that. And back then, I had been young and really stupid. I'd actually thought my father gave a crap about me.

But now I knew better.

"You promised to come and get me. You promised I wouldn't have to live with him. And you absolutely promised that I'd never have to sleep with that monster.”

My father didn't have anything to say about that. Because he knew it was true. He had promised to swoop in and save me from the evil mafia boss.

And I'd believed him.

"Right? But that didn't happen, did it? You left me there for Sergio to use. Day in and day out. Night after fucking night—" I took in a deep breath, “Until he finally planted a baby inside of me."

I felt the tears sting at the back of my eyes, but I was bound and determined not to give in to this asshole. I would never let him know how badly he'd broken me.

"You love Daniella. I've seen you with her. So don't fucking lie, Bella. You're glad Sergio knocked you up. And from the show I watched upstairs this afternoon," he jerked his head up to the ceiling, "you love getting fucked hard. Saw it with my own goddamn eyes exactly how slutty you are. You should be thanking me for introducing you to Sergio. Or you wouldn't have your daughter. And you certainly wouldn't have met this bunch of horny assholes over here."

He wanted me to thank him?

Was he out of his mind?

Yes, he sure was.

"You want me to thank you for selling me off to Sergio? Are you insane? Or just stupid?" My voice got too loud with that question, and I knew it. I needed to calm the heck down and get my father out of here.

Someone was bound to come in and find us fighting in the kitchen. And I didn't want to have to explain to Eve, Nick, Stefan, or Carlo why I was getting so pissy with the stable hand.

He narrowed his eyes. "Yeah, that's exactly what I want. You should be grateful for what I did. Who knows where you'd be now? Probably in a gutter somewhere."

He pushed off the counter and stepped closer to me. Too close. "Not in Italy, getting new purses and expensive clothes."

Yeah.

I was going to kill my father.

"I never gave a shit about expensive clothes and shoes. You know that." My whisper was more like a yell. "All I ever did was go to yard sales and second-hand stores. You freaking know that." And he did. He couldn't lie and say I was all about expensive shit. Not when all I ever did was scrounge around for castoffs.

"Looks like you sure changed your mind now, though. But I know different, Bella. I know a leopard never changes their spots. And I know you'll always be the dirty little whore you always were."

My eyeballs nearly fell out of their sockets. I inhaled sharply. "I was a virgin when you sold me to Sergio. You know that!"

And he sure did.

Mostly because a medical exam was required before Sergio would hand over any money.

At the time, it didn't bother me that much. I mean, yeah, it bothered me. But I knew my father was coming to save me. So, none of that would matter anyway.

I put up with the poking and prodding. And the general inconvenience.

Because I wasn't going to sleep with Sergio.

Except—I did.

And I swear—right up until the last moment—when Sergio was on top of me, my legs spread—I thought for sure my father would break through the door and stop the whole thing.

But that's not what happened.

Not at all.

Nope.

Sergio took my virginity with one horrible, painful thrust.

I remember screaming so loudly that my ears rang. The shock of him.

The burning, tearing agony.

The incredible humiliation.

It was too much.

I had instantly started crying. Not understanding why Sergio would continue when I was yelling—screaming for him to stop.

But he didn’t care.

No, he enjoyed it.

A lot.

A lot a lot.

As for me—I didn't.

Not at all.

And not the hundreds of times after that, either.

Nope.

Sergio was a pig.

My father moved closer to me. "You fooled some stupid doctors. Big fuckin' deal. I know you were sleeping with anyone you could."

Oh.

My.

Gosh.

He was such a liar.

"I did all of that for you. To save your pathetic ass. And now look at you." I waved my hand at him. "Still asking and still taking."

He opened his mouth, ready to spew some other kind of horrible garbage, I was sure.But another voice caught our attention.

"What the hell's going on in here? Why are you in the house?" Nick yelled over at us.

My heart completely stopped beating.Oh, crap.

"Just stopped in for a bottle of water," my father said with his palms out in front of him. "Didn't mean any harm, Mr. Rosetti, sir. I'll be going now."

He backed away with a frightened look on his face.

Nick wasn't pleased with his answer. "No, you'll stop and tell me what the fuck you're doing inside," his thumb jerked toward the door, "when you've been specifically told to stay the hell outside."

I loved Nick Rosetti.

A lot.

But he was an intimidating, frightening man.

Watching him deal with my father gave me a whole lot of joy.

But it also scared the crap out of me. And it wasn't even me he was speaking to.

"Like I said, I'm sorry. I was working outside and got hot and thirsty," my father was trying to explain to Nick. But it didn't seem like Nick was buying a word of his lies.

That comforted me but it also made me worry.Worry that he'd spill my secrets.

"Outside, asshole." Nick grabbed onto the shoulder of my father's T-shirt and shoved him harshly. When they got to the door, Nick opened it and threw my father out.

Then he stepped outside right after him and slammed the door.

I watched with rapt attention as Nick yelled at my father, giving him what for out there. So far, Nick hadn't hit him—but he sure looked angry enough to.

"What's going on?" Stefan startled the crap out of me. He was at my back, and I hadn't even noticed.

I gasped and turned around. "Oh, my gosh. You scared me.”

Stefan repeated what he'd asked. "What's going on? Why is Nick screaming at the stable guy?" His hands settled on my shoulders and squeezed.

"Oh, um, he came in and asked for water. But I didn't know he was in the kitchen. So, I might have been a little mad at him for scaring me."Stefan's eyes ran over my face. He was really concerned for me. And that made my little heart jump.

I still wasn't sure if he loved me anymore. After the whole baby-gate fiasco, things between us hadn't been the same.

I mean, yes, I was riding his face yesterday—and doing all other kinds of wonderful things with him. But that wasn't the same as having my Stefan back.

The Stefan who was one of my best friends.

The Stefan who looked out for me and my daughter no matter what.

Gosh, I missed this man.

"Are you all right? Did he touch you? Or threaten you?" I could tell Stefan's voice was barely contained. I felt his anger just below the surface.

"No, no, he didn't touch me. He scared me and I dropped my water bottle on the floor." I nodded my head to the spilled evidence.

"Are you sure he didn't touch you?" Stefan asked cooly even though his eyes were on fire.

I shook my head. "No, I promise. He didn't touch me. It's no big deal."

He pulled me in for a hug. "He scared you, sweetheart. And that's not okay. We'll deal with him. Don't worry about a thing." Then his lips touched mine and kissed me gently—but thoroughly.

I'd barely grabbed his waist when he slipped out of my grasp and stormed out of the door.

Now Stefan and Nick were both shouting at my father. Not that they knew he was my father. Hopefully, they never would.

My father kept shrugging in that annoyingly irritating way he had about him. His hands were up as he spoke.

Probably trying to explain how innocent he was. How he hadn't done anything wrong.

Stefan and Nick didn't seem to be buying it.

I started feeling more than a little queasy, wondering if my dad would spill the beans about me or not. I really wasn't sure what he'd do if Nick and Stefan started to get physical with him.

And that worried the heck out of me.

A few minutes later, Nick stepped right into my father's space and yelled something. I really wished I could hear what exactly he'd said.

Because my father blanched at whatever it was.

I let out a nearly silent giggle, watching his reaction—and wishing so, so much that I could have the same effect on him.

That would have saved me a lot of trouble.

And a lot of heartache.

After that, Nick used both hands and pushed him backward. My father fell flat on his behind and tried to scramble away. He ended up doing an awkward crab crawl until he was able to flip himself over and stand.

Then he took off like he was on fire.

Nick and Stefan talked to each other for a few minutes after that. They finally turned toward me. I could tell they were obviously discussing me—Stefan probably gave Nick the lowdown of what I'd told him.

What I was mostly sure of—thank goodness—was that my father hadn't told them anything. If he had, I'd bet Nick and Stefan would have called me out there to discuss things. And that hadn't happened.

Stefan nodded his head as he kept his eyes on me. Nick continued to talk, his hands on his hips, looking very, very bossy.

All three of the men in this house were bossy.

That wasn't up for argument.

But Nick Rosetti was by far the bossiest of them all.

And I loved it.

I got off on his bossy talk. So much.

I kid you not. I could orgasm just from his bossy, naughty words.

I still thought back to the time when Eve was pregnant with their twins—and she'd wanted me to sleep with her husband because she couldn't.

And even though I was not a fan of that idea at first—I was so glad when we finally took the plunge.

I'd remember that time fondly for the rest of my life.Nick patted Stefan on the back, and they headed to the door. I didn't know what else to do, so I stood there at the window.

Watching.

They'd already seen me. There was no point in trying to hide.

Stefan opened the door and came directly to me. "Are you okay?" His hand landed in the middle of my back and rubbed me gently. It felt nice to be this close to him again.

I mean, yeah, I'd been riding his face twenty-four hours ago. And that had been all kinds of fun. But I craved this gentle kind of intimacy from him, too. It was nice to have it back.

To have him back.

I couldn't help it. I hugged him and lay my head on his chest. "I'm fine, honey. I told you that already. You guys didn't have to read him the riot act.”

His arms folded around me, and he kissed the top of my head. "Yeah, we did. He shouldn't be in here and he knows that. And to make sure it never happens again, we’ll see to it that Carlo gets rid of him.”

I gasped quietly and hugged him tighter. Knowing that these men were in the mafia, I wasn't exactly sure what he meant by "get rid of."

I looked up at Stefan. "That's completely unnecessary. I don't mind giving the workers water when they ask for it. I overreacted, that's it.”

Nick spoke up, "That's twice now that he's been alone with you, Giselle." His voice sounded deep and menacing. "And he knows that should never happen. Carlo gave him a warning the other day, and he didn't listen. Once Carlo finds out that this guy’s fucked up again—he's out." Nick reached over and grabbed my arm. Stefan let him pull me away. "Nobody is allowed to scare you, Giselle. Ever. Do you understand me? This shit is unacceptable."

I melted into Nick's body. He smelled like spicy cologne and—Nick. "I told you I'm fine. You're both making a mountain out of a molehill. I don't want to get the guy fired over this. It was just a misunderstanding.”

I watched as Stefan shook his head, then placed his hand on my upper arm."Nick's right. Carlo's guys know they can't pull that shit. And even if he did make a mistake—twice—he should have left immediately. Nick heard you guys talking down here for a while."

All the blood in my body stopped flowing and I froze. Did Nick know what we'd said down here?

If so, I was also going to be kicked out of here pretty fast.

Nick pulled me in closer. "I couldn't make out what you two were saying, but I heard your tones. And you were scared, Giselle. Don't bullshit me. Your voice was shaking."

Oh, thank goodness.

He hadn't heard.

“I told you he scared me. I overreacted. And now you guys are doing the same thing.”

I didn't want my dad to stick around. But I was pretty sure that getting him fired wouldn't be good for me.

Or Dani.

How the heck was I going to stop this from happening?

"I'll go get Carlo," Nick said into my hair.

Before he let me go, I peered up. "No, don't. He and Eve were sleeping when I left. Leave them be. This can wait.”

Nick sighed and kissed my forehead. "Right, I forgot. It's Carlo's afternoon with you two. Lucky bastard won the coin toss. I still think he used a double-sided coin."

That made me laugh and I rose up on my tiptoes. "Your turn is next." My lips touched his, and he was more than ready to kiss me. His tongue darted into my mouth, and he groaned, "I hope you and Eve aren't too tired from all of your—exertions."I giggled and kissed him harder.

Deeper.

"Nope. But I do think we're getting better."

Nick rested his forehead against mine. "You're killing me, Giselle."