Chapter 11
Gio
Sweat ran into my eyes, blood rushing in my ears, as I bounced on my toes, moving around the makeshift boxing ring inside my home gym. Enzo stood opposite me, shirtless, his taped hands curled into fists and tucked tight to his chest.
We’d been sparring partners since we were kids, even when my cousin’s muscles took him up a weight class. He had the bulk, but I had the speed, so it worked out perfectly. Now, though, we were even in terms of size, and I was still learning how to adjust my fighting style accordingly.
Already, Enzo had gotten a few good jabs into my midsection, while my fists had yet to make contact with his body.
The only reason I’d called him down here was so that I didn’t punch a fucking wall, so I needed to land a hit soon, or I might just explode.
My highly agitated state could be traced to a single person—Rory.
It outright pissed me off that every time I attempted to speak with her, she completely ignored me. I should have been grateful for the silent treatment she’d been giving me the week since we’d been home, but it didn’t sit right with me, and I couldn’t pinpoint why.
Combine that with giving me her back each night in bed and batting my hand away any time I tried to touch her belly—eager to feel those first kicks—and my frustration with the woman I married had reached a boiling point.
Early on in my life, I learned that drawing blood was the only thing that could cool my temper once it spiked, and since I couldn’t go on a senseless killing spree because my wife was being a brat, making Enzo bleed with a few well-aimed blows was the next best thing.
We continued to circle each other, both of us searching for the perfect moment to strike.
I extended my right fist, and he ducked out of the way before catching me under the jaw with a quick uppercut that made me see stars.
“Fuck.” The curse came out on a hiss.
“Aw, come on,” Enzo taunted, smirking. “Don’t tell me after all the old man jokes, you’re going to let me beat you.”
He was egging me on, and damn if it wasn’t working.
My blood pressure shot through the roof, and I saw red, charging at him like a bull.
That caught him off guard enough that he stood there stunned for a split second too long, and I was able to wrap my arms around his torso before body slamming him to the mat.
The air was knocked from his lungs in an audible whoosh, and wheezing gasps fell past his parted lips as he tried and failed to draw in a breath.
Now that I had the advantage, I straddled his waist, pounding his face with my bare knuckles, spurred on by the crimson pouring from his nose and the cut on his lower lip.
He raised his hands to block my flying fists, rasping, “I surrender.”
Chest heaving, I rolled off his body, falling onto my side.
Enzo wiped a hand across his face. “What’s got you so twisted up that you’re thirsty for blood at ten in the morning?”
I leveled him with a glare. “Do you really have to ask?”
He chuckled. “Didn’t want to assume just in case. But what did you think was going to happen when you dragged her back here against her will? That she’d submit to you? That’s not Rory’s style. It never has been.”
Closing my eyes, I blew out a heavy breath. “Of all the women my father had to choose from, why did he have to pick her? Rory’s not cut out to be a don’s wife. She’ll never be content to stand silently by my side. She’d rather scratch my damn eyes out for looking at her.”
“Uncle Dom couldn’t have cared less about her temperament. Not when an alliance with the most powerful family in Boston was within reach.”
He was right. The O’Malleys were heavy hitters in organized crime, and Dad had been salivating at the prospect of joining forces, which was cemented by my marriage to Rory.
“Your wife. Is she mafia?” I asked my cousin.
Enzo snorted. “She’s about the furthest thing from it.” When my brows furrowed, he explained, “Probably should have brought this up sooner, but her maiden name is Logan.”
I sat up suddenly. “Are you fucking kidding me? You married a cop’s daughter? And not just any cop, but one who fucked us over?” My voice got louder with each question. “How do you know she’s not a plant, feeding intel to the fucking feds?”
A muscle in his jaw twitched. “You don’t know her, you don’t know half the shit she’s been through for me, for this family.”
That had my eyebrow arching. “You trust her?”
“With my fucking life. Yours too, for that matter.”
“Bold statement,” I remarked.
“Doesn’t make it any less true. If you’re not going to hold me accountable for the sins of my father, then you’d better be prepared to offer Allie the same courtesy. Her loyalty lies with the Bellinis. She’s one of us now.”
“All right.” Nodding, I stood, extending a hand to help him off the mat. “No hard feelings? Surely, you can understand that in my position, I can’t be too careful.”
He pursed his lips, considering it. “I don’t know. A slight like that might require an apology gift.”
Laughter burst from my chest. “Is that so?”
“There’s a crotch rocket I’ve had my eye on for a few months . . .”
If there was one thing my cousin loved even more than getting fresh ink, it was adding to his motorcycle collection.
I clapped him on the shoulder. “A new bike it is.” Honestly, I owed him for helping Matteo hold down the fort during my absence. It was a small price to pay to show my gratitude, even if he viewed it as me making amends for doubting his wife’s motives in marrying him.
“Um, Boss?”
A voice near the open door to the gym had both of our heads turning in that direction to find Anthony, one of the foot soldiers charged with ensuring the estate’s security, standing there with an open box in his hands.
“What is it?” Grabbing a towel, I mopped up the sweat coating my skin.
“This package was just delivered at the front gate. We thought you might want to take a look.”
Enzo hopped down from the ring immediately, yelling over his shoulder, “Stay back until I determine the threat level.” As the head of my security team, he assessed all risks, putting himself on the line for the sake of the family.
He peeked into the open box, his eyes widening before they swung to me. Then he burst out laughing so hard he doubled over, gripping his sides.
I ducked through the ropes, moving to where he stood. “What the hell’s so damn funny?”
Enzo sucked in deep breaths as he began to calm down and slapped his thigh. “That wife of yours.”
“Excuse me?” I reared back.
My cousin snickered. “Nothing says ‘go fuck yourself’ quite like a box of dicks.”
Did he say dicks?
“Give me that.” I snatched the box from Anthony, and sure enough, it was overflowing with silicone cocks in various colors and sizes. My free hand scrubbed over my jaw. “Jesus Christ.”
Hitching a thumb over his shoulder, Enzo backed toward the door. “I’m gonna go because it looks like you’ve got your work cut out for you here. But be sure to use lots of lube and go slow.” His chuckles echoed from the hallway long after he disappeared.
“Sir?” Anthony looked mildly shell-shocked. Not that I could blame him; he’d just intercepted his boss’s wife’s sex toy delivery.
I waved a hand. “You’re dismissed.”
The man scurried from the room as fast as his legs could carry him.
It was for the best that he made a hasty exit because Rory had just lit the fuse, and the explosion of fireworks was imminent.
“Care to explain this?” I dropped the box next to where Rory was propped against the headboard, reading.
My wife set her book down, leaning over to peek inside. Pink tinted her cheeks, but when she went to take the box into her hands, I pulled it out of reach.
“Not so fast.”
Her eyes snapped up, the blue depths blazing. “Did you open my mail?”
I cocked an eyebrow. “Don’t tell me you’ve forgotten the safety measures implemented in this house. All packages are opened at the gatehouse, no matter who they’re addressed to.”
Lips parting on a gasp, she shrieked, “Your men saw these?”
Not answering her question, I reached into the box, pulled out one of the cocks, and held it up for inspection. “I have to say, I’m surprised something this small can even get you off.”
She rolled her eyes. “Haven’t you ever heard that it’s not about size, but how you use it?”
“Sure.” I lifted one shoulder. “Maybe for some women, that’s true. But we both know you’re not satisfied unless you’re stretched to the max around my cock, almost to the point of pain. And not a single one of those”—my gaze dipped to the contents of the box—“can hit the spot like my piercings do.”
Rory huffed. “It’s a wonder you can fit your ego through the door.”
I tossed the dildo onto the mattress. “Still waiting to hear what possessed you to order a lifetime supply of sex toys.”
She had the audacity to laugh in my face. “Lifetime supply? I’ll be lucky if I don’t wear these out by the end of the month and have to order more.”
It was no secret that the pregnancy had sent her hormones in overdrive.
Before leaving Colorado, we were fucking multiple times a day, but since our return to Chicago—and my true identity being revealed—she hadn’t let me touch her.
I could only imagine the week-long dry spell had been torture for my horny wife.
Caging her in against the headboard, I leaned in close enough that I could feel her breath fanning my face. “Why bother with the imitation when you can have the real thing?”
Rory shoved at my shoulders, but I didn’t budge. Seething, she spat, “Because I despise you.”
“Funny,” I mused. “That’s never stopped you before.”
My fingers trailed down her neck, and she sucked in a sharp breath, the swells of her breasts brushing against my bare chest.
“Nothing is like it was before.” Her head fell back, exposing her throat, and I dipped to suck at the hollow where her pulse fluttered.