Chapter 10
CHAPTER TEN
Nico
I almost kissed her. I was going to kiss her.
Every cell in my body had been screaming at me to close that final inch. To crush my mouth against hers, devour those full, pillowy lips until she moaned into me.
I wanted to bite down on that soft lower lip, tug it between my teeth, and swallow every desperate sound she made. I wanted to taste her anger, her fear, her unwilling desire all at once.
Being that close to her was pure fucking torture. Her breath mingling with mine, warm and shaky. The way her body trembled against me. The faint scent of her skin.
My cock was rock hard, throbbing painfully against my zipper, every instinct roaring at me to lift her onto the desk, rip those tiny shorts off, and bury myself inside her until she forgot every reason she should hate me.
If Marco hadn’t knocked when he did, I would’ve taken her right there on my desk, blood still on my hands.
I drag a hand through my hair, trying to shake the image of her out of my head. When she walked into the kitchen earlier, all soft and mussed from sleep, I had to get the fuck out of there before I did something stupid, like drag her onto my lap in front of Lea.
And then, because she’s nothing but trouble, she couldn’t stay put. She went wandering straight into the basement like she had a death wish. Actually, she does have a death wish.
What other reason could there be for the way she keeps defying me instead of cowering?
When I turned around and saw her standing there, watching me beat and mutilate that man… I expected her to run. To scream. To finally look at me with the fear.
But to my surprise she didn’t.
She just stood there, eyes wide, lips parted, breathing shallow and fast. Her pupils were blown. That wasn’t fear in her gaze. It was heat. Raw, dark desire. The same hunger I felt when I had her pinned against the balcony last night.
She wanted me. Even covered in another man’s blood, I turned her on. Or maybe because of that. I’m just beginning to see it, she might be just as twisted as I am.
A smile curls up my lips as she pounds on my office door like a wildcat, screaming to be let out.
“Fucking insufferable,” I mutter under my breath.
Marco leans against the wall, arms crossed, watching me with that knowing look I hate.
“What was going on in there before I walked in?” he asks. “Did I… prevent something?”
I exhale sharply. “Yeah. You prevented me from strangling her with my bare hands.”
Marco chuckles. “That bad, huh?”
“You have no idea,” I say, pacing. “She was wandering around the basement like it was a goddamn tourist attraction. Walked right in while I was working on that idiot.”
Marco studies me for a long moment, then says quietly, “I’ve never seen you this worked up over a woman before.”
I stop pacing. My eyes narrow on him. “A woman has never walked in on me in the basement. It fucking pissed me off. What are you getting at?”
He raises his hands in mock surrender, but that smug glint is still in his eyes. “Nothing, Boss. Just making an observation.”
He’s right. Eleonora Caruso is already turning my carefully controlled world upside down. But I’m not about to admit that to him.
I glare at Marco, still trying to shove the image of Eleonora’s parted lips out of my head. “Why are you here? Aren’t you supposed to be looking for the other Caruso girl?”
Marco sighs. “Still no sign of her or the boyfriend. We’re still searching.”
I push off the wall and start walking down the hallway, away from the office door where Eleonora is currently pounding and cursing my name. Marco falls in step beside me.
“But Massimo reached out,” he says quietly. “He wants to speak to you. Personally.”
Of course, he does.
We head into the operations room. I drop into the chair at the head of the long table and nod at Marco.
“Call him.”
He dials and puts it on speaker. Massimo picks up on the first ring, like he’s been waiting with the phone in his hand.
“Lombardi,” Massimo growls, voice filled with rage. “You piece of shit. Where is Sienna? If you lay one fucking finger on her—”
“Save the name-calling for later, Caruso,” I cut him off coldly. “Are you ready to meet my demands?”
“That’s fucking ridiculous,” he spits. “You expect me to just hand over—”
“You will,” I cut in, leaning back in my chair, “you want your daughters back? Then give me better access to the ports. Stop blocking my ships and give me full access to the Brooklyn terminals and East River routes. You do that, and your daughters come home.”
There’s a heavy pause on the line. I can practically hear him grinding his teeth. “How do I even know they’re still alive?”
“I haven’t hurt them,” I reply flatly. “Yet. Meet my demands and I won’t have a reason to.”
“I need proof of life,” Massimo snaps. “Put Sienna on the phone.”
Marco and I exchange a quick look across the table. He raises a brow. I keep my face blank.
“I’ll allow you to speak to your daughters,” I say smoothly. “But you’d better start making preparations to meet my terms. All of them.”
Massimo starts to say something else, voice rising, but I reach forward and end the call without another word.
Marco stares at me like I’ve lost my mind.
“Why the hell would you promise to let Massimo speak to his daughters? We only have one of them.”
I shrug, leaning back in my chair. “Shouldn’t be a problem. We’ll have Eleonora act as both herself and Sienna.”
Marco raises an eyebrow. “You really think she can pull that off?”
“If she managed to pretend to be her sister in a full wedding gown and veil, she can handle sounding like her on a phone call.”
Marco rubs his jaw. “I guess so…” He hesitates, then adds, “Massimo doesn’t seem to care that much about Eleonora. I guess it’s because she’s not the one tied to the Gallo alliance.”
I noticed that too. They’re both his daughters. Both should matter. Instead, the bastard only asked to speak to only Sienna. Like Eleonora is disposable.
I feel an unexpected pang in my chest. Anger on her behalf. The feeling confuses the hell out of me. Why do I care?
I stand abruptly. “I need a shower. Then I’ll have her speak to her father.”
Marco smirks. “You’re keeping her locked in your office until then?”
“Yeah,” I say, heading for the door. “She needs to learn a lesson.”
“Oh, this is interesting,” Marco mutters behind me, amusement clear in his voice.
I ignore him. “Send Daniel to me. The idiot was supposed to be watching her.”
“Yes, Boss.”
I walk past my office on the way to my bedroom. The pounding and cursing have stopped. She must have exhausted herself.
After a quick, scalding shower, I throw on a black Henley and slacks. The second I step out of my bedroom, Daniel is waiting in the hallway, head lowered, shoulders tense. He knows he fucked up.
“Boss,” he says quietly.
I stop in front of him. “Why weren’t you watching the Caruso girl like I told you to? What part of do not let her out of your sight didn’t you understand?”
“I’m sorry, boss. I was talking to one of the perimeter guards for two seconds and she slipped away. It won’t happen again.”
I stare at him coldly. “I gave you one simple job.”
“I know. I’m sorry boss—”
My fist flies before he finishes the sentence. The crunch of bone is loud in the quiet hallway as my knuckles connect with his nose. Daniel staggers back, blood immediately pouring down his face.
I slowly grab him by the collar and push him hard against the wall.
“It had better not happen again. If she gets out of your sight one more time, I’ll put a bullet in your head. Understood?”
“Yes, Boss,” he chokes out, nodding frantically, blood dripping onto his shirt.
I release him with a shove and walk away without another word. I head straight for my office. The second I unlock the door and push it open, something comes flying at my head.
Thanks to years of reflexes, I jerk my head to the side just in time, and the heavy marble paperweight crashes against the doorframe and shatters, sending pieces flying.
I look at the wreckage on the floor, then slowly lift my gaze. Eleonora stands in the middle of the room, chest heaving, eyes blazing with pure murder. If looks could kill, I’d be ash right now.
“How dare you leave me locked in here like some animal?!” she snarls. “Why do you keep locking me up?!” She looks close to tears.
Unfazed, I step inside and close the door behind me. “In case you’ve forgotten,” I say calmly, “you’re not a guest. I can lock you wherever I want. I could chain your hands and feet and dump you in the basement if I felt like it.”
Her breathing is ragged, fists clenched at her sides like she’s imagining wrapping them around my throat. The feistiness in her should annoy me. Instead, it almost makes me smile.
I walk around my desk and drop into my chair. “Calm down. I have a task for you.”
“Whatever it is, I’m not interested,” she snaps, folding her arms across her chest. “You can shove your task down your throat!”
I ignore her and motion to the chair across from me. “Sit. Down.”
She doesn’t move. I give her a cold, level stare, the same one that has sent hardened men scrambling. She huffs dramatically, yanks the chair out, and drops into it like it personally offended her.
“Your father called,” I tell her.
I watch her reaction carefully. Her eyes widen slightly, a flash of hope and fear crossing her face at the same time.
“What did he say? Is he…”
“He wants to speak to his daughters,” I cut in. “Both of them.”
She stares at me for a beat, then her expression shifts as realization hits.
“You told him you have both of us?” Her voice rises. “You really made him believe you have Sienna and me?”
“You’re going to speak to your father and you’ll pretend to be Sienna when he asks for her, and yourself when he asks for you. Do you understand?”
She leans forward, eyes flashing. “Now why the hell would I help you with your mess? Your lies are catching up to you and now you need me to clean it up?”
I lean forward too, resting my forearms on the desk, voice low and deadly.
“You will do exactly as I say,” I murmur, my voice low and deadly calm.
“If you want Sienna to be safe, if you want your sisters to stay alive and in one piece, you’ll play along perfectly.
One wrong word, one hesitant breath, one slip on that call…
and I’ll bring Camilla and Daniela here.
I’ll make you watch while I break them. Slowly.
Thoroughly. Then I’ll start sending your father their fingers, their ears, whatever’s left of them. ”
I hold her gaze without blinking. “Have I made myself clear?”
I see the fear flicker in her eyes, raw and real. But then she swallows, lifts her chin, and says quietly, “Okay.”
It surprises me how quickly she agrees. I expected more resistance, more fire. Instead, she folded the second her sisters were threatened. I study her for a long moment, trying to read what’s going on behind those dark eyes.
“Are you going to call him or what?”
I pick up the phone and dial Massimo again, putting it on speaker the second he answers.
“Caruso.”
“Put my daughter on,” he demands immediately. “I want to speak to Sienna.”
I nod at Eleonora. She leans forward, her expression shifting instantly, softer, more vulnerable. Her voice changes completely when she speaks.
“Papa…?” The tremble in her voice is perfect. “Papa, it’s me. Sienna.”
Massimo’s tone shifts. “Sienna. How are you? Did that bastard hurt you?”
Eleonora’s eyes fill with tears on command. Her voice cracks beautifully as she starts crying. “Papa, please… please save us. I’m so scared. He’s terrifying. Please just do whatever he wants and get us out of here. We want to come home—”
“Stop that crying!” Massimo snaps viciously. “Don’t show weakness! Don’t let him see you weak!”
He must think I’m not listening.
“This is all your fault,” he continues, “yours and Eleonora’s. If you two idiots hadn’t wasted time fixing that stupid dress and had just gone straight into the church like you were supposed to, none of this would’ve happened!”
I stare at the phone, stunned. He’s blaming them. His own daughters. For getting kidnapped. What kind of piece-of-shit father does that?
Eleonora flinches like she’s been slapped, but she keeps playing the part until Massimo demands, “Give the phone to Eleonora.”
She switches seamlessly, her voice returning to its normal strength and fire. “Papa, it’s me.”
Massimo barely acknowledges her before launching into another tirade, telling her it’s all her fault that she and her sisters have been kidnapped. I’ve heard enough.
I snatch the phone off speaker and press it to my ear. “You’ve spoken to both your daughters,” I say coldly. “Now you’d better start meeting my demands if you ever want to see them again.”
“How do I know you’ll keep your word once I give you what you want?” Massimo growls. “How about you release one of them as a show of good faith? Release Sienna to me, keep Eleonora and we can negotiate.”
I let out a low, dangerous laugh. “You must think I was born yesterday, Caruso. Do exactly as you’re told, or I’ll start sending your daughters back to you piece by piece. ”
I end the call before he can respond, and silence settles over the room.
Massimo doesn’t give a damn about Eleonora. The man barely asked about her during the call. His only real concern was Sienna, the daughter tied to the Gallo alliance, the one who could still salvage his precious shipping deal.
Even then, I’m not convinced he truly cares about Sienna herself. The way he spoke, it wasn’t the fear of a father worried about losing his child. It was the panic of a businessman whose transaction was falling apart.
I look across the desk at her. She’s sitting very still, jaw tight, eyes glassy with barely-contained hurt.
And I hate how much I want to pull her across this desk and tell her that her father is a worthless piece of shit who doesn’t deserve her.