Chapter 9
Miles
By some grace of God, I managed to avoid Sofia for the rest of the evening.
I said too much, letting her in on the effect she had on Theo, and I hoped she was riddled with guilt.
As she should have been. It at least answered some of her questions as to why I’d snapped at her the first time she tried to offer her condolences all those months ago.
Any other questions she had would remain unanswered.
After smoking not just one, but three joints, my racing brain calmed.
I spent the time either talking with Kai and Riley, taking glasses of wine from Angel, who kept trying to snatch them off waiters’ trays when she thought no one was looking, or making small talk with people I had no interest in getting to know.
It gave me the opportunity to do what I did best. Watch.
Assess. Plan. There was definitely something going on with Georgio.
The shifty fucker kept disappearing, and when he reappeared, he’d grab Sofia’s arm and hiss something in her ear.
Cue her seeking me out with her shame-filled eyes before she’d turn her heated face away.
I’d be getting to the bottom of that later.
And then there was Rafe. I was still on the fence as to whether I trusted Sofia’s twin. Yes, he’d helped when shit went down in Hollows Bay, and since then, he’d proven to be a semi-decent business partner, but something in my gut told me he was hiding something, just like his father.
I’d caught him several times eyeballing a guy and a girl across the room, looking like he was two seconds away from storming over to them and murdering them both.
I had no clue what the deal was between the three, and nor did I care.
I had enough on my plate as it was, namely getting through the rest of the night.
When plans had been made for the wedding to be held at the Bianchi mansion, Georgio had insisted that Sofia and I were to spend the night at his house.
In her bedroom.
It was my own fault, really. When Georgio had suggested the idea, I was off my face. Not only was I taking painkillers to help manage the pain in my leg after I was shot, but I’d smoked too much weed, and found myself agreeing to whatever Bianchi had dreamed up for his only daughter’s wedding.
I’d purposely blocked that upcoming part out of my mind, but as guests started saying their goodbyes, the knowledge that soon, I was going to be sharing a bed with Sofia was front and square in my mind.
One night, that was all I had to get through. She didn’t know it yet, but tomorrow, when she left this fucking house for good and moved to Hollows Bay, we’d be moving into our own house. One that I had made sure had ample space to make sure she had no reason to bother me.
After everything I’d done for Kai, the fucker had kicked me out of the house I’d been living at for the past few months.
Fine, he hadn’t quite kicked me out, but he’d politely reminded me that it was his and Riley’s house after I caught them fucking for the umpteenth time over the kitchen counter, and if I didn’t like it, then I was free to move out.
Honestly, I didn’t even know why I stayed with them for as long as I had; I always thought I preferred my own space, with the exception of Theo.
When he was alive, we’d shared an apartment in the Wolfes’ apartment building in the heart of the city.
After he died, I couldn’t bear to stay in the place on my own, but I couldn’t bear the thought of leaving it, either.
When the block was destroyed a few months back, it made sense to stay with Kai while my new home was being renovated. I’d received news weeks ago that it was ready for me to move into, yet I stayed put.
Maybe it was because I’d grown used to the company I had at Kai’s place. With Angel always causing trouble and Jane trying to keep her in check, Kai and Riley’s occasional bickering, and the men who worked for Kai and me regularly coming and going, there was always something going on.
Or maybe it was because Theo had grown up in the house and was buried in the grounds at the far end of the property. Maybe it was because I felt closer to him. Maybe I found comfort in knowing that I could visit him any time I wanted.
Even if I hadn’t gone to his grave since the day his coffin was lowered into the cold ground.
Whatever the reason, I’d outstayed my welcome, and whether I liked it or not, come tomorrow, I would be moving into my new house. With my new wife.
Yay me.
As guests began to say their goodbyes, and Kai and Riley dragged a sulking Angel home, I decided it was time to bite the bullet. The sooner we went to bed, the sooner morning would come, and I could get the fuck out of Forest Point and back to familiar territory.
There was just one problem.
My wife had disappeared.
Consumed by my dread of sharing her bed, I’d lost sight of her. A bolt of concern shot through me, my brain instantly going into panic mode that something had happened to her. But given that Georgio was chatting merrily away to his guests, and all hell hadn’t broken out, I figured she was fine.
Assuming my reluctant bride had gone to the bathroom, I headed in that direction so I could wait outside to accost her and demand that we call it a night. But I didn’t get that far.
Distant voices echoed from inside a room, catching my attention when I recognized the deep tones of a man, followed by a high-pitched giggle that grated on my nerves and could only belong to the current bane of my life. I rounded the corner, and sure enough, Sofia and Rafe were huddled together.
“What the fuck is going on?” I snapped, my gaze raking over the way Rafe was holding her.
They were standing together, close enough for Rafe to have wrapped both arms around her waist, while Sofia’s head was buried in the crook of his neck. If it were anyone else, I would have guessed I’d just interrupted a couple about to fuck.
Rafe’s head whipped to me as he muttered a curse. “She just needs a minute.”
Sofia’s muffled laughs filled the room where a large table dominated the space. Recognizing it to be the same room I’d sat in a while back and suggested this fucked up deal, I marched toward them.
“I’ll ask again. What the fuck is going on?”
My eyes darted between the two of them as a pang of…something coursed through me. Surely it wasn’t jealousy over the bond the two of them had?
Maybe it was jealousy. Over the siblings’ bond, or because he had his hands on her, I didn’t know. I refused to examine that too closely.
“Quit your bullshit, Wolfe. Sofe just needs a few minutes to…compose herself.”
At her brother’s words, Sofia pulled out of his embrace, his hands falling to his sides. “I’m fiiine!” she slurred, laughing to herself, her glazed eyes meeting mine as a snarky smile twisted on her lips. “Hello, darling husband, how wonderful it is to see you!”
She stumbled, both Rafe and I lunging to catch her, but Rafe getting there first.
Christ.
Was she…was she drunk?
“I’ve had a loovely day,” she continued, trying to wiggle out of her brother’s grasp. “It was everything I ever dreamed of!”
I pinched the bridge of my nose, ready to turn around and leave Rafe to deal with his drunken sister, when the irritating voice of Georgio rang out. “Rafe? Where are you?”
“Shit,” Rafe said, promptly shoving Sofia into my arms. “Sofe, stay quiet.” He met my gaze. “He can’t know she’s been drinking.”
The plea in his eyes hit me in the gut. The panic. The fear. It was too familiar, eliciting feelings of the time my father used to beat me when I’d disappointed him.
Had Georgio done the same to Rafe and Sofia?
The thought of her father hurting her sent a streak of possessiveness through me. I might have hated her, but if anyone hurt my wife, they wouldn’t live long enough to regret it, and I included Georgio in that promise.
I maneuvered Sofia into my arms, gently pulling her head against the crook of my neck and mirroring the position she’d been in when I found them. The difference this time was that Sofia’s hands lifted, her fingers fisting my shirt as she nuzzled against me, a contented sigh leaving her.
“Oh, there you are,” Georgio said, appearing in the doorway.
His gaze moved from Rafe to where I held Sofia, and a scowl took over his face.
“Well, I’m pleased to see you two are finally making an effort.
This marriage may be arranged, but I expect it to work between you two.
Your efforts tonight have been pitiful at best.”
I clenched my jaw at the underlying threat. “How about you let your daughter and me worry about our marriage working.”
At Sofia’s attempt to lift her head, I held her still, and she murmured something against my neck which sounded awfully like she’d tried to tell her father to get fucked.
“We were just saying goodnight, Pa,” Rafe said, surprisingly convincing. “I think they’re keen to be alone.” He stepped toward his father. “Shall we head back to the party and leave them to it?”
A flash of accomplishment passed through Georgio’s calculating eyes. “Is that so?”
The pieces clicked together in my head. Sofia’s Google searches. The look of trepidation she threw my way throughout the evening whenever Georgio hissed in her ear, and now the way he watched us like all his wicked scheming was finally paying off.
Georgio Bianchi wanted me to fuck his daughter.
Sick fucker.
And yet, my cock twitched with the thought of what it would be like to pound her tight, virginal pussy.
Fuck. I needed to get away from Bianchi’s scrutinizing gaze and the little moans of contentment Sofia kept letting out against the crook of my neck. My skin began tingling every time her breath brushed over me, doing nothing to help the rush of blood heading south.