Chapter 12
Isabella
Napping during the day is always a bad idea. I don’t know how people do it as a regular thing. After falling asleep mid-afternoon, I wake up disoriented by the darkness in the room. My limbs feel heavy and my mouth is dry. I roll over and discover Antonio’s side of the bed is empty. The sheets are cold, indicating he got up some time ago. It doesn’t surprise me. The man barely sleeps. He doesn’t cuddle much either, so it makes me appreciate the fact he got into bed with me and snuggled all the more.
As my stomach growls with hunger, I reach over to the nightstand to grab the alarm clock, which is facing away from me. I gasp as I turn it around and see that it’s past midnight. The lack of light makes sense now. Rather than enjoying a quick catnap, I’ve been out for hours. I’ve slept right past dinnertime. I hope Janetta didn’t go to too much effort. Wasting her incredible food seems like sacrilege.
I get out of bed and go to the closet where some of the clothes I brought on my last visit to the house hang alongside the ones I took with me this time. Because I always assumed Antonio expected me to dress to mirror his style, there’s not a casual outfit here but I find a pair of wide-legged pants and a silky blouse that shouldn’t feel too restricting.
I have a feeling Antonio will end up tearing my panties off me if I wear them so I don’t bother putting on a pair. I do choose a lacy white bra from the lingerie drawer though. My boobs aren’t huge, and I could go without, but I feel weird about letting them hang free.
When I’m dressed, I go to the bathroom and stand in front of the mirror as I quickly run a brush through my tangled hair. It’s a bit unruly so I sweep it up into a ponytail and secure it at the nape of my neck with an elastic band I find in the cabinet beside the sink. Satisfied that I don’t look like someone who just crawled out of bed, I head downstairs in search of my husband.
It takes me a few minutes to locate him. He isn’t in his office or in the living room. I’m making my way to the kitchen to look for him when I pass the media room and hear what sounds like the squeal of tires coming from inside. It surprises me when I push open the door and discover Antonio watching a movie. He’s sprawled out on one of the large theater-style seats with a beer in his hand. He’s wearing sweatpants and a white t-shirt, garments I had no idea he owned.
When he spots me standing in the doorway gawping at him, he grabs the remote and pauses the movie.
“What’s the matter, Bella?” he asks, in response to the dumbfounded expression on my face.
“I don’t think I’ve ever seen you just kicking back and relaxing.”
“Yeah, it’s been a while since I last had a night off.”
Though he’s not looking for sympathy with that remark, I can’t help that it tugs at my heartstrings. Antonio works hard to safeguard his family’s future. Though his brothers are also involved in the business, they don’t shoulder the same weighty responsibility as my husband does.
I’m about to tell him he needs to be more selfish with his time when my stomach rumbles loudly. Antonio sets down his bottle of beer, gets up, and strides across the room to grab my hand.
“Come on, let’s feed you.”
He takes me through to the dining room where fresh flowers adorn the table and two places are set at one end of the long wooden table. Antonio helps me to settle into my seat. He grabs the bottle of white wine that’s sitting in the center of the table and uncorks it before pouring me a glass.
“I’ll go get our dinner,” he says. “Unless you don’t want to eat this late?”
“I don’t mind.” I may regret it when I’m unable to get back to sleep but I’m so hungry right now I need to eat. “Didn’t you already have yours?”
Antonio shakes his head. “No, I just grabbed a quick sandwich earlier.”
As he leaves the room, I wonder why he didn’t have dinner already. Was he not particularly hungry before, or did he want to wait until I joined him? I like to think it’s the latter. I need him to crave my company as much as I’m starting to desire his.
While I wait for Antonio to return, I sip the wine. It can’t have been sitting on the table for long because it’s still cold. The drink is crisp and refreshing and tells me to expect either chicken or fish for dinner. Antonio prefers to pair red wine with meat dishes.
I smell his approach before I see him. The unmistakable aroma arrives in the room a good six seconds before he does. Antonio appears in the room expertly balancing three plates, two with our meals on them and one with slices of what looks like Janetta’s homemade ciabatta. He sets the plates down, carefully laying mine down in front of me, then takes his seat.
“If the whole mafia thing doesn’t work out, you could try to get a job as a waiter.”
I almost hold my breath, waiting to see how Antonio responds to my teasing. Though we’ve been married for more than a year, I barely know him and I’m not sure how he’ll react. Fortunately, he laughs.
“I’m glad you find my service satisfactory.” A deliciously sexy smirk twists his lips. “I hope you’ll consider leaving a tip.”
“Oh, I’m sorry, I don’t have any money.”
“That’s okay.” His eyes gleam with wicked intent. “I’m sure you can think of some other way to reward me.”
“I’m sure I can,” I agree, before turning my attention to the food in front of me. If I allow Antonio to distract me with his smoldering gaze, I won’t get to try this delicious food. It’s been hours since I last ate, and I need the sustenance. “So, what is this amazing looking meal?”
“Tuscan chicken with mashed potato and bacon-wrapped asparagus.”
My mouth waters as I load up my fork. If the food tastes half as good as it smells I am in for a treat. As the flavors of sundried tomato and garlic hit my tongue, I moan with pleasure.
“Are you sure we can’t bring Janetta back to the city with us? I would never tire of eating her food.”
“Nah, she’s happy here. I asked her once, but she hates the city.”
I pop another piece of chicken into my mouth and chew it slowly before swallowing. “You could make her an offer she can’t refuse.”
Antonio shakes his head. “I’m not in the habit of coercing people into doing things they don’t want to.”
I have to stifle a laugh at that blatant untruth but Antonio must see the skepticism on my face.
“Well, maybe in business, but I wouldn’t force someone who’s part of the family to do something they didn’t want.”
I wonder if Antonio truly believes what he’s saying. He’s not above applying pressure to those closest to him. That’s not an argument worth having. I decide it’s time for a diplomatic change of subject.
“So what movie were you watching?”
“Just some car chase movie.” The offhand way he says that suggests he doesn’t think I’d enjoy it.
“I like action movies,” I tell him. “Maybe we can watch the rest of it together.”
“If you like.” He’s distracted as his cellphone rings. He takes it out of his pocket and rejects the call before tossing the phone on the table. A moment later it lights up again with Matteo’s name.
“Aren’t you going to get that?”
“No, he probably just wants to give me shit about not being at Leo’s party.”
He’s missing a party to be here with me? It’s unlike Antonio to skip out on any family event. He believes in presenting a unified appearance to the public.
“Leo’s throwing a party?”
“Mamma is.”
“Ah.” That makes a lot more sense. Leo Volante is not known for his hosting skills.
“She was pissed they didn’t have a proper wedding so Leo’s letting her throw this shindig.”
“It’s not like you to miss a family celebration.”
Antonio shrugs. “It was more important for me to spend some time with you.” He sets down his fork and reaches across the table to take my hand. “We need to get to know each other again and I need to prepare y?—”
He cuts off, mid-sentence, as his phone rings again. This time it’s Sandro. It seems to me his family needs to get in contact with him.
“You really should get that. It might be important.”
He picks up his phone, switches it off, and tosses it on the table. “What’s important right now is that we work on getting you ready for when we go back to the city.”
Unease runs through my veins like a sliver of ice. “Why? What’s happened?”
“Rico’s family is looking for him. They’re asking questions.”
“What sort of questions?”
“About you and…” Antonio is cut off once again as footsteps sound in the hall. He gets to his feet, pulling a gun from his back. I didn’t even realize he was armed.
“Who is that?” Antonio glares at me. “Did you let someone into the house?”
Stung by the accusation, I can’t formulate a response. How can he think that of me? Heart pounding, I clutch the edge of the table as Antonio moves toward the door, ready to confront the intruder.
“Boss, are you there?”
Antonio’s tension eases fractionally as a familiar voice drifts along the corridor. It’s Rich, one of the bodyguards who accompanied us on this trip.
“I told you I didn’t want to be disturbed.”
“Yeah, boss, but Matteo’s been trying to get hold of you. It’s Gio. He’s in the hospital. Something happened at Leo’s party and he got shot.”
“Fuck! How bad is it?”
“I don’t know but they need you to get back there.”
My heart lurches. Gio must be hurt badly if Antonio’s brothers are summoning him back to the city. It’s an ominous sign that they took him to a hospital. Usually their own doctor treats any injuries they sustain, but not if they’re life-threatening.
“Bring the car around,” Antonio instructs.
As retreating footsteps signal Rich is leaving to do as Antonio asked, I get up and join my husband in the corridor. His distress is clear as he paces up and down, running his fingers through his hair. When he spots me, he stops dead, the anguish in his eyes revealing his emotional turmoil. I’ve never seen Antonio so vulnerable. Reaching out, I lay a reassuring hand on his arm.
“I’m so sorry,” I tell him. “What can I do?”
My sympathetic tone seems to spark something in Antonio. Back straightening, he snaps back into his usual calm, collected self. “You can promise to behave yourself while I return to the city and take care of my family.”
It’s as if he slapped me across the face. I thought we were trying to mend fences here, but he still doesn’t consider me part of his family. “You want me to stay here?”
“Of course I do. Where else would you go?”
“Well, with you. Surely, I belong at your side?”
Antonio shakes his head. “No, it’s not a good idea. I have enough to deal with. I don’t need you getting in the way.”
“But…”
Before I can lodge an objection, Antonio grabs my arms in a bruising grip that startles a high-pitched squeak out of me. “You will stay here and behave yourself, Isabella. Defy me on this and you will be sorry.”
Tears well in my eyes at the harshness of his tone, the coldness of his demeanor. I thought we were making progress in our relationship but we seem to be stuck in a dance of one step forward, two steps back. With no other option than to obey his command, I swallow hard. “Okay.”
Giving me a curt nod, Antonio releases me, turns and walks away. He doesn’t give me so much as a goodbye kiss.
“Call me if you need me,” I shout after him.
He doesn’t respond but I get the message loud and clear. He won’t need me. Antonio may desire me. He’ll want to possess me. But need me? Never.
Shoulders slumping, I turn and go back to the dining room. I retake my seat at the table and start to eat, hoping Antonio will change his mind and come get me before he leaves.
After a couple of minutes, I hear the front door slamming shut. I guess my hope was futile. In the suffocating stillness that closes in as I’m left alone in this big old house, I take a sip of my wine and try to pretend my heart didn’t just break.