Chapter 29
“What is this shit? Who wrote this?” It wasn’t so much the story about her past that bothered me but the asshole went on to cast doubt on our relationship.
If that wasn’t bad enough there were pictures of her everywhere. “Who the fuck authorized them to use her face?”
“I thought you might want to know so I have the investigative department working on it right now.”
“Has she seen this?”
“I’m not sure but if she hasn’t it won’t be too long before she does.”
“Fine, you take care of this I’ll see to her. Call legal, I want her pictures off of there before end of day.”
“What’re you going to do?”
“Bury this fuck.” I was beyond pissed when I went to her office. I knew right away that she’d seen it. “Come ‘ere baby it’s okay.”
I pulled her up from the chair and into my arms holding her close to my chest. “I was afraid of something like this, didn’t I tell you?”
“Didn’t you tell me what? If you tell me that we shouldn’t be together because of shit like this you’ll only piss me the fuck off.”
“That’s easy for you to say. It’s not your name being dragged through the mud. I don’t want any of this…”
“Giavanna!”
My harsh retort shut her up and my slight shaking of her got her attention. “We’re not doing this. I’ll do what I can to have the story removed and your pictures erased, as to the rest of it, you and I know the truth, I refuse to let you hide behind this.”
“I came in here to see if you were okay. Where is my strong opinionated woman? You’re always ready to spit in my eye and defy me, but this is how you handle others?”
She pouted and looked down at my chest. “I see, you can only be that bold with me. It’s a wonder you don’t understand what that means.”
“What do you mean by that?” I studied her for a long minute before taking her head in my hands and kissing her forehead. I released her and headed for the door.
“Think about it. Think about why you’re able to confront me, go head to head with me at every turn, but you hide from everyone else.”
Hopefully she’ll come to the truth on her own without any help from me. But if I needed any more proof of her feelings for me that was it. She already felt safe with me and she didn’t even know it.
Back in my office I sat in deep contemplation of this turn of events. The news was bound to spread and though it had been a while since I battle the tabloids over my privacy, I well remember how they work.
As I sat there a plan began to form in my mind. Maybe I could use this to my advantage after all. There’s nothing better than turning a negative into a positive.
I waited until end of day, after I’d made some follow up calls to make sure that the story and her illegally taken photos would be removed to make my move.
Since she isn’t a public figure and had given no one the right to take let alone post her photos online, it wasn’t going to be too hard to take care of.
Now I had to convince her that it was for the best if she let Amber stay at my place while we were gone. I still haven’t grown fond of her neighborhood.
I went to her office an hour after everyone else had left because I knew we would be the only two left here. Sure enough she was still at her desk making last minute adjustments to her plans for the hotel.
“It’s time to quit baby you’ve been at this all day.” She looked up startled like she hadn’t even heard me come in and I knew she had more than what was on that screen on her mind.
I sincerely wished she’d open up and share some of her burdens with me, but the more I tried the more she retreated.
Sure things had changed a lot between us these last few weeks, but we still had a long way to go. She still kept herself locked away from me, which makes me crazy.
“What were you thinking about?” I held her eyes as I made my way around her desk. “Didn’t I tell you not to worry about that stuff, that I’d take care of it? Why don’t you ever listen?”
I pulled her up from her chair and kissed her. “I missed you at lunch today. Sorry, I got caught up in stuff. I’ve called ahead and asked Alice to stay late tonight, I need to talk to you.”
“Why did you do that without asking me first?”
“If I’d asked would you have said yes?” She didn’t respond but we both knew the answer. “There’s your answer.”
“Do you see why we have problems? It’s because of your arrogance. Each time I think you’ve changed you go and pull a stunt like this.”
“Oh it’s my arrogance, I thought it was your stubbornness. Either way, what’s done is done and I still need to talk to you about something. You know very well if we go home right now Amber will want both our attention and after she goes to bed we’d be distracted by something else.”
That’s the reason I’d chosen to have this little talk in a public place. It’s true that for all the time we spend together, our relationship’s still new and I still can’t control myself around her.
Sometimes it’s all I can do to sit through the evenings until it was time to take her to bed. It’s not much better at the office.
I’ve cornered her here more than once either in her office or mine for a quick fuck, which always just left us both hungry for more.
Which always leads to us tearing off each other’s clothes five seconds after we put Amber to bed at night. So for this reason it was best we take this elsewhere.
Plus she’s such a lady she wouldn’t dare argue with me in public. Of course she usually stores up her grievances to bash me over the head with later in the privacy of the bedroom.
But I’m usually able to fuck her out of whatever snit she’s in. What I’m about to propose is bound to make her spaz the fuck out. But it’s what I’d wanted from the beginning anyway. Nothing ventured, nothing gained.
I took her to a nice little bistro that I was sure would afford us the privacy we needed and once seated decided to just jump right in.
“I’m guessing you saw those photos of you today. Did you notice that some of them were taken right outside your apartment?” She tensed up and I covered the hand she had resting on the table with mine.
“That means whoever is behind this knows where you live, where Amber lives. They knew way too much for my liking and since we’ll both be out of the country soon, I’m thinking it’s best if Amber stays either at my place or with my parents.”
My parents had welcomed them both with open arms. Mom’s only worry in the beginning was whether or not I was sure I was willing to take on someone else’s child.
I guess she knows me well enough to know what a selfish jealous bastard I am. But once I assured her that I had no problem accepting Amber that seemed to be all she needed.
Of course she didn’t know that her son was a raving lunatic who was still insanely jealous of a dead man and had no way of overcoming that shit anytime soon.
“Was it you?”
“Come again.” I stopped with my water glass halfway to my lips.
“Was it you that leaked the story?”
I just stared at her until she looked away in shame. Looks like I was wrong, she has no problem throwing darts in public.
“You really believe that shit? That I’d stoop that low? That I’d put you and Amber in danger like that? Do you know why my driver is a retired marine with a specialty in Krav Maga?”
“Because all my life, from the time I was younger than Amber, I’ve been in danger of one type or another.”
“Do you know how many kidnap attempts were made on us growing up? Or how as an adult I’ve had to look over my shoulder for fear of someone taking my life for what’s mine?”
“You should look ashamed, how dare you.”
“Evan, I’m sorry I wasn’t thinking, I don’t think…”
“Forget it, let’s go. I’m no longer hungry.” For food or you.
How dare she accuse me of something so fucking vile? Here I was thinking she was getting to know me. That as long as I showed her my heart she’d see the truth.
But instead she sees me as some monster that would put her and her child in danger just to get my way.