Chapter Nine
A strong, warm, smooth yet gruff voice startles me. I spin on my heels to face the newcomer only to find the most beautiful man I've ever seen. Ok, shut up, I know I haven't seen many in real life, but even on TV or movies. The man that stands before me is the most stunning work of art mankind has to offer. His jawline is so sharp it could cut glass, and is covered in a short scruffy beard. His dark hair is slicked back against his scalp, making him look intimidating. Meanwhile, his milk chocolate-colored eyes, with flecks of gold that must sparkle like a Cullen in the sunlight, steal the breath from my lungs.
Feelings that make no sense rush to my core as I stare at the man. I follow dutifully as he guides me to a different room. We're sitting side by side on the couch, but he's seated so much further than anyone else has been since I was brought here this afternoon.
“Before I dive in fully, do you know anything about who I am? Or who your father is?” He keeps his eyes trained on mine, looking for something.
I blink rapidly at him, unsure what he's referring to.
“What do you mean? You're Giovanni and my dad is - well, my dad.” As I reply, my mind whirls with confusion.
“Ok, Sweetheart.” Giovanni’s face twists in discomfort at the word. Meanwhile, his delicious voice has me in a chokehold, and I don't hate it. “There isn't an easy way to explain this, but I'm also not going to hide anything from you. I'm just going to dive in. I'm the new head of the Port Windsor Italian Mafia. My grandfather was my predecessor and he recently passed, which is how I met your father and found out about you.”
I gasp at the revelation, “Like Scarface?” He cocks a brow at me with so much curiosity I can nearly see the questions forming in his mind. “What? When I finished all of my schooling when I was younger, Cece would bring out movies.” I lift my shoulders in a shrug.
He shakes his head as a deep laugh rumbles through his chest.
“More like The Godfather, however – I won't allow drugs in my city.” His words come out like ice.
“Okay,” I drag out the word. “What does that have to do with my dad, Giovanni?”
He eyes me warily before continuing.
“Your father is one of the men who worked for my grandfather.” He pauses for a moment while he stares into the depths of my soul. There's a clear hesitation when he opens his mouth to speak, but nothing comes out until after a few attempts. “I'm not sure how he came to be involved with the family, but that is something we're working on figuring out.” Giovanni lets out a heavy sigh. “He told me this morning that he and my grandfather had an agreement in place to distribute drugs in Port Windsor.”
“But I thought..?” I let the words die on my lips when I realized I interrupted him.
He chuckles and slides a little closer to me on the couch, patting my knee.
“You thought correctly. I won't allow drugs in my city, which is partially why you're here.” His frustration is very clear as he speaks. “Your father admitted to some things that – what do you know about your mother?”
The sudden change of subject is jarring. My heart lurches in my chest at the mention of the woman who birthed me. I feel the tears begin to well in my eyes and wipe them away before they can fall.
“Dad refused to speak of her.” My voice cracks as I confess, “I don't even know her name.”
Giovanni stands abruptly, his hands balled into fists at his side. He's muttering under his breath as he paces back and forth in front of me a few times before returning to his position on the couch.
“Nina. I need you to know that you are safe here, and I will keep you safe for the rest of your life.” He pauses as he waits for the words to sink in. When I nod acknowledging what he's said, he continues. “Your father murdered your mother when you were born because you weren't the bouncing baby boy he had hoped for.”
My lungs fill as I breathe in a gasp.
“I don't understand. Why?” Tears begin to flow, falling freely down my cheeks.
The beautiful man in front of me shakes his head and drags his hand through his hair as he tries to figure out what he's going to say next.
“He didn't want anyone to know that you were still alive because you were a girl. This world can be extremely misogynistic and he kept you locked away this entire time because of that.” A disgusted laugh erupts from his throat. “He admitted to Milo the only reason he had Cece care for you as thoroughly as she did was because he didn't want his reputation to be sullied with an –” Giovanni holds his hands up gesturing with air quotes, “idiot, even if she was a bitch.”
My eyes are wide with shock and my veins run hot with boiling rage at his accusation. But I know deep in my soul, he's being truthful. Nothing about the way he's speaking to me or treating me feels like a lie. There is a respect here I've never felt with my father. With a shake of my head I glance back up at the man sitting next to me.
“Why did you want me here, Giovanni?” I ask the question that he hasn't yet answered.
“You know. I've threatened to shoot people for calling me Giovanni since I've been back.” He drags a hand through his beard and shakes his head. I see a smirk in his eyes he's trying to hide behind his fingers. “Why don't I hate it when you call me that?”
Flutters explode in my belly with the way his eyes darken as he stares at me. I feel my cheeks flame and I quickly direct my focus to the floor. Oh look, there's a pretty hardwood floor in this room too. His fingers hook under my chin as he lifts my gaze back to his.
“What just happened? Where did you just go?”
I shake my head, unwilling to admit to myself, let alone him, that every fiber of my being feels like he belongs to me. I don’t even understand the feelings I’m having. “No, nothing. I'm fine.” I try to release myself from his hold but he won't let go.
“That's not how this is going to work, Bella . I won't lie to you, you're not going to hide from or lie to me. Understood?” His lips twitch as he tries to fight off a smirk but I can see the mischief in the way those milk chocolate eyes sparkle.
“I'm not lying!” I try to argue but the way he is staring has me rethinking and I let out a long breath. “I'm just overwhelmed by the way you're looking at me like you want to devour me or something, and I've never been around people, well, this many new people. This is all just so intense, am I going to be a prisoner here too? I mean, after all, it turns out that’s all I was in my own home.”