Chapter Twenty-Five Callum
Since the night I’d fallen asleep with Caterina in my arms, I’d been in an emotional tailspin. Not only was I dealing with my grief over Sean’s loss, but my head was completely fucked up over my growing feelings for Caterina. In the early days of our relationship, my primary feelings for Caterina had been lust and desire along with a need to protect her. But after that night, my feelings had become much, much more.
Something about lying with her in my arms had splintered the emotional dam I had erected. In those moments, she’d been everything I’d wanted in a wife.
At first, I thought putting distance between us was the answer. I stopped coming home for dinner and spent more and more time at the office. It wasn’t totally a ruse since I was finishing up work on the opening for Bandia.
I soon found that distance didn’t help. I still thought about her constantly. While she didn’t know it, I remained in contact with Owen and Shane about what she was doing. Not that I distrusted her. No, I just wanted to know what she was doing.
I was fucking hopeless.
And then she had to go and weasel her way into attending the opening of the club, which was the last fucking thing I wanted her to do. Outside of our reception, it would be the first time she was on display as my wife. Caterina thought I just didn’t want to spend time with her, but that wasn’t the truth. I didn’t want her to go because I wanted to protect her.
Now that I felt even more for her, I worried for her safety. Once her face was splashed across media sites, all my enemies would have a face to go with the name. I knew it was inevitable that people would know who she was. They would no longer be satisfied with just hearing that I’d married Alessio Neretti’s daughter. They would want to see her at my side.
And for the first time in my fucking life, I was afraid. I was fucking afraid I might not be able to protect my wife from all the wolves circling us. To protect Caterina, I needed her to follow my instructions. I needed her to bury her defiance because that would only cause trouble for her in the long run. She needed to listen to me and respect my wishes.
But of course, my little hellcat couldn’t do that. Tonight she’d flaunted her disobedience in a dress that could make a man with the strongest resolve come in his pants. Part of me refusing the dress was because I didn’t want to murder every son of a bitch who looked at her with lust in his eyes. But the other part of me didn’t want her drawing so much attention. The wolves were looking for any reason to attack.
As I stared her down, I began to pace around her. I tried swallowing my growing anger. “Have I not been kind to you, Caterina?”
“Yes,” she replied.
“Have I not indulged you with your wishes to go to university and have a career?”
“Yes.”
“Compared to what your fate could have been had another man kidnapped you and forced you into marriage, you’ve practically won the bleedin’ lottery, right?”
She eyed me sullenly. “I suppose so.”
“You suppose?”
Caterina appeared to be fighting not to lash out at me. Finally, she responded, “Yes, I have.”
“Then why must you continue to provoke me by not doing as I ask?”
“It’s just a dress, Callum,” she protested softly.
“It’s more than a fucking dress!” I bellowed.
She held up her hands. “Look, I didn’t do it to make you angry or to defy you.”
Like hell she didn’t.I chuckled darkly. “Don’t lie.”
“I’m not.”
“You knew I didn’t want you to wear this dress, yet you wore it anyway. That, Kitten, is defying me.”
“But that’s not–”
“Stop fucking arguing with me.” At my menacing glare, she cowered back slightly. “I need to know why you go out of your way to disregard my instructions. I need a wife who understands that sometimes my commands are in her best interests.”
“You sure don’t act like you want me to be your wife,” she countered.
“Excuse me?”
Caterina threw up her hands. “You want to know why I bought the dress even though you told me not to?”
“Why?”
“I wanted you to notice me!”
My eyes popped wide. “Notice you?”
She dropped her gaze to her strappy red heels. “Since the night we slept in each other’s arms, you’ve been ignoring me. You barely look at me, least of all talk to me.” After she swallowed hard, she dared to look up at me. “I thought by wearing this dress you’d notice me again.”
Fucking hell. How could my bride be so fucking naive? “You don’t think I’ve noticed you?” I questioned, my voice becoming impossibly deep.
“Yes,” she whispered.
Slowly, I shook my head. “I notice everything about you, Kitten.”
She frowned. “Then why haven’t you come home at night to be with me? And why don’t you talk to me anymore?”
I placed my hand onmy hips and countered, “Because you’ve got me by the balls.”
Of course my innocent wife would blush at the mention of my balls. “W-What?”
I chuckled darkly. “You’re in my head and under my skin. I want to possess you mind, body, and soul.” I pushed a strand of hair out of her face. “And feeling that way about you fucks with my head.
“Because you don’t want to care so much for me?” she questioned softly.
With a shake of my head, I replied, “Because I don’t want anything to happen to you.”
“I don’t understand.”
“The moment you became my wife you gained a target on your back. You could argue as Alessio Neretti’s daughter, you were born with one. Enemies of your father or enemies of mine would use you to get to us.”
Her brows rose in surprise. “And that’s why you’ve been staying away? Because you’re worried about protecting me?”
“Aye. And because I’m a man who doesn’t do well with expressing feelings.”
She scowled at me. “I’m well aware of your aversion to feelings.”
“I swear that if anyone can get me to change, it’s you, Kitten.”
Tilting her head at me, Caterina said, “I’ll let you off the hook this time only if you promise to communicate with me.”
With a grunt, I replied, “I’m not making any promises.”
“Callum,” she implored.
“Fine. I’ll communicate with you if you’ll do what I ask of you.” When she opened her mouth to protest, I shook my head. “Like I said before, it’s for your protection.”
“I’ll try,” she relented.
I motioned to the door. “We better go.”
“You’re not going to make me change?”
“Would you?”
“Yes.” At what must’ve been my surprise, she added, “But I wouldn’t like it.”
I threw my head back with a laugh. “Oh Kitten, you’re going to be the death of me.” Her sly grin hit me right in the pants. I took her hand in mine and led her out to the waiting SUV.
It only took ten minutes to arrive at the club. When we exited the SUV, the bright camera flashes momentarily blinded me. If there was one thing I loathed, it was having to make nice with the press. But we needed a positive public profile not just for our legitimate business ventures, but to hide the darker shit we were involved in.
Turning back to the SUV, I offered my hand to Caterina. As she stepped out, her eyes skittered over the crowd with an almost deer in the headlights look. Leaning over, I whispered in her ear, “Don’t worry. I’ll do all the talking. Just put one foot in front of the other.”
Swallowing hard, she gave a slight nod. After assessing the journalists waiting on us, I steered Caterina over to the one who worked for the entertainment section of the Globe. My assistant had reminded me earlier in the day who Delia Hunter was, and that I should be sure to make nice with her.
Giving her my best smile, I said, “Good evening, Delia.”
“Callum, you’ve managed quite a turnout tonight. What do you think makes Bandia Boston’s new hotspot?”
“Well, I suppose it doesn’t hurt that it’s owned by four handsome men with sexy Irish accents?” I teased.
Delia tittered at my joke. “I would say that’s a huge selling point.”
“As far as standing out from other clubs, we also brought in some design aspects that incorporate the mythology of our ancestry.”
“I have to say the architecture is stunning.”
“Thank you.”
Delia’s gaze cut from mine over to Caterina who shifted nervously in her heels. “Speaking of stunning, who is this absolutely stunning woman on your arm?”
I gave her a genuine smile. “This is my wife, Caterina.”
Delia’s eyes widened. “Your wife? This news is sure to elicit heartbreak all over the city considering your previous eligible bachelor status.”
Caterina eyed me curiously before replying, “I didn’t know I snagged one of Boston’s most eligible bachelors,” she teased with a smile. At Delia’s confused look, Caterinareplied, “I’m from New York.”
“Oh, I see. Allow me to say your beauty will certainly make the city shine brighter.”
Caterina’s cheeks flushed at the compliment. Before she could say thank you, I replied, “She’s certainly made my life shine brighter.”
I grinned at the perfect ‘o’ of surprise that my compliment formed on Caterina’s red lips. Delia gave Caterina an envious glance before saying, “Once again, good luck on the opening of the club.”
“Thank you,” I replied.
I then steered Caterina through the rest of the crowd. As we started into the club, she peered up at me. “You really laid it on thick with that reporter, huh?”
“Who says I wasn’t telling the truth?”
“I’ve made your life shine brighter, or my beauty?” Caterina questioned suspiciously.
I chuckled. “Aye, Kitten, every part of you has made my life brighter.”
“That means a lot.” With a teasing glint in her eyes, she added, “Especially considering your eligible bachelor status. I’m surprised you never managed to tell me that tidbit.”
I flashed her a wicked grin. “It didn’t make sense to tell you when I was kidnapping you.” Tilting my head, I asked, “If I had, would you still have shot me?”
“Absolutely.”
I snorted. “I’m only an eligible bachelor to the ignorant outsiders. The ones who think I’m just a wealthy businessman and have no idea about all my dark dealings.”
“Like how you kidnap potential nuns from religious orders and force them to be your bride?” she teased with a smile.
I scowled at her. “I’d hardly call that one of my dark dealings. It was a necessary evil.”
She rolled her eyes. “Keep telling yourself that.”
With my hand resting against the small of her back, I guided Caterina to a roped off VIP section. Once we were inside, I found Dare talking with two scantily dressed women. He managed to tear his attention away from them long enough to wave at us. After waving back, Caterina peered around. Since I was sure she was looking for Quinn or Kellan, I replied, “They’re working the floor.”
“Quinn is socializing with people?” Caterina questioned incredulously.
I laughed. “Let me rephrase that. Kellan is talking up people while Quinn is keeping people in line with his death glares.”
She grinned. “That makes more sense.”
After I motioned for Caterina to have a seat in the booth, I slid in next to her. Dare once again tore his attention away from the women to shoot Caterina a wicked smile. “What’s your poison, Sister?”
Shifting anxiously in her seat, Caterina replied, “I’m not sure.”
“You’ve really never had any alcohol?” I asked.
“I’m Italian, so obviously I’ve had wine.”
I snorted. “That’s it?”
“Some champagne. But nothing too hardcore.”
“Aye, yes, you’re practically a liquor virgin,” Dare mused.
“Watch it,” I warned.
With a wink, Dare replied, “Obviously you have to have to drink an Irish whiskey. For your genteel palette, I could recommend starting with Redbreast 12.” After wagging his brows he added, “And I’m not being cheeky by choosing one with breast in the name.”
While Caterina giggled, I shot him a murderous look before waving our private waiter over. “Bring us a shot of Redbreast 12 and a bottle of the Teeling 34-Year-Old Vintage Reserve.”
Dare whistled. “You have expensive taste this evening.”
Shrugging I replied, “We need good whiskey to celebrate.”
Caterina glanced between us. “How expensive?”
“About four thousand dollars a bottle.”
Dare and I chuckled at the level of horror on Caterina’s face. “Don’t worry, Kitten. I’m good for it.”
She slowly shook her head. “It’s positively sinful. Do you know the amount of good that would”ve done for the order?”
“Would it ease your conscience if I promised to donate the same amount to the church?”
With a scowl, she countered, “It’s not my conscience that you should be worried about.”
“Fine. First thing in the morning, I’ll make sure to donate five thousand to the Sacred Heart.”
Before she could argue with me, the waiter reappeared with our whiskey. When Caterina took her glass, she eyed the dark liquid warily. “Are you sure this is what I should drink?”
“Yes,” Dare and I replied in unison.
“Fine.” With a hesitant smile, Caterina said, “Bottoms up.”
Leaning forward in my seat, I watched with amusement as Caterina took a giant gulp of the whiskey. As a shudder ran through her body, she sputtered and gasped. Waving her hand in front of her face, her eyes watered before spilling over her cheeks. “That. Was. Horrible!” she screeched.
I threw my head back with a laugh as Dare snickered. Our reaction earned us a glare from Caterina. “I should’ve mentioned it’s really an acquired taste.”
Narrowing her eyes at me, Caterina replied, “I’d rather never taste it again.”
“Trust me, you’ll enjoy the buzz if you do,” Dare said.
“She’s not getting buzzed,” I countered.
“And why not?”
I jabbed a finger at Dare. “Because I said so.”
With defiance sparkling in her eyes, Caterina brought the glass to her lips again and took another hearty gulp. While Dare snorted at her behavior, I merely shook my head. “Oh, Kitten, it’s going to be a long night.”