Episode 39
Episode 39
Not Everything Is As It Seems
JULIANNE
“What’s he doing here?” My brother snarled at the sight of Gio in my home.
Giovanni smirked. “I live here now.” He brought me closer to his side. “You should probably tell him before the announcement goes out,” Gio encouraged, likely loving every second of this moment. I couldn’t blame him; I felt the same way.
“What do you mean, you live here now? And what announcement?” Brenden snapped, his expression one of burgeoning anger.
I looked at Gio and cocked a brow before smiling coyly at my brother. “Gio and I got married this weekend. Surprise!”
Brenden glared. “Don’t fuck with me. It’s been a hard enough couple days as it is, Jules.”
I huffed and shook my head while planting my hand on Gio’s chest possessively. “It’s no joke. We got married in Las Vegas yesterday.”
Brenden’s face went blank, as if he couldn’t comprehend the truth that was staring him in the face.
“What? No congratulations?” Gio goaded. “You’d think after you stole my fiancée, fucked me over, then screwed over Julianne, you’d have something to say? Oh, that’s right, Bianca has your balls in a vise so tight you can’t even speak for yourself anymore. Isn’t that right, bro,” Gio sneered, disgust evident in his every word.
Brenden’s cheeks turned bright red as his lips twisted into a white snarl. “You’re just pissed because Bianca fell for me. She got tired of your ass being all about work and came running to a real man who could give her the love and attention she deserves.”
Gio huffed out a dry laugh. “Right, a real man. Someone I considered my best friend in the entire world. Trusted more than any other. A brother not by blood, but by choice. You used to be a real man. Now you’re just a pathetic asshole who has a reputation for fucking people over, who’s own sister can hardly stand the sight of you. Look at her.” He gestured to me. “You hurt her. Broke her trust. The only person you had left. The last soul who would have stood by your side no matter what. And you fired her from our company because Bianca told you to? Which, by the way, isn’t even legal. We both own the company fifty-fifty, and I say Julianne stays,” I growled through my teeth.
“You have no idea who you are dealing with. You think I’m a horrible person for what I did, fine! I’m a horrible person. No one but you gives a fuck. We have a much bigger problem now that Bianca’s pregnant,” Brenden fired back, spittle flying as he spoke.
“Which remains to be proven,” I added for good measure, lest either of the men forget the very real possibility the bitch could be lying through her perfectly bleached teeth.
Brenden’s gaze slashed to mine. “I’ve seen the ultrasound images. It’s real.”
“Yeah? Were you there with her when they were taken?” I asked, giving him a closed-mouth, waspish smile.
Brenden frowned. “No, but I trust her.”
Gio snorted. “Look Brenden, if she could lie to me for eighteen months, carry on an affair with you at the same time, and fuck us both on the same day, she can fake a pregnancy. I’m certainly not putting it past her. I want a paternity test as soon as possible.”
“Yeah, well, I don’t care whose baby it is. I’m going to raise it like my own no matter what,” he hissed as if he were making some big sacrifice.
“If it’s my baby, I will demand full custody because she’s a lying, cheating, unscrupulous bitch who has no business raising a child,” Gio returned, grit in every word. He’d make her pay. Drown her in endless legal battles until he got what he wanted. And he had the endless monetary means to do it too. I didn’t wish that for him, or for myself. But I surely wouldn’t want Bianca as the primary parent in that scenario either. The child’s well-being must be the priority.
Anger filled the air around Brenden before he suddenly pounced, jumping through the air toward Gio, who pushed me out of the way right before Brenden crashed into him.
“I’ll end you myself!” Brenden snarled, his hands encircling Gio’s throat and squeezing.
Giovanni gripped Brenden’s wrists and tugged, desperately trying to remove his hands from around his neck, to no avail.
“Stop it! Let him go!” I screamed as Giovanni’s face turned a sickly shade of red as he arched back, trying to knock Brenden loose, but Brenden held on. They slammed into my entryway side table that had a vase filled with flowers and a mirror above it. The vase went crashing to the ground, broken porcelain and water spreading in every direction.
Gio finally used his foot to trip Brenden, both men falling to the hard floor. Brenden’s grip loosened enough so that Gio could get the upper hand.
They rolled from one side to the other until Gio was on top. He pulled his arm back and punched Brenden in the face multiple times. Blood sprayed across the white marble floor in sick crimson splotches as Brenden screeched in pain.
“Gio! Stop, you’re going to kill him!” I cried, watching as Brenden somehow leveraged Gio onto his back and delivered a punch of his own. But Gio was faster. His arm came up, his fist crashing into Brenden’s ribs once, twice, and then a third time, which was accompanied by a sickening crunch sound.
“Fuck!” Brenden wailed like a banshee, sliding to the side, and curling inward, one hand going to his ribs.
Gio tumbled in the other direction, and I raced over to help him stand. There was a stream of blood sliding out of one of his nostrils while he clutched his neck tenderly.
I caressed the swollen, red marks gently as Giovanni let out a hoarse cough. “I’m okay.”
“I want you out of my home,” I hollered at my brother.
Brenden slowly moved onto all fours and winced as he eased to a standing position, still hunched over, one arm planted across his middle protectively. He looked at me and then at Gio as he pushed the button to call the elevator. He scowled deeply then faced me.
“I came here to apologize, and this is what I get? Me and you, Jules. We’re done.” My heart slid to my throat and choked me as he looked at Gio. “You both deserve each other,” he mumbled, a deep sense of loathing filling his statement.
“You brought this upon yourself, Brenden.” Giovanni looped an arm around my shoulders. “I would have never betrayed you. Not in a million years. And now you’re what, disowning your sister because you can’t handle the repercussions of the decision you yourself made? Your parents would be so disappointed.” He shook his head, his expression filled with disgust.
Tears fell down my cheeks as I watched that arrow hit the bullseye and my brother recoil.
“Brenden, when you’re ready to talk civilly, give me a call. Until then, I guess I’ll see you in court,” I muttered, hating that I was losing my brother after everything we’d already lost.
On that parting shot, the elevator doors opened, and Brenden stepped in. He turned around, his eyes filled with hate, blood dripping down the side of his mouth as he focused on Gio and then me.
“Fuck you, Gio. Fuck you both!”
* * * *
Once I’d gotten Giovanni cleaned up and sitting at my kitchen table with a bag of frozen peas pressed to his swollen neck, I slumped into one of the other chairs and pressed my forehead to the table.
“Everything is so messed up,” I admitted.
Gio reached out, put his hand on the back of my neck and started to rub the knots he found there, working the tension out with skilled thumbs and fingers.
“It certainly is. I imagine he will go straight to Bianca after what’s happened. Means she won’t be too eager to meet with me any time soon.” He sighed. “The idea that I might actually be a father to that woman’s baby is making my stomach tight.” He winced.
“We have to find out if the baby is yours though. Sooner rather than later. Maybe instead of talking to her, we go through the lawyers. It seems safer. We also need to figure out what the heck we’re going to do about work. The longer all of us sit around with our thumbs up our assess, the more work builds up, the more clients we lose.”
Gio let out a long, haggard sounding breath. “Honestly, Jules, I’ll follow your lead on how you want to handle this. Hell, I’m happy to sign over my half of the company to you if it makes things easier,” he offered.
I lifted my head and stared into his tired eyes. “You’re really generous, you know that?”
He groaned and raked his hands through his hair. “No, I’m not. I just don’t want to fight with my ex and your brother. These are people I thought would be my family and have my back, throughout the rest of my life. When we lost our parents, I clung to that gift. Saw it as a blessing that I had a woman who loved me, and a best friend I’d do anything for. And both of them betrayed me.”
I sat up and my bottom lip started to tremble. The sorrow in his eyes, in his very soul , matched my own.
Gio cupped my cheek. “Julianne, you’re the only person in the entire world I can trust. The only person I love, who I know loves me back. And I know the romantic part of our relationship is new, but I have pined for you for years. Marrying you, making love to you…it’s more than I could have ever hoped for.” He swallowed and cleared his throat.
“ Gio ,” I breathed, feeling every ounce of his pain.
“I love you, Julianne. I have always loved you. I loved you when we were kids, and I loved you from afar as business partners.” He leaned forward, pressed his forehead to mine and traced my bottom lip with his thumb. “And I love you now. I don’t want anything to get between what we’re building and what we’ve already shared. As a matter of fact, I won’t let it. Brenden and Bianca don’t get to have this. They don’t get to steal what we’ve found. Does that make any sense?” His question was tortured, ripped straight from his still beating heart.
I curled my hands around his face, threading my fingers through his hair. “It makes perfect sense. Because I’ve been in love with you since we were kids too. That kiss on the dock was a dream come true for me. And even then, Brenden got between us. Even freakin’ then. And now…” I let the words fall away as I took a weighted breath. “Now I’m more in love with you than I ever thought possible. I don’t want this baby to be yours because I want to be the only one having your children. I don’t want to lose any part of you to her , or to him. I’m tired of going without.”
“Jules, you’ll never be without me ever again,” he swore, dipping his lips so he could take mine in a long, reaffirming kiss. “I love you. I’m not going to let them or anyone else get between us. You have my word. We’ll figure this out, and you know what? Down the road, we’ll be better for it.”
I chuckled and wiped at my nose and eyes with the back of my hand as the tears fell. “It’s not going to be easy.”
“Nothing in life worth having is easy, Jules. You know that.” He kissed the tip of my nose. “Why don’t we take a long bath together, order Chinese takeout, and push all of this to handle tomorrow?”
“That sounds heavenly.” I was already imagining the heat of the water soothing the rest of the tension from my body, then possibly making love to my husband and falling asleep on his mighty chest. Yeah, heavenly fits.
Gio stood up and held out his hand.
I clasped it and let him help me up. Arm and arm we walked back to my bedroom.
No, our bedroom.
Gio let me go and kicked off his shoes and pulled his shirt over his head, standing before me bare-chested and sculpted like a Greek god.
“Take a picture, it will last longer,” he teased.
“Oh, I plan to. Many, many, many pics for the spank bank when one of us is traveling for business purposes,” I teased.
“Filthy girl.” He grinned wickedly. Just hearing him call me that name sent a lightening burst of arousal racing through my veins.
My phone started to ring, and I glared at it on the nightstand as if it were a living breathing monster come to life.
“Ignore it,” Giovanni suggested.
I walked over and glanced at the display. “It’s my lawyer. It could be important.”
He shrugged. “It’s up to you. I’m going to run the bath.” He pushed off his pants and boxer briefs, his dick already half-hard.
I cocked a brow and watched as my favorite appendage started to salute me while I reached for the phone, but my eyes were on my husband’s spectacular body. I clicked the button to answer and watched Gio’s toned ass flex and move as he entered the bathroom.
“Hello, Ms. Myers,” my lawyer greeted.
“Mmmhmm, that’s me.” I was trying to catch glimpses of Gio as I finagled through removing my clothing with the phone pressed against my ear.
“I’m calling because we found something concerning in your parents’ will.”
I unclipped my bra and sat on the bed in my panties as I removed one arm at a time. “What did you find?”
“Well, you told me to look into everything, that even the tiniest detail could be important,” she noted.
“Yes, continue…” I sighed, wanting nothing more than to go meet my husband in the bath. “I’m kind of in a hurry,” I prompted as I stood and wiggled my undies down my legs.
“I had a hunch after comparing some of your parents’ documents. Specifically, the last few updates to their will over the years.”
I watched as my naked, drool-worthy husband appeared at the bathroom doorway, his hand around his cock as he stroked it to full attention, then turned slowly and stepped one foot and then the other into the huge jacuzzi soaker tub.
I had to clamp my mouth shut so I wouldn’t whimper. Instead, I took a breath and focused on the call. “I’m sorry to rush you, but I only have another minute…” I ground my teeth, my heart racing as I walked into the bathroom, no longer willing to miss out on the view.
Giovanni was lying back, legs spread, cock hard, arms out at his side, head resting on a towel, and eyes closed, looking every inch the spoiled king.
I licked my lips as I squirmed where I stood. I was going to ride him until all the water left the bathtub and needed to be refilled because of our shenanigans.
Giovanni told me he loved me.
I told him I loved him.
“Are you listening to me, Ms. Myers.”
“I’m sorry, can you repeat the last part,” I frowned as Gio’s eyes opened, his gaze filled with white-hot desire.
“I said, I had a forensic handwriting expert review the last four signatures on the last four updates of your parents’ will. The first three matched exactly and were determined to have been signed by your mother and father. The last one, however, the one submitted a week before their untimely death, wasn’t a match.”
“What are you saying?” I croaked, then held my breath.
Giovanni sat up, suddenly interested in my conversation. “Are you okay?”
I nodded and held out a finger for him to wait a moment.
“I’m saying that the signatures on the last update to your parents’ will were forged.”