Chapter 36 – Penelope
H ow did I think he ever cared? His illness blinded me. The symptoms that brought down the monster disguised the beast that he really, truly was. The moments of passion clouded my judgment to the point of insanity. Tonight proved that.
Well, no more.
Spun around the room, shown off and introduced to countless faces, who I didn’t learn the names of, I was the prize. A pretty little trophy. Exactly what he wanted.
Alessandro’s presence threatened to strangle me.
On top of that, the strappy heels were tight, pinching off the blood to my toes.
The moment I stepped into the art museum’s grand event space, I was hit with a wave of opulence and never felt more out of place in my life. Crystal chandeliers dripped from the ceiling, casting a golden glow over the sea of elegantly dressed guests. The hum of conversation floated through the air, punctuated by the occasional peal of laughter or the delicate clink of champagne flutes. Waiters in crisp black and white wove through the crowd, their silver trays balanced with an effortless grace, offering glasses of sparkling wine and delicate hors d'oeuvres. The scent of expensive perfume mingled with the rich aroma of truffle-infused appetizers, creating an intoxicating blend of decadence.
The city’s elite moved through the room like animals at the zoo, their designer gowns and tailored suits a dazzling display of wealth and influence. They didn’t pay any attention to the artifacts and priceless treasures purposely put on display for tonight’s event. Jewels caught the light, glittering at throats and wrists, while conversations played out in carefully measured tones—powerful men and women exchanging pleasantries, sealing deals with a knowing glance and a sip of vintage champagne.
I stood it as long as I could before I snapped.
“I need some air,” I hissed, pulling away from the don’s heavy touch.
Those cold, emotionless eyes swept over me. “We have more people to meet.”
Stepping into him, I warned, “I’m not having fun.”
“And I am?” He let out a harsh laugh. “Fuck, vespina, if this was about fun, I would have stayed home. With you.”
The possession in his voice was twisted, convoluted. I wanted to like it. Who didn’t want to be the center of someone’s attention? The sole object of their focus.
But I didn’t trust that Alessandro saw me that way. I was a possession, like a purse or watch. He wasn’t being possessive of me .
Without giving him more of an explanation, I hurried away and disappeared into the bathroom. Serena left one of the stalls, took one look at me, and cursed.
“What did my brother do now?” she demanded.
I waved her away and hid in the stall she’d vacated.
But that wasn’t good enough for the insistent creature. “I know he’s capable of being an ass, but he’s trying with you, Penny. It might not feel like it but trust me. I can see how different it is this time.”
This time. “Did he love Elena very much?”
Silence pulsed in the bathroom. If anyone else was here, they were being eerily silent, probably not wanting to miss any juicy details.
“So he told you about his first wife?” Serena’s words were laced with caution.
I wasn’t about to tell her I pieced together the past from the nightmares and from words the maid dropped when they thought I couldn’t understand their Italian conversations. But it was the old wedding photo, yellowed and torn, in the attic that confirmed everything.
“Did he love her, S?” I insisted, not lifting my dress to sit and take care of business. I stood at the stall door, leaning my head against it.
“No, but he was good to her.”
I squeezed my eyes closed. While it would have hurt to hear that his first marriage was something we didn’t have, this was almost worse. It proved he wasn’t capable of the emotion.
“You have to understand, they were young and their marriage a business arrangement,” Serena said softly. “Love was never part of the equation.”
And she died because she was miserable. “I understand.”
“You have nothing to be jealous about. If you can’t see the way he looks at you, just know it’s different.”
I unlocked the door and peered at her. “How does he look at me?”
Serena wiped her hands on the thick cloth napkin. “Like you’re a priceless treasure.”
Incredulous laughter bubbled through me. Serena continued to smile despite my disbelief. She gave me a wink and went to the door, pausing before she opened it.
“Thanks for tonight, by the way,” she added. “I’m having an amazing time.”
At least one of us was.
As I took care of business, I thought about what she’d said. What Poppy had said. It was so convoluted. I needed air, space to think! That was the problem with the city. There was no wide-open plains where thought and feelings were able to spread their wings and soar.
Pushing into the back hall, I walked past the closed art galleries. There was a staircase somewhere in this museum. Just a few minutes, sitting and breathing. Maybe I could even take off my shoes for a spell.
I turned left, then right. The strap dug harder into my foot, making me limp.
“Shit.” I spun around.
“Lost?” A voice broke through the dark.
My heart jumped into my throat. How the hell did he find me?
The cop stepped out of the shadows. He was dressed the same as the caterers, including the cotton gloves. “I could arrest you for trespassing.”
“So do it,” I dared. It might be stupid, but it was one way to prove if he was a real officer of the law.
There he stood, looming in the entryway. Looking at him, it was hard to see him as a waiter. How was anyone falling for the disguise? He clearly was up to no good.
Then again, I’d been so distracted by Alessandro that if he had been near, I wouldn’t have looked twice.
“Have you thought about my offer?” he demanded.
I arched a brow. “The one where you illegally intimidated a potential witness? Yeah, screw that. I’m not interested.”
Those nostrils flared, and his mouth pinched in a sour pucker. “You’re going to regret siding with the mob. They’re going down. You’ll burn with them. You and your family.”
I stepped forward. “Ooh, I’m terrified.”
Part of me still didn’t believe this was real and not an attempt to catch me betraying the famiglia. But I wasn’t stupid. Snitches got stitches. And Alessandro’s cold, unfeeling nature? Yeah, he wouldn’t hesitate to hurt someone who was a threat to his organization.
A step sounded at the end of the corridor.
Whatever the cop was going to say, he stopped, looked behind him, and scowled. “This isn’t over.”
“Yes, it is,” I snapped. “The answer is no. It will always be no.”
“Then watch yourself,” he said before taking off.
I resisted the urge to throw something at his retreating form. But only because the closest object was a priceless antique urn.
“Penelope.”
I jumped. The don was the last person I expected to follow me.
It crossed my mind to tell the don about the Fed. But not only was I frustrated with him, there was part of me that was scared to bring it up.
Later. I’ll tell him later. When I had time to cool down and properly digest the situation. Right now, there was another matter that needed my more immediate attention.
“Come to check up on your investment?” I sneered.
“Dio bono! What has gotten into you?” he hissed, turning me with a more gentle touch than I would have expected.
I glared at him. The dress was tight, the long skirts kept tangling around my legs. And there were blisters on my feet. In short, I was miserable.
Surprise widened his eyes. “You’re furious,” he murmured.
“Damn straight I am!” I fisted my hands at my side. “I’ve been trotted around, the perfect little piece of arm candy. I thought this would be a great event to learn about your world, see how the mob made business deals, and ran the world from behind the scenes. But I’m not worthy of that, am I, Alessio? I’m just your pretty little wife, who warms your bed and smiles to your friends.”
His voice dripped ice. “They are not my friends.”
I waved my hands. “Semantics.”
“No. Facts.” He tugged me to the side and pushed me against the wall. Arm braced over me, he caged me.
It should have felt claustrophobic. A sane person would scream for help.
Instead, my heart began to slowly calm.
That black gaze studied me. “You want to see my world, vespina?”
I swallowed. “Yes.”
“Why?” Gone was the coldness, and in its place a strange warmth. One that could almost be described as gentleness.
The answer was crystal clear. “I need to have purpose.”
He nodded slowly. “And I said we can arrange that.”
Why stop now? I might as well ask for the moon and see what kind of rocks he dropped at my feet. “I want to go to college. I want to make something of myself.”
His jaw worked back and forth. “It’s dangerous, Penelope.”
“And you can figure out the logistics.” I stabbed my finger against his sternum. “I want a skill set. I want to invest in me. It’s my turn.”
A dark smile cracked across his too handsome face. “Degrees aren’t always an investment. It’s the individual classes that count. The seminars, the certificates.”
I shrugged. “So we’ll figure out the details. But, Alessio, I will not sit around at home, shopping and being pretty, only to come to these things as your purse.”
I left the or else out of that statement. I wasn’t sure what the bad thing would be, what course of action I would be driven to, but it would be cataclysmic.
The empty threat worked better, anyhow.
Alessandro put out his hand. “Deal.”
We shook, but his fingers slid up my arm. “You’re mad at me. May I earn your forgiveness?”
“I’m not mad, just…frustrated.” I made to step away from him, forcing my tired, sore feet to walk normally so he wouldn’t see me struggle.
Alessandro pressed his palm against my sternum. “Stay.”
I jerked. “No. What? Why?! This is crazy.”
I moved inches before he slammed me back against the wall.
“I said stay,” he growled.
“Alessio! This is madness.”
The exhale that blasted from his nose was a clear dismissal.
“We’re in public!” I insisted.
Pushing my skirt up and to the side, he cupped my pussy. “And the thought of being caught makes you drenched.”
“I—” Words failed me.
“So wet for me,” he chuckled and dropped to his knees. “Spread those legs for me, vespina.”
Heaven help me, I widened my stance.
The straps of my panties snapped.
Alessandro’s hot breath fanned over the sensitive flesh. “Beautiful. Everything about you is beautiful.”
And then his mouth closed over my pussy.
His tongue slid against me before delving inside for a deeper taste, and I gasped, my head falling back against the wall. Alessandro's skillful mouth worked me expertly, his lips and tongue teasing and tasting. I bit my lip to stifle a moan, acutely aware of our surroundings.
This was going to be his solution to everything. We fought, we fucked. Later, when my brain wasn’t sizzling with passion, I could bring myself to care.
“Let me hear you. Don’t you dare be quiet,” he murmured against my flesh, the vibrations sending shivers through my body.
I bit my tongue. There was no way I was making any noise. But my breathing filled the space, my pulse was a rush in my ears.
“Oh, madonna!” I cried out, using the Italian expletive.
Alessandro hummed in approval, the vibrations intensifying the sensations.
I threaded my fingers through his dark hair, torn between pulling him closer and pushing him away. The risk of discovery heightened every sensation, making me hypersensitive to his touch.
Alessandro’s hands gripped my thighs, holding me in place as he devoured me. His tongue circled my clit before flicking across it rapidly, drawing a strangled cry from my throat.
“That's it,” he encouraged, his voice husky with desire. “Give in to me.”
My breath came in short pants as the pressure built.
Footsteps clacked across the floor. With a desperate whimper, I tried to move away.
His fingers dug harder, holding me in place. “I didn’t tell you to move.”
Those words were muffled against my pussy.
I tapped desperately on his shoulder. “They’re going to find us!”
He continued to suck and lick as though we had all the time in the world.
“Alessio!” I hissed.
The dark chuckle was a delicious friction. “Then fucking come, vespina.”
I looked desperately down the hall. Shapes moved in the shadows. Voices rose and fell in a distant hum.
Alessandro’s skilled mouth worked magic, his lips and tongue exploring every sensitive spot.
Dropping my head back once more, I closed my eyes. What was the worst that would happen? They would see my husband between my legs? Letting go of the reservations, I hooked my leg over his shoulder and wrapped my shoe around his back.
The monster kneeling before me growled in approval. His strokes became faster, the contact sharp and insistent. My core tightened and pleasure built.
“More, Alessio, I need more,” I pleaded in a desperate whisper.
His fingers slid inside me, curling to hit that perfect spot as his mouth continued its relentless assault on my clit. The dual sensations sent shockwaves through my body. I bit down on my lip to muffle my cries, my hips rocking against his face.
It didn’t work.
My moans echoed through the dimly lit space.
The footsteps grew louder, voices more distinct. My heart pounded, a mix of fear and wild excitement coursing through my veins. Alessandro’s movements became more urgent, racing against our impending discovery.
“That’s it, vespina,” he urged, his voice a low rumble against my flesh. “Show me what a good girl you can be and come for me. Now.”
As if on command, the tension inside me snapped. Waves of pleasure crashed over me, my body shuddering as I came hard against his mouth. Alessandro held me steady, working me through my orgasm as I fought to stay quiet. Clapping my hand over my mouth, I chewed on my fleshy palm to muffle the cry of pleasure, my body shuddering as waves of bliss washed through me. He didn’t let up, drawing out every last tremor until I was a quaking mess.
Just as the aftershocks began to subside, the monster shot to his feet, fluffed my dress, took my arm and guided me through the back of the hall. I stumbled blindly beside him, legs trembling and slick heat coating my thighs. It was almost powerful enough to drown the screaming in my feet.
“Hey, you’re not supposed to be back here,” one of the strangers called.
Plucking his silver case from his breast pocket, the don pulled out a cigar. I gaped at him.
“Mr. Dahn gave me permission,” Alessandro responded without turning around.
“Oh! Mr. Mancini, it’s you. Yes, no, I’m so sorry. Please, continue. Can we turn the lights on for you?” the man answered quickly.
“That would be lovely, thank you.”
As we wandered away, I hissed, “You can’t smoke in here!”
Alessandro pulled the lit cigar from his lips. Smoke curled from his mouth. My own watered for a taste of that darkness. “Should we find a fountain, vespina?”
I let out a rough laugh. “You’re unbelievable.”
Alessandro shrugged. “Life is short. We can live by the rules of others, or we can make our own.”
“Like wandering a museum after hours? Everyone just jumps to your bidding?” I scoffed. “Must be so nice.”
Alessandro cupped my cheek, thumb brushing under my eye. “Sometimes it’s nice to be reminded I’m not a god.”
The confusion was written on my face.
He laughed. “Tonight I got to pretend I was a mortal, and I fell at my knees to worship the goddess come down to torment me.”
I plucked the cigar from his fingers, giving into the temptation. I took a long drag, letting the inky smoke fill my mouth. It felt sensual. Forbidden. On an exhale, the smoke plumed from my lips. Before I gave in to temptation again, I bent and extinguished it on the bottom of my shoe. One hit. That was all I needed to remind myself of the terribly sublime feeling of the vice. I gave the thick stub back to him. “Well, watch out, mortal, I’m not done yet.”
“Neither am I, goddess, neither am I.”