Chapter 13
THIRTEEN
Marchello
If I didn’t have enough distractions to deal with, Lissia managed to throw one more in my direction. Why did she have to admit her feelings for me?
Her during-sex confession was the last thing I needed. But the one thing I wanted to hear.
How could I make us work?
“We haven’t been back here since, um…” Lissia took in the lobby of the dealership. “Since the night we went to the safe house.”
“Does being here bother you?”
“No, we’re different now.”
“How so?”
“I still drive you crazy, but we’ve come so far from that night and the night of the auction.” She motioned toward the Corvette in the center of the room. “I still don’t have one of those in fuchsia.”
“You did look hot behind the wheel, even if I thought you were an entitled brat.”
“You still think that about me.” She gazed into my eyes, making me feel like I was the only man she’d ever seen. “And I still think you’re a relentless jerk.”
“I guess not much has changed.”
The spark left her warm eyes, and they became vacant and distant. I could be too hard on her—I was too hard on her. What the hell is wrong with me?
“I mean about me being a jerk.” I squeezed her hand. “Forgive me.”
“For which time?” She laughed.
“All of them.” And for any future times.
“I’ll always forgive you.”
I hope that’s true.
Milo greeted us on the showroom floor as the employees tried to steal glances at me and Lissia before I could catch them. I caught them.
“Hello.” Milo kissed Lissia’s cheek. “I’m surprised my brother let you out of the tower.”
“Me too.” She glanced around the large room. “Why is everyone staring at us?”
“Because they don’t think Marchello is capable of having any feelings.” Milo smacked my back. “Are you?”
Don’t go there.
“Ignore them.” I led Lissia to the steps. “Obviously, they’ve never seen anyone as stunning as you.”
“Chello is right about you being a goddess,” Milo said. “But no one expected him to bring you here.”
“Why not?” Lissia asked. “Do they know I’m your hostage?”
“No.” I glared at the two sales associates who were gawking at my flawless woman. “Get back to work.”
They scrambled away from the steps, stumbling into one another as they went.
Useless.
“They know who you are, princess,” I said as we went to my father’s office. “Your father has been quite vocal about the two of us being together. Word travels fast.”
“Why would my father talk about us?”
“It generates sympathy for him with the other families.” Now that Collins was on the run, and there was a botched attempt on my life, Gian had to save face with the organization.
“Why would he need people to feel sorry for him?” she asked.
“It doesn’t matter.” I glanced at Milo.
“It’s a real Romeo and Juliet situation.” He laughed. “You’ve moved from Beauty and the Beast to the Capulets and the Montagues. Gossip pages are going wild over this relationship. Mafia prince falls for rival princess. Someone should make a movie.”
“I’ll have to check it out,” Lissia said as we entered the office. “I have a phone now.”
“I heard.” Milo leaned against the doorframe. “I’ll text you later.”
“Why don’t you get back to work and make sure no one is gossiping in here.” I turned on my laptop. “We do have a business to run.”
“Tell me about it since I’m the one who has been running it for weeks.” He gave me the finger. “Anything else I can save for you? Other than your ass?”
“I’ll let you know.”
“I’ve arranged a tour for Lissia and Ricardo,” Milo said.
“Can I take one of the cars for a test drive?” She hooked her arm in mine. “That would be cool.”
“No.” I took off my jacket and hung it over the chair. “You can visit the break room and have coffee.”
“Sounds exciting.” She rolled her eyes. “I hope you have espresso.”
“I’ll take you for a spin in a fast car later.” Milo winked. “Just the two of us.”
“Out.” I pointed to the door. “I need those numbers for Juan.”
I had to make sure the profits were in order before I told our cartel we would be moving stuff for Lorenzo.
“You’ll have it soon,” Milo said. “I’ll send Ricardo up.”
“Give us a few minutes,” I said.
“Will ten minutes be enough time?” Milo smirked.
“Get out!” I laughed when I thought about the first time Lissia came to see me. That seemed like such a long time ago. She ended up throwing a box of cookies at me. I liked her spunky side.
“Inside joke?” Lissia sat on the edge of the desk, stretching out her long, luscious legs.
After twenty minutes of deliberation and numerous dresses being tossed on the bed this morning, she had settled on a tight-fitting navy dress and silver open-toed shoes. She looked amazing in everything she tried on, but this dress was perfect for her sexy, subtle curves.
“Milo thought when I first met you, I could relieve some stress by being with you for ten minutes. We both know it takes longer than ten minutes.”
“We also know that it doesn’t always relieve your stress.” She bit her lip. “It didn’t last night.”
“That’s not true.” I stepped between her legs. “I owe you an apology.”
“You already apologized three minutes ago.”
“No, I haven’t apologized for last night.”
“You don’t have to say anything about last night. I don’t regret telling you how I feel. I wanted you to know.”
“There’s something I want to tell you.” I touched her cheek. “I should have said it last night.”
Her sincere eyes waited patiently for me to find the right words. I knew what the right words were, but I wasn’t sure I could say them and make her understand what they meant to me.
“When you told me how you felt,” I said, “I wasn’t caught off guard because I already knew.”
“You did?”
“I know you love me.”
“I said it because I needed to.” She looked at her feet. “Not because I needed you to say it back. I’m a big girl. I can handle it.”
“You can handle a hell of a lot. Shit, you manage me just fine.” I ran my fingers along my jaw. “You have no idea what you’ve done to me.”
How could she? What did she do wrong? She fell in love with me, that’s what.
“I’m not trying to do anything to you. I need you to know I’m here for you.” She let out a shaky breath, but she didn’t back down. “I’ve created a lot of stress for you. I’ve caused you to lose focus and made you waste valuable time that could have been used to help your dad.”
“None of that is your fault,” I said.
“Some of it is.”
“I didn’t respond last night because if I said the words out loud, they would change things for me.” I tucked her hair behind her ear. “If I say them, then it will be real. If I put my feelings out there for the universe, bad things are going to happen.”
I sounded ridiculous, but I wasn’t sure how to articulate my fears without sounding weak. I had convinced myself that if I didn’t feel, I couldn’t get hurt when disaster struck. She would go on breathing because she wouldn’t be cursed with the kind of love I could give her.
“Bad things can happen whether you say the words or not.” She took my hand. “But so many wonderful things could happen too. You just have to let them.”
“I want to, I do.”
“There’s no rush,” she whispered.
She was one of the most stubborn, impatient women I knew. Why was she being so generous about this?
Because she really does love me.
“I love you.” I kissed the corner of her mouth. “I should have told you last night.”
“You’re telling me now.”
“I’m sorry if I hurt you.”
“You didn’t hurt me.” She placed her hand on my jaw. “Because the way you knew I loved you was the same way I knew you loved me. If you never said it, I would still know.”
“I don’t deserve you.”
“You’re stuck with me.” Her mouth curved into a spectacular smile. “Nothing is going to happen to me.”
“I believe that.” I wrapped my arms around her, pushing back images of car bombs and gunshots. History would not repeat itself. Not on my watch. “You’re too stubborn to leave me.”
“I love you, and I don’t care what’s unfolding around us. If I have to be Juliet to your Romeo, then so be it.”
“I’d rather you be the beauty to my beast. Their story ends much better.”
“Nothing is going to end for us.” She kissed me. “I promise.”
“I believe you.” I captured her lips, deepening the connection. “I love you.”
“You better.” She laughed. “I’m not an easy prisoner.”
“Don’t I know it.”
When I held her close, she rested her head on my shoulder. I breathed in her sweet berry scent, allowing her to relax me.
A rap at the open door drew me out of this tranquil moment. I still had stuff to deal with.
“Ricardo.” Lissia let go of me.
I nodded at him, still trying to forgive him for what he let Lissia get away with at the safe house. I didn’t want to kill him anymore, but I did want to punch him. Progress is progress.
“Excuse me,” Ricardo said. “Milo said I should come up and get Lissia.”
“Has it been ten minutes?” Lissia grinned.
“Don’t start.” I kissed her cheek. “Enjoy your tour and don’t get into any trouble. I’ll come find you later.”
“I’ll miss you.” She wiggled her sassy hips as she left the room.
She was going to be the center of attention around here and the talk of the staff for several days. There would only be one thing that could make all of this perfect. I stared at my father’s empty chair.
I’ll get you home soon.
Milo barreled into the office. “Chello, we have a problem.”
My happy little bubble didn’t last very long. Not that I expected it to.
“A dealership problem or an unspeakable kind of problem?”
“Gian is here.”
“What?” I balled my fists. “Not with Lissia here today. What the hell?”
“He strode in like he owned the place, demanding to see her. Security is all over him, but they’re trying not to make a scene. The floor is packed with potential buyers. We don’t need any problems.”
“He’s probably been tailing me.” I slammed my hand on the desk. “Waiting for an opportunity to get to her. Why didn’t I anticipate that?”
“I never thought he would show up here.”
“He has to be dealt with.”
“What do you want me to do?” Milo asked.
“Send him up without his guards,” I said. “Let’s see how tough he is.”
“He’s not going to go for that.”
“He came into our territory. If he doesn’t like the rules, our guys can fucking toss him out on his pompous ass. I don’t care who sees.”
“Okay.” Milo held up his hand. “I’ll escort him up personally.”
I grabbed my suit jacket from the back of the chair and put it on. I needed to extinguish the rage rolling through me. If I shot him here, I would only get myself arrested. That wouldn’t do my family any good.
“I want to see my daughter,” Gian shouted from the hallway. “Now.”
I came around the desk as Milo brought Gian into the office. Our guards stood in the hall, waiting for a potential problem.
“Clear this floor,” I said to my brother. “Have everyone wait downstairs until we’re done.”
Milo left the room as Gian glanced around the office.
“What? You don’t want any witnesses?” Gian furrowed his brow. “You don’t want my daughter to know who you really are?”
“She sees us both very clearly.”
“Where is she?” he asked. “I want to see Lissia.”
“Are you going to apologize for what you did to her?”
“You let me think that she…” He gritted his teeth. “I thought she was dead.”
“Serves you right.”
“I told you the night of the auction to stay away from her. Now look where your arrogance has gotten us all. Shouldn’t you be worried about your father?”
“Don’t talk about my father.”
When Milo came back into the room, Gian pointed toward him.
“Your father should have left him in charge,” he said. “He has to have more sense than you.”
“You have a set of balls on you to come here,” I said. “But you know I can’t kill you out in the open.”
“I’m not worried about you, but I’m terrified for my daughter.”
“She’s better off with me.”
“I need to see that Lissia is okay,” he said. “I know she’s here.”
“What if she doesn’t want to see you?” Milo stood next to me. “You’re a poor excuse for a father.”
“Don’t judge me.” Gian moved farther into the room. “I’ve looked out for her since the day Rosalie found out she was pregnant.”
“Were you looking out for her when you tried to marry her off to Collins?” I stepped toward him. “Did you have her best interest at heart when she called you and asked you to come and get her, and you sent Collins instead?”
“I miscalculated.” He tightened his jaw. “I should have come for her. If I had, she never would have gone back to you.”
“Did you miscalculate when you sent that fucking scum to kill my brother and me?” I shouted. “Was it a mistake when your daughter, who you claim to love, got shot instead?”
“That never should have happened.” Gian flapped his hand in the air. “If she wasn’t with you, none of that would have happened. This is your fault.”
“I’m not the one who shot her.” I lunged for him, but Milo grabbed my arm and pulled me back. “You get that honor all to yourself.”
Lissia hurried into the room. “Daddy? What is he saying?”
The shock on her face gutted me.
“Lissia,” I said.
“Why would Marchello accuse you of shooting at us?” She touched her forehead. “I don’t understand. What do you have to do with what happened in Miami?”
“You didn’t tell her?” Gian’s confusion matched his daughter’s.
“I didn’t have to.” I glared at him. “You did that by coming here.”
“Is it true?” When she put herself in between us, I couldn’t escalate this. “You were the one who shot me?”
“Lissia.” I reached for her, but she backed away.
“You knew?” She looked at me and her voice cracked. “Marchello, how could you keep that from me?”
“I can explain.”
The hurt in her expression didn’t surprise me. I expected it. What I didn’t anticipate was that hurt being powerful enough to shatter me.