18. Massimo
Chapter 18
Massimo
I can still feel Margot’s pussy wrapped around my cock nearly eighteen hours later. She was so fucking wet, covering me in her juices as her greedy pussy begged for more. My mind replays it like my own personal cinematic movie. The way she barreled through the door of my office, spitting her hate at me. It infuriated me but I was harder than I’ve ever been.
She seems to enjoy testing my patience at every turn and yet, when I’m buried deep inside of her, it feels like we’ve found harmony. There can be peace between us, even as I make idle threats toward her. That's why, it can’t happen again. She’s a distraction and distractions can only lead to consequences.
“If that’s okay with you, I’ll get right on it?” Daniele asks, too good at his job to ever question why I’ve not said a word for at least ten minutes as he’s updated me on his search for Anastasia.
I move the mouse on my screen, waking it up. A grainy black and white image fills it—the moment my wife was on her knees for me . Tapping a few keys, I delete the footage from the server and remove all copies of the files. I meant it when I said nobody else would have her, and that includes watching her as she commits intimate acts. Besides, I’ll always have the experience of her and my own personal gallery in my mind, even if I never touch her again because she’s etched into me. Fuck . She’s a vivid and untarnished memory that I couldn’t erase even if I wanted to.
Closing out of the CCTV software, I pull up a shipment order, before returning my attention to Daniele. “I trust your judgment, Daniele, and I know that Romeo would too. Do whatever you have to do to bring Aurora justice.”
He goes to stand when a knock sounds at the door. I have the words to enter forming on the tip of my tongue before it swings open and Margot appears on the threshold. Her eyes are wide and a little wild, like she’s uncovered a truth that has the power to haunt her. But with her face free of makeup and her red hair piled on top of her head, her beauty still shines through.
“Come in, why don’t you,” I bite, annoyed with myself for my appraisal of her.
As if on cue, she rolls her eyes and steps inside, kicking the door closed behind her. She marches across the room, throwing an envelope onto the polished wood of my desk. It skids across the surface, only coming to a stop when I slam my hand down on top of it.
She juts her chin toward it and says, “I can just take that and leave if you’d prefer. Pretend that I didn’t find anything.”
I hold it up, turning it over in my hands before lifting my focus to her and raising a brow. “What is it?”
Folding her arms over her chest, she juts out her hip and huffs, “If I knew that, I wouldn’t be in here.”
Shaking my head, I sit forward, exasperated with her attitude. “Okay, where did you find it?”
She licks her lips, drawing my focus to her mouth and conjuring thoughts that have no place in my mind at this moment.
“In the living room behind a credenza.” There’s a spark of fear in her green depths, but I can’t pinpoint if it’s because of what she’s found or how she thinks I might react.
I turn my attention to the envelope and lift the flap, emptying the contents onto the tabletop. I reach for the USB stick at the same time as Daniele reaches for the papers that have landed closer to him than me.
Turning the small stick over in my hands, I consider plugging it into my laptop before dismissing the idea. I’ll get Callum to deal with it; I don’t want to risk them having loaded on some sort of encryption that I’d have no idea how to undo before it could be wiped.
Placing it on my desk, I shift my focus to Daniele. “Anything of interest?”
He shuffles the papers, his brows reaching for his hairline with every page that he reads. “I’d say so. These look like the original phone records but with notes detailing where to doctor them, starting from when Rome brought Aurora here.”
Shit.
My heartbeat stutters before slamming into overdrive. Excitement, anticipation and disbelief swirl inside of me like a perfect storm. No fucking way . I fight to convey a cool, calm and collected image, even if it couldn’t be further from the truth. My wife has found key evidence in the search for the traitor in my home and despite how much she clearly dislikes me, she brought it to me . The notion makes a sense of pride flourish in my chest.
Handing the documents over and pulling me back into focus, Daniele asks, “Do you recognize the writing?”
I study the rushed and harsh writing, scouring my mind for anyone that I can recall having a similar style but in truth, we don’t tend to handwrite things anymore. Sighing heavily, I come up empty, my disappointment crashing into me with the power of a wave.
The room falls quiet as the magnitude of what Margot has found sinks in.
“Is anyone going to fill me in?” Margot asks, exasperated.
Exhaling, I indicate to the empty chair across from me. “Take a seat.”
She stares at me for a moment, her uncertainty clear before she drops into the chair. Because of who she is and the position she now has in this household, Margot deserves to know the truth of what we are facing. I can’t have her trying to sneak out like she did last night, especially when danger is lurking around every corner.
I rest my elbow on the arm of the chair, leaning my chin on my fist as I try to figure out where to start. “A couple of months ago, there was a targeted attack on my men. I won’t get into the details, but someone has been trying to take us out ever since. In the space of two weeks, we were attacked three times and lost at least a dozen men. Things escalated when Romeo, my cousin, came over from Italy to help us in trying to figure out who was behind it.”
Margot narrows her eyes. “Okay, and how does his fiancée, Aurora, factor into that? If the records are doctored from when she was here, I assume she does have something to do with this?”
Scrubbing a hand down my face, I shift in my seat uncomfortably. I’m not proud of how things played out with Aurora, but we did what we thought was right.
Clearing my throat, I reply, “We suspected Aurora’s father of being behind the attacks. He’d worked for our family before retiring and his signature was left on one of the devices used to blow up the docks where we had a shipment coming in. We didn’t know where he was and figured our best bet was to use Aurora to draw him out. Romeo ended up taking her.”
“ Oh my God ,” Margot mutters under her breath, before saying louder, “You kidnapped her?”
I crack my neck. “It is how things work for us, Margot. Besides, we didn’t hurt her.”
“Right, because that makes taking someone against their will absolutely fine.” She rolls her eyes. “I suppose I should be grateful.”
“Do you want to know what’s happened or are you going to keep giving me attitude?” I grind out, leaning forward before adding, “Because we both know what I told you would happen if you did that again.”
There’s a flicker of something heated in her gaze as she remembers last night, before she shuts it down and scoffs, pulling her finger and thumb across her lips and twisting them. She throws away an imaginary key and then glares at me.
I might just punish her anyway .
My thumb rubs over the bare skin of my ring finger, and Margot’s eyes drop to the action, her nostrils flaring slightly. I don’t like the restrictive feel of my wedding band on my finger so I only wear it in certain company, but it appears that pisses my wife off. Interesting .
I close my laptop and rest my arms on the cool surface. “A relationship formed between Aurora and Romeo, and a couple of weeks after we’d taken her, she received a note, instructing her to meet them in Central Park, telling her that he would be killed if she told him about it. But it was a trap. She was taken and tortured by her uncle. He made a demand of us, but by this time, someone in my ranks had fed us false information, and regrettably, we believed that Aurora was complicit. At least until Daniele uncovered information that proved otherwise.”
“What happened to her uncle?” Margot rasps.
“Aurora killed him when we rescued her.” I hesitate for a moment, unsure of whether it is for the best to tell her the rest before rolling my lips together and continuing, “Before she did, he confirmed that somebody in my house was plotting against me.”
“Have you found them?” Uncertainty coats her words.
“No. But we are investigating, and while we do, we’re keeping our circle small with only Daniele, Leonardo, Aldo, Romeo, myself, and now you, being aware of what is happening.”
Bolting out of the chair, Margot slams her hands to the desk and leans closer to me. “I can’t believe you. Did you not think that it would be a good idea to clue me into the fact that someone in your own house ,” her eyes widen to emphasize her point, “has been plotting to kill you and just about everyone around you?”
Running my tongue over my top teeth, I bite out, “You are on a need-to-know basis and you did not need to know.”
“I beg to differ. I. Am. Your. Wife . That entitles me to know whatever the hell you know. Especially when I could be the one they come after next.”
“Margot,” I growl, the warning clear in my tone.
She holds up a hand. “No. You can’t do that. You don’t get to tell me off for being pissed at you for this. You’re in the wrong whether you admit it or not.” She shakes her head, scoffing before she heads for the door. “I’m going to have a nap, don’t wake me up unless you’re going to apologize. I’ve had enough of you today.”
The door closes with a soft click behind her.
“I like her.” Daniele chuckles, filling the silence.
His laughter dies down when I level him with a hard stare and sneer. “Don’t you have something you should be doing?”
He smirks, standing and picking up the USB stick. “I’ll get Callum to check this out.”
I’m too busy thinking over what Margot said. I should have made sure she was aware of the dangers surrounding her. She’s right . The words taste bitter and yet I haven’t spoken them aloud. I’m not sure I ever will.
Even if she is right, it doesn’t mean she can get away with speaking to me like that. Margot needs to learn her place in my life, and I will have no problem showing her when she least expects it.
There’s only so much leeway I can give her and what with her antics so far—contacting her ex, sneaking out and storming into my office—I’m close to snapping.