9. Gianna
CHAPTER 9
GIANNA
I’d never been so glad to see a pharmacy in my fucking life. The pharmacist was far chirpier than my mood was willing to tolerate, but at least she moved quickly. The pill to head off any processes that had already started was bitter on my tongue. Playing around with a fantasy with Marco was all well and good, but I had meant it when I said I needed time to adjust. We could play with the idea of breeding as much as we wanted until my next heat since I couldn’t get pregnant before that. Maybe by that time I’d feel differently about making it a reality.
I lingered in the aisles, knowing our next stop would be the Gallo compound. Marco was patient to a point, but we were both exhausted and I could only imagine how he was feeling, given how I felt every single movement.
I picked out an armload of snacks and a bunch of toiletries so I would be able to camp out in his suite and avoid Bianca as much as possible. The heat club had laundered the clothes we had gone in with, so at least those were clean, if stained from my time in the warehouse. At some point I would have to go home and pack up my room, but Marco didn’t seem keen on letting me out of his sight. I might end up having to get one of the cousins to pack everything for me and ship it over if I was going to be confined to the compound.
“You’re in a way better mood when you’re fucking me,” I commented when I noted his frown.
“Can you blame me?”
“I suppose not. Do we really have to go back immediately? I can’t stop at home?”
“Not today. We need to get the introductions out of the way so I can see what the hell Bianca expects from you. I also don’t want you looking too appealing to her. We can’t hide that you’re beautiful, but we don’t have to put any effort into making her see that.”
I pouted, but didn’t argue. I did grab myself a few extra sweets, though.
With two bags of treats and essentials, and the medication working its way through my system, we made our way back to the compound. Nerves twisted in my belly the entire drive. I wasn’t entirely sure if the nausea was from that or from the medication, but either way I was miserable.
“What if she hates me?”
“She hates everyone,” Marco countered. “I’d be more worried if she liked you.”
The gates to the compound opened, welcoming us into the dragon’s maw, and closing behind us with a metallic clang that had my stomach dropping to my toes.
Marco laced his fingers with mine in a surprisingly tender gesture. “Don’t let her know you’re afraid. Bianca is a shark and she’ll smell blood in the water. You might not be her enemy, but that doesn’t mean she won’t take advantage of your fear.”
“How am I supposed to hide it from her?”
“The de-scenting spray that you bought will be a good start. I can’t quite decide if it would be better to tell you to behave demurely, or if Bianca might respond better to you behaving as if you’re equals. I guess it’s probably safer to start with demure.”
“I’m not very good at being that.”
Marco let out a laugh. “No fucking shit. I wouldn’t want you to be that way at all if I had the choice. I rather like bringing you to heel.” He smirked at the way my body reacted to his statement, my scent filling the car.
“Do we meet her right away?”
“I don’t know. I’ll take you to my suite and then see what she wants to do.”
Marco left me in his suite while he sought out Bianca. His room was so bland, but then I supposed a lot of men lived that way. At least the TV was on a stand and not sitting on the floor. I itched to change, to meet the Gallo boss in something that would make me feel powerful, but we had agreed it would be better to try and let Bianca feel like I was nothing. A quiet, broken omega only brought into the compound to solidify an alliance.
I nearly jumped out of my skin when the door opened and Marco stepped inside. “They’re ready for you.”
My stomach dropped to my toes. “I’m not ready, but I’ll come anyway.”
He offered me a soft, almost tender smile. “Just a quick lunch. You have to eat anyway.”
I followed him down the hallways. I’d stolen a pair of his socks while I waited so that I wasn’t barefoot, but still wished I had shoes. All the hallways looked the same. I’d have complained that they should put some signs up, but that might defeat the purpose of having everything look so similar. Anyone breaking in would have a bitch of a time finding their way.
I held my breath as I stepped over the threshold into Bianca’s suite. A cacophony of scents met me—lemon, pepper, allspice, amaretto, limoncello, desert rock, leather, and oakmoss. All of my omega instincts screamed at me. Everyone in this room was an alpha except for me, and Marco was my only ally.
“I’d like to present Gianna Mancini,” Marco said stiffly. “The alliance is secure.”
The only woman at the table rose up and swept toward me with a feral grace. The lemon pepper I had smelled upon entering belonged to her and it itched my nose—the lemon too tart and the pepper too strong.
“Gianna, this is Bianca Gallo,” Marco told me, as if she could be anyone else.
“It’s nice to finally meet you, Ms. Gallo. With all the stories I’ve heard about you, I’m half-surprised you’re a real person.”
Bianca barked a laugh. “The rumors are my favorite.”
She grabbed my face, turning it this way and that as if I were a pup at a dog show. I took a moment to survey her while she examined me. She was taller than me by several inches, on par with Marco, and she had the sort of face that you knew fistfights would’ve broken out over her in her younger years. Bianca was still beautiful, and I was pretty sure she would polish up into a hard ten if she felt so inclined, but the years had softened some of her sharp edges. Physically, at least.
“Your little stunt cost your father his restaurant,” she said.
My heart squeezed. “What?”
“You didn’t think you were the only payment for us going after you, did you? He can still work there, but it’s mine now. You’re Marco’s payment, and the restaurant is mine. Your father couldn’t afford to pay us more, so there was really only one option left.”
Shit. My father was going to be crushed. His grandfather had started that restaurant, and even though sometimes it barely broke even from how much he gave away, we had never lost it before.
“I don’t think getting abducted by traffickers counts as a stunt,” I snapped. “You didn’t have to take that from him.”
Marco set a warning hand on my shoulder.
Bianca only looked amused. “I see Marco will have some work to do in training his new pet.”
“Fu—”
Marco squeezed hard enough that I yelped. “Why don’t we eat?” he suggested.
The other three men in the room acknowledged me with simple nods of their heads, and Marco introduced me.
“Gianna, this is Santo de Luca, Bianca’s consigliere.”
Leather and oakmoss.
“Enzo Bonetti, an underboss like me.”
Limoncello and baked desert stone.
“And Elio Angelo, our final underboss.”
Allspice and amaretto.
I sat down hard, and barely seconds later, a pair of servers were carrying in bright, beautiful plates of panzanella. They served Bianca, Santo, and the other two underbosses first before returning with plates for Marco and me. Wine was poured all around, and I didn’t dare pick up my fork until Bianca had started on her food.
The flavor on my tongue was instantly recognizable. My father had made it.
“Do you like it? I might have them change the recipe if you find fault in it.” Bianca’s eyes glittered and I wanted to punch her right in the nose.
“Tastes exactly like Bisnonno’s recipe. I wouldn’t change a thing.”
I’d never forgive her for taking that restaurant. I briefly imagined stabbing her with my fork, but Enzo gave me a warning look and I focused on eating my panzanella. The dish that followed was my father’s favorite and a regular special— ricotta and spinach tortelli. Had it crushed him to make this food for Bianca after she’d stripped away his birthright? Was he here?
I asked.
“He’s in the kitchens. I had him bring over your things this morning so you’re not embarrassing us, dressed like a street urchin. Go, if you’d like.”
Marco’s hand on my knee had me seeing her words for the bait they were. The permission was there in word only, not in truth. Getting up would mean dismissing Bianca, and I didn’t want to piss her off. Provoking her meant my father might be out of a job as well as out of his restaurant. I couldn’t put my family through more hardship if I could prevent it. I’d stay silent. For now.
Eventually Bianca did dismiss me for real, but not Marco. He wrote the door code and suite number on my hand and sent me off while he stayed for a meeting Bianca demanded.
Fucking hallways. Even if I had paid more attention on the walk over here, it wouldn’t matter with everything being the same. I kept glancing between my hand and the numbers listed on the doors, but I didn’t feel like I was getting even close.
“Hey, Peaches.”
I froze, the scent of gasoline filling my nose. A whimper tried to escape, but I pressed my lips into a thin line before turning around.
“No wall between us now. Still feeling brave?”
“What are you doing here?”
“I work here. What are you doing here?”
“I live here.”
He scoffed. “Since fucking when?”
“About two hours ago.”
He stared at me for a long moment. “Guess I better have my fun before whoever you belong to finds you.”
Panic and adrenaline surged through my body. He leapt toward me, but I pivoted and used his momentum to flip him like I had done to Marco when we’d first met. I bolted down the hallway even though I had no idea where the hell I was going.
Anywhere was better than here.
I turned one corner, then another, and crashed right into Marco. I recognized him by scent first and locked my arms around him, willing my heart to calm. Safe. I was safe…with him.
“What’s wrong? Felt like you were trying to give me a heart attack through the bond.”
“He’s here. The one who took me, he’s here.”
The thunder of footsteps behind me had me squeezing Marco tighter, my scent twisting into burnt tea and fermented peaches, all the sweetness draining away as fear took over. Those footsteps stopped short.
“Capo,” Marco greeted.
I dared to look behind me.
“Mr. Vero.” My abductor swallowed hard. “I didn’t know she was yours.”
Marco tucked me behind him and moved like lightning, catching the man off guard. Some sick part of me was intensely satisfied when Marco got him on the ground and smashed his face into the linoleum. Blood splattered and the man cried out, but Marco had no mercy for him.
Marco had the man pinned down with a knee to the spine and wrenched his head up. “You ever touch her again, ever even think about touching her, and not even Bianca will be able to save that cock of yours she’s so fond of. I’ll cut it off and stuff it down your throat until you suffocate. Do I make myself clear?”
When he didn’t answer immediately, Marco cracked his head against the floor one more time.
Marco left the man there, but before coming to me, he ripped out the now loose gold tooth from his mouth and dropped it into my shaking palm. “I have half a mind to get this mounted into a pendant and have you wear it as a trophy. It would be a good reminder for him if he ever looks in your direction.”
I stared at Marco with my heart in my throat and jumped straight into his arms, ready to satisfy all those primal instincts that were singing over the fact that my mate had defended me. “Take me home, Marco. Right. Now.”