15. A Truth’s Past
15
A TRUTH’S PAST
TYLER
“We need to make this quick,” I announced with my gaze on my phone as I entered the conference room, then slipped it back into my pocket. “I need to get home to the kids and Gi—” I froze at the sight of Ekaterina, Ivan, and several others gathered around the table. I shot Ian an angry look.
“Tyler,” Ekaterina cooed, staring deep into my gaze with her soulless eyes. “So good see you again.”
“I bet,” I muttered under my breath, then glimpsed Luke and Nico, who were sitting on Ian’s left. They always made sure they had a handle on things. But for all I knew, it was a trap. “You too,” I murmured a little louder to Ekaterina before my glare lowered on Ivan.
“Ty, thanks for coming.” Ian tried his best to summon my attention to the head of the table, however, I couldn’t take my eyes off Ivan.
I was seething with rage, planning to take that bastard out as soon as I had the chance. My pride swelled at the sight of his injuries, but I turned back to Ian, pulling out the chair on his other side, and sat down. I did my best to contain my growing grin as a dark feeling crept over me. It was a sensation I had experienced before, but this time it felt different. The need to protect Giovanna faded into the background, replaced by a burning desire for revenge. I would make every person who’d kept her away from me years ago pay for their actions.
I shifted my scowl from the Russians and directed a stoic gaze toward my brother-in-law as I prepared for the meeting to begin. Ian, usually perceptive, seemed unsure of how to read my expression, likely due to my sudden change in demeanor.
He turned back to the table, clicking an ink pen top, three times. “Thanks for coming all this way again.”
Fuck the rule of three . It didn’t apply at the moment. Ian could click or tap whatever he wanted three fucking times, however I was anything but okay. We may have been safe, they weren’t. I sat rigidly as the meeting began.
He laid the pen on the table, then folded his hands in front of him. “We’ve been talking, and I think we’ve come to an arrangement that might make things fair.”
“Listening,” Ekaterina shifted in her seat.
“You want Gia, right?”
The Russians exchanged a laugh before they abruptly stopped. Her red lips pursed. “What game you play, Knight?”
“Well, I’m not giving her up without a fight,” he continued.
One of the enormous, bearded, strange men at the end of the table got ready to stand, but she laid her hand on his arm. He scratched his bald head before sitting back down, rolling his chair under the table. I was ready to draw my weapon, but Luke and Nico appeared relaxed, so I sat back, waiting for the signal to take everyone out.
“Let him finish,” Ekaterina instructed.
“Thank you,” Ian replied diplomatically. “I know you have professional fighters, and I want to have a fight night at one of my warehouses. Highly guarded and secret among the crime families, of course. We’ll make sure anyone who enters the building is unarmed, but we’ll keep armed guards outside for all of our protection.”
She shifted uncomfortably in her seat.
“I’m fine if you want one of your own armed and outside with mine to keep it fair,” he added, which made her relax again. “All I ask is that the only blood shed that night is in the ring.”
She lifted her chin. “What is catch?”
Ian leaned in, sliding the ashtray toward him, before pulling a cigarette out of his jacket and lighting it. He placed the pack on the table, leaving the lighter pointed at me as a signal for me to join in. I followed his lead and retrieved my own pack from my pocket, lighting one up and taking a deep drag. It was customary among allies to smoke or drink together, a symbol of peace around a shared table.
Ekaterina took it upon herself to ignite her own. I was thankful the room had good ventilation because I was going to suffocate otherwise. She took a few silent puffs of her smoke.
Ian continued. “There’s no catch, just a bet.
She arched one of her perfectly manicured brows. “I’m listening.”
“You can choose any fighters you want for the fight. We’ll have several fights before the main event. Gia and a fighter of your choice will be our main event. Man or woman, you choose.”
She and her men darted their eyes at one another, heads bent together as they spoke rapidly in Russian. Suddenly, she raised her hand, and the group fell silent, their expressions anxious and prepared.
He took another drag from his cigarette before continuing, “If she comes out as the winner, then you back off, and she belongs to me.”
No, Ian, she belongs to me . I thought to myself.
She threw her head back and laughed, her men joining in before she raised a hand once again to signal for silence. The room grew so deathly quiet, you could’ve heard a pin drop. Her facial expression was stoic, but it was evident she was searching for any flaws or loopholes. She opened her mouth to respond several times, but no words escaped her lips.
“If she doesn’t win,” he declared, “she’ll return to L.A. with you, and we’ll never bother you again. I’ll even sign a contract using my own blood if necessary.”
My head snapped back in surprise, and I stared at him with my eyes wide open and the cigarette dangling from my lips while taking a drag.
“Ohhh,” Ekaterina sang, “someone not like that. Bring back bad memory, Tyler?”
I whipped my head around to face her. My eyes locked onto hers, catching sight of Ivan’s smirking face behind the deep, scabby wounds I left him with.
“Oh yes,” she taunted, “you think I not know it was you?”
Ian, Luke, Nico, and I all exchanged confused glances.
“Ha!” she cackled. “Giovanna not told you?”
“Told me what?” I demanded, my voice laced with frustration. With a piercing twist of my fingers, I snuffed out the cigarette in the ashtray, the embers glowing briefly before fading. I fanned the cloud of smoke away from my face.
With a dismissive wave of her hand, she shook her head. “No, no,” she said with a sly smile, “it much more entertaining if she tell you herself.” What the fuck? My confusion only grew as I turned to face Ian. “You have deal, Ian Knight. Send me detail when you have a chance.” She stood, her taunting gaze focused on me. “Have your lawyer get contract and a knife ready. I want his blood too.”
As our meeting ended, Ekaterina demanded to see the warehouse where the fight would be held. Her brother and guards, standing at her side, seemed eager to inspect the space and prepare for the upcoming event as well. Ian obliged without hesitation.
Initially, I’d been hesitant about Giovanna fighting. But now, as we made our way through the warehouse, I found myself looking forward to watching her kick anyone’s ass that Ekaterina threw her way, regardless of who it was. And if she failed to do so, I was prepared to jump into the ring and fight on her behalf, whether Ian approved or not. She wasn’t going back to California.
The hours had slipped by, and I couldn’t get her out of my head. I wanted to be at home with her and my kids, but I kept reminding myself, she might have been uncomfortable and counting down the minutes until I got home so she could bail. My kids were well-behaved, but they were still kids… and active. By 6:00 p.m., it was well past the time I’d planned to leave. I sent her a quick text to let her know I was on my way home.
Sorry it took way longer than I thought.
I’m on my way!
No worries :)
As I drove home, all I could think about was Ekaterina’s comment about her. It bothered me that she would try to manipulate me and make me question my thoughts and feelings about Giovanna. But despite her attempts, I couldn’t shake off her words.
The moment I pulled into my garage and got ready to open the door to the house, I smelled the most amazing Italian aroma I’d ever smelled in my entire life. I took another deep breath as I stepped inside, hearing the sound of laughter and Buddy Greco’s music in the background. It’d been a while since anyone in my house had laughed like that, but I couldn’t remember a time when there was such music and food involved.
Turning the corner and entering the kitchen, I came to a halt at the scene in front of me. Evan and Jackson were laughing together, nudging each other as they prepared the table in the breakfast nook. It was something I’d never seen them do before, not even when their mother was alive.
Naya was balancing on a stool next to Giovanna, mixing a colorful salad. On the island, a perfect homemade lasagne sat next to a basket of freshly baked bread sticks. As Jackson rushed over to grab the oven mitts, he caught sight of me standing there.
“Hey, dad,” he grinned, picking up the mitts, sliding them on, then moving the food to the center of the table.
“Hi!” Evan added just as Giovanna and Naya beamed at me.
“Hi, dad!” Naya said.
I greeted everyone with a simple “hey” as I strolled over to where Giovanna was standing. My hand instinctively rested on the small of her back, preparing to lean in for a kiss, but then I suddenly froze. “Hi, beautiful,” I whispered and quickly pulled my hand away, realizing I should be more careful.
“Welcome home,” she beamed.
“You did all this?” I asked. “Is that homemade bread too?”
“No,” she scoffed, rolling her eyes. “ We did this together, and yes, sir,” she winked mischievously, “the bread was made from scratch.”
“Bab… Gia, you didn’t have to do all this, my God.”
Naya skipped joyfully over to the table, announcing proudly that they’d gone shopping together, while Giovanna stood on her toes and leaned in close to whisper in my ear.
“I know I didn’t have to. I wanted to. You and your children have to eat, and I had the greatest time today.” She pressed her lips to my cheek while the kids were distracted and then took a step back. “Come eat.” She turned the music volume down on her phone on the way.
Seeing how happy my kids were at the table, as a family, felt almost complete. Their mother was gone, but Giovanna’s presence, even for one night, made them happy. That was all I cared about, but it made me happy too. Mila and I never sat beside one another at the table. She always sat between Evan and Naya, but now Giovanna was next to me, and I liked it.
I placed my hand on her lap discreetly under the table and gave her thigh a reassuring squeeze. In that moment, nothing else mattered. This was exactly what I needed. She passed me a knife and a large spoon.
“Normally, I’d serve you guys, but since you weren’t here to be involved, Naya wanted you to at least dish it up, so would you like to do the honors?” Her eyes were bright and hopeful.
“Of course,” I winked at my daughter, then I took the utensils from Giovanna, dishing hers up first, then Naya, Jackson, Evan, and finally myself.
During our meal, the four of us couldn’t stop praising her cooking abilities, and she made sure to also acknowledge Naya’s help, making her feel just as appreciated. It was the first time since Mila’s passing that my children and I were genuinely laughing and joking around again.
I felt like I’d robbed them of happiness for over a year now. But tonight was healing, and we all needed it. It only made me want to risk being with her more than ever. Tonight was perfect, and for once, I wasn’t scared to fully relax and enjoy the night.
“So, what are we watching after dinner?” Jackson asked. “We were going to watch a movie, remember?”
“Transformers!” Evan piped up.
“Nooo,” Naya protested. “Barbie movie!”
“I want to watch something scary,” Jackson chimed in.
I glanced at Giovanna, who was entertained watching them. “This always happens when we try to decide what we’re going to watch. We all have different tastes.”
“Are you staying to watch with us?” Naya asked her.
She darted her gaze around. “That’s up to your dad.”
Of course, I wanted her to stay. After tonight, I never wanted her to leave. “We’d love it if you stay and hang out with us.”
“Yes!” Naya cheered, shoving a giant bite of pasta into her mouth.
“Then, of course, I’m staying,” Giovanna replied, but she seemed like something was on her mind.
During the rest of dinner, we chatted about the summer coming to an end, next school year, and shared many laughs. Finally, we agreed on a movie, but I didn’t care what we watched. I just wanted to be next to her. The kids loved older movies and agreed to watch Goonies, though it scared the shit out of Naya. Still, she wanted to watch it since she knew what to expect.
We cleaned up, put the leftovers away, and then settled in the den. Naya curled up under her favorite blanket on the other side of Giovanna. I brought over another blanket, draping it on our laps to hide my need to touch her in any way I could right now.
Jackson turned off all the lights, the only glow from the television. I took Giovanna’s hand in mine, hidden where the kids couldn’t see. Naya buried her head on Giovanna’s other shoulder several times, and she held her tight against her. Not more than thirty minutes into the film, Naya drifted off to sleep. I carried her upstairs to settle her in bed then came back down, cozying up to Giovanna once again.
Leaning close to her ear, I whispered, “It’s impossible to behave.” I pressed my lips to her neck, and she shivered, shimmying closer into my side. I took the chance, stretching my arm out, draping it over her shoulder, pulling her even closer against me. Twirling her hair around my finger with one hand and reaching my other out, resting it on her thigh, I positioned my lips to her ear again. “Thank you for tonight.”
“You’re welcome.” Her eyes sparkled in the reflection flicker of the screen.
“I need to be inside you,” I muttered against her neck, sucking her flesh into my mouth. I was sure her hickeys were still visible, but she covered them up with makeup flawlessly.
She dug her nails into my forearm, tilting her head the opposite way so I could have easier access. Jackson and Evan were lying on the floor on the other side of the coffee table and engrossed in the movie, so there was no way they could see unless they sat up.
The moment I released her neck, she leaned close to my ear. “I want to feel your cum fill me up.”
“Do you want to have my baby?” I whispered before we both froze. Shit . I shifted toward her, drawing my leg up onto the sofa. “I’m so sorry, I forgot and I?—”
She stood, striding toward the back door. Standing, I glanced down at my sons, who were both passed out. I followed her, but she shut the back door quietly. Opening it instantly, I stepped outside, closing it softly again. Her back was turned, her arms were folded defensively over her stomach. Clutching her arms, I tried to turn her to face me, but she twisted away.
“Baby, I’m so fucking sorry. I was caught up in the moment and it slipped, but I should’ve thought about that before I said it. I’m so fucking sorry.”
She twisted around, her pained eyes on mine. “Tyler,” she sighed, “I’m not mad at you.”
“Thank God,” I grabbed her upper arms once again, pressing my lips to her forehead but she became rigid. Taking the hint, I withdrew my touch and took a step back. “But you’re hurt. I hurt you.”
She shook her head, wiping away a single tear with her oversized hoodie sleeve. “We need to talk.”
“Okay.”
“We can talk after the boys go to bed.”
I glimpsed over my shoulder. “They’re both passed out on the floor. Whatever else you guys did today wore them out.”
She rolled her eyes, half-smiling. “I took them to the trampoline park before we went to the store and I signed waivers as their mom so they could jump, so if you get a call, I?—”
“It’s okay,” I chuckled. “I don’t care, and no one severed an arm.”
She didn’t laugh. Instead, she broke down, tears pouring from her face uncontrollably.
“Gia, baby, oh my God, I didn’t mean to hurt you. Forgive me.” Yanking her into my body, I held her tightly against me while she sobbed into my chest. I was having flashbacks of the countless nights I begged Mila not to leave me, but this was different.
My heart shattered into a million pieces as I watched Giovanna shed tears in front of me. Her exterior was mostly sassy and composed so seeing her now made me want to do whatever it took to help mend her heart.
We didn’t have children to keep us connected, so it became my sole desire to make whatever it was between us last.
Peering up at me, she took a step back. “You did nothing. I owe you an apology, actually. I did something that will make you hate me. It’s really bad, Tyler.”
Dario. She fucked Dario after I left the club . After our little fight, I needed space to gather my thoughts, and I didn’t want to make her feel worse about doing her job. While she was dancing for Dario in private, I told Ian I was leaving for the night. Now, I regretted it. I could’ve stopped them, but she was free to do what she wanted. She made it clear I couldn’t control her, and she was right.
“Oh God,” she sniffled, burying her face in her hands and groaning before meeting my gaze and sniffling. “After we slept together… the first time… I missed my period.”
My expression turned to stone, and I froze, unable to break my gaze from hers.
“I know we used protection, so I don’t know how it happened,” she let out a little cry, “I’m so fucking sorry.”
“Giovanna,” I growled, “what did you do?”
“I tried to get away from them, I swear,” she pleaded. “I hid it and tried to find a way to escape… where the baby would be safe… and they found out. Ekaterina made me go to a doctor who put me to sleep, and—” her knees gave out beneath her, and she collapsed, but I caught her, sitting us both on the porch as gently as possible. She buried her head into my arm while I stared out at the pitch-black back yard. “When I woke up from surgery, the baby was gone, and Ekaterina told me they’d fixed the problem, and I’d never get pregnant again.”
“I—” I tried to speak but it was useless. I had so many questions.
“And I know what you’re thinking,” she continued as she sat back, wiping her eyes. “Before the night with you, I wasn’t with anyone for a month because I was training other people, and after that night with you, I didn’t have sex with anyone else for a month because of medical and I was so hung up on you that I couldn’t… perform anyway. I did other things, but there was never penetration.”
We both sat in silence for a moment as I processed the information. Our baby was the reason she wasn’t able to have her own children now? How the fuck did I get her pregnant? I knew condoms weren’t a hundred percent effective, but still. Giovanna was pregnant with my baby, I repeated in my head. Was. Pregnant. Our baby was taken away from her… from us.
“Say something,” she sighed, taking my hand in hers, “please.”
Lowering my eyes on her, I clenched my jaw, looping a strand of her damp hair behind her ear. “It’s a lot to take in.” It was true, but all I could think about right now was killing Ekaterina and her entire family for hurting Giovanna and taking something away that wasn’t their choice.
“I know, and I’ve wanted to tell you for so long,” she whimpered.
“Why didn’t you?”
“When I showed up here, you were the last person I ever expected to see. And you were married,” she exhaled through her sniffling. “And then your wife died. There was no good time to add to your stress. I just didn’t want to put a bigger strain on the things you were already going through.”
Like the other women in my life, she was selfless and always put others before herself, even when she had suffered great losses. Part of me wanted to be angry with her for not confiding in me sooner, but I could empathize with her reasoning.
Tomorrow, I’d finally reveal my true feelings to my family. Ekaterina and everyone else connected to her would meet their end on the night of the fight, regardless of Ian’s opinion. Giovanna would never have to return to L.A. She belonged to me now, and I wasn’t going to let her slip away.
“I’m sorry we weren’t able to discuss it,” I apologized. “But I’m glad we could now.”
Patting my chest gently, she murmured, “I haven’t broken down about this since right after I found out.”
Pushing up from the porch, I stood, then reached my hand down, helping her up. Placing my hands on her hips, I pressed my lips to her forehead, then peered into her eyes. “Number one, I’m truly sorry for making you feel controlled about the fight, but I’m not sorry for wanting to protect you.”
She swallowed hard, averting her gaze.
Putting my fingers under her chin, I forced her eyes back to mine. “Number two, I want you to fucking annihilate whoever you fight.” The corners of her lips twisted up ever so slightly as I continued, “Fight with everything in you and send them away in a body bag. My family and I will protect you.”
“So, you’re okay with me fighting a guy?”
“I never will be,” I admitted, and her smile diminished. “But not because I don’t think you’re tough enough. I was just as mad when Nadia hit you.” I brushed a strand of hair behind her shoulder. “I’m not used to being with someone so independent and like my family, but I’m surrounded by it, and I want Naya to grow up having women like that as her example.”
“So, you’re with me then?” Tucking her bottom lip between her teeth, she twisted back and forth.
Closing the gap between us., I whispered, “Stay with me tonight. You don’t have to go through anything else alone… ever.”