21. New Boss
21
NEW BOSS
TYLER
Tonight at work, after the kids scattered into the room with their cousins, I led Giovanna into Ian’s office for what he said would be a pre-shift meeting. Any meeting in his office was never routine.
Usually, it was some sort of Mafia dealings, but tonight, we walked into a bigger mess. He’d failed to mention who’d be waiting for us as we stepped through the door. I was sure it was on purpose, as he didn’t want us ready for a fight the minute we walked in.
I hovered a hand over Giovanna’s lower back, ready to touch her, then remembered his request to keep our hands off one another at the club. It was an impossible request, but one I’d respect. After all, his club his rules , as he always made that clear.
When we entered the office, Giovanna came to an abrupt halt, causing me to stop and follow her gaze toward Ekaterina and Ivan. The absence of her usual guards struck me as odd. I couldn’t imagine a family of such status not having armed protection at all times.
It left me feeling uneasy and unsure of what was to come next. My hands clenched in my pockets, hidden from view, while I tried to read the situation. Glancing at Ian, my silent plea for an explanation was met with his unflinching stare fixed on Giovanna.
The sharp click of Ekaterina’s heels echoed through the room as she stood from the chair in front of Ian’s desk, a cigarette dangling between her fingers. Her dark hair cascaded down her back in loose waves, framing her wide grin and angular features. “There is my Giovanna.”
“Kattt.” Giovanna greeted her with a playful smile, masking the strain that simmered beneath the surface. I’d not witnessed her greet her so casually before now. “Ivan,” she added, arching an eyebrow at him before turning back to Ekaterina with a sneer.
Ian folded his arms over his chest. “We’ve been discussing the fight, and Ekaterina would like to move it to next weekend.”
“Why?!” Giovanna exclaimed, her fa?ade slipping for a moment before she quickly recovered under Ian’s watchful gaze. “I mean, it’s just so soon. And wouldn’t it be unfair to her fighter if we moved the fight up? I’ve been training hard for this.” She glimpsed me, knowing she’d not had enough time to train properly just yet.
Ekaterina took a long drag of her cigarette before lowering it gracefully to her side. She sashayed over to stand in front of Giovanna, oozing dominance. Every fiber of my being wanted to intervene, to demand that she address me instead of my girlfriend. Instead, I bit my tongue, knowing any confrontation would only escalate the situation further. I stood ready to protect Giovanna at any sign that Ekaterina was about to become physically aggressive.
“Oh, my fighter ready. You not need to worry.” She reached to Giovanna’s face, stroking her nail on her cheek, the cigarette dangerously close to her flawless skin. “He ready to help bring you home where you belong.” An evil laugh erupted from her bright red lips.
Giovanna glanced at Ian, but he shook his head subtly. With a forced grin, she replied to Ekaterina, “We’ll see.”
“No, we won’t.” Ivan suddenly stood, striding over to stand next to his sister. “I’ll be fighting you.”
“What?!” Giovanna and I snapped simultaneously.
“Excuse me?!” Ian spat.
Ivan and Ekaterina exchanged a knowing glance before he replied. “Oh, yes, I can’t wait to beat you senseless and take you back to Moscow with me. I’ve spent too much time in the states.”
Giovanna’s face contorted in confusion as she turned to me before looking at Ian and Luke. “What?!” she shouted.
“She’s coming to L.A.!” Ekaterina suddenly argued with her brother, crushing her cigarette against an ashtray on the nearby table. “Not Russia.”
“What?!” I echoed.
“When I’m done with her, you can have her, sis
,” Ivan chuckled, his eyes trailing over Giovanna possessively. “But for now, she’s mine. I’m not done with her, yet.”
“Yes, the fuck you are!” Giovanna bellowed. “We kicked your ass before! Shit,” she mumbled when she realized it was a secret.
“What you say?” Ekaterina asked.
“Fuck,” Ian grumbled, marching over and placing himself on the other side of Giovanna. “She’s just upset.”
Giovanna sighed, shaking her head. “I’m not doing this anymore, Mr. Knight.” She turned back to Ekaterina. “I will gladly fight him,” she said, lifting her chin at Ivan with her arms crossed high on her chest. “And I’ll kill him in front of everyone.”
“Watch your mouth, little cunt!” Ivan barked.
“Don’t speak to her that way!” Luke shouted before I could defend her.
“Fuck you and your fucking family!” Giovanna barked. “I’m done taking shit from all you people!”
“Tyler,” Ian growled, and I shifted my shocked gaze to his, “tame your brat before I do.”
“Watch your back, Ivan!” she spat back as I grabbed her. She broke free from my grip as I tried to hold her back against my chest. Lunging forward, she landed a punch square on Ekaterina’s jaw. “You fucking bitch! You’re next!”
“GIA!” Ian roared, leaping forward and seizing her in his arms, pulling her away from the group. “Tyler, get her out of here now, before she gets hurt!”
I got ready to take her from him, but Ekaterina, holding her jaw, smiled a bloody smile. “It okay.” We all paused, turning our attention to her, with Giovanna panting while Ian held her firmly. “She just fire up about fight. We let this one slide if Ivan fuck her in front of us tonight.”
Ian shifted Giovanna behind him protectively, crossing his arms. “I’ve been gracious enough, Ekaterina. I’ve welcomed you into my club, given you the best dancers, and instructed my people to treat you well. But I won’t allow anyone to touch Gia.”
Ekaterina let out a shrill laugh. “I joke! Just let her dance for us tonight.”
He glanced at me, and I shook my head subtly. Closing his eyes, he swallowed, then cocked his head at the siblings. “No.”
“I’m sorry?” Ivan scoffed. “You’re telling us no ?”
“She will fight, but you will not get her tonight. She’s dancing for me.” Though I knew he was bluffing and trying to get them to leave, it was weird for him to call dibs on anyone but my sister. “My club, my rules,” he continued. “Owner’s choice.”
“Very well,” Ivan’s lips twisted into a sinister smirk as he pushed past us toward the door. “But remember, Slut,” he sneered at Giovanna on the way out, “when I have you back, I’m going to shove my dick so far down your throat, you?—”
Jade pushed open the door. “Uh, Mr. Knight, I need to speak with you alone.” Her eyes widened at the sight of Ekaterina wiping blood off her lip once again.
“We look forward to fight.” Her tongue darted out to lick her lips as she sauntered past, excusing herself with a flick of her wrist to her brother.
As soon as they were out of sight, Ian sharply turned his head. “Jade.”
She cast a quick glance behind her, nodding in acknowledgement to Ice Man, who stood waiting to escort them out. Stepping into the room, she closed the door behind her and took several wide strides to the center where we were gathered. Luke reached his hand out and she folded her arms over her stomach, leaning tight into his side.
“What’s going on?” Ian asked.
She shifted her eyes at Giovanna before turning her attention to Ian once again. “I actually needed to see Gia but didn’t want to raise that bitch’s brows into her hairline.”
Giovanna chuckled but quickly wiped the smile off her face.
“There are some guys here to see you,” she continued, “and based on what they said, they’re your Underboss, Consigliere, and two hired bodyguards?”
“Damn it,” Giovanna muttered.
“I already knew about it.” She grinned. “I know everything, remember?”
Giovanna shook her head rapidly. “Not that. I just know it’ll draw attention, and tonight, I just want to be normal and dance. I know shit is going to change for me when I move back to New York, and I just want to be free for now.”
Her words made me tense up. I felt anger and frustration boiling inside me. I wanted to take away her worries about running the family. I didn’t want her to leave. I wanted us to stay together as a family and?—
“Ty?”
“What?” I snapped my eyes toward Ian.
“I need to take Gia down to my room or they’re going to know something’s up.” He turned his attention to Luke. “Get them out of the club before they draw attention. The last thing we need is them finding out about her before we’re ready.”
“Before I go dance for you,” Giovanna addressed Ian directly, “can I?—”
The door sprung open, and Ekaterina and Ivan marched in together, their armed guards at their side. They were followed closely by Angelo, Frankie, and several unidentified men. Nico and Ice Man stepped in, weapons at their sides.
“Fuck,” Giovanna groaned under her breath, and I pulled her closer, not caring who saw our fingers entwined any longer.
“Someone is lying!” Ekaterina cackled, but Ivan lifted his hand, and she stopped laughing.
“Giovanna!” He took several steps toward us. “Why are your father’s leaders here?”
She took a deep breath, glancing at Ian and me before she opened her mouth to respond.
“They’re looking after her,” Ian said before she could reply.
Angelo and Frankie’s mouths tightened.
“I don’t think someone’s being truthful here,” Ivan spat. “Seems like someone put the little slut in charge, and we all know that will cause a big, big problem for your family. If we find out you’re the rightful boss, we have no choice but to go to war with the Irish and Italians.” He swept his arm across the room. “We’ll kill everyone in the room and your families!” He twisted back to Giovanna, taking several more steps toward her. “Little cunt, be scared of me because I’m coming for you and all the people you love.”
She opened her mouth, but I pushed her behind me, drawing my pistol from the back holster and aiming it at him. “ I’m the fucking boss of the Aggio family now!” I bellowed as everyone else in the room drew their guns. I heard Giovanna gasp audibly behind me. “Get the fuck out of this office because your wrongful accusations are going to cost you. Accusing my fiancée will only cause me to put a bullet in your fucking head right here in my brother-in-law’s office.”
Ekaterina snickered breathlessly in shock.
“I’m not joking, you bitch!”
Ivan twirled a finger in the air, and their men lowered the weapons. I offered a nod to the Italians, and they also lowered theirs simultaneously, but confused. I holstered my pistol again. Ian took a step over, planting himself next to me, his arms crossed high on his chest. Giovanna tapped me on the shoulder, and I reached back, offering her hand a squeeze before letting go.
“My fiancée will fight you, Ivan but I’m changing the fight rules.”
“You don’t have the authority to do that!” he snapped back.
“Actually, I do,” I countered. “You took my unborn child from me, thus committing a crime among the families. You took out an heir, and now, you carry the crime of taking out a boss’s child. You might not play by our same rules, but you sure as hell will pay for it regardless.”
“You’re kidding,” he chortled.
Stone-faced, I replied, “Do I look like a fucking comedian to you?”
“Get out of my club,” Ian growled. “And I don’t want to see any of you or your people until the fight.”
Ivan’s lips pressed together in a tight line as he blinked furiously, knowing they were outnumbered. He took a few steps back and was about to leave when I delivered one last blow.
“If you win, I’ll give myself to your family to kill.”
“No, you won’t!” Giovanna shouted, but I pulled her toward me and held her at my side, sandwiched between Ian and myself. “But when my fiancée kicks your pussy ass, you will leave the Aggio family and my family and friends alone forever.”
Without a word, he clenched his jaw, slowly turned, and he and his family exited the office with their guards. Ice Man and the two Aggio bodyguards left behind them. The moment the door was closed, Giovanna spun to face me.
“Are you fucking crazy?!” she hissed furiously.
“I think we should talk,” Angelo announced.
Jade beamed, “You’re engaged?!”
“No!” Giovanna spat at her before turning back to me. “Tyler! Boss?!”
Luke laughed. “Shit, bro.”
“Since when?” Ian asked.
Unable to take the repeated questions, I shook my head, storming out of the room and taking a left in the hallway.
“Ty!” Jenna called from her office.
Avoiding any interaction with the others, I hurried up to the roof. As I reached it, I pushed open the door, letting it slam shut behind me. Squatting down, I raked my fingers through my hair in irritation. “Fuck!” I muttered under my breath. Standing, I took out a cigarette from my pocket and lit it. As I took a deep drag, I shook my head at myself. What have I done?
The sound of the door slamming again caught my attention, and I knew without looking, it was Ian. We were about to have a physical confrontation right here on the top of his club. I could feel his hostility radiating toward me.
He came to a stop next to me, both of us looking out at the surrounding buildings. He took out a cigarette from his inner jacket pocket and lit it as well. We smoked quietly for a few moments before I finally broke the silence.
“Just say it,” I grumbled.
“Say what?” He didn’t even look at me.
“Threaten me,” I replied, “or grill me about my choice of words back there.” I glimpsed him.
He shook his head, taking another drag. “I have nothing to say about it.” He blew out a smooth, grey cloud of smoke, slowly turning to me. “However?—”
“There it is.” I inhaled my vice before lowering it to my side.
“I’d like to know when you proposed to Gia,” he furrowed his brow, “and I know Jenna sure as hell doesn’t know or she would’ve been doing back flips up and down the exec lobby.”
“We’re not engaged.”
“So, it was just a panicked lie?”
Dropping my cigarette, I twisted my foot on it, then enveloped my arms over my chest. “No, I wasn’t in a panic. She doesn’t even want the fucking job. And I called her my fiancée because I don’t know how their fucking rules work. I don’t know if we have to be married for me to run that family, but I know that’d make her off limits to the Russian should they decide to change their ways and play fair.”
“They didn’t play fair when her father was alive,” he scoffed. “What makes you think they’d play fair now? We’ve been over this. And also, you don’t marry to keep someone safe, you marry for love.
“Not discussing my feelings with you, Ian, but they killed my child and made her so she can’t have children anymore. I’m not fucking around with them anymore. I respect you and your need to run your family how you want to, but when it comes to Gia and our family, I’m running it the way I want to. And you’re going to have to respect that.”
Never averting his gaze from mine, he smoked the last three drags of his cigarette in silence before dropping it to the roof and snuffing it with the sole of his shoe.
“I don’t even know if she wants me leading her family,” I admitted. “She might be down there, ready to run away from me at this point.”
“I think she’s going to be more hurt that you announced a fake engagement than anything,” he said. “So, what are you going to do about it?”
“We’re going to be adults and talk about it.”
He slipped his phone from his pocket, checked the screen, and then put it away. “Right now, she’s going to work her shift, and you can talk about it after work.”
“Fine,” I replied. “I have some business to handle with memberships tonight anyway.”
After our chat, Ian disappeared into his office, and I found Giovanna with Amber and Jade in Jenna’s. She glanced back over her shoulder, then excused herself. I took her bags from her, throwing them over my shoulder. Lacing my fingers together with hers, I guided her out without a word to the girls. Judging from their looks, Jade or Giovanna told Amber and Jenna what happened.
The minute we were out of sight, she tugged me toward my office in the executive suite. “In here,” she said. “We need to talk alone.”
“I know,” I replied, reaching over, ready to unlock the door, but it was already unlocked, so I opened and let her enter first. Reaching out for her wrist, I grabbed it, dropped her bags to the floor, and pulled her into me. I crashed my lips into hers.
“Ahem,” a deep voice cleared his throat, and I took a step back, flipping on the light.
“What the fuck?” I snapped.
“We could ask you the same,” Frankie countered.
He was sitting at my desk, Angelo and Bruno in the chairs in front of him, with three other unknown men leaning on the wall.
“I suggest you not,” I replied before I could stop it from exiting my mouth, but I was done bowing to anyone. “You’re in my office and in my family’s club.” I glimpsed Giovanna, who looked either turned on or confused, I couldn’t quite read her. “Get out of my chair,” I ordered.
Frankie stood with a sneer, ready to challenge me. “We need to discuss the little stunt you pulled in your brother-in-law’s office.”
“It was no stunt,” I announced, striding to my desk. I narrowed my gaze on his. “I meant every word of it.”
He scoffed at Giovanna, who was nibbling her bottom lip, but Angelo spoke before he could. “Did you authorize this? Is this who you chose to replace your father? An Irishman who’ll rip this family of every bit of Italian heritage?”
She shifted her gaze to me, and I could only stare at her, wondering if she’d take my side. Any other time, I wouldn’t have questioned her, but it was a big deal, a life-changing event to take place, and I’d just announced to a room full of people that she was my fiancée. Her shoulders lifted and fell as she took a deep breath and waltzed over to me with a stoic gaze. She turned to face them, hands on her hips.
“Truthfully,” she began, and I braced myself, “Tyler’s more capable of running the family than my brothers or I would ever be.” Suddenly, she grinned wide and menacingly. “And I don’t give a fuck that he’s Irish, and you shouldn’t either, because Angelo, your mom’s from Dublin, and if I recall, one of your mistresses is Irish American, am I right, Frankie?” She shifted her gaze to him.
The men sighed, and Frankie bowed his head. “Fair. Fine. If this is what you really want, then we need to have a ceremony tonight.”
“Get out of my office,” I ordered. “Gia and I need some alone time. I’ll let you know when I’m ready for my ceremony.”
“Of course,” Frankie replied, raising a hand, causing everyone to leave the room. He strode up to the desk, reaching toward me. “I support it, but if you’re in, you’re never getting out so be prepared.”
“I know,” I replied, shaking his hand.
Giovanna followed him to the door, giving him a hug before she closed it and whirled around. “Tyler!” she whisper-yelled as she lumbered toward me. “What the fuckkkk?”
Sitting in the chair, I pressed my palms on the desk, bowing my head and resting it on the surface. “Gia, all I could think about was protecting you.” I lifted my gaze to see she was staring at me, still in shock. “I didn’t know if we had to be married for that position. I didn’t know your family’s laws.”
She sashayed to the side of the desk, and I rotated the chair to face her. Placing herself between my legs, she ran her fingers through my hair. I couldn’t look her in the eyes, knowing I announced our engagement when I hadn’t even asked her to marry me. However, I forced myself to stare into them anyway. Should she shed a single tear, I’d take full responsibility for hurting her.
“Do you remember the pink bracelet I gave you as a silly joke while we were lying in bed at Penthouse talking before you had to leave?”
My eyes widened. “Holy shit.” I gasped, yanking the desk drawer open. Rummaging around inside, I took it out, holding it up to her. “I always kept it in my desk drawer at the Celestial Building, then brought it with me when I moved over here. I never considered throwing it out.”
Pinning her bottom lip between her teeth, she stared intently at the bracelet for a moment before abruptly turning on her heels and marching over to her bag. My eyes followed her every move as she unzipped it and retrieved something, striding back to me.
Slowly, she uncurled her fingers to reveal the lost gold pinky ring that once belonged to me. My father had given it to me when I was sixteen years old; a simple band with my initials engraved on the round flat top. I’d never been too fond of it, but wore it nonetheless.
“Don’t be mad but?—”
“You stole my fucking ring?” I chuckled, and she threw her legs over my lap, straddling me.
“You dozed off, and I took it from you as a memory, not because I wanted to steal from you,” she snickered. “I’m guessing by the look on your face it’s expensive. I always kept it in my jewelry box, but I put it in my work bag when we were getting Luca settled in my apartment.” She picked up my hand, placing it in my palm. “I am really sorry.”
“It’s not the look of how much the ring cost,” I said, “it’s the look of shock that you took it from me when I thought I lost it, and you hung on to it all these years. Did you wear it?”
“Every night when I danced, until a week before Luke showed up, which is so ironic.” She held up her left hand, pointing to her index finger. “It only ever fit this one.” She snickered, “I’m shocked you hung on to a silly pink bracelet.”
“No,” I said, slipping the ring on her finger. “The bracelet was all I had left of you until you came back. I want you to wear this ring for the rest of your life.” I sighed, “and I know I’m a piece of shit for not doing this the right way and giving you some massive diamond tonight and this place,” I lifted my gaze to the ceiling, “is the last place I ever wanted to propose.” I laughed quietly, bringing my eyes back to hers. “I will get you one but I kinda jumped the gun tonight when I announced we were engaged.”
“Yeah, you did,” she giggled, a single tear rolling down her cheek. I erased it with my thumb then pressed my lips to hers before pulling away. “I don’t need a diamond.”
“Too bad,” I winked. “I’m getting you the best and prettiest pink diamond my money can buy. I love you. I want you to spend the rest of your life with my kids and me. I know it’s a weird situation with them but?—”
“Yes!” she beamed. “I love you,” she squeaked in a shaky voice. “I fell in love with you the night you came to see me. And stop saying your kids are a weird situation. It takes an amazing man to raise someone else’s kids and commit his life to them even after their mom is gone. I can’t imagine spending my life any other way. I adore them and you.” She gasped. “What about moving? You can’t relocate.”
“Is there anything in the rulebook that says I can’t move the business to Boston and keep the house in New York for when we travel there?”
She shook her head. “No, I don’t think so. My dad traveled all the time.”
“Good, it’s settled.”
KNOCK! KNOCK!
“Yeah?” I called out with a wide grin.
Luke poked his head in the door. “Gia, are you going to run your fam?”
“No,” she laughed. “Ty’s going to do it for me.”
“Good,” he replied, “Then I suggest you get your ass downstairs and get to work.”