CHAPTER 31
Ishould have known it was a bad idea to have male guards. Even if they work for me, it doesn’t mean they’ll keep their dick in their pants.
Javier has not shown interest. If anything, he’s uncomfortable when Lana walks around seductively. He’s always been reserved like that. There’s even gossip about him being gay and having a crush on me, but I think that’s nonsense.
Angelo, though, is begging for twenty bullets to the head. I’ve had to gather all my self-control to keep from exploding.
If my relationship with Lana weren’t in jeopardy, I would have already severed his hands for touching her, his tongue for kissing her, and gouged out his eyes for staring whenever she was around. If Finn hadn’t had a nightmare the night Lana was with him, Angelo would be dead by now.
She is mine. Nothing has changed between us.
I respect her space because I don’t want her to remember her traumas, though she keeps having fucking nightmares every night.
If she hadn’t had such a difficult life, I would have made her mine again as soon as she stopped crying for that Noskov bastard.
He didn’t deserve her tears after everything he did, and I would gladly have taken his place.
I hate that she won’t let me touch her even when she wants me to. She’s lying to herself by saying she wants to see the monster I’m hiding. She’s doing it because she needs me.
I wish I could walk into her room and drag her into mine. Fuck her against the wall and make her scream so loud that everyone around us knows who she belongs to.
And I can’t.
I’ve been careful not to cause her any more pain. I’m exhausted by this whole situation. I want her to accept me back into her life; that’s all. I want her to realise I’m doing all of this for her sake. For both of them.
I look at Lana from my bedroom window as she shows Finn the animals. I didn’t tell her that I rode with him on his birthday; I’m unsure how she’d react if I mentioned it. I’d rather keep it a secret between us until she forgives me.
While Lana pets a horse, Angelo stands at her side, placing a hand on her back.
My blood boils. It should be me in his place. I should be the one showing them the horses. I should be the one making them smile. Not him.
I take a sip from the glass in my hand.
If I had known he would be an arsehole, I would have tried a lot harder to knock him out. Although I intended to touch the mannequins he was supposed to protect, not him. Ian was right about his resume, but he didn’t tell me he was a prick.
He has done nothing but get in my way and into her head. It was enough that he told her about the trafficking. It’s obvious, given her reaction a few days ago, but why? Who is he? And why is Lana afraid of what I might do to him?
I order them not to touch her, let alone without her consent. She didn’t want the kiss. She wanted to pull away. She froze, and her eyes widened. She never kisses with her eyes open; she loves to be kissed. The bastard is a jerk who either doesn’t understand the signals or doesn’t care at all.
If that arsehole isn’t dead, it’s because she asked me to, but as soon as I find out something that Lana can’t stand up to, I’ll put a bullet in his head.
Thankfully, Angelo is not a big threat. If he reveals the location of our home, no one will be able to break in. Fences and guards surround the perimeter; my men will handle any intruders, although if we have a snitch, then things might go down soon.
Lana turns back, a little wobbly; she looks up at my window, then walks in front of Angelo. Too close.
The glass shatters in my hands. I told her to stay away, but she keeps fooling around.
A cheeky grin spreads across her face—it’s clear she knows exactly what she’s doing.
All her life, she has been an object to those around her—her father’s trophy, a girl everyone wanted but no one could have.
They taught her how to flirt and be obedient, how to dress, how to style her hair, how to tease with her eyes, and how to send both confusing and direct signals.
She always hated that, but now she uses it to her advantage.
But not with me.
What if she doesn’t love me? What if Giacomo was right, and no one can truly see me? If I don’t deserve my happy ending, just like Aurora? Will I be able to walk away from her? Will I be able to see someone else touching her or kissing her without wanting to kill them?
No.
She is mine.
My queen.
My goddess.
My future wife.
Mine.
She won’t admit it, but she needs me as much as I need her. I’ll do anything to win her trust back.
It’s been four months since she arrived, and I’m about to lose my mind. She’ll regret denying her feelings for so long.
“Sir?”
I turn around. Javier looks at my bloody hand.
Before he can say a word, I snap, “Tell Angelo to get his arse in here.”
The boy looks up and nods.
In the meantime, I go wash up and check for any shards of glass in my wounds. I’ll have to ask Mom for help, though she doesn’t want to talk to me, but a towel will work for now.
Two minutes later, they’re both standing in front of me. I ask Javier to leave and return later. As soon as he closes the door, I have to hold back the urge to punch the bastard in front of me.
“Don’t lose your cool, especially in front of your enemies,” my father’s voice reminds me.
“Don’t touch her unless it’s life or death… wasn’t I clear?” Let alone kiss her.
“I’m sorry, sir. But she’s a bit—”
“It’s always the same fucking excuse.” I cross my arms over my chest and huff. “If I see you approach her unprofessionally again, you’re out.” He’s fired anyway, but I won’t tell him yet.
“But—”
“I’m your boss, not your friend. Your salary and job depend on how you perform and what I see. You’re not making a good impression.”
He gulps and nods like a coward. He’s incapable of owning up to what he’s done. That’s reason enough to fire him right now… but Lana would hate me even more, and I need to know what the hell is going on.
“Love makes you weak,” says another annoying voice.
No!
With a dismissive gesture, I turn my back and hear his footsteps as he leaves the room.
“One more thing!”
He stands in front of the door, holding his head high, trying to hide the terror in his eyes behind a defiant posture.
“Yes, sir?” he mutters.
I grin. “If you ever touch my son again, you’re fucking dead. Capito?”20
He nods again and walks away. His footsteps fade as he slams the front door.
He will be out of here before my next rescue; I don’t care if Lana still hates me then.
Someone knocks on the wall. Out of the corner of my eye, I spot Javier waiting for an order. “Close the door.”
His brown eyes look at me, scared. Since when am I such a fucking monster that everyone thinks I’m going to hurt them?
“I need you to keep a close eye on Angelo, kid,” I whisper. “Something’s not right with him.”
He raises his eyebrows. “I thought I was the only one who had a feeling.”
I frown. “You know something?”
He shrugs. “It’s not normal for him to be so interested in Lana. There’s something else going on, and I don’t like it. He’s a dick.”
I snort. At least one of them uses their brain.
“Keep him away from both and ensure he minds his own business. If anything happens to Lana or Finn, you’ll be held responsible.”
His eyes gleam with excitement. “Yes, sir.”
Javier leaves, his chest swelling with pride. I roll my eyes.
I take my phone and dial Ian’s number. He’s the one who suggested hiring Angelo and the one who got him working with us.
During the months when I was grieving, Ian was responsible for managing the organisation, including the difficult period when I was taken.
Four months where he handled everything. That’s when Angelo got inside.
“Cassano! Enjoying your holidays?”
I clench my grip on the phone. The only thing I haven’t done is travel, which I’ll be forced to do soon. There’s one thing I must handle myself. “I need you to tell me everything about Angelo Roma. Job, studies, who’s he related to, every single fucking thing.”
“I already told you, boy. He’s single, no kids, no record. He joined the military some while ago and—”
“Dig deeper. There’s something wrong with that guy.”
“Why would you think that?”
I fucking hate him sometimes. When my father was alive, Ian did everything without hesitation, always licking his boots.
He’s always wanted to be the one running everything, but I ruined his plans.
Now I’m the one running this, and there’s no way I will put him in charge.
My dad might have been blinded by their friendship, but he never trusted him to run this on his own either.
“Do as I say, Ian.”
“Is it, maybe, jealousy? I told you—”
“Do. As I fucking. Say.” I hang up and throw my phone on the bed.
That bastard is hiding something, and if I have to keep him close so he knows what the hell is going on, so be it. I trust Javier to keep an eye on Lana so she won’t be around him.
I go back to the window.
Lana stands looking in my direction, as though waiting for me to come and say hello. I push the window open with a grin, and her cheeks flush crimson. I laugh as she hurries to the door, desperate to escape my gaze.
She cannot deny it any longer.
She is mine.
Notes:
20.Understood?