Chapter Thirty-Three
Gualtiero
Storming out of the room, I’m livid.
It’s the kind of rage that burns hot and blinding, swallowing everything in its path.
I don’t remember the last time I felt anything like it. Maybe never.
I slam through the gym doors and head straight for the heavy bag. I don’t bother with gloves or tape.
My fist connects with a solid crack, sending it swinging.
Again.
And again.
Each hit harder than the last.
Molinaro’s face flashes in my mind. I drive my fist into the bag, imagining bone giving way beneath the force.
She tried to run.
The thought fuels me. I hit harder. Faster. Relentless.
I’m furious.
With her for being so reckless. With myself for not having a better handle on her. With Molinaro for messing with me and my empire.
The sound of my harsh breathing fills the room. My lungs burn, but I don’t stop.
Control. It’s what defines me. It’s what keeps everything in place.
And yet, with Ella, I lose it. Every time.
Why does she keep pushing me?
Sweat pours down my face, my back, my arms. My muscles tremble with exertion, but the tension inside me doesn’t ease.
What the hell is happening to me?
Nothing rattles me. Nothing.
I operate under pressure. I make decisions others can’t. I stay calm when everyone else falls apart. That’s who I am.
So why can’t I get a grip on this?
I land another punch. Hard enough to jolt through my shoulder. I barely feel it.
The skin on my knuckles splits. Blood smears across the leather. Pain flares, and I welcome it. It gives the chaos somewhere to go.
The bag swings wildly now, chains rattling with each impact.
Molinaro. Everything comes back to him.
We put out one fire, and he lights another. Tonight’s was a double whammy.
No doubt it was in retaliation for besting him yesterday when we had his IT rat locked down.
Our phones were turned off to ensure our location remained untraceable.
The negotiation was easy, but it took hours to verify there were no other cloned copies and for him to re-hack our systems to show how it had been done.
The backdoors were quickly closed by my team, and we added extra layers of security.
It was a valuable lesson, and in the end, we got off lightly.
Making the weasel a very rich man was a small price to pay for what could have happened. Now he’s on the run and no longer my problem. I have no doubt Molinaro will find him and deal with him for his betrayal.
But that wasn’t the end of it. Of course it wasn’t.
He tried to hit me where it matters.
Ella.
My fist slams into the bag again, harder than before.
He tried to take her from me and came too damn close.
The thought sends another surge of rage through me. On top of that, he burned down one of my warehouses.
We got lucky. The shipment had gone out early. Otherwise, the losses would have been significant.
I roll my shoulders, pulling in a breath that does nothing to steady me, and drive another punch forward.
Molinaro planned it well. He lured me away with the fire, kept me occupied, then moved in.
I respect the strategy. I’ll destroy him for it.
While I was dealing with his diversion, he sent his daughter to get to Ella. Though I doubt my angel needed much convincing to run.
I hit the bag one last time, hard enough to send it swinging wide.
Then I stop.
My chest heaves. Sweat drips from my chin, my arms hanging heavy at my sides.
The anger is still there.
But it’s shifting. Sharpening into something else.
I sink to the floor, bracing my forearms on my knees, forcing my breathing to slow.
In.
Out.
Again.
The burn in my muscles starts to settle. My thoughts follow. They’re clearer now, more controlled.
We’ll see how loyal Molinaro is to his family.
Despite letting Ella believe Sofia is dead, she’s far more useful alive. At least for now.
A low chuckle escapes me.
Did she really think she’d walk away from this because she’s a woman?
Thanks to her father, those rules don’t exist anymore. They haven’t for a long time.
I grab a towel and my phone and call Santino for an update. He’s with little Miss Molinaro, and I’m curious how quickly she’s folding.
He’s skilled in extracting information. It’s one of his many talents, and it has fast-tracked his rise through my ranks, making him one of my most trusted men.
“Is she talking?” I ask, dragging the towel through my damp hair.
“She’s getting there,” he replies, his tone as cold as ever.
“Keep going. I’ll be there shortly.” I end the call before he can say more.
Normally, interrogations take place at the warehouse on the outskirts of Catania. But tonight is different. Molinaro will likely come for his daughter, and this place is a fortress.
No one gets in or out without me knowing.
If it were up to me, I’d keep Ella locked behind these walls indefinitely.
The muscles in my forearms twitch and grow taut again. The image of Ella’s terrified eyes haunts me. I let out a forceful breath.
She’s afraid of me… again.
I hate it.
And yet, I need it.
Fear will make her think twice before she attempts something like this again. It will keep her in line where reason and persuasion have failed.
Still, the urge to punish her lingers beneath the surface.
She ran. Again.
The anger stirs, but exhaustion keeps it in check this time, dulling the edge just enough to keep me from acting on it.
This was the last time she disobeyed me without consequence.
No. Actually, she hasn’t walked away unscathed.
She’s seen it now, the truth of my world. The manipulation, the violence, the death.
Perhaps that’s punishment enough this time.
Did she see people die tonight?
The first time stays with you. It changes something fundamental, burrows deep, and resurfaces when you least expect it.
If I have anything to do with it, it will be the last time she’s ever caught in the crossfire.
I should go to her and comfort her.
She’ll be shaken, vulnerable, alone with everything she’s just experienced.
But I’m still too tightly wound, the remnants of my anger simmering just beneath the surface. Compassion requires control, and control is something I’ve only just clawed back.
If I go to her now, I won’t give her what she needs. I’d only make things worse. And that’s the last thing I can afford.
What happened tonight will push her further away. I had just begun to close the distance between us again, to rebuild what was lost, and now I’ve set us back.
This will only make her more determined to escape. I can’t let that happen.
Even if I let her go, which I won’t, she wouldn’t be safe anywhere. Not anymore. Only I can protect her.
And now that she’s part of my world, she’ll die in it. Just like the rest of us.
What I need now is a reason for her to want to stay. Something that will rekindle her love and devotion to me.
But what?
She’s not swayed by lavish gifts. She’s proven that multiple times.
It has to be something else. Something that matters to her.
My mind drifts back to our conversation about Formula One. I was surprised to learn of her love for it. It doesn’t fit the almost conservative image she presents to the world.
My angel has many layers, and I can’t wait to uncover them all.
A slow smile pulls at my mouth.
An idea begins to take shape, piece by piece, until it settles into something tangible. This will knock her walls down.
Knock…
I go still.
The word sparks something.
It’s the simplest solution. And the most effective one.
A child ties her to me in a way nothing else can. It gives her a reason to stay. A reason not to run. A future that is anchored here, with me.
Good thing I haven’t given her back her pills. Maybe I knew all along that this is the perfect solution.
A tentative smile curves my lips as the idea takes hold.
This isn’t impulse. It’s inevitability.
I want children, and so does she.
I’ll just bring the timeline forward.