Now, it’s almost the middle of the day and I’m still alone in this crappy hotel. Rising out of bed, I decide to take a shower. Sifting through my bag, I grab my jeans from yesterday and my last clean t-shirt.
Once the hot water of the shower hits me, I let out a breath and attempt to relax. I don’t know what I’m going to do. I need more clothes, but I don’t have even a penny to my name. Aidan has made it clear that he’s bought me, but I don’t know what that means for my future. I feel completely helpless.
Finishing my shower, I brush my hair and dress for the day. I grab my phone from the nightstand and check my notifications. I frown when I see that he hasn’t even attempted to text me.
My stomach growls and I realize that I can’t even remember the last time I ate. I was too upset to order room service, and I’ve been so lost inside of my own head this morning that I didn’t even think about it until now.
Walking over to the small desk, I reach for the menu and scan through it. I decide on fruit, yogurt, and a muffin. The front desk claims that my meal will arrive in just thirty minutes. I thank them before hanging up. Then I head toward the balcony. Leaving the door open, I stand outside and allow the warm sun to shine down on me.
I don’t know what will happen next, and I feel like it’s going to be life-changing. Granted, the past few weeks have been a roller coaster, but I have a feeling that it’s only going to get crazier.
Less than ten minutes go by and I hear a knock on the door. Hurrying over, I look in the peephole before answering and frown. It’s one of the men that was with Aidan yesterday during the meeting. Slowly I open the door. He looks at me, tilting his head to the side and gives me a smirk.
“You didn’t even ask who I was,” he points out as he walks past me.
Closing the door behind me, I shrug. “You were with Aidan yesterday, I recognized you,” I state.
“Shaughan O’Neil, Aidan’s brother and gopher apparently,” he mumbles.
“Giovanna,” I offer with a smile.
He snorts. “Yeah, know who you are. I think every O’Neil knows who you are by now.”
My lips press together as my brows knit together. I don’t think that’s a good thing, the way he says it makes it clear that he’s annoyed. I don’t want them all to hate me, although I’m not sure why I even care. It’s not as if I’m going to be part of their group, part of their family.
“Why are you here?” I whisper.
His blue eyes meet mine, and he flinches. “I’m here to take you out for the day. Get whatever you need to set up house.”
“My babysitter?” I ask.
He chuckles. “Security is setting up your alarms today. So, you’ll be able to spend the night in your new place. It’s completely fucking empty though,” he announces.
“I guess all I need is a bed, nothing else.”
His body locks up solid, his eyes meet mine, and he tilts his head to the side. “You got a storage?” he asks.
I shake my head. I watch as he frowns but doesn’t say anything else. There’s another knock on the door and I start to make my way toward it, but Shaughan is faster. “You order room service?” he asks, slipping his hand beneath the back of his shirt.
“Breakfast,” I murmur. His body relaxes and he unlocks the door, pulling it open to let the service cart inside.
Once room service leaves I sit down at the small table and begin to eat. Shaughan flops down on a chair across from me and tilts his head to the side, again. “You got more food comin’?” he asks.
“I’m not very hungry,” I admit.
Normally, I love food. Recently, with everything that has been going on, meals in general have been set on the back-burner. I’m just mentally exhausted at the end of every day and all I want to do is sleep, hope that when I wake up again, shit will be better.
“You know Aidan’s ex-wife, she used to starve herself, got disgustingly thin. Then went and had a shit ton of plastic surgery. Aidan hated it. He likes women natural, even if that means their curves are more than a handful,” he announces.
I don’t know exactly what he’s trying to say to me, but I think that I get the gist. “I’m not Aidan’s ex-wife,” I state. “He wants me with no makeup and naked. He’s made it very clear that he doesn’t want me to have any type of flash at all,” I say.
I should be embarrassed by my words, especially since I don’t know this man, but I’m so exhausted with Aidan, with everything involving him.
Shaughan’s eyes widen, then he clears his throat and sits back. “Figured he’d have hang-ups about the bitch. Didn’t think they’d be quite that bad,” he mumbles.
“They are. So, you see. Not much will be needed in whatever house he’s hiding me away in. A bed so he can fuck me when he feels like it. I won’t need clothes or shoes. Maybe we could stop by a store so I could get soap, razors, and shampoo though.”
I’m being over the top. I know that I am. However, I’m finding it hard to care at this point. Aidan has bought me from Timofei. He owns me, and he’s not shy in telling me. It is up to him how I act, how I dress, or don’t, and how I live.
My life is not my own, never has been and never will be.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
AIDAN
Elowen glares at me from across the table. I’ve just explained to her that I’m going to begin dating. I’ve met a woman, and I enjoy her company. I’ve asked her if she can come to dinner this evening. Elowen’s only response has been to glare.
“I cannot believe you’re telling me this, now, three hours before dinnertime,” she screeches.
My eyes widen in surprise. I expected her to voice her anger about another woman, but instead, it’s the timeline. “I haven’t asked her to join us yet, I can cancel,” I offer. “If you’re not ready to meet someone. That’s okay, there is plenty of time.”
The stab of disappointment at not being able to bring Giovanna into my home, to meet my children, it’s more than I had anticipated. I hadn’t planned on introducing her at all until Shaughan texted me and told me that I’d fucked up, and I’d done it royally.
He told me to fix it. I don’t know exactly what I need to fix, but I have a feeling a dinner introduction with my family is a start.
“It’s not that I’m not ready,” she sighs. “It’s that the house isn’t clean enough, and I need to figure out what I would even serve. I need to hire a caterer or something,” she mumbles.
I let out a bark of laughter and Elowen’s eyes narrow into small slits. “I’m not laughing at you, not really,” I chuckle. “I don’t think Giovanna needs a big dinner party. I was hoping for just something easy, small, intimate,” I explain.
She frowns. “Giovanna?”
“That’s her name, Giovanna. I call her Vanna for short sometimes.”
Elowen leans forward a little. She looks so much older than just fourteen, and that is my fault. She’s always had a lot on her plate. First from her mother, and now from me. She has to be the woman of the house, and though she should start to take up some responsibilities to prepare her for her future, she shouldn’t have to shoulder all of them quite yet.
“I’ll order dinner. Takeout from somewhere,” I offer.
Elowen’s shoulders hike up. “What will she think of us if we have takeout, Dad?” she gasps in horror.
Leaning forward, I wrap my hand around my daughter’s and give it a squeeze. “She’ll think that I’m a busy father of four, and I can’t cook for shit. She won’t care, trust me, Wen.”
“If you like her, if you really do, then I think we should meet her.”
I grin, giving her a wink before I lift my hand to her nose and touch my finger to the tip. “Tell Caleb and the other kids for me. I have to go and run a few errands. I’ll pick her up on the way, okay?”
“Okay.” She nods. I stand and begin to walk toward the door when she calls out to me. Turning around, I face her. “Do you think she’ll like us?” she asks.
A smile forms on my lips, one that I c
ouldn’t hide even if I wanted to. “No, Wen. I don’t think she’ll just like you. I think she will love you, all of you. Giovanna doesn’t have a family of her own. I think she will love ours.” Elowen gives me a genuine smile before she turns and hurries up the staircase.
Leaving the house, I head toward my car. I send Shaughan a text before I go.
WHERE ARE YOU?
Starting the engine, I wait for him to reply. It seems like I’m staring at my phone for much longer than I should. I start to get antsy. My phone finally announces the new message. I quickly swipe my thumb across it and read his reply.
SHAUG: AT VANNA’S NEW PLACE.
BE THERE IN FIVE.
My eyes find the clock, and I notice that it’s only three in the afternoon. No way in fuck do they have Giovanna’s house handled yet. What the fuck are they doing over there? My mind starts to race, and luckily my drive is almost finished, so I don’t dig too deeply into what could be happening.
Shifting the car in park, I hurry toward the small house. I bought this place a few weeks ago. It was a great deal, and I had planned on doing exactly what I’ve just done. Moving Giovanna in. I knew that I wanted her closer only after a few times inside of her. I had no idea that I would buy her for myself, to keep her.
Shaughan is standing in the living room when I walk inside. It’s bare and I frown at the sight. I don’t know how I’ve fucked up with Giovanna yet, all Shaughan told me was that I fucked up and that I was a fuckup. Now, looking around at the completely empty house I have a feeling I’ve done more damage than I realize.
“The furniture being delivered?” I ask.
Shaughan snorts with a shake of his head. “I’m outta here. Tell Giovanna I’ll see her tomorrow for round two,” he grumbles.
“Round two?” I ask, trying to ignore the intense fit of rage that instantly flows through me.
“If you can get her to buy anything tomorrow, I’ll take her around again,” he states.
My frown deepens at his offer. “Why would you offer that?”
Shaughan shrugs. “She’s a sweet girl. Seems like she needs a friend.” Without another word, he turns around and leaves the house.
I try not to read too much into his words, but I’m fucking irrational at the thought of my brother spending more time with Giovanna, even if he seems completely devoted to his own woman.
With swift steps, I make my way into the bedroom where I assume she is. I’m surprised to see that there is a neatly made king-size bed in the center of the room, two nightstands, and a dresser. It isn’t barren like the rest of the house, which I had anticipated it to be. Giovanna walks out of the bathroom and freezes at the sight of me.
“Aidan,” she whispers. “I-I’m sorry, I didn’t know you were coming. I’m not ready for you,” she admits.
“Ready for me?”
She inhales, her pretty dark eyes lifting to meet mine. “Prepared. Not only am I not naked, I haven’t taken a shower since this morning,” she states.
Closing the distance between us, I cup her cheek in my hand, tilting her head back. “Don’t worry about it, A rùnsearc. I am a little concerned as to why this is the only room with furniture in your place. I told Shaughan to take you shopping for an entire house, not just one room,” I murmur.
Her dark blue eyes widen before they drop down. “I don’t need furniture.”
“You don’t?”
When she lifts her eyes again, there’s a bit of fire I’ve never seen before in her gaze. She’s angry, and she’s not hiding it. I smirk, finding it sexy. My cock hardens, pressing against the zipper of my slacks at the sight.
“I’m here for you to fuck when you desire. All I need is a bed for that. I don’t need any clothes because your orders are that I stay naked. What’s the point of dressing up, of pretending that this isn’t just a place you’ll be popping by for an hour here or there when you get the chance?”
Releasing her, I take a step back. I shouldn’t be surprised by her words. They’re exactly what I had originally planned for her. Even when I bought her from Timofei, my plans hadn’t changed.
Something shifted inside of me though. There was something that changed between taking her out of the Oleandr and this morning. I don’t know what it is, but I want more from her, more than just some quick fucks in this bedroom.
“You’re meeting the children tonight. Do you have something suitable to wear?” I ask, keeping my voice gentle and soft.
I hear her gasp, her eyes meeting mine, widening and her mouth dropping open slightly. “Children?” she asks.
“Nothing fancy, just dinner. The six of us. I talked to my oldest, she’s nervous to meet you.”
Giovanna snaps her lips closed. “Why would you want your children to meet me?”
I don’t know exactly how to explain it, because I don’t completely understand it myself. I do want her to meet them, and maybe, one day when we’re all ready, we can be more. All I know is that I don’t want to keep her hidden away. She isn’t shameful, and I don’t want her to think that she’s nothing but a dirty little secret for me.
“You’re in my life, Giovanna. They are my life. It’s only natural the two should meet.”
I watch as her teeth sink into her bottom lip. “Okay,” she nods. “The only dress I have is the one I wore to the restaurant the other day. Other than that, I have a few jeans and tees but they’re all dirty.”
“We have a few hours, let’s go,” I grunt.
GIOVANNA
I stare at him as if he’s got two heads. The man is crazy. I’ve never met someone who was as hard to read as Aidan O’Neil. Here I am again, completely dumbfounded, and in shock, by the words he’s telling me. How on earth could he want me to meet his children? He bought me. How is he going to explain that to them?
Aidan wraps his hand around mine and gently tugs me out of the bedroom. “This house is going to look like a fucking home, Vanna,” he growls as we walk past the empty living room and dining room on our way to the front door.
“Why?” I ask.
He stops, turning to me, pulling me against his chest in one quick move. One of his hands cradles the back of my head while the other wraps around my hip. He lowers his face, running his nose alongside my own.
“Because it’s your home, Vanna. Yours. Because you’re mine, and I want you to be comfortable, A rùnsearc.”
I gulp, unable to look away from him. His cool blue eyes hold me captive. “Because you own me?” I ask.
“You own me, too, Giovanna.” He shifts his head, his mouth brushing mine. His tongue peeks out and taste my lips before he says, “Forget the arrangement we had. It’s all changed. You’re mine, and I’m yours, and that is the long and short of it. None of the other shit matters.”
“It doesn’t?” I ask, because all of that shit, it always matters—always.
He sighs, his breath fanning my face. “It doesn’t.” His words speak a finality that I’m unable to question. He truly believes that nothing else matters.
Unfortunately, I know that to be a lie. What was—the past—it will always matter, and it will always come back. For a moment, I close my eyes and allow him to kiss me, pretending that it doesn’t matter, that this moment on is all that truly means anything. That the past will just float away. It’s not reality, but obviously I enjoy torturing myself with dreams that will never come true.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
GIOVANNA
Sitting in Aidan’s car. I stare at the house in front of me. Aidan took me shopping and bought a simple navy-blue shift dress with a pair of plain, soft nude high heels. I’m not wearing makeup and my hair is brushed and hanging straight down my back. I wring my hands together in my lap, my entire body is one big ball of nerves.
“They’re going to like you, Giovanna,” Aidan says, wrapping his warm hand around mine.
“Elowen, Caleb, Ronan, and Isla,” I state.
Aidan chuckles. “Yes, now let’s get inside. The food should arrive within the hour.”
Aidan ordered takeout pasta from one of the kids’ favorite places while I changed into my new dress and shoes for the evening. I’m nervous. Not just a little nervous, but stomach twisting, palms sweating kind of nervous.
I don’t know anything about children, and I dreamt of this, but I never thought that it would really happen. I’m not sure what changed Aidan’s mind, or why, but I don’t question it. Right now, it’s all I can do to remember to breathe. Aidan walks around the front of the car and opens the door, holding his hand out for me and helping me to stand.
Hand-in-hand we walk up the front. I want to turn around and run, but his hand squeezes my own. He opens the front door, and together we walk into the house. It’s just as ostentatious as it was the first time I came into the entryway. It’s terrible.
“My ex liked fancy shit,” he grunts. “I fucking hate this place but haven’t found a reason to move yet.”
There is something hanging in the air with his words, and I try really, really, hard not to read too much into them. I want to though, I want to believe that he would leave his house and together we could create a life. However, every time I think that way, something happens to remind me that it won’t ever come to fruition. So, instead of thinking that, instead of reading too much into his words, I give him a smile.
“Dad,” a sweet voice calls out. I look up and watch as four children descend from the stairs.
Elowen is leading the pack, she is absolutely gorgeous. She’s taller than I was at fourteen, and thinner. Her frame is obviously that still of a girl, but I can tell that she’ll be more willowy than curvy, she’s also going to be absolutely breathtaking.
Bought by the Badman (Russian Bratva Book 10) Page 12
