by Gina Whitney
“I finished paying off Mick’s crew last week. The rest of what Matty owed them. The remainder of what I owed Stefan for clearing his debt. It was all taken care of. But now Matty is missing. He didn’t come home last night. I knew he’d gone out with you, but he never came back.” The absolute terror in his tone sent my mind spinning and my heart pounding.
“Maybe he’s just out, Daddy. You know how boys his age are. Maybe he had a few drinks with some friends and then stayed the night instead of driving home.”
“I want to believe that, Jordana. I really do. He’s just never stayed out and not told me before. And his phone is off. It’s going straight to voicemail.”
I laid a hand on his shoulder, giving him as much comfort as I could muster. “Maybe his phone died. He was out all day yesterday, so maybe he didn’t have a chance to charge it. Give him time. He’ll wake up and come home to shower. You can yell at him then. No sense in getting all worked up for no reason.” I wanted to believe my own words. They were extremely plausible and made more since than anything when it came to any seventeen- almost eighteen-year-old boy. But Matty never fit into that category before. I doubted he’d start now.
“You’re right, Jordana. I’m just so worked up with the timing of it all. I just paid them off. I wouldn’t put anything past that family. They shouldn’t be trusted. I only trusted Stefan because I had no other choice. But that was once, and it will never happen again. They’re snakes, Jordana. Lying, betraying, backstabbing snakes. And if I find out—”
“Daddy…give Matty time to wake up and come home. I’m sure it’s nothing.” God, I hoped that was true. I didn’t know what I would do if I found out that Stefan or his family had anything to do with my brother not coming home.
That’s when a new memory hit me. Gravel. A meeting. Flora.
Stefan came to get me from the club, and then proceeded to have a meeting with his family’s sergeant of arms in the dark beneath the train trestle. Secretive. Why so secretive, Stefan? What do you have up your sleeve? What are you hiding, and does it have anything to do with my brother?
I obviously could never ask him those questions. He’d turn it around on me and accuse me once again of not trusting him. But how could I possibly trust someone who kept so many things hidden from me? I still couldn’t forget the fact that he’d taken money from my father behind my back when he’d said he’d taken care of it. But I couldn’t ask him that, either. He’d made me believe that I had to prove to him how much I could trust him, saying it was the only way he could trust me.
Fucking fool. That’s what I was. A goddamn woman running on emotions and feelings. That’d get me nowhere. I thought I was being smart by playing it safe. I thought I was doing the only thing I could if I wanted to be included in his fold. But that thought had just been thrown back up in my face, drowning me in reality. He’d played me. Stefan—the man I’d been sure I loved, the one I trusted completely—lied to my fucking face. Well, fuck being clever. It was time I acted smart, regardless if it meant putting an end to my relationship with Stefan. But I couldn’t let my emotions rule me. I had to wait and let this Matty thing play out. See if he came home. See if he was all right. I’d give him until the night to return home. If he didn’t, all hell would break loose.
Hell…fury…woman scorned and all that shit.
“I really think you’re worrying over nothing, Daddy. You know Mick and the rest of the Giannottis. Our families have gone way back. He may have pointed his finger at you and accused you of crimes you’d never commit, but he’s not stupid. He’d never go after you or one of your own without proof of the allegations he’s slung at you. He follows code, Daddy, and you know it. You’re just worried and letting that fear rule your emotions.” I’d said it for his benefit. However, I had to believe it, too. Regardless of my feelings toward Stefan—trust, mistrust, love, hatred—Mick Giannotti would never pull the trigger without absolute cause. He wasn’t some new kid on the block with a big dick needing to prove something.
No, that seemed to be his son.
Well, fuck Stefan. Fuck his big dick and quest to prove something.
The day passed with my father locked in his office, the phone physically attached to his ear. I hobbled around on my bum foot, popping pain pills every few hours and icing it in-between. Matty never showed up, and that only added fuel to the already burning fire in my house. Daddy was frantic, paranoid over what was going on with my brother. Me, on the other hand—frantic and paranoid were not words to describe me. No. Anger, rage, fury…those were the emotions that riddled my mind.
Matteo’s phone was still off, still going straight to voicemail. Daddy had called all of Matty’s friends, hoping to gain some insight into his whereabouts. But they knew nothing. It was as if he’d left the restaurant last night and vanished into thin air. Even the feedback from some of the street men came back nothing. No one had seen him, heard from him, knew anything about where he might’ve gone. All the gambling connections came back clean. He hadn’t been placing bets or borrowing money—at least not with the connections we had. My father had a right to be worried. And I had a right to be pissed.
I’d called Stefan several times throughout the day, all calls going unanswered. The texts I’d sent him showed he’d read them, but I received no response that way, either. I would’ve gone to his house, confronting him face to face, but Daddy wouldn’t let me out of his sight. He’d beefed up the security around the house, his paranoia telling him I’d be next to go missing. We’d just have to wait it out.
And for four days, that’s exactly how it went. Muscles guarded the home, my father only leaving when necessary. Otherwise, he kept to himself in his office, locking me out of business matters. Things felt like they were falling apart. Daddy left the business end of dealings up to his number two, deciding to focus all his energy on my missing brother. I could practically hear the muttered words that were said behind his back. Matteo would be the end of my father whether he meant to or not. It never appeared good to others when the boss went into hiding. And this was the second time in one month that it had happened. They all thought Daddy had lost his touch. I, however, thought he’d lose his mind before that ever happened. With a firm hand, he controlled everything. Only showing weakness where Matty and I were concerned. It was just unlucky timing that my brother brought out our father’s weakness so often.
I’d be lying if I said I didn’t worry about Matty. After all, it’d been four days since anyone had seen him. But on the same hand, I didn’t think the Giannottis had anything to do with it. However, the Carraras were a different story all together. I wouldn’t put anything past them. They were nothing but a weak branch from the family tree out of Italy. They came over ten years ago to start roots in the States. Slimy fuckers they were. Definitely not to be trusted—ever. But I doubted they’d go after an Albanese without cause. And if there were cause, my father would’ve known about it. The bad bets Matty had placed with them had been taken care of by the loans he’d taken out with the Giannottis. So that wouldn’t have made for cause of an attack. It just made no sense, and I was stuck in the house, unable to obtain answers from anyone.
Especially Stefan. He kept up the silent treatment, ignoring all my calls and texts. Even my more desperate ones, pleading for his help, telling him that I was in danger. I really thought those would get to him, but they didn’t. Which could only mean one of two things. One: he knew more about Matty’s disappearance than I did. Or two: the relationship we’d had was all a lie. Either theory burned like a knife in my back.
I needed answers. And I needed them yesterday.
On the fourth night, I snuck out my window after my father had gone to bed. I knew where my father’s muscles were stationed, where they hid along the property to ensure the safety of my family, so I knew how to get out undetected. It had taken me this long to do it since my ankle had been so swollen it wouldn’t have held up my weight to climb down the trellis outside my window and crouch between the bushes along
the exterior of the house. Once my foot was well enough to go on a secret op mission, I took my chance and snuck out.
It took me three times as long to make it to Stefan’s place considering I couldn’t use my car without being noticed, but I’d made it there, the anger and rage nearly boiling over. By the time I got to his elevator, I was ready to rip him apart. But that was nothing compared to how I felt once I made my way up to his place.
The elevator door opened and I stepped out. Ripping him apart would’ve been going too easy on him once I spotted the woman coming out of his bathroom, zipping up her skirt. Her eyes met mine, but all I saw was red.
That filthy, lying, two-timing sack of shit.
I heard him in his bedroom, calling out something to her. But she stood frozen in the hallway, staring at me as if trying to figure out her next move. I’d have her bloody and mangled before she ever figured it out.
Stefan stepped out of his room, stared at her profile, and then moved his head in the direction she faced—me. His dark eyes narrowed, threatening me silently. But the anger inside turned me deaf, and I ignored the mute intimidations. “You can go now, Layla. We’ll discuss this later. I have other things to tend to right now,” he said to the woman in front of him—Layla—without ever taking his eyes off me.
“No need. I’ll be out of your hair in a moment. Tell me where the fuck my brother is and I’ll let you get back to your new friend.” The words came out through my gritted teeth, sounding composed yet angry.
The woman tilted her head back as she let out a laugh.
Stefan held his hand up to her. “Don’t encourage her. She’s pissy because I’ve ignored her for a few days.” His eyes still never left mine as he spoke to the other person in the room.
Humor filled her face as she smiled and raised her brow in my direction. “Must’ve done something really bad to get the silent treatment.”
Stefan finally turned back to her, a softer expression on his face, yet still rigid in his posture. “Thanks, Layla, but I’ve got this. I’ll be in contact shortly.”
She smiled and nodded, walking toward me and grabbing her purse off the hanger by the elevator before leaving me alone with a very angered Stefan. His hard stance should’ve warned me off, but it didn’t. “New girlfriend?”
He shook his head. “No, as a matter of fact, she’s a good friend. And she knows how not to piss me off. I wouldn’t ever have to ignore her for four days.” Well, at least he knew how long it had been.
“Whatever. Just tell me where my brother is and I’ll get going so you can go back to ignoring me and fucking your good friend.”
That got to him and he stormed across the room to me, pushing me hard against the wall at my back. It would’ve been hot had I not been so furious with him. “Don’t fucking test me, Jordana. I’m not in the goddamn mood.”
I shoved at his chest, needing an inch of space from him. His attitude muddled my brain and I needed to sit comfy in my rage in order to get the answers I sought. “I’m not testing you. Matty is missing. Been missing since your night of mystery meetings, since you started ignoring me. All I want to know is where he is and what you’ve done to him.”
He pounded his fist into the wall beside my head, drywall crumbling to my shoulder. “Trust, Jordana! Fucking trust! You said you had it in me…nothing but goddamn lies!”
“What trust am I supposed to have when you leave me in the dark about everything? And giving me ridiculous silent treatments? Huh?” I fought back, raising my voice without a care of the repercussions it would cause. I no longer cared about any of that. As far as I was concerned, we were over. He had someone new that wouldn’t test or provoke him, that wouldn’t fight back. That would never be me. I may have enjoyed letting him have control while giving me the fuck of my life, but I would never lose my backbone. Stefan had been my first real relationship and would probably be my last. I couldn’t deal with this level of bullshit.
His hands fisted at his sides as his shoulders heaved up and down, his nostrils flaring as his eyes glared into mine. “I told you how this would work. You chose to ignore that. You made the decision to doubt me. That’s on you. Don’t you dare point your finger at me, because you’ll only find four more pointing back at yourself.”
“And then you ignored me.”
“It’s called business, Jordana. I don’t sit around all day and do nothing. I have things to take care of. You pissed me off. Disrespected me. What did you expect me to do? Grovel at your feet?”
“And what about when I told you I was in danger? You still chose to ignore me.”
He laughed, the skin around his eyes wrinkling in humor. “You are and never have been in any danger, Tesoro.” That damn nickname. Got me every fucking time. “Had you been in danger, you wouldn’t have a need to reach out to me, because I already would’ve been there.” His words were kind, loving even, but his tone was cruel, angered.
“Then who’s Layla? Besides your good friend?”
“I don’t have to answer your questions. I don’t need to give you any comfort against your jealousy. That’s not how this works. I ask the questions, you answer. That’s how it goes. Not the other way around.” He paused and took one step toward me, lowering his head to look me right in the eye. “But because you’re so desperately in need of validation, I’ll tell you. She’s a friend from college. And now she’s a lawyer. I’ve known her for a very long time. But no…we’ve never had sex. Our relationship has always been professional. She was here for business, and that’s it.”
“Then why here? You never bring anyone here.” I couldn’t let the argument die, even though I felt my resolve fading with his soft-spoken words and warm eyes. Damn him.
“Because this is my business, and I don’t want my father privy to what I have planned. I’ve already told you—I have plans, and Layla happens to be a part of those.”
“So she gets to know your next move but I don’t? And you want me to believe you’re not fucking her?”
He took one more step toward me, bringing the warmth of his body against mine. With a gruff whisper, he said, “I am a lot of things, Tesoro, but a cheat I am not. Faithful. Honorable. Those things are me. You are mine, and that means your pussy is the only one I’m interested in.”
“I…I thought…” I cleared my throat, needing to pull myself together. “I thought that you ignoring me meant we were over.”
“What have I told you about words?”
“Actions speak louder.”
His lips quirked with a smile. “That may be true, but that’s not what I meant. We are not over until those words are spoken. And I will never utter those words, Jordana. You’ll never hear me say we’re done. But that doesn’t mean you can just barge in here and demand I give you attention because you’re feeling left out. I have a right to be pissed at you after your night on the town. I have a right to protect you while shit is going down in the family.”
“Just tell me where my brother is, and then you can go back to giving me the silent treatment.”
Stefan dipped his head, running his nose along my cheek. “He’s fine, Tesoro. You have no need to worry about him. He’s safe. He’s doing what he’s supposed to do.”
I pushed against his chest, my heart thudding angrily in mine. “So you did have something to do with him disappearing…”
“I know where he is. I know why he left. But no, I didn’t do anything to him. Neither did anyone else. It’s my plan, Jordana. Our plan. Trust us. Show me some fucking respect and trust me for once.”
“Then stop leaving me in the dark all the time.”
He shook his head and tsked. “You have no right making demands.”
“Your analogy of climbing a mountain? Well, how slow do you think the one in the back will be if she has no idea where she’s going? Give her a little bit of direction, and she’ll be right behind you. That’s all I ask, Stefan. Direction. You want to give me breadcrumbs, fine. But at least give me a goddamn compass.”
W
rapping his hand around my throat gently, he leaned in and licked my lips. “I’ll give you direction, Tesoro. I’ll direct my dick to your pussy, and then fuck the defiance out of you. Is that what you want?”
I wanted to give in, knowing how good he’d make me feel. He could make the hurt disappear and the suffering end. But more than that, I needed to hold onto my resolve a little while longer. Showing him that he could bend me, but I would never break.
“Don’t lie to me. I know you do.” He released his slight hold on my neck and trailed his fingers down my chest. “Your nipples are hard, I can feel them through your clothes. You have a sheen of sweat behind your ears, and your breathing is shallow. You want this, don’t you, Tesoro? You want my cock buried deep inside you, making you come over and over again before you milk everything out of me. Don’t lie to me. I can read you better than you know.”
“I…I just want to know where my brother is,” I said, firm in my fight.
His hand continued to trail down my body, reaching the band of my yoga pants. He slipped beneath the cotton, finding my bare pussy and torturing my hardening clit. “In due time. After I fuck you into a coma. After I drown out your attitude with my cum. You don’t have to verbally say yes. This body is already mine, isn’t it, little one?”
My heart clenched.
My breathing stopped.
All I saw was red.
They say PTSD affects everyone differently. Some cower. Some cry. Some numb it with substances. I didn’t know how I’d handle it until it stared me right in the face. The ugly monster it was, glared at me, provoked me, threatened me.
They say blinding rage comes out differently depending on the strength of the person. It gives some the ability to lift a car off the ground. Some people burn down buildings while others sit back and spew venomous words under their breath. Me? I’d felt rage before. I’d experienced the burning flames of pure anger lick me from the inside. But blinding rage? Never like this… The Hulk had nothing on me.
Two little words. Two words Stefan had uttered to me countless times before. Harmless words meant to show affection caused my head to throb, my hands to shake, and my throat to close.
