“You’re my wife. There was never a chance that you wouldn’t take my name, Little Dove. Do you agree to my terms or not?”
With a groan, I caved. Leaning forward to drop onto his chest, I gave again. “Yes, my Stallion.” He hadn’t asked anything I hadn’t already known, not really. Though, the fact that his connections could get me divorced and change my name without me even knowing it happened was terrifying, it wasn’t surprising.
I’d married a Bellandi, after all.
✽✽✽
Emilio had been all smiles when he picked me up from the house, an alarming contrast to his colder demeanor at the club. I shrugged it off, knowing it probably felt strange to be introduced to someone you already knew but had changed capacity in your life. I’d gone from being a friend of his boss and someone he rarely saw, to someone he would see daily and his boss’ wife.
“Are you excited to go back to work, Mrs. Bellandi?” he asked from the front seat. My foot shook where I’d crossed it over my ankle, imagining the coming confrontation with Jasper. He wouldn’t take the news of my marriage well, and I just couldn’t wait for the day when my life returned to some semblance of normal. One where I didn’t have to feel like I was just waiting for the next argument. With Jasper and Yavin still looming on the horizon, it was a miracle I didn’t feel like a complete disaster.
“Yes. It will be nice to feel like I’m capable of doing something for myself again,” I returned with a smile. “Lino tends to take very good care of me.”
The grin he gave in return seemed overly bright. “I can imagine a man like Lino can recognize a good thing when he has it.”
“That’s very sweet,” I murmured, and we lapsed into silence as Emilio parked the car directly in front of the building. He didn’t seem concerned about the fact that he’d double parked but thrust open his driver’s side door before coming around to the back to let me out.
As soon as the cold air hit my bare legs, I shuddered. There was one thing to be said about Lino's insistence that if I was going to return to work then I'd have a driver taking me to and from. It certainly prevented me from suffering in the cold of Chicago in January.
It also saved my leg muscles from the unfamiliar strain of walking in heels. It felt like it’d been so long since I’d even walked at all. As such, my calves strained against the foreign feeling of walking through the lobby with pumps on. Emilio insisted on seeing me inside, his breadth intimidating at my back as he searched the lobby for some threat. What he thought he would find in a corporate office building was a little beyond me, but I also knew that sometimes the evilest of men hid behind the most polished veneers.
Lino's father was a prime example of that. All cultured elegance that only hid the menace within until you took a close look.
"This is where you leave me," I told Emilio, turning to stop him from following me into the elevator. "Confidential appointments happen upstairs, and I can't have you compromising Lamb & Rowe's clients."
"I'm under strict orders to see you to your desk, Mrs. Bellandi," he said, staring down at me impassively. I sighed, knowing it would be far quicker to just let the man escort me upstairs. A call to Lino would delve into an argument, and the reality was I'd only barely gotten out of the house that morning. Despite him agreeing to it the night before, he'd seemed positively glum about the thought of me returning to work.
It was adorable, albeit frustrating as Hell.
"Fine," I sighed, dropping my head back to look at the ceiling. "What on Earth did I do to deserve this kind of crap?" I whispered.
"You married Mr. Bellandi," Emilio offered so helpfully. I leveled him with a glare.
"Do you have a wife, Emilio?" I asked him.
"No, Mrs. Bellandi. The Bellandi's are all the family I want." I pursed my lips in thought as the elevator rose to the top floor of the building.
Alrighty then.
I didn't bother to make more conversation, instead steeling myself for the inevitable confrontation that was coming with Jasper. I'd been out for weeks, and the fact that I hadn't heard from him meant that when Lino told him I wouldn't be in, that conversation likely hadn't gone well.
I could only imagine.
By the time the elevator doors opened, I'd straightened my spine and donned my business persona of being a shark. So I strutted my way out of the elevator and through the room to pass our little waiting room. Nothing unusual, despite my several week absence, the rings on my finger, and the suit at my back. Emilio's steps seemed unnaturally quiet compared to mine, like he always took care to be silent despite his massive size.
Inside the private space, there was a little waiting area, my work area, and then an enclosed office at the left where Jasper conducted his business. My desk sat on the opposite wall, facing his office so that I could see him through the window should he need anything, but he wasn't in there.
He stood next to my desk, looking frustrated with whoever had filled in during my absence. I didn't recognize her, and acknowledged she must have been a temp. "But I don't understand," she whispered. "I thought I was doing well."
"You're not, but that isn't why I'm saying you need to go back to the agency. You've been filling in for an employee who was out sick. You're from a temp agency, I really don't understand why you don't understand what that means," he groaned his frustration.
I cleared my throat, stepping up and taking pity on the poor girl who stared up at Jasper like stars shone out of his ass. "Sorry. I'm the employee who was sick. Thank you very much for covering for me. I'm sure Mr. Rowe truly appreciates it, but as you can see, I'm no longer sick."
"But I like it here."
"I'm sure you do," I sighed. "Pretty views, but they wouldn't have sent a newbie to come work for Mr. Rowe, so can we drop the act like you don't know how this works?" I crossed my arms over my chest, my polite smile turning condescending. I didn't want to deal with fake bullshit and drama when my life seemed to consist of nothing but real drama lately.
"Easy for you to say. I'm sure you just love it here," she snapped.
"Miss Jones, it's time to go. I'd truly like to just be done with this conversation," Jasper said coldly. "Miss Mahoney has returned from her leave—"
"Mrs. Bellandi," Emilio corrected him, and I turned wide eyes at him.
Because holy shit. Talk about letting the cat out of the bag a little early.
"Excuse me?" Jasper asked him, an uneasy chuckle coming from his throat.
"Miss Mahoney is Mrs. Bellandi now."
When I felt Jasper's eyes fall on my face, I scrunched my nose and looked at the floor like the coward I was.
I really, really was.
"Get out," Jasper hissed to the poor woman who had the brains to realize the time to gather her things had officially passed. She snatched them up, shoved them in her purse and was gone. "I'll see you in my office, Mrs. Bellandi," Jasper stormed toward his office once she was gone.
"Thank you for escorting me, Emilio. But as you can see, I'm here. I think it's time you left now," I sighed, wincing.
"You'll call me when you're ready to leave or when you want to go to lunch?" he asked, and I nodded.
"Yes. I’ll be staying here all day today,” I explained. I wouldn't take my new freedom and throw it in Lino's face by disrespecting his desire for me to be protected. As obnoxious as it was, I also knew it was necessary given the turn my life had taken.
"I'll see you at the end of the day then, Mrs. Bellandi." Then the big man turned and strode out, the door closing sounding like it echoed through the space.
"Samara! Get your ass in here!" Jasper called, and I sighed before walking tentatively to the door. "Sit down. You have some explaining to do." I perched on the edge of the chair, worrying my hands together and contemplating what Lino may have told him. "Bellandi said you were ill. That he was taking care of you, and that I should plan on you being out for a few weeks. How does that translate to you marrying the fuck after you told me there was nothing of the sort between you tw
o?"
"Not that I have to explain myself to you, but Connor attacked me in my home. He was after money, and apparently he owes a loan shark a very hefty sum that he can't pay," I explained, all the frustration I felt at having my decisions questioned coming out in sass. "During the attack, he strangled me. There were bruises that have only just gone away completely. Even still I have foundation on to try and cover up the last little lingering tints just to be sure. Lino married me to protect me from the consequences of Connor's debt."
"Fuck. I hope he kills him," he hissed in response. I said nothing, because I wouldn't admit that was Lino's plan from the sound of things. I trusted Jasper completely but having knowledge of a crime before it was committed would test that trust and be unfair to put him in that situation. Even if I really hoped it wouldn't come to that. I still didn't want Lino's hands stained with the taint that was Connor Walsh's death. The man wasn't worth it in the slightest. "But do you really expect me to believe that Angelino Bellandi married you solely to protect you? There would have been other ways."
"Okay, maybe not entirely for that reason," I chuckled hesitantly. "Things have certainly shifted in a way I didn't expect."
"Samara, the fact that you didn't expect it is pathetic. For someone so perceptive, I have no clue how you could think for a second that the man hasn't been in love with you for as long as I've known you. I see it every time he looks at you." For the first time, instead of pain and bitterness, those words brought me hope.
I sniffled, shoving back the sudden urge to cry. I only hoped that our relationship could be everything we always hoped it would be, tucked away in the secret alcoves of our minds.
"Now, what did I miss?"
Jasper looked like he might say something else but refrained. He took a folder from the desk, sliding it to me. "These are the numbers from the past two weeks, why don't you start by getting up to date and checking everything in your files. Check my schedule and make sure nothing is wonky. I've asked her to keep all the emails in a separate folder for you to review when you got back."
"Thank God," I sighed. I'd worried that I'd have to fix mistakes for weeks to come. At least this way I could do it relatively quickly. I stood, turning for the door.
"Samara?"
I turned back to him. "He makes you happy?" There was no annoyance or anger on his face that I'd gone against his advice and gotten involved with the man he warned me against. Nothing to indicate he was anything other than concerned for my happiness and well-being.
I nodded with a shrug. "He always has." And it was true. When I was younger, I'd been a melancholy child after my father left and we'd moved. My mother and Yavin told stories of how it was always Lino who drew me out of that mood. Even if I couldn't really remember my father anymore, I still remembered feeling cherished by him for a brief time.
"Okay then," Jasper sighed. "That's all I ever wanted for you. I just hope he realizes what a lucky bastard he is." He shifted his attention to his computer, done with the emotional conversation. Jasper Rowe didn't care for many people. He was actually anti-social and hated the way society wanted to use him to their benefit. Somehow, I'd made it onto the very short list of those who mattered to him.
"Me too," I whispered, turning to tackle the unending pile of work I knew waited for me.
Twenty-Five
Lino
Even if it was the middle of the day, the music at Tease seemed to pulse too loud. It'd never been an issue, since I was always so used to the music here or at Indulgence, but after spending all that quiet time at home with Samara, I felt like an old man.
Yavin sitting on the other side of the desk staring at me while I went over the numbers wasn't helping the situation. I'd had to try and discreetly keep him from noticing the wedding band on my left hand, but thankfully he would never have expected me to get married.
Least of all to his little sister.
I'd tell him soon, but Samara needed to be present for it. Our marriage was our news to share, not mine alone, and since Yavin was important to both of us we'd do it together.
"The girls asked if you want a show," he said pointedly, glaring at me. He knew damn well that I hadn't taken any of them up in months.
Nearly a year.
I had no interest in watching them strip or the offers of more.
"I trust your judgment. You know what the clientele likes, so you can make the decisions regarding who is up to par." I shrugged him off, returning to the books in front of my face in his office. Well, Matteo's office technically, but the man never set foot inside the strip club. Even I only came rarely, so having someone we trusted running the show had proven invaluable in terms of the amount of time I saved.
It was barely lunch time, and already all I could think about was getting home to my wife. I needed to find someone to take over managing Indulgence on a permanent basis, because as much as I trusted Enzo, he just couldn't do it all.
I had to hope security wasn't feeling the hit while he filled in for me, but Matteo was already looking for a new manager for me to train.
"What's wrong with you? Did you turn gay all of a sudden? I haven't seen you with a woman in fuck knows how long," Yavin grunted, crossing his arms over his chest. I finished studying the books, closing it and logging off the computer.
I ignored him, continuing with what I'd come here to do. "Everything looks good here, but I'm going to see if the supplier for Indulgence can handle a bit more demand for liquor. We're overspending."
"Lino!" Yavin hissed, demanding my attention finally.
"What's next? We braid each other's fucking hair and talk about our feelings?" I snapped back. "I'm not interested in any of the girls."
"You haven't even looked at them, and we've hired new girls since the last time you were here. You always look over the employees to make sure we're setting the right standard. Only the best. That's what you always taught me. I could be hiring meth heads with their teeth missing for all you've cared since you walked in the front door."
I stood from behind the desk with a sigh, wincing when one of the girls in question appeared in the open doorway. Her lingerie showed everything, but regardless of the fact that she had to be one of those new girls I'd never seen before, I had zero interest in what she showed or hid.
She wasn't my wife.
"If you were hiring addicts, I'd see it in the books. People don't pay our prices for the average girls up on a pole. Now can we be done? I've got to get to the club." My apparent lack of interest in the woman in the doorway seemed to only fuel him on.
"Something’s up, and I'll find out what. When I do, I'll be pissed you didn't tell me yourself."
"You need to relax, Vin." I slapped him on the shoulder as I made my way to the door. "I'll tell you what? Come over for dinner Monday and spend some time with Samara and I." Guilt flashed through me that I would be ambushing Samara with the conversation with her brother so soon, but with the risk of him poking around it seemed impossible to do anything else. Even putting it off until Monday seemed risky.
He really would be pissed if he heard it from any of the people who knew from the party at Indulgence.
"Fine," he sighed. "How is my sister?"
"She went back to work today. She's good, Vin. Really good. You'll see on Monday, I promise."
“And Connor?” he asked, glancing back at the girl in the doorway. She made no move to walk away or give us privacy, and I hoped to all Hell Yavin was being smart enough to keep the girls out of the business beyond what they did on stage.
“Ryker’s doing his best,” I reassured him, even if it grated on me. It had been over two weeks since he assaulted my woman, and there was nothing. No news, no trace of him whatsoever. He wasn’t smart enough to pull it off on his own, and I felt a sick worry that maybe he was already dead.
And I hadn’t been the one to pull the trigger.
“You better find him soon, Lino. If anything happens to her—”
“Believe me, I will do everything I can
to make sure I have the opportunity to make him scream the way she probably did.” With a last nod, I squeezed my way past the girl still standing in the doorway. Fishing my phone from my pocket, I texted Samara to let her know about Yavin's impromptu invite to dinner.
Already prepared for the hellcat that would unleash her fury if I told her in person when I surprised her by picking her up from work.
I wasn't afraid to admit that Samara's fury turned me on, but the last thing I wanted to do was tell Yavin I'd married his sister with a rock-hard cock.
My head dropped to my chest, annoyance leaking into my pores when the girl behind me spoke up. “Mr. Bellandi?” she asked, stepping toward me. “Your father is in one of the private rooms with a few of the other girls.”
“Has he hurt them?” I asked with an eyebrow raised. I kept my attention on her face, noting the way her wide eyes made her look too young to work at Tease. If I hadn’t had full trust in Yavin to keep to my guidelines, I might have questioned it. But while he preferred his women on the young side, he never ventured below the twenty-year-old mark.
“No, of course not,” she whispered in response, but I could see the way the gears turned in her head. The way she calculated one kind of man had to question if his father would harm his employees. It was only one of those moments when I realized just how fucked up my life had been. “He’s asking for you.”
“And the girls are just to occupy his time?” I asked, rolling my eyes. “Lead the way.”
We made our way down the hallway to the private rooms, and I hated every pulse of the music that sounded from behind the closed door at the end. I shouldn’t have expected any less than for my father to demand the party room for his private show.
When I flung the door open, the pounding music and flashing lights assaulted me immediately. Three of the girls I didn’t recognize surrounded the pole, winding their bodies around it and around each other in nothing but their lingerie.
With a sigh, I made my way to the control panel next to the door, stopping the deep beat immediately. All the girls froze in place, looking at me with wide eyes, but my father never turned his face away from the stage. “Get out,” I ordered, and the three of them hurried for the door without a moment of hesitation. It was good to see they remembered who authorized their paychecks.
Forgivable Sins: A Dark Mafia Romance (Bellandi Crime Syndicate Book 2) Page 17
