The Dictator

by Penelope Sky

  This dictator had turned into a soft and romantic man, the ideal man I never thought I would meet. He made me feel safe when the world was against me. He made me feel sexy when I was most insecure. “When I saw your shadow behind the towel, I was so happy. I’d been thinking about you so much, wondering if I’d made a mistake. When you didn’t come after me at first, I was actually disappointed.”

  “Then why did you run in the first place?”

  “I thought I was doing the right thing for both of us…”

  “I hope you realized the safest place in the world is by my side. I would never let anything happen to our child. I would protect them more fiercely than anyone else I know. That’s something you never have to worry about.”

  “I know…” My hand moved against his chest, and I felt his strong heartbeat.

  “I want you to apologize to me.”

  My eyes flicked back to his.

  “You heard me,” he whispered. “You took my child away from me. You subjected me to loneliness. You betrayed me—again. And you should be sorry about that.”

  My fingers rested against his thumping heartbeat. “You’re the one threatening to kill me all the time. Can you blame me?”

  “And you’re the one who believes I won’t do it. So what is there to be afraid of?”

  “Doesn’t matter what I believe. Why would I want to be with a man who talks to me that way? No, I won’t apologize.”

  His eyes bored into mine again, a subtle threat of hostility beneath this gaze.

  I stood my ground and refused to give in. I refused to bow to a man, regardless of how much I’d missed him.

  He didn’t press me on it. Slowly, his anger died away and the tightness in his shoulders relaxed. His fingers moved back to my stomach and over my belly button. “I hate it when you pull that shit. But I also respect you for it.”

  I woke up the next morning with a beautiful man beside me.

  His chest was pressed against my back, and his arm rested over my belly, like he was protecting it with his powerful arm. Our breaths were in sync. Every time his chest rose, mine did the same.

  It was so comfortable, I wanted to stay there forever.

  Sleeping alone in my bedroom here never felt right. My mind always drifted down the hall to the man who slept in an enormous bed alone. When I stayed with Landon in France, I always wondered where Cato was sleeping, if he was alone or with someone else.

  It was a relief to know he’d been alone—thinking about me.

  The baby started to kick, making my tummy vibrate. Without touching it, I could feel it. It was a visceral sensation, an incredible one. I’d been pregnant for a few short months, but it seemed like a real person was inside me, someone I already knew so well.

  Cato must have felt it, because he stirred a moment later. His hand gripped my stomach to get a better hold of my belly. He sat up and propped his body up on one arm as he focused on the child we made together.

  The kicking continued.

  With sleepy eyes, Cato stared at his hand, enjoying the feeling of his baby alive and well. “Boy or girl, they’re strong.”

  “I know. I’m only half way through the pregnancy, and they’re so ornery.”

  “I wonder where they inherited that from…” He gave me a playful look.

  I swatted him on the arm. “Both of us. Not just me.”

  “I’m just arrogant. You’re ornery.” He kicked back the sheets then placed kisses over my tummy.

  As I watched him, I forgot what we were talking about. I watched Cato kiss me with those soft lips while his eyes looked so sleepy. His hair was pointed at odd angles because I’d fingered it so much last night. He went from being a cold dictator to being a loving father—and a gentle lover. Sometimes it didn’t seem like he was the same person.

  They said pregnancy changed you, turned you into a more selfless and caring person. It changed me dramatically, since I could feel my child inside me every single day. But it had started to change Cato too, turning him into a more human man than monster.

  “We’re going to the doctor this afternoon,” he said as he rose on his arms and held himself on top of me.

  “Really?” I’d tried getting in to see someone, but I had to wait weeks at every place I called. Cato got me in to a great doctor instantly. It was one of the luxuries I missed, having a man who could take care of my needs so quickly.

  “Yes. Time for a checkup. But first…” He grabbed my arm and slowly turned me onto my side. “It’s been a while since I’ve seen that asshole.” He lifted me above the bed and put me on my knees. Unlike the gentle way he took me last night, he gripped me by the back of the hair and tugged until my neck curved toward the ceiling. As he pushed his dick past my entrance, he moaned. “There it is…beautiful as always.”

  Cato was in the shower, so I went downstairs to visit Giovanni.

  He was cooking in the kitchen, like usual, probably preparing lunch. “Miss Siena, it’s so good to see you again.” His eyes moved down to my stomach. “Both of you. It seems like that baby is coming along well.”

  “Yes, but they kick a bit.” I patted my stomach before I hugged him. “I’m sorry about before—”

  “Please don’t apologize. I understand.”

  “How long were you in the car?”

  “A few hours,” he said. “I was surprised it took so long for Mr. Marino to look for me. You had a good plan.”

  Since Cato tracked my every move, it’d never been a good plan. There was no escape, not unless I cut myself and dug the tracker out of my body. While pregnant, that was a really dangerous idea.

  “Mr. Marino was very unhappy while you were gone.”

  “He was?” I asked, trying to mask the happiness in my voice.

  Giovanni nodded. “There was emptiness in his eyes. He worked out harder and spent more time at work. When he was home, he was usually in a bad mood. Never talked about you. I wondered why he hadn’t gone after you, but I also knew he would do it when he was ready.”

  “Maybe the time apart was good for both us.”

  “Maybe,” he said. “Mr. Marino is a grown man, but he still has a lot to learn.” He turned back to the stove. “Lunch will be ready in fifteen minutes. Would you like me to bring it to your bedroom?”

  We’d been in bed long enough. “We’ll eat in the dining room. We’re going to the doctor afterward.”

  “Alright. I’ll have it ready soon.”

  I walked out of the kitchen and back into the entryway.

  And came face-to-face with Bates.

  He wore a suit and tie, looking like a man who belonged in a conference room. His watch shone like his blue eyes, and his dark stare was similar to Cato’s. With his hands in his pockets, he stared at me. He didn’t try to hide his disgust for me. His lip curled up slightly, and he flared his nostrils like my face was enough to piss him off. “The tramp is back.”

  If anyone else spoke to me that way, they’d have a black eye. But violence was the wrong choice with a temperamental man like Bates. He wouldn’t refrain from hitting me back, even if I was pregnant. “I understand you don’t like me—”

  “Don’t like you?” he asked incredulously. “You deserve stronger words than that.”

  “Whatever. I think we should put the past behind us and move on.”

  He raised an eyebrow and laughed sarcastically, like I’d just delivered a terrible joke. “You’ve betrayed him twice now.”

  “I left to protect myself and my baby—”

  “That is so fucked up. You took a child away from their father. How sick is that?”

  My eyes narrowed in ferocity. “He threatened to kill me.”

  “And that’s his right. Let’s not forget why you fucked him in the first place. It was all just an act to get what you wanted.”

  “And save my father’s life. Yes…I’m such a terrible person.”

  He stepped closer to me, his rage escalating with mine. “You’re just a surrogate, and that’s all you�
��ll ever be. You may be poisoning his mind with your cunt and pretty words, but never forget that I see right through that—even if he doesn’t.”

  I crossed my arms over my chest. “You really need to let this go. Nations at war have made peace quicker than this.”

  “I’m not gonna let my brother humiliate himself more than he already has. When that baby is here, I’ll make sure you’re gone. Our lives have been turned upside down since you walked in the door. You’re a fucking pain in the ass.”

  “Your mother likes me.”

  “Only because you’re having her grandbaby. And my mom likes everyone.”

  “Do you have any idea how disappointed she would be if she knew you were acting like this?”

  Bates turned quiet, his lips pressing tightly together. “Are you threatening me?”

  “No. But it’s something to think about.”

  “I have no respect for you, but I have even less respect for snitches.”

  “I’m not a snitch.”

  “Sounded like it.”

  I knew Bates was so lost in his hatred that he couldn’t see straight anymore. “You know what’s sad? You’re so blindly hateful that you don’t even have the capability of changing your mind. You’re so stubborn, it’s borderline ignorant. If you stopped for a second, you would realize how happy I make your brother.”

  “But it’s not real. You don’t care about him.”

  I was so offended, it was like he’d slapped me. “I care about him more than you could possibly understand. I missed him the entire time I was gone—”

  “But you never came back. So who fucking knows?”

  The best course of action was to abandon this conversation. Bates would always be my enemy because he would never give me a chance.

  “This is why we agreed never to get married or have kids. When you’re us, you never know anyone for who they really are. Women only want us for our money. Men only want to see us fall.”

  “I’ve never wanted him for his money.”

  “Then why did you miss him?” he countered. “You missed him because you lived in a big mansion with a private chef and Egyptian cotton sheets. You missed him because you could sit around all day and watch TV without worrying about paying the bills. You’re no better than the rest of them, so stop pretending.”

  It broke my heart to think Bates actually thought that, actually said those words to Cato. “I’m never going to persuade you, so it doesn’t matter. I admit it’s nice being with a man who can protect and provide for me and our child, but that’s not why I care about him. I care about him because—regardless of how many times he’s threatened to kill me—there’s no else in the world I would rather be with.”

  I lay back on the table with the gown covering my body.

  Cato stood beside me in jeans, a shirt, and a black blazer. His dark hair was a little shorter than it used to be. He must have had it cut recently, before he fetched me from France. He pulled back his sleeve and looked at his watch to check the time.

  I watched all his movements, finding him to be the most fascinating man in the world.

  “You and Bates got into it today?” He pulled down his sleeve and turned to me.

  “We always get into it.”

  “What did he say to you?”

  I shrugged. “Same ol’ shit. I’m a tramp and a bitch. He sees right through me…blah, blah.”

  He couldn’t stop the corner of his mouth from rising. “At least you have a good attitude about it.”

  “It’s the same conversation I’ve had a million times. No matter what I say, he doesn’t care. First, he says I’m a traitor for how our relationship started. But then he accuses me of only wanting you for your money. So, which is it?” I threw my hands in the air. “I understand he’s protective of you, but he’s so hateful and paranoid that he can’t see straight.”

  “I’ve given up too. Just ignore him.”

  “That’s hard to do when he’s at the house all the time.”

  “I talked to him about it. He might get in your face from time to time, but he would never touch you.”

  Good. No more knives to the throat.

  “Especially now that you’re visibly pregnant.” He moved closer to me and rested his hand on my bump. “Don’t be afraid of him.”

  “I was never afraid of him. I just wish he wouldn’t hate me so much.”

  “He’s the most stubborn person I know, so I don’t think his opinion is going to change.”

  “Hmm,” I said. “I always thought you were the most stubborn person I knew.”

  He looked down at me and made an annoyed face that was only partially genuine. “You’re lucky I can’t whip you.”

  “But you can spank me a little bit.”

  His annoyed expression instantly vanished, replaced with a look full of desire. “I’ll hold you to that.”

  The doctor came inside and flipped through his chart. “The results came back. Your baby is completely healthy and normal. You both are very lucky.”

  “That’s so great to hear.” I rested my hand on Cato’s as we both felt the baby.

  “It is,” Cato said in agreement.

  “So, would you like to know the sex of the baby?” He finished reading the paperwork and tucked the clipboard under his arm.

  My hand instantly squeezed Cato’s with excitement. Now that I was far enough along, I knew that learning the sex of the baby was possible today. But I had no idea if Cato was interested in that information. I looked at him and tried to read his expression. “What do you think?”

  “It’s up to you, baby.”

  “I think I want to know. That way we can pick out all the right clothes and stuff. Is that okay?”

  “Whatever you want.” He squeezed my hand again.

  I turned back to the doctor. “Alright. We want to know.”

  He smiled before he gave his answer. “Congratulations, you’re having a girl.”

  I yanked my hands away from my stomach and brought them to my face. “Oh my god. I knew it!” I covered my mouth with both hands and looked up at Cato, seeing the slight smile on his lips. “We’re having a little girl…” Before I knew it, tears were running down my face.

  The doctor stepped out of the room. “I’ll give you two a moment.”

  The hormones made me far more emotional than I normally would be, but hearing that concrete news would have made anyone shed a few tears. Now I felt an even stronger connection to the baby, a bond that could never be broken. “I can’t believe it.”

  He lifted up my gown and pressed his palm directly to the bump. “You were right, baby.”

  “I know.” I put my hand on top of his. “I know this isn’t what you wanted, but I’m so happy.”

  Cato hardly ever showed emotion, only with the occasional softening of his eyes. His expression was stoic like usual as he stared at my stomach, the cold man resuming his air of indifference. But then his breathing quickened slightly, and he looked at me again with new eyes. “We’re having a girl—she’ll be like you. She’ll be strong, smart, capable…and beautiful. That makes me happy. Very happy.”

  22

  Cato

  It was late fall, so the air started to get cold fast. The nights came earlier, and there were fewer people on the sidewalks. I’d started wearing my heavy coat over my suit when I visited the office, a few cigars in my pocket to keep me warm.

  I arrived at our main facility and headed to my office.

  Bates sat in the armchair, smoking a cigar while he stared out the floor-to-ceiling windows behind my desk. He was in a navy blue suit with dress shoes, ready to make money at a second’s notice.

  It was the first time I’d directly interacted with him since Siena had returned. I knew he was livid that I’d fetched her. If he could have it his way, we would have forgotten about her entirely—the baby too.

  I sat behind my desk then raised my hand. “Lighter.”

  He pulled his out of his front pocket and tossed it at me.


  I lit up my cigar and watched the smoke rise to the ceiling.

  Bates took a deep puff, the smoke lifting from the end of the cigar and rising in front of his eyes. It made his ferocity even more potent. He looked like a serial killer when he wore a stare like that.

  “It’s a girl.”

  He let the smoke shoot out of his nostrils. “Congratulations.” His voice was heavy with sarcasm, like he couldn’t care less. I could have said I was having a giraffe, and he would have the same reaction. “Another little bitch.”

  I lowered my cigar because I’d reached a new level of anger. It annoyed me when he spoke of Siena that way, but to talk about my daughter…was a whole different situation. Saying that phrase in my head made this pregnancy more real.

  I had a daughter.

  The smoke rose out of my mouth. “Bates, say anything like that ever again, and I will shove my cigar so far into your eye that it’ll burn your brain. It pisses me off enough when you speak of Siena that way. But my daughter…it’s different.”

  He kept smoking his cigar.

  “She’s your niece, asshole. What the hell is wrong with you?”

  “She’s half my niece. The other half…I don’t know what the other half is.”

  My brother had always been pragmatic and smart. Sometimes he was emotional and temperamental, but I’d never seen him this way. “Bates, this needs to stop. I know you don’t like Siena, but you need to get over it. Who gives a damn how many times she betrays me? I own her. I fucking own her, and there’s nothing she can do about it. What’s the worst that can happen?”

  “What’s the worst that can happen?” he asked sarcastically. He let his arms hang on the armrests, his cigar burning smoke to the ceiling. “I’ll tell you what’s the worst that can happen. She persuades you to marry her. She persuades you to sign over half the business to her. Then she kills you in your sleep, and ta-da, half the company is hers.”

  It was so ridiculous that I wanted to roll my eyes. “That’s never going to happen, Bates.”

  “She’s manipulated you this far.”