Page 61 of A Treasure To Keep
Chapter 67
Marco
It’s been a month since the blowup at what was meant to be our first meeting with our lawyers. I’ve met with mine, changing certain aspects of what I originally had in our demands. He reminded me, several times, may I add, that if I compromise with El, El may compromise with me. Yeah right. El is the most stubborn woman I’ve ever met, and I swear that baby has given her more attitude than she had previously. What’s most annoying about it is that it turns me on. I dream of shoving my dick down El’s throat—only the sound of her gagging filling the room. Maybe then she’ll shut the fuck up. We could repeat New Year’s Eve by having her sit on my face. That worked.
In addition, there are my dreams of Andrea. I find myself reliving every moment we’ve had together. From New Year’s Eve to the night of the bachelor party, the blowjob at his work, pretty much every moment we’ve shared. My relationship with El is always filled with passion, regardless of whether it’s sensual or in the way we fight. What’s different between that and my relationship with Andrea was that it was always relaxed. Henever pushed me or pressured me. He let me take the time I needed to figure out how things would build between us. I miss that. I miss them.
I’m sitting in my office with my dick the hardest it’s ever been. The newest draft of our custody agreement is spread across my desk. I’m still asking for partial custody, but have dropped the insistence on El seeing Dr. Rossi. She wasn’t going to do that, anyway. What I’m trying to get her to compromise on is the last name. I know she intends to take Andrea’s last name when they marry. Does that mean she wants to give our baby his last name?
This morning, I sent the new paperwork to Andrea and El’s lawyer. Ten minutes ago, I received the answer with that last part crossed out. In El’s handwriting, three words were in their place, all in capitals:FUCK AND NO. This woman makes me want to bang my head against a wall.
The sound of heels echoes through the hall, and my heart speeds up, worried that she could be coming my way. Only if she were, she would be stomping instead of walking. These footsteps are slower and longer, letting me know this person is taller than El. Most people are taller than El, with her barely shy of five-foot frame. The only person who could be worse than El appears in my doorway. She stands there in her too-tight dress, heavy makeup, and bright red lips. The scent of almond and cherry perfume wafts into the room almost instantly.
“What do you want, Gabby?” I thought we got her name taken off the security list. One of our new guys is working the gate today, giving her the perfect opportunity to manipulate her way in. She tends to get her claws into them as quickly as she can, sleeping with them before they can hear anyone mention her. Or that she gave half our security the clap.
She seductively walks into my office, the swing of her hips accentuating her slinky walk. When she reaches my desk, she bends over, pressing her fake tits together in an attempt to catchmy attention. To be fair, whoever she went to did a great job. If I didn’t know she got a boob job, I’d assume she didn’t by how natural they are. Her tits aren’t the point here.
“I came to see you, of course. Are you stressed, baby? Let me help with that.” Helping to Gabby usually means a blowjob, one I normally wouldn’t turn down. But now? My dick deflates at the thought of her coming anywhere near me.
“I am stressed. Having you in here isn’t helping with that.”
She doesn’t get the memo and walks around my desk, kneeling before me as she rests her burgundy manicured hands on my knees. She seductively bats her dark lashes, rimmed with smokey eyeshadow. I’m ready to shove her away when she rubs her hands up my thighs until a voice interrupts me.
“Hey Marco, I—Really?” My lawyer stops mid-sentence when he notices my chair turned to the side and Gabby’s heels and dark curly hair. I take the opportunity to lean over, grabbing Gabby’s hands to stop her as I catch her stare.
“How about this? You head to the bar, and I’ll cover your tab for the evening. Shit, I’ll even sweeten the deal. I’ll put $1,000 in your account in case you end up heading into the gambling room.” If she heads that way, she’ll get laid, and I get to be left the fuck alone.
She pushes off my legs to stand, tilting her head to the side as she scans me up and down, contemplating my offer. Eventually, she sighs, giving me the answer I was hoping for.
“Fine. Always know I’m only a phone call away. I’ll always be here for you, baby.” She turns around slowly, peeking over her shoulder before she walks away, her way of trying to appear seductive.
My lawyer slams the door behind her, sitting down in front of my desk. He’s about Geno’s age, almost retired, except for us. And you can bet we keep him busy enough that he’s going gray . . . er.
“Listen, I know you’re an adult, but the bottom line is that girl, and you are my kids’ age. It sends a shiver up my spine that all of you toss her around, and she lets it happen. It makes me nauseous to think about if my daughters did that.”
He’s the quintessential girl dad. He’s spent every moment since Alessandro and I brought business to Philadelphia making sure his five daughters stay away from us and we stay away from them. Pictures riddle his office when I’ve gone to see him, and I don’t blame his protectiveness over them. They’re all beautiful and single. I know he has plans for his girls, who are probably linked to young partners in his firm and other white-collar men he knows. Men who are rich, boring, and are bound to take care of them. Plot twist: I’ve caught them on the cameras at our bar and gambling room, sitting on the lap of men, and disappearing with them later. Strict parents raise sneaky kids. Personally, I’ve never taken the opportunity to sleep with his daughters. It would be too close to the saying that talks about not shitting where you sleep.
“I haven’t slept with Gabby since around the time that Alessandro and I took Luci.” Not that it makes it better. “Can we move on to why you’re here? El’s lawyer sent this over shortly before you got here.”
I toss him the paperwork that was faxed over with El’s handwriting on it. As he scans through it, he nods, doing that weird humming thing he does when he’s contemplating information. I never realized how annoying it was until now. “We’ll need to compromise more. How about hyphenating the baby’s last name? Does El plan on taking Andrea’s last name? Do they plan on being married before the baby is born? If not, what name does she plan on using for the baby?”
This is bullshit. “Compromise more? The only way I could compromise more is by removing my DNA from the kid. What the fuck do I pay you for?”
He sighs, mumbling something to himself, before speaking. “Marco. While Pennsylvania law states that both parents have a right to custody, a majority of judges rule in favor of mothers. That’s how it is in most states. El is perfectly able to be a caring and safe mother. Andrea will also be able to provide stable support. Ultimately, meaning that you need to be the one to bend. It sucks, I know. That’s how it is.”
“That’s what Luci said.” Luci was in law school before marrying Alessandro. That’s a lie; it was before Alessandro and I took her, but I digress. Law school was something her family wanted, and being the people pleaser she is, she went along with it. I’m pretty certain the only thing Alessandro and Luci didn’t argue about was Luci not continuing with her law degree.
“Fine. We’ll hyphenate the last fucking name. That’s the last thing I’m compromising on. If I let anything else go, I might as well let Andrea and El live happily ever after with my kid.”
“Which is why we need to get that meeting rescheduled. From my understanding, their lawyer couldn’t make it either. If we meet at my office or his, it would be a neutral zone. Meeting here gives the impression that we have the upper hand. With someone as strong-willed as El, we need neutral territory. I’ll call their lawyer and set something up.”
“Fine, do whatever you want. And while you’re at it, don’t let the door hit you in the ass on the way out.”
He stands, complaining as he walks out. The second I hear the click of the door, I scoot my chair back and relax my elbows on my thighs. Only I don’t scoot back far enough, and when I lean down, I end up smacking my forehead on the desk.
“Son of a. Ow!” Sometimes I shock myself with the dumb shit I manage to get myself into. Most recently, letting myself fall for two people and destroying it, leaving a part of my heart behind with them.
Chapter 68