Page 3 of Escaping the King (The Sovrano Crime Family #13)

Giselle

“P ick it up!” I said for the tenth time.

Gosh.

These men were ticking me off.

Asher rubbed the back of his neck. “Are you sure?”

My head fell back, and I groaned, “How many times do I have to say it?” Man, Asher was an idiot sometimes.

“Why don't we just leave it? You're going to move in with me anyway. There's no sense in getting rid of it just to buy another couch for the new renters,” Carlo pointed out.

Was he right?

Yes.

I mean, not about the moving in with him part. But he didn't know that.

He was right that this stupid couch should stay put because I was leaving, and I'd never see the dang thing again.

“Is this too difficult of a task? Because I can call Eve over here to help me remove this godforsaken thing from my house if you can't do it.”

That came out a little harsher than I'd intended.

Or had it?

I meant what I'd said.

I wanted this couch—gone.

Walking past it made me want to scream.

“Fine,” Asher mumbled and crouched down at one end of the couch. Carlo gave in and grabbed the other end.

I stepped out of the way with Dani in my arms. “Couch bye, bye?” Dani asked in the cutest little girl voice. And it made my heart squeeze.

“Yes, baby. The couch is going bye bye because—someone—defiled it last night.”

I knew she couldn't understand what the heck I was talking about. But I could.

And saying it felt a little cathartic.

Just like knowing this couch would no longer exist in a few minutes. Like my love for Stefan.

It would be gone.

Completely.

We watched the men carry the couch out the door and into the front yard.

Of course, right at that same time, Nick and Eve pulled up. And if that wasn't bad enough, Stefan's car came in directly behind theirs.

“Shit,” I muttered to myself. Except I wasn't alone.

“Shit,” Dani repeated perfectly right after me.

My head turned to her. “Oh, crap.”

She stared at me. “Oh, crap.”

I bit my tongue and decided not to teach my baby any more bad words today.

Good grief.

Eve burst out of their vehicle first. “Oh, honey.

What's going on?” She sprinted through the gate and up the steps to me.

“Here, give me her for a minute.” She reached her arms out to an already waiting Dani.

She loved her Auntie Evie. I handed Dani over and thought about what to say.

But there was really only one thing to say.

“I caught Sophia riding Stefan on the couch. Naked.”

Eve nodded and kissed Dani's cheek. “Nick got it right, then. I'd hoped he'd heard wrong or something.” She grabbed me with her free arm and hugged me. “I'm so sorry. I don't know what's gotten into him. Or Sophia for that matter.”

Tears showed up but I blinked them back. Still, I sniffled anyway. “Stefan got into Sophia. They were having quite a good time until I started screaming at them.”

Eve sighed and squeezed me tighter. “Honestly. That man. You know he loves you.”

I blinked and sniffled and pushed away. “That was hard to tell last night while he was sucking on her bare b-o-o-b-s.” I spelled out so Dani wouldn't repeat that word, too.

“Well, I guess we know who she was crushing on, now.” Eve sighed with watery eyes.

I nodded and took a deep breath. “Yep. Mystery solved.”

When I looked out to the street, I saw Nick with his hand on Stefan's chest. They were discussing something very, very loudly. I couldn't make out what they were saying. I didn't have to. You could tell they were both angry.

And even though I was steaming mad—seeing Nick go to bat for me made my heart all warm and mushy.

“You picked a good man, Evie.” I grabbed her arm and leaned my head on her shoulder. “I mean, other than the whole mafia life thing. That I'm still not so sure about. But Nick would stand to the death for you and the babies.”

She kissed my forehead. “He already did that, Giselle.” She took her arm and slipped it around my back. “All of those men out there would do the same for you.”

I shook my head. “Not Stefan. Not anymore. He showed me that last night.”

We watched Nick and Stefan argue for a while longer. Carlo stopped Asher from going over to them. I figured that was probably a wise choice.

Nick had the best chance of diffusing the situation and getting Stefan to turn around and go back where he came from.

Stefan bolted toward the house. Nick quickly grabbed onto his arm.

But Stefan broke free.

“Oh, poop,” I said and clenched my fists together.

“Oh, poop,” Dani repeated after me.

Eve gasped and looked at me.

“Be careful what you say in front of her. She's repeating everything.”

Eve stifled a giggle and nodded. “Noted.”

Asher stepped in Stefan's way. “What the fuck, man? Don't you think you caused enough shit for a while? Go back home. She doesn't want to see you.”

I loved Asher.

“All due respect, man. Get the fuck out of my way. I need to talk to my woman.”

I snorted at Stefan's words. A little too loudly, apparently because everyone turned to look at me. “I'm your woman? Really?”

Stefan's hands landed on his hips, and he stepped around Asher. “Yeah, really.”

I let out a sarcastic laugh. “Oh, okay. Is that why your dick was inside my nanny last night? I was a little confused by that.”

“Okay, I'm taking Dani inside,” Eve whispered to me and rubbed my arm.

He cleared his throat. “That's what I came here to talk about.”

I shrugged. “What's to talk about? You prefer my nanny's pussy to mine. No biggie.”

The look on his face changed from angry to plain old freaking deadly.

Yeah.

He didn't enjoy that comment.

Not at all.

“That's not fucking true!” he yelled while Asher held him back. Nick joined in and grabbed onto his arms.

Carlo stayed back with his arms crossed. Which I thought was kind of interesting.

While they dealt with an out of control Stefan, I walked down the steps and wandered into the backyard.

I was at the shed before I even knew it.

I opened it up and picked up what I needed.

Then I headed to the front yard again. The screaming and fighting hadn't stopped. Anyone for miles around could hear it.

I looked at the couch in the middle of my yard, and a certain calmness came over me.

I used to love that stupid couch.

Now I hated it.

I made my mind up.

No one will ever sit on that damn thing again.

I took the lid off the bottle in my hand and squirted it on the couch. No one was watching me. Carlo's eyes were glued to the three men.

Which meant I could do whatever the heck I wanted.

So.

I did.

I tossed the bottle onto the couch and struck a match against the matchbox.

And then.

I tossed it onto the couch.

A small—but mighty—sonic boom exploded into a bright fire in front of me.

And then.

I was suddenly traveling through the air and onto something hard.

“Christ,” Carlo breathed out as I looked down at him. He quickly rolled over onto me. The flames shot out around his head. “Have you lost your mind?” he barked at me.

I thought about it for a few seconds and nodded. “Maybe.”

He moved to his knees and pulled me up with him. Asher already had the hose on the couch. Which I thought was too bad. I'd wanted that stupid couch to burn to the ground.

The water from the hose wasn't helping much. I saw Nick jump over the low fence between Eve's old house and mine. He ran straight for the hose in that yard.

That left Stefan free to walk up to me. “Are you crazy?” he sputtered out. The frown on his face was so deep, I wondered ifhe'd ever look at me lovingly again.

And then I realized.

Nope.

He wouldn't.

I felt that down deep in my soul.

“No, are you?” I asked and crossed my arms.

“You could have burned down the entire block!” His arms flew up and his frown deepened. “I had it under control, Stefan. It's just a couch. People burn shit here all the time.”

His eyebrows raised and he stepped closer. “In the field, maybe. Not where there are people and houses and fucking kids.”

I didn't want to engage with this man anymore.

There really was no sense to it. He wasn't going to talk me around.

“Why are you here?” I completely changed the subject.

All I wanted was for him to get the heck out of here so I could pack up and leave at the next opportunity.

And with all of this ruckus, I'd never get the chance.

I watched him take a deep breath. I could hear the other men—Nick, Carlo, and Asher walking around and dealing with the couch fire. I didn't pay them much attention. A burning couch was the least of my worries at the moment.

“I came to apologize for—” he pointed at the couch, “that.”

I felt my eyes narrow all on their own. “You want to apologize for me setting the couch on fire?”

His jaw clenched and he swallowed. “For making you set the fucking couch on fire. Yes.” His voice was full of restrained hostility. And I didn't really care. He didn't matter to me.

Not anymore.

And his reactions and emotions didn't hold any weight, either.

“You and Sophia were sure setting it on fire last night. Weren't you?” I stuck in. Because I could.

He shook his head and let out a breath. “It was a mistake, okay? I was feeling sorry for myself, and she was—”

The tears burning behind my eyes wanted to fall. I didn't want them to.

There was no way I wanted to show Stefan how weak I was. “There?” I added for him. “Naked? Wet?”

Now he closed the distance between us and laid his hands on my shoulders. “Stop it, Giselle. That's not how it was. I'd had too much to drink. And I—” his voice caught in his throat. “I miss you, okay? I fucking miss you.”

I pursed my lips together and shook my head.

“You don't get to lay the blame for this on me, Stefan. That—” I pointed to the now smoking, mostly not on fire anymore couch, “is not my fault.

You can't blame sticking your penis inside of my nanny on me.

I've been here the whole time. I've begged you to talk to me. To get back to where we were. But you just—” I shut my eyes.

“disappeared on me.” I opened my eyes and saw the pain in his eyes.

Every part of my being wanted to erase it. Make it all go away. Jump into his arms and kiss him.

But I couldn't do that.

“You're right here with—” he cleared his throat as his eyes grew dark, “my brother's baby inside of you.”

I gasped because that wasn't true, “I'm not pregnant.”

His eyes looked away and then back at me. “How much longer will it be, sweetheart? One day, you're going to hold my hand and tell me you're carrying my brother's baby.”

When he said that, I felt an odd zinging sensation run through me from my head to my toes.

Weird.

“We made a deal. You were there,” I reminded him.

“Giselle. You and I both know that Carlo would never let me get you pregnant after you have his baby. There's no part of my brother that would ever allow that to happen. Once he's claimed you—that's it.”

I thought about that for a second and realized Stefan was right. Carlo wasn't the kind of man who'd pass around his wife to be impregnated by another man. Especially if that man was his brother.

“Come away with me,” he whispered hoarsely. “Marry me, Giselle. Have my babies. Fuck this life. You and I were friends long before we were ever lovers. Remember how great we were? You, me, and Dani? Our own little family?” His voice went up on that last word.

And it actually did break my heart.

“I do remember. All of it. I loved you, Stefan. You helped us and looked out for us like no one ever had. You cared.” Crap.

I'd lost my battle with the tears.

“And when you finally admitted to loving me back,” my vision blurred, and tears spilled down my cheeks. “You made love to me for the first time on that stupid couch.” I looked over at the steaming, burned mess. “And then you ruined it all. You ruined everything.”

His hands pulled me closer. So close that our chests touched. “Sophia means nothing to me. I was hurting, and drunk. That's it. And you were in bed with my fucking brother. Again.”

I gazed up through my tears and told him the truth. “I was coming out to make love to you, Stefan. I was missing you, too. I wanted you.” My voice broke. “And then I turn the corner to see you fucking my nanny.”

Every emotion on his face dropped right off. And then the pain returned.

“Giselle.” He sighed, and let his forehead rest against mine. “I'm so fuckin' sorry. I promise I'll never do that shit again. I'm so fuckin' sorry.” He used his fingers and lifted my chin. Then he leaned down and let his lips touch mine.

I wanted to kiss him.

That was the really messed up part of all this. I wanted to kiss Stefan and make all of this pain go away.

But letting him off the hook wouldn't make me feel any better. I knew that for years to come, I'd have visions of my nanny bouncing on top of him.

Nothing would ever erase that scene from my mind.

I let him kiss me. But I didn't kiss him back.

“Open for me, sweetheart. I want to kiss you so bad,” he muttered against my lips.

I shook my head and moved back. “You can't just pop back in here and say, 'Oops, I'm so sorry that I stuck my penis inside your nanny. Let's be friends.' That's not how it works, Stefan. You need to leave. I never want to see you again.”

His hands dropped from me, and he stepped backward. “Fine. Fuck you, Giselle.” He turned to his brother. “And fuck you, too.”

And with that—he spun around and left.