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CHAPTER 14
M atteo
Until now I didn’t realize just how much Giulia’s presence has soothed me. In the couple of days she’s been here, I’ve felt more relaxed. My guilt over Sofia Montalbano’s death has subsided. I still feel terrible about it, of course, but I now accept it was a terrible accident. The only people to blame are the Rossis. They’re the ones who brought violence to the quiet streets of Cetona. They had no reason to come after me, other than to vent their displeasure at the Volantes taking control of the north of Italy. The Rossis could have fallen into line and accepted Damiano’s rule, but they rebelled. They’ve paid a heavy price for their mistake. We’ve all but wiped them from the face of the earth.
I set aside the pasta salad I was eating but not really enjoying and wander through to the living room. Without Giulia in the house I’m restless, untethered. She’s only been out for a couple of hours, but I miss her. It was a mistake to let her go tonight. I thought I could be a normal boyfriend, that I could relinquish control. It turns out it’s not that easy. Though I tell myself Damiano can be trusted to keep her safe, I’m not convinced he’ll do as good a job as I would. He doesn’t have the same investment in her wellbeing.
The temptation to jump in my car and head to the club so I can watch Giulia personally is strong, but I don’t give in to it. Giulia would be pissed if I interrupted her girls’ night and I don’t want her to think I’m unable to trust her. Because I do have absolute faith in her not to cheat. If a man flirts with her, she’ll turn him down flat. She’s not the type to lead anyone on. I just have to hope if she comes up against someone who won’t take no for an answer that Damiano or his men will step in.
Grabbing a bottle of Scotch from the cabinet in the corner of the room, I pour myself a glass and head for my bedroom. I’ll watch a movie until Giulia gets home. Then I’ll fuck her so thoroughly she won’t want to leave the house without me again.
As I reach the top of the stairs, my cellphone buzzes. I take it out of my pocket and check who’s calling. It’s Alessandro. He’s the only one of my older brothers who hasn’t hassled me about getting my ass back to New York. While Antonio and Leo have been persistent in their demands, Alessandro has left me in peace. Though I suspect he might have been pressured into calling me by Antonio, I accept the call.
“Hey, Sandro.”
He doesn’t waste time with pleasantries. “I just spoke to Phil de Soto.”
That’s not what I expected. I didn’t realize he even knew Giulia’s younger brother. Though Phil was inducted into our organization a couple of months ago, Alessandro is more concerned with legitimate ventures these days. He doesn’t spend a lot of time getting down and dirty with our soldiers.
“And?”
“He was pissed. He just found out his sister’s in Italy with you.”
It hadn’t occurred to me until now that Giulia might not have told her family she was coming here. I guess it makes sense, though. She won’t have wanted them to worry about her being alone here with me.
“How?”
“What the fuck does it matter?” Alessandro demands. “Is it true? Is Giulia Costanza there with you?”
It would be disingenuous to deny it just because she isn’t by my side right now. “Yes, it’s true.”
“Fuck, Matteo!”
“What’s the big deal?” Considering Alessandro dragged his bride onto a plane just days after setting eyes on her for the first time, he’s got a nerve giving me a hard time about Giulia.
“She’s Ritchie Costanza’s daughter.”
I know exactly who Giulia is. It hasn’t slipped my mind that her father is one of our most loyal and respected soldiers. He hasn’t risen high in the ranks of our organization, but that isn’t because my family doesn’t value him. It’s just that when a position has become vacant, there’s always been someone more suitable for promotion.
Personally I like Ritchie. Aside from marrying Giulia off to Johnny Lombardi, he’s been a good father to her. I assume he thought he was doing the right thing. He’s the type of man who lives up to his responsibilities and he’s got a great sense of humor. He never stood in the way of my friendship with his daughter, even when I started to gain a reputation for fucking around. I know I’ll have to appease him when he finds out about Giulia and me, but right now I don’t want to think about that.
“Yeah, I know. She’s my oldest friend.”
“So, what, she just flew over there to braid your hair after ignoring your stupid ass for six months?”
“No, she came to persuade me to come home. Our beloved brother sent her.”
“Antonio?”
“Who else?”
“Has he gone fucking nuts?” Alessandro growls. “What about Giulia’s honor?”
I’m surprised Alessandro’s concerned about her honor. He was with me that day at Johnny’s wake when we both made crass remarks about Giulia. He was trying to make Marissa Locatelli laugh because he wanted to get into her panties.
“Honor?” In our fucked-up, out-of-touch world, she’s a widow and shouldn’t be bound by the same restrictions as a young, unmarried woman would be. Of course if people knew she’d been a virgin before she came to Italy, the situation would be very different. “Since when do you give a fuck about honor?”
“Since I married a good woman, but it’s not my opinion that matters. It’s Ritchie’s.”
I sigh heavily because I know Ritchie will want to protect her reputation after the debacle with her short-lived marriage. There are still assholes whispering that she killed Johnny on their wedding night. If people find out she’s here with me, it’ll be another excuse to talk shit about her. Giulia doesn’t deserve that.
“He’s got nothing to worry about.”
“So you’re not fucking her?”
“It’s not fucking.” My tone is defensive.
“Shit. You love her?”
“I always have.”
There’s a long silence and I visualize Alessandro shaking his head in disbelief. Then he chuckles. “Okay, kid. Should I tell Mamma to book the church?”
“Leave that to me.”
Alessandro mutters something about making sure I don’t fuck up. I ignore his warning. Despite what he just called me, I’m not a kid anymore. When Antonio needed time off to be with Isabella, I stepped up and ran things. It was only for a couple of days, but I oversaw a couple of important weapons deals in that time. I should get some credit for that, but my older brothers love to remind me of my place.
“Give my love to Emilia.” My brother’s wife is one of the sweetest people I know.
“Sure.”
I’ve barely ended the call when my cellphone rings again. It’s Damiano this time. Fear freezes my blood. Has something happened to Giulia?
I answer immediately. “What’s wrong?”
“Giulia’s on her way home.”
“Why?” It’s barely eleven-thirty. I didn’t expect her until the early hours of the morning. Clubs are open late here in Italy.
“There was an incident.”
My heart hammers at my ribcage. “What happened? Is she okay?”
“Yes, she’s fine. A little pissed, but unharmed. Adamo Gianotti approached her.”
The kid who was spying on the house? My fists clench as anger surges through me. There can be no doubt now that his intentions when I saw him in the woods were sinister.
“Is she okay? He didn’t touch her?”
“No, he didn’t touch her.” There’s something in Damiano’s voice that makes me think there’s more to the story. “What? What is it?”
“She had her hand on his cheek.”
I frown deeply. “She was touching him?”
“Yeah, like she was trying to make him feel better, or something.”
Why the fuck would she be trying to console a complete stranger? My temper rises at the thought of Giulia stroking some other guy’s face.
“Tell me you grabbed the asshole.”
“We did, but he got away.”
It’s hard to believe the skittish boy I saw in the woods escaped Damiano’s highly trained men.
“How the fuck did that happen?”
Damiano blows out a breath. “One of my security guards locked him in a room next to my office so he could deal with another issue. One of my hostesses let him out.”
“Deliberately?”
“I don’t know yet.”
I recognize the determination in his tone and feel a brief pang of pity for the hostess he’s going to interrogate over this. Damiano won’t hesitate to hurt anyone who poses a threat to our family, woman or not.
“There’s a team of six escorting Giulia home,” Damiano continues. “They’ll stay on site in case of trouble.”
I assume he means at the gatehouse that’s been unoccupied since I arrived. “I appreciate it.”
Though I can keep Giulia save within these walls, I won’t turn down additional security. I’d prefer for any intruders to be apprehended long before they reach the house. I end the call and go back downstairs to wait for Giulia to get home.
I try to stay calm, but my mind is racing with thoughts of what might have happened to her. We have no idea who this boy is, what his motivation in approaching her might have been, but I have to assume it wasn’t good. The mere idea of someone harming Giulia is enough to drive me to the brink of insanity. I want to tear this boy limb from limb just for daring to breathe in the same air as her. It’s irrational, I know, but I want to bind Giulia to me so inextricably nothing bad can ever touch her again.
Thankfully it doesn’t take long before I hear vehicles rolling up outside. I go to the front door, just as Nicolo, one of my cousin’s trusted lieutenants, lets Giulia out of the back of an armored SUV. With uncharacteristic rudeness, she barges past him and marches to the house. Fury etched in the scowl on her lips, the narrowing of her eyes, she passes me without a word and goes straight upstairs.
Closing the front door, I activate the security system and follow Giulia to her bedroom. When I enter, she’s kicked off her shoes and is standing by the bed, fists clenched at her sides. I guess she was expecting me.
“What the fuck, Matteo?” she demands. “You had me dragged out of a club because I was talking to another man?”
“That was Damiano’s call.”
“Right, but who asked Damiano to spy on me?”
Trying to calm the situation, I breathe in deeply and speak in a steady voice. “I asked him to keep you safe.”
“I was safe.” Giulia jabs a finger at me. “You just didn’t like me talking to another man.”
My jaw clenches at her confrontational tone. “You don’t know who he was.”
“It doesn’t matter who he was, Matteo. I was handling him. You had no right…”
That shit won’t fly. She cuts off mid-sentence as I step up to her, getting in her face. “I had every right, Giulia. You are mine.”
“No.”
I reach out and curve my hand around her cheek. It’s taking every ounce of strength I have to remain calm in the face of her aggression. “No what, Giulia? No, I don’t have the right to protect you or no, you’re not mine?”
Giulia slaps my hand away. “I’m not a possession.”
“No,” I agree, “but you belong to me all the same and that gives me every right to do whatever it takes to keep you safe.”
She shakes her head. “No, Matteo…”
“You need me to prove it to you?” I advance on her as she backs away, her retreat eventually halted by the wall. “You need me to show you that every part of you belongs to me?”
Her lips twist into a scowl as fire flashes in her eyes. She’s spoiling for a fight, trying to goad me into staking my claim in the most savage way possible. When she puts her hands on my chest and tries to shove me away, I know I’m right. She wants me to show her who’s boss.
Grabbing her hands, I pin them above her head. Giulia bares her teeth as she struggles, but I simply tighten my body as I press against her and lower my lips to hers. My kiss is harsh, demanding. I don’t relent until Giulia yields to me, parting her lips to give me access. Then I push my tongue into her mouth, tasting, teasing. I don’t let up until she finally kisses me back. The moment her body softens against me, I release her.
“Strip!” My tone is more aggressive than usual, but the desire to make Giulia see once and for all that she’s mine is overwhelming.
“Matty.” She reaches out for me, but I step back. I know what she’s trying to do. She fears what she’s unleashed and is trying to soothe the beast inside me that wants to lay claim to every part of her.
“I said strip.”
Still she hesitates. It seems she needs a little incentive to do as she’s told. Taking hold of her shoulders, I spin her around and spank her ass three times. It can’t have hurt much through her clothing, but Giulia whimpers. I turn her back to face me. “That’s just the start of your punishment, sweetheart. Continuing to defy me will only add to the count.” I give her a few seconds to absorb my warning. “Now, strip.”
This time she obeys my instruction. Reaching behind her, she lowers the zipper on the ridiculously short dress she wore tonight. I still can’t believe I let her leave the house in it without me by her side.
She pulls the slip of fabric off over her head and then tosses it across the room. Then she removes her black lacy bra and panties, dropping them to the floor before kicking them away.
Sinking her teeth into her bottom lip, she glares defiantly at me. Her arms hang by her sides. I like that she doesn’t try to hide any part of herself as she waits for my next instruction. I take a moment to admire her breasts. They’re beautifully plump, not too big or too small. Her skin has a warm, peachy glow and her nipples are a dusky rose color. I want to lick them until they draw up into tight peaks, but I resist. Giulia has a punishment coming and I need to attend to that before I indulge my desires.
“Bend over the bed, arms above your head, legs spread and ass pushed out.”
“Matty.” Her big brown eyes widen as she stares beseechingly at me. I’m not about to be distracted by her innocent look.
“Now, Giulia.”
Offering no further resistance, she sighs, turns, and drapes herself elegantly over the bed, adopting the position I demanded. She glances over her shoulder. “What happens now?”
“I’m going to whip your ass with my belt and then fuck you until you know who you belong to.”
By the time I’m finished with her, she’ll never doubt it again.