Blackmailed by the Mafia Boss
Page 22
“I don’t think it is.”
“Why?”
“You have to keep up with a lie. Follow it through to the bitter end or whatever other lie it builds toward. It sounds like a lonely way to live.”
“Some lies need to be told.”
“Like what?”
“Santa Claus.”
She giggled. “That lie doesn’t count. It makes Christmas magical.”
“How old were you when you stopped believing?” he asked.
“Seven, I think. I heard my parents talking about what age was the right age to tell me. I was kind of already figuring it out, but it was fun while it lasted. You?”
“Five.”
“So young.”
“My dad, he wanted to try and have a normal family, but being a Capo, he had a set of responsibilities. I know my mom hated telling me the truth. She wanted another year. If he’d given her another year, it would have continued. I remember being heartbroken.”
“Are you lying now?”
“No, I’m not lying.”
Silence fell between them. He watched her. Gino felt a wave of calm wash over him whenever he watched her.
“Do you think you’ll ever have kids of your own?”
“I have to. It’s part of my job to create sons that will one day take over.”
“What about daughters?”
“They get the worst deal out of it all. I wouldn’t want to have a daughter.”
“You don’t get a choice.”
Chapter Seven
Avery expected Gino to break his word. When she woke up the next day, she put on her usual jeans and shirt and pulled the chair to the window so she could sit and look out of it.
She had always been an early riser as she loved to watch the sun come up. There was nothing more beautiful as far as she was concerned.
Pushing her hair out of her face, she crossed her legs and wondered if she could really trust Gino.
She couldn’t expect anything from him. There was no point in it. The past week, he’d not wanted anything from her.
They hadn’t even had sex yet.
She was his toy and he could do what he wanted with her, but that didn’t make it easy for her.
The lock on her door clicked, and she got to her feet, watching as Gino entered. “Are you ready for breakfast?”
“Yes.”
He hadn’t said anything about going out, and she wasn’t going to push. One thing that could be said about this man, he was incredibly sensitive.
She had to hide her smile as she thought about it. Who would have thought Gino Mazza was sensitive?
Once again, he held his hand out for her to take. She’d already made the decision she wasn’t going to run from him. There was no point. When it came to Gino, he didn’t scare her so long as she stayed true to him and loyal.
They walked toward the dining room, and there were pancakes waiting. She had eggs but no bacon, and it made her smile that he remembered.
He picked up the newspaper, and she ate in silence, watching him.
After only a few minutes he put it down. “I’ve booked us an appointment with my doctor. We’ll head on over there once we finish up.”
“You’re going to take me outside for the world to see?”
“Yes.”
“Are you sure that’s good for your reputation?” she asked. Shut the fuck up, Avery. What the hell are you doing? You get to go out into the real world like a normal person.
“I’m confident in my reputation. We need to get you a dress for the charity gala. You’re going as my date.”
“When you kill a politician?”
“I’m not going to kill anyone. I’m going to remind him no one is above my justice.”
“Do you own the law as well?”
“Yes.”
She dropped her fork. “So I can’t go anywhere in this city without you having a hand in it somewhere? Without you watching and knowing?”
“It’s how I stay in control.”
“What if we don’t need you to be in control?”
“You ask a lot of questions.”
“You answer a lot.”
He laughed. “If I wasn’t in control, you take me out of the picture, within a matter of days, the Cartels would be here. Drugs would be rife in the streets. Gun crime, knife crime, rape, you name it. I keep everything in order so women like you can walk the streets.”
“But there’s still rape. There’s still injustice. You don’t solve it.”
“I contain it, Avery. I do the best I can.”
“What if that’s not good enough?” she asked.
His nostrils flared.
“I’m not trying to make you angry.”
“I’ve seen what can happen when a Capo falls and their city is taken over. It’s not pretty. I can only keep so much chaos from ensuing. End of discussion.”
He finished his breakfast, and she had already eaten enough.
“Are you ready to leave?”
“Yes.” She was a little shaken by his anger.
You really need to stop questioning him. It’s not his responsibility to do everything.
As she followed him out of the house, men stood with the door open to a waiting car.