He wasn’t wrong. Chiara had practically skipped down that aisle, thinking Matteo was some Prince Charming.
“You know what, it doesn’t matter.” I leaned into Gio, allowing his warmth to bleed into me. “She’s dead. Matteo’s dead. And Dad’s dead.” I watched his reaction carefully, noticing the slight tightening of his jaw. “Now you suddenly want to ally with the rival mafia you hate and the sister you threatened to kill?” I narrowed my eyes at him.
“The things Matteo said… ” Luca glanced away, and what looked like shame crossed his face. “I’m sorry I didn’t believe you. I never thought Sergio would give you away like some fucking gift.” He spat the word.
“You let him in there while they tortured him?” My gaze snapped to Gio.
“Renzo thought he should see it.”
“What did he say?” I whispered.
Gio stroked my hair and kissed my forehead. “Nothing important, princess.”
I knew he was lying, protecting me. While part of me itched to know Matteo’s dying confession, I realized that I didn’t need to hear anything that man had to say.
“Regardless of our personal issues, I don’t want war with the Famiglia,” Luca said. “I don’t want to see more of my men die.”
Gio turned to my brother. “Do you know where Sergio is?|
My brother’s brows pinched as he shook his head. “Even before I was taken, he’d become paranoid. Communicating via burner phones. I haven’t seen him since we received Dad’s hand.”
Gio nodded. “Okay.” He believed him, just like that? “We’ll discuss this more when Sergio is handled. Until then, he might try to kill you again. I think you should stay here for your own protection.” Gio moved away from me, back to his desk. “Annaliese will make up a room for you. But Luca…” My husband took a seat, staring Luca down, every inch the apex predator in the room. “Should you threaten my wife again, harm her, or upset her in any way, I don’t give a fuck who you are; you will die every bit as horribly as Romano did.” Nothing about that should have been hot, but it was Gio, and the man managed to make violence a love language. With my brother three feet away, though, my face caught fire.
“Understood.” My brother stepped back, his gaze sliding to me. “I…I’m sorry, Emi.”
I shook my head, unable to bring myself to trust him. “If you fuck us over, Luca…”
“I know.” He turned and left the room. The door clicked shut, and I took what felt like the first full breath in several minutes.
“You’re blushing, piccola.” A smirk cut over Gio’s lips. “Come here.”
I walked over to him, and when I rounded the desk, he stood and reached for me. Grabbing my hips, he pushed me to sit on the polished surface in front of him. “Us?”
“What?”
His hands landed on my knees. “You said ‘if you fuck us over.’”
“Are we not an us?”
His lips quirked as he leaned over me. “Oh, amore mio, we are definitely an ‘us.’” Warm palms slid up my thighs, inching the skirt of my dress up. “Spread your legs for me, princess. Let me see what’s mine.”
I couldn’t have fought the command if I wanted to. My pulse leaped as my thighs parted, and it was in a full sprint by the time his heated gaze dropped to my lace underwear. “Good girl.” He used one finger to push the underwear aside and just stared at the most intimate part of me. “So pretty,” he said, brushing over me.
My entire body heated, trembling with anticipation, waiting for him to press inside me.
Instead, he stopped and pushed to his feet. “How is your shoulder, princess?”
“Fine,” I said too quickly.
He smiled, sweeping the straps of my sundress from my shoulders. The material fell to my waist, revealing my bare breasts. I couldn’t wear a bra with my shoulder or normal clothes. Hence the sundress in fall. I’d heard the guys bitching endlessly about the heating that Gio insisted was cranked up to counter it. The man was ridiculous, and I loved him for it.
“Do you want me to stop?” he asked.
I gripped his wrist, guiding his hand between my legs. “Does it feel like I want you to stop?”
He chuckled as he dropped his face to my chest, sucking one nipple into his mouth, then biting. “You’ve become so tainted, my virginal little wife.” He pressed one finger inside me, just to the knuckle.
My hips rolled of their own accord, chasing more. “Gio.”
“Patience, amore mio.” He lowered to his knees in front of me and leaned in, biting the inside of my thigh, and I moaned and spread my legs farther. “So perfect, Emilia.” He swiped his tongue over me, and I bit my bottom lip to stop myself from crying out. “So mine.”
He circled my clit with his tongue, and my hands went to his hair, my hips chasing the pleasure only his mouth could deliver. Gio ate me like I was his last meal, groaning against my pussy like he was the one getting off on it.