He’s going to start renting you out to the highest bidder, just like your dad used to.
I won’t go through that… not again, not without a fight, that I'm bound to lose. And that's exactly what I know will happen as my feet start to move on their accord.
"Winter!" The doctor calls out and the concern in her voice is clear, but I ignore her.
I never walk around the mansion without an escort. Even though my door isn't always locked twenty-four seven, the furthest I ever go is to the bathroom. Before, I had to wait for Enzo to make an appearance.
Still, I've started to remember the route to the most important rooms and the ones I've frequented.
Like Giovanni's office.
I pass a couple of guards who only raise a brow at me ,but none of them dare try to stop me. I know it'd be a different story if I was trying to walk out the front door.
Chef Donna's eyes widen slightly as I zoom by her, but she only steps out of the way.
I turn down the familiar corridor. It's dimly lit and there aren't any other people in the hall. I pass by the door that leads to the basement and a chill moves down my spine, but I don't let it dissuade me.
When I finally reach my destination, I raise my hand to bang on the door but it swings open. Vito stands in front of me, his brows pulled slightly together. He opens his mouth to say something but not even the warning on his face is enough.
I push by him, regretting it when I remember he was recently shot.
Now is not the time to let your sympathy get the best of you, Winter. No one here has sympathy for you.
Giovanni is sitting behind his desk, clad in a suit. His hair is slicked back, exposing the hard angles of his face and dark eyes that watch me closely. A cigar sits between his fingers and a shot glass in his other hand, his feet propped on his desk.
He looks unfazed by my presence.
"How dare you?" I snap at him, walking right up to the edge of his desk with my fists clenched.
A hand lightly touches my waist and I feel warmth at my back. "Winter," Vito says softly. "Maybe you want to leave-"
"Leave, Vito," Giovanni cuts him off, his tone eerily calm.
"Gio-"
"Vito," Giovanni's gaze snaps behind me. I hear a sigh, before Vito's touch lifts and so does his warmth.
The office door slams closed with a resounding thud.
Giovanni doesn't say anything, his gaze still hot on me as he takes a drag from his cigar.
"How dare you?" I ask again since it is clear he isn't going to say anything.
He blows a puff of smoke into the air before tossing back the shot in his hand. He throws the empty glass to the floor, the unexpected shatter making me jump.
"How dare I what?" he asks, his eyes finding mine through the cloud of smoke. "Put you on birth control?" He doesn't wait for me to answer. "Simple. I own you, so I'll do as I please with you, and that includes what you put in your body."
The double meaning isn't lost on me, and it makes my stomach turn. "You can't just do that!" I shout at him.
He tilts his head slightly. "Would you prefer I have the doctor shove an IUD up your cunt if you don't want the pills then?" he asks, and I know it’s a trap.
There's this glint in his eye, and I know he's doing it again. Taunting me, pushing me, waiting for me to say the wrong thing so I can fall into his dangerous trap.
And I jump right in with both feet.
"I don't want any of it! I'm not going on birth control, because you're not going to... no one's going to..." I try to push the words out, but my throat closes up on me and I rub at it, my body growing hot with frustration.
“You were going to say I’m not going to fuck you,” he says. The change in his tone is subtle, but I pick up on it. The expression on his face isn’t quite as blank anymore. “So, are those rights only reserved to my brother and Vito? Is that what you think?” he asks.