“No, this isn’t about what you did. It’s about what he did and didn’t do. I made it clear he was to protect and keep you secure. He didn’t do that and he left you bleeding and in pain. I’ve killed men for less over women who weren’t under my protection.”
I press my hand against my stomach that’s still twisting at the idea of someone dying because of me.
“Hey,” Tony tugs me up and into his arms. “I need to ensure every man who works for me follows instructions exactly. If I don’t it’s a weakness to me, the family business. It was about you but it wasn’t because of you. Do you understand?”
It wasn’t just talk, Tony protecting women. Sitting up there tied to the bed in pain for three hours wasn’t something Tony would have allowed any woman to go through. I nod.
“Good, come on.” His hand is at my back again as he guides me through the office and back up the stairs.
He introduces me to an older woman with greying blonde hair who tells me to call her Charlie, even though Tony introduces her as Charlotte. She’s nice and laughs a lot as she shows me around the bookstore. Tony goes behind a computer to review orders and open sales he’s considering buying from. Once the tour is over and I’m sitting in the office, a much smaller office that looks a whole lot like the one downstairs, Charlie offers me some tea which I happily take.
After I finish the biography, I go hunting for Tony. He’s in the used side of the bookstore looking for a book that’s been sold online and needs to be mailed out.
I’m barely twenty feet away when he turns. “Finished already?”
I nod. “It was good. I don’t normally like biographies, but he was a fascinating guy. Can I do anything to help?”
“Hm, not really. You can pick out another book if you want. There are a few things for me to do then we’ll go home. Dominic comes over. We eat, his breakfast, my lunch and discuss business.”
“Dominic?” I don’t know why I get scared. Why I take a step back from him.
“What’s the matter?” Tony reaches out, and both hands go around my arms.
“Your son, the man who would...you want me to meet him? Are you going to tell him what I tried—what happened?” Oh god, how embarrassing. I’m shaking and can’t stop.
“Hey, no.” Tony’s arms are around me holding me tight. His heat seeps into me. I cling to him. “Shh, don’t worry. I’m not going to tell Dominic. I haven’t told anyone, and I won’t.”
“No one?” I mumble, confused.
He stiffens as he sighs, his hand runs up and down my back. “No one. I would have told Vito and Joseph, but I figured since the plan was to leave you overdosed in your place, they didn’t need to know. There was no part for them to play in it.”
Hearing him lay it out all over again, how he was going to kill me, makes me weaker. His arms tighten around me in instant response. I want to push him away. What the hell am I doing seeking comfort from him when he was going to...? I sigh as it all comes back. All he was going to do was protect himself—from me. Seriously, where the hell had it gone? What happened for all the rage and pain to disappear as if it never even existed? That can’t be normal, can it?
“I’m sorry.” The words slip out of my tight throat. “This is all my fault, and I’m hiding behind you for what I made happen.”
Tony pulls back and looks down at me. A finger runs over my lower lip. “I told you, piccolina, you’re mine. You belong to me. It’s my responsibility now to take care of you and protect you from everyone—including yourself. No one will ever know.” Blue glitters to dark sapphire, and I shiver. He means it, every word. “Tell me, Christy. Who do you belong to?”
“You.” I don’t dare deny it. I don’t want to.
“That’s the only thing that matters from this day forward. Do you understand me? To my men, to my son, to everyone. You belong to me.”
I nod, my throat tight with an emotion I can’t name, but scares the hell out of me. Tony presses his lips to mine. “Go wait in the office for me while I finish up.”
9
Christy
When we walk into his house, Carmella comes out of the library. “Your clothes have been brought over from your place. Tomorrow we can go over and pack everything you want. I’ll sort out getting rid of anything you don’t want.”
Then she’s gone again. I’m frozen where I stand. What? All my things are here? I watch Tony go into the kitchen without looking back. What the hell is happening? Fuck being scared of pushing him. I follow him into the kitchen. He’s working his phone, and I hear the music change from country music to blues. “Tony, you moved my stuff here?”
An eyebrow goes up as he turns to me, “Yeah, of course,” he says the words slowly. I want to slap him so badly.
“There’s no, of course. What the hell is this?”
“What’s what?” He frowns down at me.
“This, what am I doing here? I’m going to follow you around for what a week, two weeks? Until you get bored with me? I don’t even really understand why I’m still alive right now, and I’m trying not to freak out over how that can change at any minute.”