Gino waited for her to climb inside before joining her. Two of his men climbed into the front seat, and she saw another car behind her.
“Your entourage?”
“I’ve made a lot of enemies. Most of them are smart and know they can’t take me so they don’t even try, but I still have those that have no brains and think they can take me.”
She didn’t say anything, instead looking out of the window. There was so much she wanted to ask and to know about this man. He was a mystery. She didn’t know why he’d been honest with her even now when he’d openly admitted to lying.
Glancing over at him, she saw he was working on his cell phone, and she pressed her hands together and just took in the scenery. Before being locked up in his tower, she had taken the view, and all it entailed, for granted.
No more.
She watched as cars suddenly braked or jerked forward. Car horns honked. People walked past frantically trying to get to their destination.
Each person was lost in their own little world. She’d been part of it herself once. With her bag across her chest, she’d rush, trying to avoid people. One or two people stopped, giving the other a hug, and moving on, offering to call, but both of them knowing it would never happen.
This was the life she did miss.
The traffic lights kept on turning red, bringing the car to a stop. She looked behind her to see his other guards were waiting.
Everyone always seemed tense.
“You’re acting like you’ve not seen the outside before,” he said.
She rolled her eyes. “It has been a long time, and I like watching.”
“You’re a little voyeur.”
“It always has to be a man to make it dirty. I like to people watch, but I have no interest in them actually having sex. That’s gross.”
“You don’t get off on watching people fuck?”
“Who does?” she asked.
“A lot of people.”
“Let me guess, you’ve got a business in that too.”
“I’ve got business in whatever makes money. Pleasure, pain, it all makes money. Sex makes the world go round.”
“I thought that was money.”
“Nope. It just makes life a little easier to deal with. We all know what really makes people tick. Sex. Cold, hard fucking.”
“What about love?”
Gino burst out laughing. “That doesn’t make anyone tick. It’s fucking bullshit to keep people in line.”
“I believe in it.”
“You do?”
“Yes, I’ve seen it.”
“With who?”
“My parents. When my mom was alive, I’d never seen a happier couple. They loved each other fiercely. True love exists.” The car came to a stop, and she saw it was outside of a huge medical facility.
“Let’s go.”
Gino climbed out first, holding his hand out to her. She wasn’t going to run from him. Rather than have a battle of wills, she placed her hand within his, staring up at the imposing building.
She knew she had nothing to hide.
They entered, with a couple of his men following close behind. She saw the reaction of some of the women. They looked at Gino with hunger and hatred for her. She could handle that. It wasn’t like Gino belonged to her.
She was his mere possession. A living, breathing toy.
They were escorted up to the top floor—of course they were—to see Gino’s personal doctor.
On entering, Gino wouldn’t leave her alone. She answered all the doctor’s questions, getting her blood pressure taken, weight, and finally her blood drawn. Next, Gino did the same, and then it was a waiting game.
“Why did you stay?” she asked when they were alone.
“You asked for me to get my blood work done. I figure this way, you will believe the tests that come back, and that I didn’t doctor it.”
“I didn’t even think about you cheating.”
He smirked. “Am I already getting to you? Have I made you fall in love with me yet?”
She shook her head, not interested in his teasing.
Grabbing a magazine about weight, like all of them were about, she flicked through. There were diets mentioned, but nothing that held her attention. Gino worked on his cell phone, and she leaned against his arm, being nosy.
The moment she did, he put his cell phone away.
“I’m not going to tell anyone.”
“I know. I’d kill you before you left this office. It’s work, and you don’t need to know anything.”
She hadn’t gotten a chance to see anything, but his secrecy scared her.
“You haven’t killed my dad, have you?” She hated the thought of him hurting her father and lying to her about it.
“Your father is very much alive. In fact, he even went back to work.”
But she couldn’t see him. Rather than doubt Gino, she decided to give him the benefit of the doubt. Her father was alive, and that was all she was going to get from him.
****
Their blood work came back, and there were no problems.
Gino didn’t imagine he’d have any problems with his medical. He’d also stayed with her as his doctor had a habit of trying to fuck his patients. It was one of the reasons Gino had made him his doctor. He had a lot of dirt on the man and could make him bend to his will.