Page 25 of Sins and Secrets

She nods once, though her arms are still crossed and her mouth is set in a thin line. Ma may not be pleased, but she is going to behave.

“There is nothing going on with that woman. A friend is in a tough position and needed a place for his daughter to stay while he travels for business. She’s much younger than me, Ma.”

Her arms drop to her sides and her frown deepens. “How are you ever supposed to find a wife if you have another woman living with you?”

I throw my hands up in the air. “Ma, I don’t understand. First, she is a whore and now she is a problem?”

“Alessio, you need to think about settling down and starting a family. You’re forty-three. Don’t you think that it’s time you get your life together? I’m not getting any younger and I want grandchildren.”

I take a deep breath, trying not to explode. This is the same argument that we always have. I’m tired of going around in circles with her, but it seems to be all she wants to do.

“Ma, I appreciate your concern with my love life, but it’s not happening. I have too much that I need to do. There isn’t any room for a woman or a family in my life. Not for a long time if ever.”

“It’s always about business with you.” Ma shakes her head and clicks her tongue. “I wish that you would learn that family is what is important in life. You think that these men will continue to respect you without a good woman at your side?”

“I don’t need a woman to win the respect of the men. I’m their leader.”

She grabs her purse. “You’re going to regret not taking my advice one day. You need to find a woman to love you. Someone kind and understanding of the life you lead.”

“And one day, I might find that, but right now is not that day. Now, if you’ll excuse me, Ma, I have to finish with my meeting in the other room and then head to The Fortuna.”

“You and that damn casino,” she mutters as she turns and heads out of the office building.

As the door closes behind her, I groan and run my hands down my face.

The battle about a wife may be over for now, but I am far from winning the war.

9

BILLIE

I stare at the two contracts on the desk in my room. They’ve been sitting there for the last two days, a blatant reminder of the mess that I’ve gotten myself into.

I’ve been doing everything I can to avoid Alessio, which has not been very hard, since he’s barely been home.

When I was at his office the other day, I asked for time to consider the contract. Alessio was kind enough to allow me two days to look it over and think about the new clauses.

While the allowance is nice, and keeping the secret would be easy, I keep wavering on the other line he worked in there.

Though Billie must beg if she wants sex, she is permitted — and encouraged — to initiate any other physical activity that she may want. However, while she is under the terms of the contract, she is not permitted to be with anyone else — man or woman. If there is something Billie seeks, she will come to Alessio Marchetti directly.

Two months with nothing but my hand and a couple vibrators to keep me entertained.

When Beck and I grabbed my clothes from my home two days ago, I made sure to slip my vibrators into one of the suitcases. There is no way that I can survive two months of being close to Alessio and thinking of the way he turns me on without being able to get myself off.

I’ll be damned if I go to my father’s best friend and beg for sex.

Though I told him I needed time to consider that single clause, I know that there is no true consideration to be had. While the initial contract is going to provide me with more than enough money to start my life over, an extra five hundred thousand is nothing to turn my nose up at.

I would be able to do a lot more with both my dream resort and Papa if I agreed to the extra money.

With a sigh, I get off the couch and walk over to the desk. Opening the top drawer, I find a pen. My hand shakes slightly as I flip through the new contract to the final page.

After taking a deep breath and a moment to still my hands, I sign my name to the line at the bottom of the page.

Here goes nothing, I think as I grab the contract and head to the stairs.

I search the house for Alessio only to realize that he isn’t here. There is no note about him working from his office on the compound or going out on an arms or drug run. That leaves the casino.

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