Page 33 of His to Hold

“I told you I didn’t want to be disturbed.”

“Yeah, boss, but Matteo’s been trying to get hold of you. It’s Gio. He’s in the hospital. Something happened at Leo’s party and he got shot.”

“Fuck! How bad is it?”

“I don’t know but they need you to get back there.”

My heart lurches. Gio must be hurt badly if Antonio’s brothers are summoning him back to the city. It’s an ominous sign that they took him to a hospital. Usually their own doctor treats any injuries they sustain, but not if they’re life-threatening.

“Bring the car around,” Antonio instructs.

As retreating footsteps signal Rich is leaving to do as Antonio asked, I get up and join my husband in the corridor. His distress is clear as he paces up and down, running his fingers through his hair. When he spots me, he stops dead, the anguish in his eyes revealing his emotional turmoil. I’ve never seen Antonio so vulnerable. Reaching out, I lay a reassuring hand on his arm.

“I’m so sorry,” I tell him. “What can I do?”

My sympathetic tone seems to spark something in Antonio. Back straightening, he snaps back into his usual calm, collected self. “You can promise to behave yourself while I return to the city and take care of my family.”

It’s as if he slapped me across the face. I thought we were trying to mend fences here, but he still doesn’t consider me part of his family. “You want me to stay here?”

“Of course I do. Where else would you go?”

“Well, with you. Surely, I belong at your side?”

Antonio shakes his head. “No, it’s not a good idea. I have enough to deal with. I don’t need you getting in the way.”

“But…”

Before I can lodge an objection, Antonio grabs my arms in a bruising grip that startles a high-pitched squeak out of me. “You will stay here and behave yourself, Isabella. Defy me on this and you will be sorry.”

Tears well in my eyes at the harshness of his tone, the coldness of his demeanor. I thought we were making progress in our relationship but we seem to be stuck in a dance of one step forward, two steps back. With no other option than to obey his command, I swallow hard. “Okay.”

Giving me a curt nod, Antonio releases me, turns and walks away. He doesn’t give me so much as a goodbye kiss.

“Call me if you need me,” I shout after him.

He doesn’t respond but I get the message loud and clear. He won’t need me. Antonio may desire me. He’ll want to possess me. But need me? Never.

Shoulders slumping, I turn and go back to the dining room. I retake my seat at the table and start to eat, hoping Antonio will change his mind and come get me before he leaves.

After a couple of minutes, I hear the front door slamming shut. I guess my hope was futile. In the suffocating stillness that closes in as I’m left alone in this big old house, I take a sip of my wine and try to pretend my heart didn’t just break.

CHAPTER 13

Antonio

The sun is already coming up by the time we make it back to the city. It’s been a frustrating drive to get here. We were delayed by diversions for roadwork just outside of Westport and then there was a pile-up on the freeway that meant we were stuck for several hours.

I spoke to Matteo once to let him know I was on my way and to get an update on Gio’s condition. He had nothing to tell me except that Gio is in surgery and everyone is doing what they can to support our mother. Knowing they have their hands full with that and that Matteo will call if anything changes, I haven’t made contact since.

The long drive to the hospital has given me plenty of time to think and I haven’t come up with a convincing reason why anyone would target Gio, other than to strike at me. My youngest brother isn’t heavily involved in the family business and he generally keeps his head down when trouble is brewing. It’s unlikely this is the result of a grudge against him personally. It’s an attack on the family, but who’s behind it?

Though it briefly crossed my mind it might have something to do with Rico’s disappearance, I dismissed that thought. His family doesn’t know he’s dead yet so there’s no reason for them to lash out.

The likeliest culprit is Carlo Bianchi. He’s been making increasingly bold moves against us for a while now, pushing into our territory, trying to sell his drugs in our clubs. The timing of Gio’s shooting makes me suspicious. It can’t be coincidence that this attack happened at the party celebrating Leo’s marriage to Vinnie Bianchi. It makes me wonder if Carlo sent his daughter to destroy us from within. If it turns out Leo’s new bride is responsible for this, I’ll gut the little bitch personally.

When Rich finally pulls up at the hospital, I wait for David to get out and open my door. Though I’m a wreck on the inside, it’s got to look like business as usual. That’s why I changed into a black suit and shirt before leaving the house in Westport. I can’t have anyone thinking I’m not one hundred percent focused.

With David trailing behind me, I make my way to the Stanhope Wing where the wealthiest patients are treated. The donations my family has made over the years should ensure Gio is getting the best possible care. Though I’ve ploughed millions into buying new equipment for the place, I’ve only been here a couple of times, in my father’s final days.

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