Page 75 of Scarred Hearts

After a moment of contemplation, he sighed and dropped his hand from his face. “You can no longer be my assistant,” he admitted. “Ironically, you now outrank me. But if you truly want to continue dancing and fighting, we’ll have to find a way to keep it all secret from anyone who could cause trouble until we find a replacement for you.”

A mischievous grin spread across my face. “Do you want to take my place?” I asked teasingly, wiggling my eyebrows.

“Absolutely not,” he snorted.

TYLER

“She hasn’t left the office.” Luke greeted us inside the main foyer of the Aggio mansion. “I got her to eat but it’s like her dad died all over again. Nico and Ice Man, Horace will take you guys to the kitchen to get drinks.”

They followed the butler. Normally, I would have been captivated by every detail of such an extravagant house, but my main concern was ensuring that Giovanna was okay. When Ian revealed the news in his office at the warehouse, I knew it would hit her hard. And I was right. She contacted me while I was on the plane, expressing her upset and questioning our next steps.

Luke escorted Declan, Ian, and I through the house to a set of double doors and pushed them open. The moment he stepped to the side, I pushed by everyone. Giovanna set her mug on the coaster on the black coffee table and stood.

I strode to her, pulling her against me, pressing my lips to her in a passionate kiss. While I didn’t know exactly what to say, I hoped the gesture would convey my thoughts. I didn’t want her to think I’d ever walk away over her new role. Instead, it only made me want her more. It confirmed that she understood my family more than anyone, and she was meant for me. Whatever the future held for us, I’d be fighting by her side, until she didn’t want me anymore.

I couldn’t save her from Ekaterina taking away her ability to have kids. Had I been with her, it never would’ve happened. I should’ve risked my life and fought everyone that night to rescue her, even if I died trying.

Ian cleared his throat to remind us that we weren’t alone. Keeping my arm around her as we reluctantly broke the kiss, I held her snugly at my side.

“I know it’s a stupid question,” Ian said, “but how are you?”

“I don’t even know,” she replied. “It’s so much to take in. I can figure it all out, I guess but I don’t even know how to tell men what to do.”

“Bullshit,” Declan laughed. “You tell men what to do and not to do all the time.” He glanced at me with a smug grin. “Outside the bedroom, of course. Don’t want to hurt your ego there, Belt Choker.”

I had a snide remark ready to fire back but Giovanna wasn’t in a joking mood, and I didn’t want to make her feel like we weren’t taking it seriously. Instead, I cocked a brow, warning him, “I wouldn’t fuck with her right now. It’s not a laughing matter.”

She placed a hand on my chest. “It’s okay. I need a distraction tonight, and I just want to go to my room.”

“Can we do anything for you tonight?” Ian asked.

She shook her head. “Thanks, but I need to process it all for now. I know it’ll be fine, but I need to figure out how to do it.”

“I know,” Ian nodded. “Trust me. It’s not easy at first, but as soon as you find what works for you, you got this. I’ll help you through it if you need me to. I know you have the family here in New York, but I got your back any time in Boston. You need to do what’s best for you and those who work for you now.”

Here. Fuck. She has to move back to New York. It’s not going to work between us.

18

THE BROTHERS

TYLER

Everyone dispersed to their bedrooms for the night while Giovanna and I remained in the office. She roamed the room in silence, rolling her bottom lip between her fingers. I watched intently, wanting nothing more than to grab her, throw her over the edge of the desk, and fuck her. Every time she did anything with her perfect lips, it was all I could think about.

As if she could hear my thoughts, she spun toward me, folding her arms over her stomach. “How do you feel about us now?”

“I feel like I should’ve never left Penthouse without you that night,” I admitted. “Somehow all this connects back to me. I’m sure of it.”

“What do you mean?”

Taking several strides toward her, I closed the gap between us. I picked her up, setting her on the edge of the desk. My hands propped onto the surface on either side of her. “You would’ve already been married to me, not ended up at Euphoria the way you did. Mila would still be alive, God knows where, and your dad wouldn’t have to have used that lie to hand deliver those morons to Ian. So, if you think about it, all this bullshit?—”

“Ty,” She cut me off, colliding her lips into mine in a passionate kiss, her hands on the back of my head. Sliding them around to my cheeks, she peeled her lips away, searching my eyes as she held my face. “Every single one of you people always blame yourselves for everything, and you have to stop. I believe it all happened the way it was supposed to, even if I don’t quite understand it or want to be a fucking Mafia Boss.”

Remembering she’d have to move, my face turned stoic, and I took a step back, meandering to the other side of the room. I stared out one of the large windows into the night, but all I could see was my reflection and her walking up behind me.

She snaked her arms around me from behind, her lips pressing into my back. “It bothers you.”

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