Page 9 of Under His Control

Always.We’d grown up without much, not in poverty but lower middle-class. “That’s not any excuse.” I stepped closer and set my hands on my hips. “Is that fucker forcing you to marry him? Is he controlling you?”

She rolled her eyes. “Cut it out. Seriously. We stay in touch while you’re overseas for how many years, and now the second you’re back you’re going to act like some protective big brother?”

Back when we were younger, I had acted like that. I did step up to look out for her like a big brother might have, but when I was away and serving in the military… I hadn’t been here for her.

“Just make it make sense.” I heaved out a long breath, wondering if I could suspend my disbelief to hear her out with whatever excuse she’d give me.

“Why would you think he’s controlling me?” She crossed her arms.

“I’ve been watching him.”

She rolled her eyes, still miffed. “That doesn’t shock me. You’ve probably been looking for an enemy all night, just the same as you’re clocking all the exits.”

I raised my brows, silently showing her that she was right and we both knew it. “I’ve been watching the way he acts when he’s around you and when he steps away. He’s obsessive about checking where you are.”

“Because I was almost killed or captured by his enemies. Twice.”

I groaned, turning away. “And you’re still interested in marrying him? Signing up for a life of constant danger?”

“Oh!” She grabbed my arm and turned me back. “That’s rich, hearing that fromyou. A life of constant danger? What, like someone in combat?”

“We’re talking about you, not me.” I shook my head and gently held her upper arms. I ducked so I was more at her eye level, prompting her to focus on me. “Tessa. The Mafia? Come on. This is insane.”

“No, it’s not.” She stood up straighter. “Romeo habitually checks on where I am because he’s protective of me, Liam. Notcontrolling. Ever since he saved me the night…” She looked down and paused to take in a deep breath.

Watching her struggle to find words worried me.

“The night three men chased me down and raped me, he’s beenveryprotective and concerned about my safety and happiness.”

“What?”

She winced and pushed my hands off. I didn’t mean to squeeze hard, but I had.

“Sorry.” I opened and closed my mouth, furious and shocked. “Did you say…?”

“Yes.” She nodded, but I saw the lingering effects of trauma in her gaze. It had to be hard to even say that, let alone think it, but she wasn’t cowering from the truth of it. “They chased me and… and violated me. He saved me that night, and every minute since then, he’s made it his goal to ensure my safety and happiness.”

“Holy fuck.” I turned again, rubbing my hand over my face. Anger pummeled through me at the fact that she’d ever suffered that fate, but deep regret swiftly followed.

Some older brother figure I was. While I was gone, that happened. I hadn’t been here to help her with that trauma.

“Romeo is my hero,” she said, tugging my hand to make me face her again, imploring me to listen.

Hero?A Mafia boss as a hero?Disbelief struck me hard.

It sounded like an oxymoron that I couldn’t get behind. She wouldn’t convince me that easily. Maybe Romeo was conveniently there when she needed someone to intervene, a case of being there to help her when something bad happened. His doing one good deed wouldn’t make him an instant hero, a good guy just because he did one good thing.

I furrowed my brow, looking around at this place we couldn’t fit in. We weren’t rich. We weren’t at ease on this side of thesocio-economic spectrum. I had some money from being in the military, but it was no wealth to allude to schmoozing with these people.

“Liam, you’ve got to understand,” Tessa argued.

“Understand what?” I snapped. “These people are in theMafia, Tessa. You’re associating yourself and your future with syndicated crime bosses.”

The Constellas were players in the kind of shit that ruined society. I’d lived through fighting it to know it. Money made the world go round, and often, the leaders who dealt it out were terrorist groups like the ones I fought, or crime lords like the man she claimed to be a hero.

“We will discuss this later,” she said. She pursed her lips and looked away, seeming disappointed that I could be so upset and worried for her.

This wasn’t a case of disapproving of whom she wanted to marry. It was a matter of not wanting her to be hurt and targeted as a Mafia wife. Romeo’s being in the Mafia was a big red flag that I couldn’t believe she’d ignore.

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