Page 37 of The Mob Boss' Pet

“You had quite a talk with him while I was busy last night,” he says with a joyless smile.

“He’s nice.” I lift a shoulder.

“You can stay out of the crate if you behave today.” He leans forward; his tie touches the edge of his plate. “Which means you don’t talk to Sarah about anything other than Roberto. You don’t tell her about our arrangement. You don’t mention Anton bringing you back here from the café. None of that.”

“She’s just a girlfriend, so she doesn’t know the gritty details of the Manetto family business?” I say.

A warning flashes in his dark eyes. “Generally speaking, yes.” He leans back, running his hand down the length of his tie.

“Hmm.” I nod and go back to my eggs.

“So, if you’re good today, you can stay out of the crate while we’re gone. Dinner will be brought up to you, and I’ll even let you wear your clothes.” He flashes me a smile, like he’s the world’s most generous man and maybe I should fall at his feet with gratitude.

I drop my fork onto the plate. I can’t stomach anymore.

“If Sarah’s going to be administering Roberto’s meds, you won’t need me.” I lean back in my own chair and fold my arms over my chest.

His left eyebrow arches. “Did you always want to be a doctor?” he asks, brushing off my statement. I’m not supposed to bring up my departure. It’s part of our deal. Maybe I should be happy he’s not upset I brought it up.

“No. I wanted to be a ballerina when I was a little girl, and when I was older, I wanted to become a veterinarian.”

“What made you change from wanting to treat animals to humans?” His question is genuine.

“My parents were killed in a car crash when I was starting college.” A blip of a memory bursts in my mind. The doctors and nurses worked fast, but it wasn’t enough. They couldn’t save Mom or Dad and in a blink of an eye, I was alone.

“So, you went into emergency medicine?”

I sigh. “Yes. What about you, did you always want to grow up to be a mob boss?” The snark is uncalled for, but it doesn’t stop me from using it.

His tongue runs along his bottom lip. “You’re upset about something this morning. What is it?”

“I don’t know. I mean what girl wouldn’t be thrilled to be locked away the way I am?”

He narrows his eyes. “Stephania, tell me what’s bothering you.”

I get up from the table and search out the clothes he had brought from my apartment. Men I didn’t know had gone through my things. They’d touched my underwear and dug through my drawers.

After grabbing a pair of jeans and a shirt, I head to the bathroom.

“I need a shower,” I tell him and shut the door behind me. I need space. Time. I need a fucking doctor. My head’s all wrapped up around the wrong things.

Turning on the hot water, I reach behind my neck and unbuckle the leather collar. Maybe I won’t put it back on after I’m cleaned up. Maybe I’ll open the window in the bedroom and throw it out on the lawn.

Hot water pelts my back, and I close my eyes, losing myself in the steam and the sounds of the water cascading over me. I face the shower and soak my face beneath the stream. There’s a soft click and the curtain is pulled back.

I sigh. “Vincenzo.”

The curtain slides more and he steps into the shower with me. Completely nude. I don’t turn around to face him. Maybe if I pretend he’s not there, he’ll go away.

He reaches around my body and turns the nozzle on the water. “You’re going to burn yourself if you stay under it like that.” His voice echoes in the tiled shower.

“I can handle the heat,” I say, not looking back at him.

His fingers trace my shoulder blades to my spine, then run downward.

“I know you can.” He grabs my ass cheeks and squeezes until I rise up on my toes and hiss. “Now, tell me what’s wrong.”

Not a single boyfriend in my life has ever followed me out of a room to ask me that. And every one of them I wish had. Until now.

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