Page 72 of Sinful Pleasure

I hated repeating myself. And my father knew that.

His bodyguards, clearly thinking they were in control, reached for their guns. I couldn’t help but laugh inwardly.

My father must’ve known it wasn’t worth it. He waved them off, a rare moment of wisdom.

Once they left the room, I released his arm, but my stare didn’t waver. He took a step back, putting distance between us.

“They want us out of Italy,” he said, his voice lowering. “They don’t want our business in this territory anymore.”

I shot him a look.

“So what?” I responded coldly. “Everyone wants Italy. But it’s ours. It’s always been ours.”

But something was off. I could see it in his eyes. The hesitation. He was hiding something.

“I need to think about our next move.”

My father ignored my words as he paced the room. His hands ran through his hair in agitation, his mind clearly elsewhere.

“They’ll regret messing with our family. But for now, we’ll back off from Italy.”

“What?” I couldn’t hold back a cold, bitter laugh.

Without another glance in my direction, he turned and left, the door slamming behind him. I stood there, alone in the dark again, the weight of his words sinking in.

Something was happening behind my back—something serious enough to turn my father, the man who never backed down, into a coward.He was willing to step away from Italy, something he would never do willingly.Italy was the heart of our empire, our biggest income. A significant part of our business flows through there.

If my father’s backing down, then something or someone is scaring him.

And I’m going to find out what.

*****

ALLYN

I ordered food, and it arrived just as Angelo finished his call and joined me on the couch. Everything on the menu looked tempting, so I ordered almost everything. I wasn’t sure what he’d want to eat, but I figured that was the safest bet.

If he seemed off before, now he was completely wrecked.

He drank a whole glass of whiskey before sitting down next to me. That was the first sign something was wrong.

“Can you tell me what’s going on?” I asked, my voice more vulnerable than I intended.

“Nothing to worry your mind with,” he muttered, pouring himself another drink.I cleared my throat, taking a bite of the steak.

“So, you’re just going to keep me in the dark?”

“Drop it, Allyn,” he snapped, giving me a cold look before taking a sip of his whiskey.

Now, he was acting just like Maddox. That same detached, distant attitude. It grated on my nerves. I could feel my frustration building.

“This isn’t going to work if you’re not honest with me.”

He laughed, shaking his head as if I were being ridiculous. “What are you talking about?”

I jabbed my finger between us.

“This. Us. This whole arrangement. It won’t work out if you keep secrets from me all the time.”

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