Page 19 of Ludovico's Vengeance

As soon as he finishes his explanation, the phone dings in his hand. He smirks as he hands over the device. I glance down at the screen to see his name, when I tap the screen, a message appears.

Nina’sbrowfurrowsasshe reads the text I sent earlier this morning. When her gaze turns back to me her mouth parts slowly and closes again. With how well she’s been handling the number of people in and out of the house, it’s hard to believe she’s never gone out in general, let alone gone shopping.

Her voice is light and full of hope as she asks the question, “Go where?”

My lips turn up at the corner with a devilish smirk. I pull her a little closer and her leg ends up draped over my knee when I reply.

“I know a boutique that my mother likes. I can get in touch with the owner and have them close it down so it’s just us and a salesperson.” My hand lays gently on her knee, knowing I'm pushing my damn luck, but fuck, the need to be close to her is becoming overwhelming. “Bella, you’ve never had that experience. You may not be ready to face the Black Friday crowds yet, but I think you deserve the joy of being able to pick out your own clothing.”

My brain functions in slow motion as I watch Nina launch herself onto my lap. Her perfectly tight ass rests on my thigh as she wraps her arms around my neck. I freeze for a moment, unsure what to do, or what is too much for her. That is until soft sobs have her shoulders shaking as she buries her face into my neck. I wrap my arms around her tiny frame. My body cocoons her from the outside world, at least for a few minutes. When she gathers herself, she props herself up, pushing slightly away from my chest so she can look at me. Her palms press firmly against my chest as she stares into my eyes, her shining light grey eyes bore themselves into my soul.

“Thank you, Giovanni.” The words come out in a gentle breath, “I can’t tell you what this means to me. You are the kindest man.” She sucks in a breath as my thumb caresses her spine. Her cheeks flush at the small touch. I do my best to stifle the smile that tries to form on my lips.

Nina breaks our gaze a minute later as she stands, stepping back allowing me room to get up myself. I pull my phone out from my suit’s jacket pocket and tap on the screen to pull up my message thread with Michael.

Giovanni:

Have Tabatha clear out Threads with the exception of one salesperson. We'll be leaving in about twenty minutes.

A message bounces back less than a minute later.

Michael:

Done, she said Janelle will be there waiting on you.

I can’t help but grin as I lead Nina back into our room so she can grab a pair of shoes. She only has one pair of sneakers that look worn out. I make a mental note to make sure a replacement pair is delivered by the end of the evening since she likes more strenuous exercises. I don’t think the fashion forward tennis shoes they’ll have at Threads will work for her.

A little over a half an hour later, we’re pulling into the parking lot outside of the small boutique my mother swears by. The exterior of the building looks to be freshly painted a pale-yellow. I push open my door and step out, closing it quickly behind me before I rush around to the passenger side. My grip on the handle slips as soon as I see the awe in her expression. I can’t stop the grin from forming on my face as I pull open her door.

Once she is at my side, I loop her arm with mine. She grips my wrist as she begins to tremble. I place my other hand over top of hers and smile down at her before pressing my lips against her hair.

“It’s going to be ok,Bella. I’ve got a guarantee only one other person will be in the building with us.” I whisper and grin against her ear when I feel the goosebumps cover her skin. With that, she melts into me a little and allows me to lead her around the building.

The front door is a large glass panel, which looks like it was recently wiped down. I tap my knuckles against the door and a woman who looks to be in her mid-forties approaches. Her platinum blonde hair is pulled back into a tight sleek bun. She’s slender and a bit taller than Nina. However, unlike my girl, this woman looks like she has no personality. The door swings open and the woman gestures for us to join her.

“Good evening, I’m Janelle.” Her previously annoyed expression morphs into one of false warmth.Yeah, I don’t like this bitch already.“It’s so nice to have you here this evening, Mr. Ludovico. What is it that you’re looking for tonight?”

I eye her warily, but knowing Nina is already anxious over this outing, I wave it off as over protectiveness.

“Hi Janelle, this is Nina.” I grin at the woman on my arm before returning my gaze to Janelle. “She is in need of a new wardrobe. Anything she wants, absolutely no limits.” I feel a gentle squeeze on my hand and notice Nina staring up at me with a wander in her eyes.

We follow Janelle toward the back of the shop to a maze of clothing racks which appears to have an array of shirts in different styles hanging on them. Nina freezes when she sees the options, but I urge her forward.

“It’s alright, Short Stack, do your worst.” I wink down at her and step away just enough that she can find her footing on her own even if I’m only an arm's length away. Her body goes rigid momentarily when I’m no longer touching her, but when she realizes I’ve not gone anywhere, she relaxes a bit. After a few cautious steps toward the clothing my heart warms when she reaches out to get a better look at a few items.

Her chest lifts and falls steadily as she breathes without the anxiety she was experiencing when we first got here. My lips turn upward into a wide grin as I watch her. A few moments into her search through the clothing racks, I see the wall of shoes which reminds me of what I asked to have at the house before we get home. I excuse myself, promising I’ll only be right outside.

I step just outside the door and press the call icon on Michael’s contact. A rush of cool evening air sends a chill through me as I lift the device to my ear. The line rings only once before he picks up. An annoyed grunt sounds as he answers the call.

“Get out of whoever you’re fucking for two seconds.” I bark at him, unable to hide my amusement; it ends on a choked laugh. “I need you to have something taken care of for me before we get back.”

A muffled curse comes through the phone followed by a soft whimper. My lips twitch into a crooked grin. After some more rustling he comes back onto the line.

“The fuck do you want?” Michael’s grumble only amuses me more. “Aren’t you supposed to be out with your woman that you refuse to claim?”

I snarl at the mention of Nina. “Shut it. I need you to have a new pair of sneakers delivered to the house in the next hour. The ones she has are falling apart.”

Michael chokes out a laugh, “Are you fucking kidding me? Why couldn’t you call Abel for this shit?”

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