Page 58 of Sweet Retribution

He needed her pregnant with his child, and then the Parisi millions would be in his control, at least until the child turned twenty-one. By that time, Parisi would have invested and doubled his own inheritance.

In his mind, he was getting a better deal with this trade, which was what made him easier to convince. The only loose thread was Gia. If he believed there was anything real between us, he’d look more closely into our trade and put an end to it.

He had to believe I was a heartless bastard, which I am...wasuntil Gia came into my life. I couldn’t lie, but I could be an asshole. I have three decades of experience there.

“Like to watch do you? You should have told me,” I say, hoping they can’t hear the fear and disgust lodged in my throat.

I don’t want her to see the video Rossi has. While it’s staged, it’s believable enough to make him think I really tested out his product. I don’t want Gia believing I could force myself on anyone, especially a young girl.

“I have a library of sex tapes at home.” It’s true, only the sex tapes aren’t of me and other women. It’s porn. Sometimes I needed to watch it as a distraction while fucking the women in my sex room.

She curls her lip in repulsion. Good. I need Antonio to believe her hate of me, and mostly, I need him to believe I have no feelings for Gia. I can’t look at her disappointment in me. I stare into the woods in the distance praying she can’t read my regret.

“You... how could you...?”

“I never lied to you, Gia. I told you the minute I kidnapped you. I forced you to sign the marriage papers so I could kill your father. You’re not my type.” I clench my teeth together to stop myself from talking. My voice nearly cracks from the forced tone of disgust for her.

“No, your type are cheap whores. You made that clear plenty of times.”

I swallow down my guilt and force an unemotional, stoic expression.

“Your pussy didn’t seem to mind my cock, nor did your mouth.” I regret the words as soon as they came out of my mouth. There was putting on an act for Rossi and there was hurting Gia. I open my mouth to apologize and snap it shut. I’m losing control, my guilt evident in my tone. I’m not one to speak so much, or to answer to anyone.

Antonio stares at me, and I read the flash of reluctance. He’s starting to doubt me.

“Now that we have the air cleared, you can come with me.” Antonio pinches Gia’s chin and tugs her close to him.

“Not so fast, Rossi. My product.”

Gia snaps and moves so fast no one is prepared to stop her. She pushes past Antonio and marches up to me, punching me in the face. “You bastard.”

I rub my chin and force myself to peer down at her. Antonio would love it if I hit her back, knocked her down to her ass. I can’t. I won’t. I keep quiet instead.

“Lies. It’s been nothing but lies.”

I want to correct her, to tell her I never lied to her. Hell, I never even lied to Rossi. I left out some truths and purposely twisted around some facts, but I haven’t lied. Even my vulgar comment about her pussy and my cock was true. The sex between us was mutual and explosive.

“Everything you’ve ever told me is a pack of lies, isn’t it?” She jabs her finger into my chest. Tears trickle down her cheeks.

I feel my face soften. I want so desperately to wrap my arms around her and take her away from it all. I regret everything about this scheme, about keeping her in the dark. Marco had come up with the idea of making Gia believe I was an ass, of having her turn on me.

“She’ll give too much away. One look at that woman and it’s obvious how much she... cares for you,” Marco said.

I scoffed at him. “She doesn’t care for me.”

“Bullshit,” Marco laughed. “And you’re so fucking in love with her I’m not so sure you can pull it off.”

I rose from my desk chair ready to pummel Marco. He may be one of the few men I trusted, but he was full of shit now. “The fuck you say, man?”

Instead of being intimidated, Marco laughed again. When he sombered again, he said, “Seriously though, Stone. You’re going to have to do some serious lying shit to make Rossi think you want this trade. You’re gonna have to make her hate you. Hate you real good. You sure you can pull it off?”

“Of course I can. Don’t ever fucking doubt me again.”

“I believed you. I believed you when you said you’d keep me safe, that you’d never hurt me.” She sniffs and digs her finger into my chest again, this time leaving it there, over my heart. “I believed you on our honeymoon in Tahiti.”

I blink back my confusion. We never went to Tahiti and we sure as hell never took a honeymoon.

“I believed you when you told me you loved me.”

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