Page 15 of Inescapable Ties
Mrs. Renzetti.I was no longer Luciana Catucci. A mixture of feelings brewed in my stomach, and I couldn’t place my finger on some of them. Nausea from hearing it spoken out loud, I thought, trying to reason with myself.
I didn’t feel like picking a fight right now. And I doubted I could fight off this man. He wasn’t that tall, but he was stocky and looked like he could flip me over with just his pinky.
“Fine, but we’re going to Starbucks first.”
“Mr. Renzetti gave firm directions to take you home.”
I glared at Dino and took out my phone, my fingers clacking on the screen as I texted Emilio.
If you don’t get this bozo to take me to Starbucks, I will divorce you.
Emilio responded, and to my misfortune, did not like the idea of a divorce. Dino and I had gone through the Starbucks drive through, and I now had a Pistachio Latte in hand.
As the elevator ascended to the top floor, Dino and I stood in an uncomfortable silence. The walls of the sleek metal box were mirrored, magnifying our unease as we rode higher and higher. Emilio lived in the penthouse of his apartment building downtown. Finally, we reached the penthouse - Emilio’s lavish abode in the heart of downtown. The doors slid open and a sprawling living space greeted us, complete with floor-to-ceiling windows showcasing stunning views of the city skyline.
Dino broke it as the door shut behind us. “Well, let me know if you need anything. Mr. Renzetti already had a few boxes of your stuff moved in.”
“Thanks,” I responded.
And by “Thanks” I meant “Thank you for ruining my life by following me everywhere.”
I hightailed it out of the living room towards the bedrooms. Without remorse - it was my house now too, after all - I opened each one and started rifling through them.
The first was Emilio’s office. I spent little time there. In the Mafia, there were many secrets that shouldn’t leave closed doors.
The second was what I presumed would be my bedroom. My boxes were unceremoniously dumped in the center of it, and the contents were beginning to spill out.
Hopefully, nothing was damaged. I groaned and made my way towards the last room.
It was Emilio’s bedroom. He wasn’t the most organized person; shirts hung haphazardly out of the laundry bin and the bed hadn’t been made.
His mess wasn’t my problem. My bedroom was clearly the second; which was why my stuff had been left there.
I spent the next few hours meticulously organizing and putting away my things in my new bedroom. As I carefully hung each piece of clothing and placed it neatly in the closet, I couldn’t help but feel a sense of satisfaction. It was a minor victory amidst the chaos that had engulfed my life.
It was around three-thirty when the front door opened. I heard Emilio walk in and talk to Dino, although the words were unintelligible from behind the bedroom door.
A couple minutes later, he popped his head into the bedroom.
“What are you doing?” he asked.
“Putting my stuff away. Do you know when my mattress will get here? The sofas look as hard as rocks, and I don’t want to sleep on them for too long.”
He laughed. “You think this is your bedroom?”
“Well, I mean obviously. This is the only available room left.”
He gave methatgrin. The grin that infuriated me to no end. It was full of snark that was made worse by how stupidly handsome his face was.
“You’re my wife, Jaws. You sleep in my room.”
Mortification overwhelmed me. Sharing a bed with Emilio was not part of the plan. My cheeks grew warm as I frantically searched for a way to escape the predicament.
“Absolutely not,” I protested. “This marriage is nothing more than a piece of paper. I shouldn’t have to share a bed with you.”
“It doesn’t matter,” he gestured towards the garments I had put in the closet. “Move ‘em to the master bedroom.”
My plan was to destroy his ego. But as we stood facing each other, it increasingly looked like he was holding the cards in the situation. His stance exuded confidence and control, his eyes gleaming with a smugness that made my blood boil. It was like he had already won before the game had even begun. My determination to best him only grew stronger, fueled by the realization that this would not be an easy battle.
