Page 114 of His to Have
Something shifted in his expression as he studied my face. He moved closer, sitting on the edge of the bed beside me, the mattress dipping as he sat down.
“It won’t always be like this, Amore. I promise,” he said softly. “Once I get the family business settled and all threats neutralized, you’ll be able to move freely. Come and go as you please. I just need peace of mind knowing you are safe.”
“I know, baby.” I smiled, reaching for his hand, pulling it into my lap. “I trust you.”
The moment the words left my mouth, I watched the tension ease from his features. I’m sure he was expecting some level of pushback. But that’s not where I was anymore. Not with him.
Of course I wanted to stay and be with my family a bit longer, but I also wanted us to be safe. I wanted to give him peace of mind so he could focus on what needed to be handled without worrying about me. His goal wasn’t to control me. I understood that fully now. It never was. He only wanted me to be happy, andI was beginning to realize he would move heaven and earth to make that happen.
“When do we need to leave?” I asked, understanding that this was a problem that couldn’t wait any longer.
It had already been three weeks. I knew at some point he’d have to deal with the lingering issues that Isabella created. Honestly, I was surprised he’d waited this long.
“Two days,” he said, his thumb tracing across my knuckles.
I nodded, accepting the timeline. Two days to spend with my family before we headed back into whatever chaos awaited us in New York.
He leaned down, pressing his lips to mine again in a soft, lingering kiss that tasted like gratitude and something deeper.
“Thank you,” he whispered against my mouth when he pulled back, his forehead resting against mine. “For understanding. For not fighting me on this.”
“You’re welcome,” I told him softly, my hands coming up to rest on his chest where I could feel his heartbeat thumping beneath my palms.
A few minutes later, I was on my back with his large body hovering over me. Something in his expression had changed as he looked down at me. There was love. There was always love, but this was something primal.
The business conversation was over.
I knew it the minute he kissed me again — slower, more deliberate this time and the palm of his hand slid to the curve of my waist. His fingers tightened against my flesh with the possessiveness I’d grown to crave, while his mouth continued to move over mine in that unhurried and all-consuming way.
When he pulled back and just stared, I said, “I thought you had business to handle.” It was breathless and full of need.
I received my answer when his lips moved to my neck, then to my ear. “I do.” He lifted his head to look me in the eyes, thatfamiliar hunger filling each of them. “It can wait a few more minutes.”
thirty
Teo
“The Miami shipment’s been sitting here for four days,” Sophia said without looking up from her cell phone, her voice carrying across the dock with the kind of authority that made grown men stop what they were doing and listen. She sighed at whatever message she’d just read, then slipped the phone into her jacket pocket. “Gianni’s people were supposed to clear it through their routes, but half his men have gone rogue since Isabella. They don’t trust the Vitale name can keep them protected any longer. And the other half is too scared to make any kinda moves. Ugh… she really fucked up everything.”
She tipped her head back, exhaling at the sky, truly upset by the damage her childhood friend had caused. There was a deep sense of guilt that my sister had been trying to overcome ever since she realized her friend was actively trying to start a war and our family was right in the center. Now, with Isabella dead, her guilt had morphed into this relentless drive to prove herself, as if her childhood friendship had somehow made her complicit.It hadn’t, which was something I’d already told her numerous times. Isabella was her own downfall. She made her choices and suffered the ultimate consequences. Her death. Now her legacy and her family’s legacy is forever tarnished.
Approaching the stack of containers, running my hand along the cold metal edge, I told her, “She made her play and lost. Simple as that. I’m not losing any sleep over her ass and neither should you.” I told her matter of factly, as I popped the lid on one of the barrels lined against the wall, taking in the all-white bricks arranged compactly in the tight space. There were at least two hundred kilos in this shipment, along with some pills, and a crate full of firearms. I was losing mad money over this shit, though.
“We’re bleeding money. That’s what we need to focus on. How much is this costing us?”
“Twenty grand a day in storage fees, which we’ve been covering since it’s just been sitting here. Roughly a hundred grand every day it’s not on the streets. Not to mention we’re paying for the workers.” She gestured toward a cluster of people unloading crates nearby.
I watched the crew move around us, each one acknowledging me with a respectful nod but never stopping their tasks.
My operation was a well-oiled machine. I’d supply the infrastructure for people’s shipments, and I’d get a twenty percent cut of their profits, since I was the one assuming all the risk. But the shit wasn’t doing me any good if his dope was sitting here in my port, and I was footing the bill. The math didn’t lie. Almost half a million dollars in four days and closer to a million if it spilled into next week. And that was just one shipment. Gianni had several shipments in and out of my port because I provided the most security, the best protection money could buy, and the safest routes for getting product out of thecity. Yet, he was being reckless, not handling his shit and it was pissing me off the more I thought about it.
“Move this shit,” I ordered. “All of it. Find a way to get it to Harlen’s crew out in Jersey. They’re always looking for supply. We can’t afford to let this sit here any longer. We’re cutting our losses and ties with Gianni. If Harlen can’t take it, cut some deals. Put an ambitious young nigga on. I don’t care, just get rid of it. And fast.”
Gianni knew the rules. Abandoned shipments becamemyshipments. Late pickups was understandable one time, maybe even twice. But multiple times…nah, that shit was inexcusable. It showed a lack of respect for me, my operation, and my money. I understand he was still coming to terms with the loss of his daughter, and probably was struggling to keep his business afloat, but that didn’t change the fact that his neglect was costing me a fortune.
“We’re not accepting any more Vitale shipments.” My tone was final and Sophia’s chin dipped, acknowledging my decision. I didn’t even have to look at her to know she agreed with my stance.
Another vibration from her jacket pocket had her reaching for her phone again. Her jaw tightened as she scrolled through her messages.
