Page 40 of His to Have
“You know your sister wants to drag me to some club next weekend,” I said, breaking the silence with a teasing tone, knowing how overprotective he is. “You’re not gonna be super overbearing, are you?”
“I’m not making any promises.”
“Teo.”
He chuckled, his deep voice rumbling softly. “I’ll stay out of y’all’s way, Amore.” He told me as the sound of his buzzing phone interrupted our conversation.
He glanced at the screen before ignoring the call and sliding it back into his pocket. I didn’t want to jump to any conclusions, but I was perplexed. We just had this honest conversation about exclusivity, but I’d already seen more than I bargained for whenhe showed me his messages a week ago. Isabella wasn’t the only woman’s name I’d noticed in his phone. There were others. Women I didn’t know. Conversations I couldn’t unsee. It’s how I knew he was being truthful when I asked about the last time he had sex.
But I was still human. Still couldn’t help but feel a twinge of insecurity the more I bought into this marriage.
“I see you overthinking over there. That’s just Stephanie, the family’s attorney and fixer.”
“Oh. So, what does she fix exactly?”
“Whatever needs fixing,” he replied coolly. “She was the one who made sure your wedding boutique stayed out of the news. She doesn’t call unless it’s important. I’ll get back to her later.”
I nodded, vaguely remembering her name coming up the day my store was vandalized. That day was still a blur. I barely remember leaving the shooting range, going to the hospital to check on my staff, and then jetting off to New York.
“She’s probably calling about our meeting in a few days. You’ll get to meet her then.” He smiled, while squeezing my hand.
“A meeting? For what?”
“More legal shit. Making sure you have access to everything that’s mine, finalizing the deed to your new storefront in Manhattan. Nothing to worry about,” he reassured me with a gentle squeeze of my hand. “It’s all just part of the process, making sure everything is secure for you.”
I let out a breath I didn’t realize I’d been holding. The reassurance helped, even if the idea of meetings and paperwork made my head hurt.
One step at a time... right?
Oddly, the lazy circles he traced over my knuckles were comforting, as we approached his parent’s estate. The warm glow from the lanterns lit our path, and for a moment,everything felt peaceful. Simple. Like we were just two people walking home together.
That peace shattered the second we reached the entrance and a sultry voice I couldn’t place bounced off the walls. She seemed familiar with the family and their staff, as she spoke to someone in Italian. When we rounded the corner, I saw her standing by the grand staircase, her presence striking.
She stood with confidence. The oversized pinstripe blazer she wore as a dress hung loosely from her frame. Black suede tube-high boots adorned her feet, and aburntorange Birkin sat between her elbow.
She looked like money.
“Damn, there you are. I’ve been calling you for the past week,” the pretty woman called out with a hint of impatience in her voice. Then she said something to him in Italian making Teo frown, which he responded with an immediate retort in the same language. Their exchange was rapid and intense, a private conversation that was quickly escalating. I couldn’t catch a single piece of it, and that was the point, as the woman’s eyes slid over to me. I could see the minute he picked up on her bullshit. Just as her lips curled around another line meant for him alone, he snapped, “Fucking speak in English, Isa.”
Oh, this is two a.m. Isa... that tracks.
“We have an emergency, Teo. And this can’t wait.” Her eyes cut over to me again. “Can we speak privately?” Her smile remained polite, but the subtle tension in her expression betrayed her displeasure at my presence.
“No,” Teo replied almost immediately.
Her lips arched into a faint smile, but the flicker of annoyance was unmistakable. She stepped closer, her voice dropping slightly. “Fine. My father wants a meeting with the faction leaders,” she began smoothly. Her tone was practiced but edged with frustration. “There’s unrest, Teo. The other familiesin our boroughs—Ricci, Bellini, Morello—they don’t approve of this union. And now their dissatisfaction is spilling into our territories. Into the spots my father actually let me run.”
She paused, letting her words hang in the air. “They see you, the Donatelli family, and the Reeds as a threat. It’s an insult to their traditions. The faction? They hate that it even exists. You knew this. And now? They hate this union even more. You haven’t given us — theVitales— time to prepare for this union and set protection in our fronts to prepare for a war against the New York families should they act against the faction.” She turned her back toward me and lowered her voice. “You said it would be one more year… not one month.” She hissed.
Teo’s expression hardened, and confusion flickered across his face before it darkened. “Isa, when did I tell you some shit like that? This has always been the plan. Stop acting like this is news to you. The traditions of the other families aren’t my problem or that of the faction. I will meet with the leaders after the wedding.”
The woman I now knew as Isabella began pacing the floor. Her frustration was palpable, and I couldn’t be sure who she was angrier with — Teo or herself. “You’re going to this meeting, Teo. My father will take your absence as a direct insult. You can’t just dismiss us. We are just as important to the faction as theDonatellis. If this situation isn’t handled it will spill into your boroughs. And Orlando and his bullshit down south will be the least of your fuckin’ worries.”
Teo’s jaw tightened, and I could see the transformation from the gentle man from five minutes ago turning into the straight-up savage I also knew him to be. His voice was cold when he said, “You and your father will not summon me like I’m a boy. There are protocols, Isabella. If Gianni really wants a meeting, he knows how to reach me properly. This? This isn’t how shit gets done.”
Her lips arched into a faint smile, like she knew how to push his buttons and enjoyed every second of it. But I could also see the flicker of annoyance she was trying to suppress. “You weren’t responding to phone calls, and this is serious.”
“I don’t give a fuck how serious you think it is,” he interrupted. “You don’t show up at my parents’ home trying to lil’ boy me. Or disrespect my family and my future wife.”
