Page 34 of Corrupted Memories
Nico snorts, shaking his head. “Not manipulate her, Bastian. Just drop hints so she can make the connections herself.”
Sitting up, my fist curls in my lap. “We still don’t know why she ran in the first place. The whole reason I’ve shifted my life around all these years is because of that night. We can’t plan the future without concluding that chapter.”
“Have you asked her?”
“No, I figured if I press the issue, she’ll bury her head further in the sand.” She’ll tell me eventually. I’m sure of it. Gianna has always been an open book, wearing her emotions on her sleeves for anyone to see.
Nico snickers. “She’s always been stubborn like that.”
Gianna has always been headstrong; it’s one of the many things I admire about her. My fingers itch to pull up the screen and see what she’s doing, but instead I shift back to focus on my chosen brother.
“Have you gotten anywhere with what the Irish asked?”
He shakes his head. “If she’s still with Luca, he’s being careful not to be photographed with her. He’s been in and out of his club a few times, no woman on his arm.”
My eyebrows furrow. “No woman at all? That’s unusual.”
“Yeah. I reached out to Hastings. They said everything has been fine on their end, the girl has connected for every check-in.”
I hum, leaning back to think about it more. “So she’s alive, but Luca is keeping her hidden? Why? The point was for her to get close to him.”
Nico shrugs. “I don’t know, but I do know that since you’ve talked to Luca about Matt, Gio has stopped visiting New Jersey.”
Sitting up, I glare at him. “So he was going for Gianna?”
“Or Matt. Something happened for him to change course. One of our men says he barely leaves Luca's side now.”
Tension has my jaw clenching, and I pinch the bridge of my nose. “And Arthur?”
We’ve been keeping a close eye on the slimy bastard that runs Chicago for the Outfit. I trusthim as far as I could throw him, and since the thought of touching him is revolting, it isn’t very far.
“No. I’ve picked up chatter around the men. I assume he’s getting restless about us being back in town.”
I catch Nico’s concerned gaze. “You think he’s going to make a move on me?”
He grimaces. “I don’t know. It’s hard to tell. I think he’s still wary about a retaliation from your father. But we’ve heard him express his displeasure at your presence more than once.”
I roll my eyes. “The jealous brat can throw a tantrum all he wants as long as it doesn’t affect Gianna.”
I watch her through the cameras, amused, as she goes from the library to my office. She’s obviously looking for something, or she’s developed an overwhelming urge to snoop. Disabling the alarm so I don’t alert her I’m back, I silently walk into the penthouse and head up the stairs.
The logical part of me knows I should be mad, or perhaps irritated, by her blatant disrespect, but I’m not. If anything, it shows me that my girl isn’t a meek little thing who only came to save that sniveling farce of a boyfriend from an early grave.No, my girl has an ulterior motive. I just haven’t connected what yet.
When I reach my office, I watch her from the door frame for a few more seconds, concerned about her continual lack of awareness. Her brother has truly failed her on more than one front. If she’d been mine, a queen at my side while running this empire, she’d be unstoppable. I smile at the thought of a ring on her finger, a baby in her belly, and her last name replaced with mine.
“Need help?”
She screams, turning to face me as her hand comes to her chest and the other catches on my desk to hold herself up. Her eyes are wide, staring at me in terror. With a trembling chin, her lips part and close a few times, lost for words. I can’t place the look exactly. She doesn’t seem afraid of being caught, nor of me punishing her for it.
I walk into the room, glancing around at the moved papers and open drawers. “Looking for something?”
“My dignity,” she mutters under her breath, then clears her throat and meets my gaze with a steely stare. “Your secrets.”
My eyebrows raise. “My secrets? Which ones?”
“The ones that get people killed.” She blinks multiple times, giving away she didn’t mean to say that, but doesn’t correct herself. I move until I’m infront of her, and she doesn’t flinch when I wrap my hand around her throat and pull her into me, staring down at her.
“You sure you want those?” I whisper, leaning down to brush my lips against hers.
