Page 40 of The Beast

I owe her an apology for walking out on her and I’m guessing she’s packing her bags right now to leave with Angelo and his wife later today.

As I step into the ring, bare chested and barefooted, I watch the soldier strap on his padding, which immediately tells me he’s lost before we’ve even begun. It’s as much about mental strength as physical and he has just informed me he’s shit scared of being hurt.

Too fucking bad.

It takes five blows to knock him out cold and I almost growl with frustration. What was that? Pathetic. Another soldier heads through the door and immediately regrets it when I step over the body of one and snarl, “Take his place.”

I don’t even get the previous one medical attention because I’m too fired up to care. These men know the score and if they can’t take the heat, they may as well be dead already.

This one is more skilled, and it takes ten blows to knock him out and sighing, I look at the two men groaning beneath my feet and my angry roar fills the space. The door clicks open, and I see my grandfather regarding me with a malevolent gleam in his eye and I snap, “Do you fancy your chances?”

He shrugs and approaches the ring, looking with disgust at the bodies still moaning on the floor and snaps, “Get the fuck out of here.”

On hearing his voice, they crawl to the side and somehow manage to drag their sorry asses to the changing room and my grandfather says with anger lacing every word, “Pull yourself together, Alessandro, and don’t be a child. You are a man, and we deal with our problems in a more calculating way.”

“I’m open to suggestions.”

I face him off, my chest heaving and the sweat dripping down my body, my hair wild around my shoulders and the caveman inside me surfaces.

My grandfather throws me a towel and a bottle of water, and I catch them in each hand and he shakes his head as if disappointed with me.

“Do you think I wanted to marry Nonna?”

I take a swig of water and don’t even bother to reply.

He moves closer and says roughly, “It was arranged by our fathers. A union to bring our families together into one powerful dynasty. I didn’t understand at the time, but she was perfect for me. Strong, beautiful and astute. The perfect Don’s wife.”

I shrug and say nothing, and he sighs heavily. “At the time, I thought I was in love with a dancer. Grace Monroe was her name, and she intrigued me. I was besotted and needed to spend every waking minute I had with her and for the most part, I did. We were happy, I was happy, and I wanted to marry her. Then my father stepped in and bought her a one-way ticket to America. He told her if she stayed in Sicily, he couldn’t guarantee her safety. He decided my fate for me.”

“So you understand how that feels.”

I stare at him with a dark expression, and he nods. “I know exactly how that feels and yet I knew my place. I married Nonna, and she made me extremely happy. She was everything my family wanted for me, and I couldn’t fault her. We have enjoyed a long and happy marriage because we both accepted our place in it. She gave me three children, and it was unfortunate only one of them was a boy who grew up to be a big disappointment to me because, like you, he thought he had a choice.”

“Is that what I am, a big disappointment?” I’m mildly curious, and he shrugs. “You could be. It depends on your decision now.”

“My decision, grandfather, is final. I will only marry one woman and if that’s not to your liking, then I’ll live in sin, as they say.”

If I expected him to be angry, I’m surprised because he merely laughs out loud as if I cracked the most amusing joke.

“Have your fun, Alessandro, I understand you have some time to make up, but when the dust settles, you will see I am right. There is nothing stopping you from setting Winter up in an apartment nearby. Mistresses have more fun, anyway.”

“Like Portia, nice tits, by the way.”

The angry snarl on my grandfather’s face tells me I’ve hit a nerve, and he hisses, “Now you go too far. When you have walked in my shoes, you have a right to comment. Until then, you will honor our agreement and do what the fuck I tell you to. You have three months from today. Enjoy your woman and make plans for the future, but they don’t include making her your wife. Do I make myself clear?”

“Perfectly.”

As he turns to leave, I say roughly, “Don’t go saving for a wedding, grandfather. I meant what I said.”

“Three months, Alessandro, and you will learn that I always win in the end.”

As he leaves, I sink to my heels and place my head in my hands. Three months, he says. A lot can happen in that time and one thing he appears to have forgotten is that when he dies, I can make my own fucking rules and there will be nobody who can stop me from doing what the hell I want.

CHAPTER22

WINTER

It’s strange saying farewell to my brother and his wife after recently discovering them again.

---