Page 137 of Crazed

Massimo

My driver pullsthrough the gates. Katiya furrows her brows and bites her lip, glancing in the darkness at Papà's lit-up mansion.

I squeeze her waist and murmur in her ear, "Don't be nervous. Everything will be fine. You'll see."

"Papà won't be upset with you. It's Massimo whose head is on the chopping block," Tristano adds.

I snap, "Shut up."

He snorts. "It's true. How are you going to explain all this?"

Katiya tears her gaze off the house. She frets, "You mean me?"

Tristano shakes his head. "No. I mean the fact Massimo knew what Leo wanted, didn't tell Papà, and was secretly going to kill that bastard."

The SUV stops in front of the large staircase. I open the door and order, "Keep your comments to yourself, bro." I reach in for my dolce and help her out. More anxiety builds in her expression. I assure her, "Stop worrying. Everything will be fine." I peck her on the lips and don't wait for the others to get out. I lead her up the steps, and one of Papà's bodyguards opens the foyer entrance.

As we cross the threshold, Papà steps out of his office with Dante and Gianni.

"We'll skip the part where you congratulate us. It's late, and I'm showing my wife to our wing, so save your breath a few more minutes," I state, brushing past them and guiding her up the stairs.

"Massimo," she utters.

I keep moving farther up and reassure, "Everything is fine. I'll show you around tomorrow morning." I get to the top and turn down the hallway into my wing, steering Katiya into the bedroom suite. We step inside, and I shut the door.

She spins into me. "Your papà looked mad."

"He's always upset about something," I claim, which isn't false. Lately, my brothers and I are always upsetting him. "Why don't you take a bath, get in bed, and try to sleep. I'm unsure how long my meeting is going to take."

She doesn't move. The worry in her gaze intensifies.

I slide my hand on her cheek. "Please trust me. Everything is fine."

"I'm sorry I've caused issues between you and your family," she whispers.

I scoff. "You haven't caused anything. This is Leo's fault." I spin her and move her toward the bathroom, stopping in front of the jacuzzi tub. Lit candles create a soft glow. Bubbles and rose petals lie on the surface of the water. The floral scent flares in my nostrils. Soft, romantic music plays on the surround sound.

"Is your bathroom always like this?" she asks.

I grin. "Nope. But if you want it to be, I can make that happen."

She bites on her smile. I unzip the back of her wedding gown and slide the white dress off her. It glides to the floor and pools at her feet. I take a minute to appreciate her curves then admit, "Not the wedding night I imagined. I promise I'll make it up to you."

She circles her arms around my shoulders, lacing her fingers around my neck. "You have nothing to make up to me."

"Oh, I'm going to make this up to you," I reiterate, trying to hide how pissed I am that I have to deal with my family issues tonight. I pick up a claw clip I had my staff member put on the side of the tub and pin her hair so it won't get wet. I push her thong down her legs and order, "Now, get in the tub."

She obeys, sinking into the water until the bubbles cover her chest. She sighs. "This feels so nice. It's not fair I get to sit in this without you."

I lean down and peck her on the lips. "I'll try to be quick, but don't wait up. Make yourself at home. Whatever's in this wing is now yours."

She reaches up and caresses my cheek. "I love you. I'm so lucky to have you."

"I'm the lucky one, dolce." I kiss her again then rise. "Enjoy your bath." I leave and shut the door to the bedroom. For several moments, I stand there and breathe deeply, debating how I want to deal with Papà and my brothers. I go over the story I told Tristano and Pina in my head so I don't get caught. This might be the most important lie I've ever told.

I make my way down the stairs and pass Pina outside Papà's office. She's pacing while tapping her fingers on her thigh. I cautiously ask in a low voice, "What's going on?"

She freezes then exhales. An anxious expression appears on her face. It's new for me. I've never seen Pina not confident. She answers, "Dante wants to talk to Tristano and me."

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