Page 50 of Till Death Do Us Part

“You’re cute when you’re trying to be polite.” He turned to face me, then reached out and slid his knuckle down my cheek. “My great-grandfather, Giovanni, left this place to me. It was his since it was built. He started the pharmaceutical company. At one time, he was one of the richest men in Chicago. He enjoyed spending time with my dad. Thought he was going to be something special someday. Said he had a lot of potential. He blamed Alfonso for ruining him.

“My old man told me Alfonso was the first man to ever look at him with hate and disgust, even when he was a kid. There was no real reason for it. Alfonso played favorites, but he never found one until Jack was born.”

“Alfonso and Jack wanted this place?”

“Want. This place means status to them. It’s one of a kind. A family heirloom at this point. They fought me for it, thinking they’d drain my resources and I’d have to put it on the market. Tommaso doesn’t like Alfonso. He took it personally. They backed off because they knew he was backing me.”

“Is Alfonso threatened by Tommaso?”

He shrugged. “Alfonso is not some chump off the street. His father created one of the most powerful companies in history. My business and the men who stand behind me are nothing to dismiss either. After my old man died, there was no one stopping me from killing Alfonso.

“Alfonso went to Emanuele and told him he was worried about what I was going to do. Tommaso is indebted to your old man, but not to Alfonso. Long story short, neither side wanted to start a war but me. It was decided no blood would be shed between us. First one to shed it would be killed, no retribution from the other side. That’s when Alfonso found a loophole in the arrangement. He took me to court, trying to wipe me clean so I’d have to sell the penthouse. Making my life hell on the business side. Even though Tommaso appreciated their creativity in getting at me without touching me, he was pissed about it. He took my side on that front, and that’s been that.”

“Alfonso left your Nonna for his current wife? Jack’s mom?” I asked.

“She’s wife number three. Two didn’t last long. Alfonso’s ex-wife, my Nonna Silvia, lives with my mother, as does her own mother. After the fight Alfonso put up for this place, my old man left his share of my great-grandfather’s estate to me. He was worried Alfonso and Jack would fight my mother for it.”

“Did they? Fight you for your father’s inheritance?”

He shook his head. “They fuck with me, but only to a certain extent. They have enough money, but it’s mostly about principal. Besides, they’re not up for fucking with Nonna Silvia. She has a vendetta.”

“The bad blood.”

“It’s going to get poisonous.”

Our eyes met and held. The words he didn’t have to say floated between us like the drifts of snow.

Because of you.

I needed to change the subject. Reality was just as Cassio had said. A cold slap in the face. “You said your great-grandfather blamed Alfonso for ruining your Babbo. Salvatore?”

He nodded.

“Why?”

He sighed, and a cloud of smoke blew from his mouth. “He didn’t have a supportive family life, so he found a family that would support him. He turned out to be a carnivore, as you would say, like me.”

His voice was warm and rough, and the sound of it caused me to shiver. He noticed but must have thought it was because of the weather. He led me back inside and toward his bedroom.

“I left my bag at the museum with my change of clothes,” I said, realizing. I was going to change before I left. “Can I borrow a shirt to sleep in?”

He led me to a walk-in closet. Half of the closet was filled with dark suits. The other half was filled with women’s clothes.

“Ms. Lang picked everything out for you.” He moved his shoulders, almost like his suit had suddenly shrunk. “I gave her your size. Your bag from the museum is in the car if whatever’s here doesn’t work.”

“How do you know my size?” I whispered.

“I’m a man of many secrets, Dino.” He winked.

I rolled my eyes and he chuckled.

“Elsa got to see this place?”

“She might have made a spare key.”

I laughed. “Better check the rooms. We might have a squatter.”

His phone rang and he went to take it, but not before he told me not to change yet. I explored the closet, running my hands over the clothes. Everything still had the tags on, and they were from one of my favorite brands. I made a mental note to thank Elsa. A dresser separated the two sides. I opened the drawers on my side. It was filled with La Perla nightwear and lingerie.

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