Page 95 of Say I Do

He laughed as he grabbed Lorelei’s hand and led her out. “See you at the rehearsal dinner.” Quincy’s hazel eyes were pinned behind me. “Meglio tenerlo stretto o lo porto via.”

“Non c’è posto al mondo in cui tu possa nasconderti se tocchi ciò che è mio,” Benito said. He pressed against my back, and I had the distinct feeling if Quincy didn’t leave soon, it would be another standoff.

“Bye, Har,” Lorelei waved with a bright smile on her face.

“Bye, Lorie.”

Benito’s hand rested on my waist, and I couldn’t help but lean into the touch. It felt grounding. Before I knew what was happening, Benito shoved me hard against the door. My face was pressed firmly against the thick wood. A groan slipped free as Benito covered my back, his clothed cock pressed against my ass.

“Don’t think I didn’t see that.”

I could tell him it was Quincy’s fault or even that Quincy did it to rile him up. But my cock was hard, and I wanted Benito inside of me more than anything. I wanted him to possess every inch of me.

“What are you going to do about it?” Fuck. I was testing the devil and loving it.

Harlowand I hadn’t left the bed since Quincy and Lorelei headed out the day before. Thank God my chef had come in and cooked up a bunch of food. I was even careful with him. The fewer people in and out, the less chance there was to slip into my place. When he came, he cooked a variety of meals, stored them in containers, and I ate them throughout the week before I called him in again, never on a consistent schedule to avoid trouble. I wasn’t just careful; I was thorough. It was why I was still alive.

Turning in bed, my eyes fell on Harlow. He was sprawled out, his hair fanned around his head wildly. Harlow snored in his sleep, moaned, and rolled over. I watched, taking in the sight of his body after not releasing him from my bed for the night. I’d had appointments to handle, but I’d canceled them all once he offered his little challenge. Now my body was sore, my back was littered with scratch marks, and my balls were empty.

Not like I’m complaining.

I stared at Harlow a little longer. I’d done well keeping my composure in the face of his little friend trying to start shit. Barely.Why is it so hard to maintain control now?I’d dealt with more than my fair share of assholes and I always kept my words calm, my smile in place, and handled the problem in a dark alley if that was what I needed to do. So why had that changed?

As I moved out of bed, I padded to the bathroom. It was already late afternoon heading into the evening. Harlow and I had to meet up with everyone for the wedding rehearsal, and I already dreaded it. My phone buzzed after sitting it on the counter, and I sighed as I picked it up.

“Hey,” Gin said as I answered Facetime. “Why did you text saying to leave Tex and Ash at home? What kinda bullshit is that, man?”

I groaned. “It has to happen.”

“Why?” Enzo chimed in as his face appeared in the video. “I don’t like this.”

It was too damn early to be talking. Meeting Quincy and Lorelei had been a mixed bag. Finding out that Lorelei was pregnant, which was why she skipped out, and Denji changed plans made more sense to me. It wasn’t a bait-and-switch to screw me over. It was a desperate last-ditch attempt to uphold a serious agreement. That I could understand.

My mind dwelled on her. Now that my fate had changed, I tried to see if there was any regret from seeing her yesterday. She was exactly my type of woman; sweet, helpful, soft-spoken. Yet, I hadn’t felt a thing. I never had. As pretty as she was, there was no reaction there.

Someone did get my heart pumping, though, and for once, it wasn’t Harlow. Quincy. He’d spewed bullshit about me turning Harlow against him, and he’d even referred to Harlow as “his Harlow.” And it just got worse from there when Quincy threatened to take Harlow away. I’d never met anyone I hated as much as him. Holding it together had taken a miracle, but that wouldn’t last forever. Quincy would have to answer to me.

I sat the phone on the counter and turned on the sink. After I splashed some water on my face to cool it down, I tuned into Gin’s yelling.

“Hey! Are you even fucking listening to us? Goddamn it, Benito.”

“Enough,” I snapped. “You have no fucking idea the stress I’m under. Do you? Do either of you?”

They went quiet. I never brought up how much I had to do day to day. From running our family business to overseeing the bar, the office, and our new side ventures, I was saddled with shit every day. And I had to be yelled at because I’d made a decision that was best for all of us. As usual.

“Benito, you never say anything,” Enzo said.

“Do you two ask?” I growled. “Fuck, I have to tell you what the hell I’m going through? Fine! Our father will be at the rehearsal tonight. Have either of you told him about your partners?”

They exchanged a look and squirmed uncomfortably.Yeah, that’s what I thought.Neither of them had said a word which once more dumped the responsibility onto my lap. The man was obsessed with heirs, family, and loyalty. When I told him, he’d pull me aside to dig into me until I was a heavy, raw, further burdened wreck. It was what my father excelled at; the gift of a silver tongue that could breathe life into someone and tear them down at the same time. My mother always said I was just like him when I was angry. Those fights stuck with me even now.

“That’s why they can’t come,” I said shortly. “If either of you has a problem with that, feel free to take over as head so I can have a goddamn vacation.”

I shoved my finger against the end button. My mood was entirely too fucked to deal with any more bullshit. Even after fucking the life out of Harlow several times last night, it hadn’t dissipated the feeling of a stone sitting in the middle of my chest. The feeling lifted, sure, but it was still there.

I shoved away from the counter and turned on the shower. Quincy, the arrogant fucking asshole, had wormed his way into my head. On top of having to be in close quarters with my father and mother, I had to hear his bullshit echoing in my brain.

Do I really not know anything about Harlow?

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