Page 53 of Merciless Desires

We ran back to the house, wet from the misty rain and ruffled from our barn sex session. Conti stood in front of the patio doors, looking more somber than I would have liked. He stomped on his cigarette butt before looking at me.

“What is it?” I asked.

“Romero and Rocco are here.”

“Really.” I felt my pants pocket. “Oh, I must have left my phone in the house.”

“They aren’t alone,” Conti said. “Don Malatesta is with them.”

“Oh,” Cin whispered. “My father is here?”

Conti nodded.

“Let’s go inside.” I took her hand and guided her into the house, noting her legs weren’t moving as quickly as they were a few minutes ago. “It’s going to be okay.” I couldn’t guarantee that, but I didn’t want her to know my doubts.

“You don’t know that.”

“I’ll make it okay.” I led her into the kitchen where Romero, Rocco, Janero, and two of his guys were waiting for us.

“Papa.” Cin let go of my hand and moved toward her father. “You’re here.”

“That’s what happens when you don’t return my calls. I show up.” He looked over her disheveled appearance and dirty white dress before hugging her. “What were you thinking, ignoring me?”

“I…”

“Never mind,” the Don said. “Why do you look like you’ve been playing in the dirt?”

“I didn’t expect you today,” I said to Romero.

“I tried to call you.” Romero glanced at Cin, and then looked back at me. “You didn’t answer. You must have been busy.”

“We waited out the storm in the barn, and I had left my phone in the house.” I moved toward Janero. “Don Malatesta, we weren’t expecting you in the states.” I extended my hand. “Welcome.”

Janero didn’t accept my hand, and judging from the way he stared at me, he had a pretty good idea what I had been doing with his daughter over the last few weeks.

He raised his hand and connected with my jaw faster than I had time to react. If he had been anyone else, he would be on the ground by now. Romero and Rocco would have backed me up, but given the hierarchy in this situation, none of us could react.

“Papa!” Cinzia placed her hand on my shoulder as Romero and Rocco blocked us. Janero’s men squared up in front of my brothers.

Janero held up his hand and halted his guards. “Gio had that coming, and he knows it.”

He was right. I had failed to protect his daughter when those men took a shot at us in front of the penthouse. Whether Janero would admit that he knew I had taken his daughter’s innocence, I was certain that the blow to my face had something to do with that. Even if he couldn’t believe that his little girl wasn’t so little anymore, he knew something was amiss.

“Janero,” Romero said. “With all due respect, if you ever hit my brother again, we’re going to have a serious problem.”

“Romero, you don’t want to battle with me over this.” Janero looked at me. “My daughter hasn’t returned my calls in over a week. Why do you suppose that is?”

“You can ask me the question.” Cinzia took my hand. “None of this is Gio’s fault. I provoked the man who came after us. I’m the one who hasn’t returned your calls. Gio encouraged me to call you, but I didn’t take his advice because I know what you have planned for me.”

“Do you?” Janero’s jaw tightened. “We’re not going to discuss that here.”

“Your father is right, Cin.” I wasn’t going to let her take the blame for anything that had happened these past few weeks. “It was my job to keep you safe. I should have made sure you were staying in contact with your father.”

“Gio, you’re not to blame.” She looked at her dad. “I gave Gio a problem from the moment I arrived. I acted like an entitled brat and Gio called me on it.”

“Gio should have had better control of you. Now I know he can’t handle you.” Janero motioned toward the back staircase in the kitchen. “Get your things. We’re leaving.”

“No!” She squeezed my hand. “I don’t want to leave Gio.”

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