Total pages in book: 152
Estimated words: 144979 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 725(@200wpm)___ 580(@250wpm)___ 483(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 144979 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 725(@200wpm)___ 580(@250wpm)___ 483(@300wpm)
“Yes.” I lean back, my palm drifting over Abella’s thigh beneath the table. “While you’re under my protection, that’s nonnegotiable. Same goes for you, Mariella.”
All three women exchange a brief glance, something silent passing between them. They look concerned, and I don’t know why, but I’ll need to find out what they’ve been up to.
Val and Mariella grab their plates and carry them to the kitchen, where Nonna has seemingly disappeared to.
“I have to leave in thirty minutes,” Abella says. “I should finish getting ready.”
She rises from her seat, prepared to run off, and I grab her by the arm. When she turns to face me, I see something I didn’t expect in her eyes. She’s embarrassed.
“Abella.” I graze the length of her arm and take her hand in mine.
“I wasn’t crying for him,” she says.
“Okay.”
She hesitates a moment before she continues. “Last night, you told me his punishment was for me. But I want you to do it for my mother and those other women and their babies.”
With a tug, I pull her onto my lap and tilt her face up to mine. “I’ll do it for all of you.”
She nods, exhaling a shaky breath. “I want to know when he’s dead, too.”
“You’ll be the first.”
My gaze drifts to her lips. Fuck, I want to kiss her. I want to do other things too—like spread her out on this table and eat her pussy for breakfast. It’s been far too long since I’ve been inside her, and I’m still aching from being pressed up against her last night. In an ideal world, I’d stay home and fuck her all day, but we both have things to do.
“Go get ready.” I release her reluctantly. “I’ll be joining you on the ride to the city.”
She hesitates to get up, and it pleases me far more than it should.
“Keep looking at me like that, cara, and you’ll have my cock buried inside you for so long you won’t make your appointments.”
For a second, it looks like she’s seriously considering it. Then my brothers make themselves known as they exit the house and head our way. Rafe smirks when he sees her sitting on my lap, and a pretty pink flush spreads over Abella’s chest as she peels herself off me.
“See you in twenty,” she mutters.
32
ABELLA
To my disappointment, we end up taking a water taxi without enough privacy to finish what Angelo started at the breakfast table this morning.
The ride to the city seems shorter than usual with Angelo by my side, his hand absently stroking my shoulder as he takes a call from Alessio. I close my eyes and let the sun warm my face as I listen to the deep, calm reverberations of his voice.
Before I realize it, we’re docking at the marina. Angelo disconnects the call and escorts me to the car, and Nicky drives us to my office building. When we arrive, and Angelo gets out with me, I think he’s planning to walk me to my office, too. But as we enter the building, something strange happens.
Thomas, the day security guard, bolts upright from his seat and greets us a little too enthusiastically.
“Good morning, Mr. and Mrs. Vitale.”
“Morning, Thomas,” Angelo answers briskly as he guides me to the elevator bank.
“What was that about?” I eye him suspiciously.
“What?” He arches a brow at me.
The elevator dings, and we step inside. Angelo presses the button for my floor.
“Do you know him from the…” I glance up at the cameras, wondering how often they actually monitor this footage.
“From what?” Angelo’s lip lifts at the corner, and I know he wants me to say it.
Oh, you know, when you chased me through the building in a mask and made me come while I hung over the rooftop railing.
“I take it you’re on a first-name basis with all the security here,” I say instead.
“I am.” There’s an edge of humor to his voice I don’t quite understand. At least, not until the elevator signals our arrival and we step off onto my floor.
I stop short when I see the huge new office space they were constructing before the wedding. Sitting at one of the desks in front of the executive office is Genevieve.
Suddenly, everything falls into place.
“You bought all these spaces?”
“I bought the building,” Angelo replies.
Before I have time to wrap my head around that, Genevieve is up and on her feet, hurrying in our direction.
“Angelo, thank God,” she breathes. “It’s been such a hectic morning. I need you for something urgent.”
Irritation winds its way through me as she stands way too close to him for comfort. Of course, she ignores me entirely.
“Oh, here, let me get this.” She brushes an imaginary piece of lint from his suit.
“What’s the issue, Genevieve?” he asks.
“It’s a confidential matter,” she tells him. “A client request. Shall we take this into your office?”