Total pages in book: 100
Estimated words: 94048 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 470(@200wpm)___ 376(@250wpm)___ 313(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 94048 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 470(@200wpm)___ 376(@250wpm)___ 313(@300wpm)
“It was nice meeting you, Don Bianco,” I say, gambling on the Don title a bit.
He cocks his head, and I can tell he’s considering how to answer. Instead, he settles for a small nod. Neither polite nor impolite.
I turn and get the hell out of that office.
Chapter 16
Emily
I stand in the hall and try to get myself together, but my heart’s racing and my hands are sweaty, and I keep seeing Simon’s dad’s expression, that pure loathing and contempt.
I expected some anger. Maybe even a little yelling. But I never imagined his father would look at me like I was trash incarnate, and it was extremely degrading and disgusting.
And yet Simon had stood up for me. He didn’t exactly punch his dad in the face—his father hadn’t said anything really that bad—but he did make it clear that I’m his wife, and that matters to him. Somehow, it matters to me, and I don’t even know why.
Maybe I’m just nervous that this is going to fall apart before it even starts. If his father really is that annoyed by our relationship then it won’t serve the purpose that Simon wants it to. And if that’s the case, he’ll divorce me and all that money I so desperately need for my own dad’s issues will evaporate into thin air.
I’m practically hyperventilating when Elena finds me.
“Emily, I just heard what was happening. Are you okay? How’d it go?” She hurries toward me and stops short when she spots my face. I must look pretty bad, because she grimaces. “Oh, shit. Tell me everything.”
She steers me back to the steps. I swear, this freaking family is just dragging me around today. But I give her the full story from start to finish.
“Damn, he didn’t even know to start with, and Simon went in there only half-prepared.” She groans as we reach the sidewalk and hurry away from the watchful stares of the guards. “I’m really sorry about that, Emily. My father wasn’t always so difficult.”
I burst out laughing because the word difficult feels like a quaint understatement. “I find that hard to imagine. He was staring at me like I was a plastic sack of liposuction fat.”
“Okay, that’s one I’ve never heard before. But honestly, Dad’s been going through a lot lately.” We stop outside of Simon’s house. My house, or at least it is for a little bit longer. Who knows what it’ll be when he comes back out of that office. “He got shot and he hasn’t been the same since.”
A little sympathy pangs through me. “How bad was it?”
“Bad,” she says and sits down on the porch. I sit beside her, feeling a little reluctant to hear more, because I don’t want to empathize with the guy. But I should know what I’m dealing with. “The bullet grazed his spine and he hasn’t been able to walk the same since. He’s in constant pain and he pushes himself way too hard to stay on top of all his responsibilities. You might think Simon’s doing this because he wants the power for himself, but you’re wrong.”
I sit back, trying to digest that. “Why else would he do it then?”
“Simon’s happy as the heir.” Elena smiles at me and crosses her legs. “I mean, he has all the power he could want without any of the stresses of running things. Becoming Don, especially right now, would mean ten times more work. He’s only doing it because we all know our father needs to retire if he’s ever going to heal and move past this, and because the Famiglia needs him in charge.”
I try to picture Simon as the dutiful, self-sacrificing son, and find it pretty hard to imagine. From what I can tell, Simon only does whatever Simon wants, from breaking into my car, to breaking into my apartment, to trying to micromanage my underwear choices. He controls and shapes and manipulates, and I’ve gone along with it because I need the money and because I can handle the stress.
But I never stopped to consider that maybe he had other reasons.
The door to the house opens suddenly and I’m startled as a woman steps out. She looks surprised to see us, but then her face brightens as she rushes over to me.
“Oh my god, you must be Emily,” she says and grabs my hands, helping me up and giving me a tight hug.
I make a noise that’s half a grunt and half a yelp, and it’s not very dignified.
“Emily, this is Stefania,” Elena explains. “She’s married to Davide, another one of my brothers.”
“It’s so nice to meet you.” Stefania pulls back, beaming. She’s extremely pretty—olive-hued skin, thick black hair, deep brown eyes, and a very athletic body. She’s wearing tights and a workout shirt, but she somehow makes it look chic. “Gonna be honest here, it’s not easy being the sole non-Bianco woman.”