Gabriele’s POV
I still couldn’t figure out why Arianna was the target of the attack Gianni made at the party last night. It made no sense.
I haven’t had any public display with her. That was her first.
No one technically knew that she was with me. Yet, they had planned to take her away. Well, no one except Stephano.
Something was not right.
“I think they have an insider in the house,” my godfather suggested.
Basilio and I exchanged looks as if we were thinking of the very same thing.
“How else can you explain to anyone knowing that you care about Arianna…”
I frowned and glared at him. “I don’t care about her.”
Basilio rolled his eyes and my godfather sprouted a knowing smile. “Let’s just say you wouldn’t have been worked up in this manner if it were Sara or Elena or the other woman in the west wing.”
“That’s bullshit!” I hissed and plopped down on my chair.
I couldn’t care less if she had been shot. I was just concerned.
The contradiction in my head was starting to hurt. But I kept denying whatever my heart was trying to whisper to me.
“We need to fish out who this mole is,” my godfather said. “Gianni may he use anyone. The sooner we find his mole, the earlier we catch on them.”
“Could it have been Stephano? He sent her over to me?” I suggested.
“I bought her for you,” Basilio said in a firm voice. “He doesn’t know your relationship with her. I don’t think it’s him.”
I glared at him. So, he had been the one who got Arianna for me as a gift.
“You were intrigued by her beauty. I have never seen you stare at a woman with so much fire in your eyes,” he said with raised hands and a smug look on his face.
“All these would have been easier if Basilio had not let that fool take the poison!” I retorted wiping the look away from his face at once.
Basilio dropped his head in shame as he knew he couldn’t defend himself.
When we returned last night, I was trying to sort out the security arrangements with my godfather and Basilio had been in charge of the prisoner but he had taken off his eyes for a minute only to find out that the fool was dead.
It wasn’t entirely Basilio’s fault because none of us knew that he had pills with him.
Now the only lead to my uncle was dead.
My godfather held his staff and got on his feet. “That is over now. We need to focus on finding the mole instead.”
“I shall take my leave now,” he said as he started for the door. “Take care of yourself, Angelo, we’ll figure something out soon.”
“Of course,” I said with a roll of my eyes at the nickname he had obviously refused to drop.
“Fratello, I should follow up on the mole.” Basilio also got up and started for the door.
I waved my hand dismissively at him as I watched him go.
I was left alone in the office and my mind let out a relief. It felt like a part of my worries had been locked away and now I could let them out.
The truth was, I didn’t blame Basilio. I blamed myself.
I shouldn’t have taken Arianna to that party. She could have died.
She must have been traumatized by everything that had happened. I checked the time on my Patek Phillip. She must have woken up by now.
The blow she had received on her head was a minor one. Doctor Andriano had assured me of that.
I got up from my chair and moved out of the office. I had to go see how she was doing.
I got to her door and I knocked. I could have opened it, but I didn’t want to have more to her trauma. I waited for her to answer and invite me in.
The door suddenly opened and a very jumpy Sofia bowed her head to me. “Good day sir,” she said.
“Leave us,” I ordered and she disappeared from the door.
I stepped into the room and kicked the door closed.
“So are you here to give me an explanation?”
Her voice broke into my subconsciousness and I raised my head to find her throwing daggers at me with her gaze. She had her arms folded across her chest and she tapped her feet on the marble floor waiting for my reply.
So much for thinking she would be traumatized, I thought as a smirk emerged on my face.
She was so beautiful it gave off the impression that she was weak but that was wrong. Her mind was as stubborn as her spirits.
“You can’t just throw my maid out and give me nothing!” She added.
God, I would have missed her so much if she had died last night.
“Didn’t anyone teach you manners?” I asked sternly as I made my way to sit on the vanity chair.
She bit down on her tongue and her brows cocked as she tried to comprehend what I had just said.
“I expected you would at least start by saying thank you,” I hinted at her and her grey eyes brightened in understanding.
“You put my life at risk! Why should I thank you? If I died you wouldn’t have brought her back. So what’s the point?” She fired back.
For the life of me, I couldn’t even bring myself to be angry at her. I was just happy that she was alive and entertaining my ears with her stubbornness.
“Now, if you do not want trouble. Tell me this,” she said and I raised my brows wondering what she wanted to say now.
“Who exactly are you Gabriele Andino?”
“Think carefully Bella… Remember I don’t get to answer your questions except I want to and by now you should have an inkling of who I am. Are you sure that’s what you want answered?” I rested my right elbow on my knee and waited for her reply.
Watching her do a simple mental activity was enchanting. The way her mouth made a small squeeze and her eyes brightened at the corners, was thrilling.
“You are into the mafia?” She blurted out.
“I am the mafia.” She physically twitched at my answer and I smiled inwardly.
Perhaps now she wouldn’t be so difficult to manage. She would obey me more and cause less trouble in the house.
The inward smile I was controlling vanished as I saw her face turn hard with anger. She moved menacingly towards me and pointed her finger at me.
“So you knew that someone was going to kidnap me and you let them?”
I found myself unable to speak as her audacity surprised even me.
“You knew they were going to shoot people out there and you took me still?!” She snapped even louder than the first time, moving closer.
Her words were like alcohol to the guilt cut I already had in my heart. Rather than feel sorry, I got angry. How dare she raise her voice at me?
“You are such an asshole!”
“Arianna!” I roared. “That’s enough!”
I got off the chair and the poor furniture fell. She took a step back as fear flashed in her eyes.
“Don’t you ever use that tone of voice at me again!” I warned.
“And if I do, what would you do?” She spat back with defiance. The fear I just saw in her eyes had disappeared and it was replaced with anger.
The little wall of control that was holding me back broke off into a very thin line and I moved even closer to her. “What did you say?!”
“I said exactly what you heard!” She fired back. “Or what, have you gone deaf now?”
The thin wall shattered and in a twinkling of an eye, I raised her from the waist and threw her on the bed. Before she could move off, I trapped her with my body.
I caged her under my body and she stared back at me as we both breathed into each other’s faces.
Our eyes met and the tension in the air shifted.
Those greyish-blue eyes seemed to pierce into my very soul and I found myself drawing closer to her face.
“What are you waiting for?” She said in a husky voice and my gaze faltered to her lips.
No man in his right senses would stare at those full lustrous lips and take off their eyes without doing anything.
Without a second thought, I clashed my lips against hers and I kissed her with all the anger I had accumulated in my heart.
The hard-on I had before the party returned as her fingers pulled at my hair. She kissed me back with as much passion and I knew that it would only be a matter of time before she begged me to take her.
“Fratello! We have found the mole!”
Basilio’s annoying voice broke into my head and I stopped. If what he was saying wasn’t so important, I couldn’t have left her side.
“Fratello!”
“Fuck it!” I hissed as I got off Arianna