LAKE
She was pissed off. She was upset and sad, and now I pissed her off. I couldn’t do anything right, and now she walked out of the room.
I exhaled a long breath as I typed a text message.
LAKE: I can’t tell her. Her Nana found out about us and was mad at her. She’s so broke right now.
I saw the message bubbling.
LINDEN: Maybe that’s a good thing.
LAKE: How is it a good thing? What if she finds it out from someone else and confronts me? She will think I keep the truth about her father on purpose.
LINDEN: Telling her the truth about her father won’t do any good to her. Trust me. You don’t know how dangerous these people are or their enemies.
LAKE: Tell me about Gaetano Siciliano.
LINDEN: Nothing good, but your uncle trusts this man. The Siciliano has one code. Kill everyone who touches their family and the people they protect.
LINDEN: Now that you are married to his daughter, you’re under his protection, and he will catch bullets for you.
Jesus.
I watched goosebumps erupt all over my arms after reading Linden’s message. So, I asked the obvious.
LAKE: What are they?
LINDEN: One of the largest organized crime families in the world.
LAKE: Shit.
I knew it. Siciliano was a mafia.
LINDEN: Exactly. Your uncle saved Gaetano’s life once, and now he’s indebted to Braddsons.
I was speechless for a while. My fingers hung as I didn’t know what to type next.
The message bubbled again. Linden was typing.
LINDEN: Delete this message. I’ll ask my IT guy to come to your office in the morning to upload the protection program on your phone.
LAKE: Do you realize I’m a software engineer?
Linden sent me a laughing emoji.
LAKE: But OK, as long as it’s free, your people won’t access my personal data and files.
After chatting with Linden, I sat for a while, contemplating whether I should tell Maverick or keep it a secret for her own good. The truth was powerful, and her father was dangerous. Until now, I was still trying to wrap my head around the fact that I had just come face-to-face with the son of the most dangerous criminals in the world, and he was my wife’s brother and my brother-in-law.
It was sickening.
I found Maverick sleeping on the couch, still wearing a frown between her eyebrows. I felt terrible for her.
My stomach knotted, knowing I had been keeping a massive secret from her, but if this was the only way to protect her from danger, so be it.
I sat next to her, resting my head. I wanted to catch some sleep. It had been a long day, but it was even harder to rest when my mind ran a mile, trying to process what I had just found out today and the fact that Maverick was upset with me.
In the morning, I barely got a few hours of sleep.
I poured a coffee into my cup when Owen and Homer joined me, grabbing mugs from the cabinet.
“I want you to drive Maverick,” I told Homer.
“Where to, boss?”
“Anywhere she wants to go.” I sipped my coffee.
“Wait. I’ll be her bodyguard?” He paused, pouring coffee into his cup.
“Yes. Any problem with that?”
“No. Not at all. Can I be honest?”
“Yeah.” I eyed Homer suspiciously.
“She’s a better boss than you. No offense.
I snorted. I was not even offended because I knew he was telling the truth.
“May I know the reason?” He sipped his coffee. I could see it in his eyes that he had so many questions.
“I’m sure Linden can enlighten you about it. I don’t want to talk about it while we’re here.”
“And why is that? Talk about what? About me?”
We all froze as she joined us in the kitchen. She still looked upset, and her eyes were fluffy but still beautiful.
Owen and Homer moved to the corner with their mugs, leaving me alone to deal with my pissed-off wife.
“Before I told you about what happened between me and Nana, you were about to tell me something. What is it about, Lake?”
I grabbed a bowl and a fork and put them before her. Then she poured sliced fruits into it. “Do you want coffee?”
“You’re stalling.”
“Maybe my father will come and talk to you, offer you something to leave me. Starting today, Homer will come with you as your new bodyguard.”
“No way.” She snorted, grabbed her bowl, and left.
“Maverick.” I held her wrist. “This is not a joke.”
She napped her head and glared at me. “What could he possibly offer that made me want to take it? Is that really how you look at me? Wearing a dollar sign all over my face that I’m greedy and all I want is money?”
“Baby-”
“I get it, Lake.” She looked down at her wrist in my grip.
I loosened it and let her go. “No, you don’t. I didn’t mean like that.”
“You’re not telling me the truth.” There was so much pain in her eyes that I couldn’t even look at them longer without feeling stabs in my chest. “Stop lying to me. I just lost my only family. Don’t make me lose you too.”
“Maverick, please?”
She stared at her food momentarily before shoving the bowl into my chest. “On the other thought, I’m not hungry anymore.”
I caught it and watched her walk away.
“Fuck.”
***
I couldn’t work. I couldn’t concentrate on anything. I was still shaken up. My mind was shambled. All I could think about was Maverick’s safety.
Homer had to let her go alone, so I had to call Linden and ask for another man to keep tabs on her.
I scratched my chin, and the phone in my office rang. “Mr. Winston, someone here wants to talk to you without an appointment.” It was from the reception.
“I told you no appointment, no visitor. I’m swamped with work.”
“Sir, she said she’s your wife.”
“What the hell? How you didn’t know my wife? Let her in. Send her to my office.”
My heart started beating fast. I was excited and nervous at the same time. I got up from my chair and went to the door.
She looked so sad. Her eyes were like a fallen angel. She smiled tightly as she saw me. My employees followed their gazes at my wife until she entered my office.
“Hey, baby.” I opened my arms, and she came to hug me. “Welcome to my office.”
She chuckled. “You mean your building.”
I chuckled, too, as I looked at her. “How are you feeling?”
“Terrible.”
“I’m sorry you have to feel that way.” I turned on the smart tint in my office. “Come here.” I sat on the chair, and she came to my lap willingly.
“I feel so pathetic, terrible.” She looked down at me, cupped my head, and kissed me softly on my lips.
I sighed into our lips, relieved she was no longer upset with me. “I’m sorry if I pushed you too much.”
“You’re not sorry for denying my need?”
I smiled as I rubbed her arms. “I promise I’ll make it up to you. We can do it all night if you want.”
Her cheeks flushed. “That’s too much, and I’m okay now. I’m sorry, too. And you are right. I was going to use sex for my pain.”
“Because I’m good at it. And no apology is necessary. You want a tour?”
“Jeez. Your ego, Winston.” She shook her head. “Maybe next time. I’m meeting Cooper for our street-style photoshoots.”
“Huh. My wife is busy while I struggle to concentrate on work.”
She kissed me again. “A good luck kiss. You can do it, CEO.”
“And a president and chairman.”
She laughed in amusement. “Right, the owner and the founder. What else do you wanna add, Winston?”
“A doting husband, a generous lover with a remarkable size of dick.” The last one made her bark out loud.
She abruptly stopped. “Sorry. Your employees might think I am stupid.”
“I will fire them all if they think about you like that.”
“Stop it.” She playfully hit me on the arm. “Seriously. I’m here because I want you to pull back that guy following me. He thought he did his job well. I even felt less safe. He made me paranoid, babe. Please?”
“Babe, huh? Because you want something from me?” I smirked, and she rolled her eyes.
“Shut up. Seriously, though. I feel like I’m having a stalker.”
That fucker didn’t know how to do his job.
“Okay. Consider it done, but you have to agree that Homer is coming with you.”
“Fine.” She kissed me again. “Thank you. Now tell me what’s your secret.”
“I don’t have any, baby.”
Fuck. I just lied.