GIO
“Mathias will bide his time before launching his attack. He’s a man who meticulously plans his moves,” Sebastian reiterated, as though I needed reminding. However, my concern lay not in his patience, but in the uncertainty of when his strike would come. My only hope was that Romeo, being Mathias’s brother-in-law, would be privy to his schemes from the outset and alert us in due time.
The frustration in the air was palpable, and Harper’s outburst encapsulated it perfectly. “Don’t give me that damned look!” she screamed.
My gaze shifted to the standoff between Millie and Harper, their posture suggesting an imminent clash.
“Millie, you can’t accuse everyone else of selfishness. It takes one to know one,” Millie’s voice dripped with disdain.
Caught between the heated exchange, I exchanged a glance with Sebastian, hoping he held a clue about the situation. Usually inseparable, Millie and Harper’s current hostility seemed unprecedented.
Harper’s laughter carried a bitter edge. “At least I’m not blindly heading toward a catastrophe.”
“No, you’re not one for self-destruction. You ensure your own safety, even if it means others suffer,” Millie retorted sharply.
Harper’s composure faltered. Whether Millie referred to Sebastian’s car accident or another hidden event, her words struck a nerve. “I fought against this way of life, unlike you, who willingly became Gio’s plaything.”
A heavy silence settled over the room.
In the wake of Millie’s departure, I trailed after her, leaving Sebastian to handle his wife. Inside our chamber, Millie stood by the window, her body trembling with pent-up emotion. I approached her, placing my hands gently on her shoulders. “What’s happened between you and Harper?”
She uttered her response in a voice fraught with tremors. “She’s acting insufferably.”
“That’s hardly a surprise.”
Millie managed a strained laugh and turned to face me. As I ran my fingers through her hair, she leaned into the touch. “If anyone deserves that name, it’s her.”
A bitter expression crossed Millie’s features. “She didn’t mean it.”
I chuckled softly. “You’re quick to defend her again?”
Millie’s eyes held a flicker of longing, and her hands ventured down my chest to my belt. Her gaze, locked onto mine, conveyed a potent desire as she deftly undid my belt. “I need you,” she breathed, her urgency evident. I needed no further prompting. With swift movements, I removed her dress, while she struggled with my pants. When my arousal sprang free, I lifted her against the wall, her warm tightness enveloping me. As I propped her back against the wall, I kissed her deeply until her tension melted, then initiated a forceful rhythm.
Despite my efforts to sustain my anger over her concealment of Dario’s affair, my resolve dissolved upon seeing her gaze, brimming with love. Damn it, my once impenetrable heart always softened for her.
My lips descended to her throat, teeth grazing her skin as I left a mark. Claiming her, branding her. Exclusively mine.
Millie’s cries crescendoed as I hit her sweet spot, my own climax building in response. “Yes,” I growled, capturing one of her nipples with my mouth. Millie arched, and I thrust even harder, her fingers digging into my shoulders as I ravished her against the wall.
“Gio!” Her climax gripped me intensely, her elegant neck exposed once more. I marked her again, and her convulsions peaked, nails scratching my flesh, triggering my release. Leaning against the cool wall, forehead pressed into it, I held her close, her face nestled in the curve of my neck. Still connected, I carried her to our bed, settling atop her. She clung to me as if fearing I’d vanish.
I kissed her, my brow furrowing at the melancholy lingering in her expression. Then her eyes met mine, and she offered a faint smile. “Are we alright?”
I nodded, puzzled by her repetition. “I’m not angry with you, Millie. Just as you can’t alter your nature, I can’t change mine.” Her instinct to protect others, especially her siblings, was intrinsic. I understood. If she could accept my darkness, I could endeavor to accept her occasional motives driven by sibling concern. I might not like it, but I could try.
Her face buried against my chest, Millie inhaled deeply. Her emotions, even by her standards, ran deep. Perhaps she’d sensed my own apprehensions. And the challenges ahead would only grow. In three days, I was scheduled to meet with my captains and underbosses, an encounter likely to reignite tensions with Uncle Amadeo. Unsure of how much to reveal, I opted for caution, sharing minimal information for now, until Millie returned to her customary self.
MILLIE
The weight of regret bore down upon me, a heavy burden resting squarely upon my shoulders. Regret gnawed at me for the display of vulnerability I had exhibited in front of Gio, precisely at a time when his reliance on my strength was paramount. My heart was heavy with remorse, not only over that incident but also for the bitter altercation with Harper earlier in the day. The aftermath of our disagreement hung in the air, an unspoken divide that persisted through dinner and into the evening. Yet, my pride held me back from extending the first gesture of reconciliation.
As the evening drew to a close, I contemplated the possibility of seeking resolution after a night’s rest had tempered our tempers. Gio’s departure to New York loomed on the horizon, a looming separation that would last for several days due to his commitments with the Famiglia. His concerns about my emotional state led him to withhold the details, but a meeting of great importance was evident.
A sigh escaped me as I reached for the pill packet nestled within the drawer. My fingers cringed as I realized that I had once again forgotten to take my anti-baby pill the day before. This lapse wasn’t an isolated incident; I had missed several pills over the past months. With the packet in my grasp, I counted back to the last time my cycle had visited, a distant memory. The toll of stress and anxiety had often disrupted my body’s rhythm in the past, particularly in the months leading up to my wedding with Gio. Perhaps it was a recurrence of the same phenomenon.
The vibration of my cellphone on the nightstand snapped me from my reverie, and I hastened to answer upon recognizing the caller ID. I carried the phone with me, tiptoeing out of the bedroom and into a vacant guest room, securing the door behind me. “Karsen?”
“Millie,” came Karsen’s voice, tinged with a raspy quality that hinted at difficulty in breathing. A pang of apprehension gripped my chest, fearful for whatever distress he might be facing.
My concern spilled into words. “What’s the matter?”
A momentary pause hung in the air before he responded, “Nothing. Just wanted to hear your voice.”
An unspoken urgency underlined his response, and my heart clenched in response. “Are you all right? You don’t sound well.”
“Father was furious today,” Karsen replied, his words simple yet loaded with meaning. I could easily imagine the implications.
A lump formed in my throat. “I could talk to Gio, suggest that he take you in.”
The silence that followed was heavy with turmoil. “No!” Karsen gasped, as if my proposal had struck a chord of betrayal. “I’m part of the Outfit. I can’t be in touch with you. We’re enemies.”
My breath caught, and I swallowed hard. “That’s not true.”
“It’s time for me to go.”
“Karsen?” My plea hung in the air unanswered. The call had been abruptly ended. Trembling, I emerged from the guest room, the echo of his words reverberating through my thoughts. His finality left me in a daze as I retraced my steps to our bedroom.
Gio had emerged from the bathroom, an aura of exhaustion and tension clinging to him. In that moment, the course of action became clear. The conundrum of involving Gio and burdening him further with the weight of my concerns seemed unjustifiable. With determination, I decided to shoulder this on my own, a choice made out of love and protection for him in a world already fraught with complexities.
~*~
In the soft, early light of morning, Gio’s lingering kiss held a bittersweet promise as he prepared to depart. The sensation of his lips lingered on mine as he left, leaving me both longing and determined. With his absence, a surge of urgency overtook me, prompting me to sit up abruptly. My laptop became my lifeline as I navigated the intricacies of flights to Chicago, a city that now held the key to my next move.
Yet, my choices were constrained by the tightrope I walked. Vanishing for too long would undoubtedly attract attention, and so, I meticulously planned my escape. The earliest flight in and the latest departure on the same day became my sole options. But apprehension gnawed at my resolve; hesitation danced at the edges of my thoughts. The complexities grew as I considered financial matters; I couldn’t risk using our shared bank account. Gio’s keen eye would discern any irregularities.
As my fingers trembled over the keyboard, a decision formed. For nearly a year, I had managed the Famiglia’s finances, overseeing multiple accounts. But now, I was preparing to utilize this position for a different purpose a loan, a temporary breach of trust, a risk born of desperation. My intention was clear: borrow the necessary funds, repay them swiftly. A gamble on secrecy, a chance at redemption.
Once the flights were secured, a mixture of determination and unease accompanied me as I logged out. The countdown to departure began; in two days, I would set off for Chicago, a mission fueled by a singular objective to retrieve Karsen.
However, evading the watchful eyes within our mansion was a feat in itself. The need for invisibility led me to my closet, where I unearthed a familiar brown wig, a disguise to shield me from recognition. The pulse in my veins echoed the intensity of my emotions as I embraced the gravity of what lay ahead. Bound by hope and desperation, my plan now included not only Harper and Sienna’s salvation but Karsen’s deliverance from our father’s clutches.