Alessio
Hoping this long day would eventually come to an end, I stared out of the window of the private jet, expecting to see something, but there was nothing other than the sky.
Flying from city to city, meeting with our buyers and doing dad’s dirty work was not my favorite thing, but it was what I had to do to prove myself that I was perfectly capable of leading this family.
Being at home was not a concept my brothers and I were familiar with as we were always on the road ever since we were young. Unfortunately, considering the circumstances, the vibe couldn’t be any awkward.
As usually, Gian was too busy hitting on the flight attendants. Usually I would’ve joined him, but now that I had used the maid as my escape, I was committed to play the devoted fiance, at least in public. It wouldn’t last forever, just long enough to keep up appearances.
Dante, who was still very much upset, had been staring at me for hours with glares strong enough to drill holes through the steel of the plane. I had been entertaining his behavior for long enough, and now I was tired of it.
“Still mad about Jimena?” I challenged him.
In my opinion, Dante was overreacting. Jimena wasn’t all that. She was nothing more than a liar who even went as far as lying about her daughter. I saved my little brother. He dodged a bullet.
“Come on, let it go. What’s done is done,” I said, trying to brush off the tension.
Dante growled. “All this time you made me believe she was just some maid,” he spat out
“Your words, not mine,” I replied, chuckling. Call me evil, but I felt a twinge of satisfaction at his discomfort. Maybe it was because I just found him to be a funny guy. His reactions, tantrums, the way he carried himself? Hilarious.
For this reason I hadn’t told him the whole arrangement with Jimena was fake. He was too emotional, too invested, and as long as he wouldn’t know the truth, he would respect his older brother and leave the girl alone.
Only two of my closest friends knew the truth. Donni and Levi-and those were the ones I could trust with her life while I was away.
As it grew silent once again my thoughts went to Jimena. Would she be following my instructions?
All I wanted was for her to sit back, look pretty, stay hidden, and keep her mouth shut-and one week before all of this, I would’ve expected her to do that.
She didn’t seem like trouble when I chose her, but after finding out she lied about her daughter, I wasn’t that sure anymore.
If she could lie about something that big, what else could she have lied about?
My phone buzzed with a text from my friend and driver, Levi.
‘Good thing you put that tracker in her ring.’
There was an image attached. It was a picture of a man grabbing Jimena’s hand. I could tell by the look on her face that he was hurting her.
‘?’ I send back, demanding an explanation. A few seconds later I received a response.
‘Looks like someone from her past. He was aggressive, but she handled it before I could step in.’
I clenched my jaw, frustration taking over my veins. It hadn’t even been a few days, but every new piece of information about her seemed more troubling than the last. At first, I felt guilty for putting a tracker in her engagement ring, but now I could see I made the right decision.
Having Levi and Donni keeping an eye on her was also for the best. They were always a few steps beside me, but this time I had ordered them to stay behind and keep watch.
What are you up to Jimena?
I tapped my fingers against the small table to the side, while watching Gian get up with a flight attendant wrapped around his arm. “Don’t come to the back. It’s occupied,” he felt the need to mention as the woman giggled.
Another attendant approached me by wrapping her arms around my neck from behind. “How about you join me, handsome?” She whispered seductively before pressing a kiss on my cheek.
“Sorry, babe. He’s in a serious relationship.”Before I could answer. Dante had already done it for me. Looking at him grinning, as if he had succeeded, made me want to smack the shit out of him.
I gave him a quick eye roll while gently removing the woman’s hands from around my neck. “That’s for the hospitality beautiful, but I’m afraid my brother is right,” I grabbed a stack of cash to hand it to her. One could see it as a consolation price.
“Now when you get off this plane, I want you to buy something nice for yourself.” I winked, watching her eyes nearly sparkle at the sight of the cash.
Then she turned her heel and walked away, her heels echoing in the cabin.
Buy something nice for yourself? I was starting to sound like a sugar daddy who couldn’t get it up.
With pain in my heart, I looked back at the beautifully sculptured woman I was forced to let go. I had barely turned around before a scoff escaped from Dante.
“Unbelievable,” he muttered.
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“I don’t get why a guy who’s already struck gold goes looking for more,” Dante shrugged his shoulders, not making any sense at all.
“Who says Olympic champions settle for only one gold?” I shot back.
“We’re not talking about sports, Alessio. You know what you are,” he replied with a smirk on his face, hinting at our anything but legal family business. “You already have a woman. A very special one. Don’t shame her.”
“I hear you, Dante,” I responded, not in the mood to argue with him. “I hear you.”