Giovanni (29 page)

“But you don’t approve,” Kim pressed. “Because of Franco and the engagement.”

“I didn’t say that, either.”

“Wasn’t it obvious enough?”

“No,” Dante replied, frowning. “Don’t get me wrong. I don’t approve of what Gio did. That isn’t even remotely the same as not approving of you. He broke the rules, but I can still understand why. I guess he did what he needed to do. I’m not going to fault him for that, but I don’t have to like the way he did it.”

“But Gio isn’t me,” Kim said.

“Exactly. Are you happy?”

“Very.”

“You weren’t before,” Dante stated like it was a fact.

“Having to marry Franco? No.”

“Why?”

“Besides the fact he was an abusive asshole?” Kim didn’t understand how his question had anything to do with her and Giovanni. Still, the conversation was going better than she expected, so she indulged his question. “Because I didn’t get a choice. I don’t know how it works in your world—”

“Cosa Nostra, you mean.”

“Whatever. For me, I want to choose. It’s my life. Nobody owns me just because they helped to make me, or because they have a special last name and a certain lifestyle. They made it seem like it was my decision, but it wasn’t.”

Dante shifted awkwardly on his feet again. “I’m constantly reminded that I haven’t found myself a wife, yet. That I need one to supersede my father—to succeed in my own life.”

“You don’t want to be married,” Kim assumed.

“I have very little to offer a woman, and I don’t want to see someone suffer because of my choices in life.”

“That can’t be true, Dante.”

“It is. But that doesn’t matter. I’m in a very similar position that you were. I don’t have a choice anymore. It’s like a fucking clock ticking down in the back of my head. Gio showing up married just …”

“Puts more spotlight on the fact that you aren’t,” Kim finished, feeling sad for his position. “That seems really unfair.”

Dante shrugged. “You live in your world and I live in mine. They may overlap at times but believe me when I say they are not the same.”

Kim could sort of understand Dante’s behavior and attitude the other night in some ways. He was sympathetic to his younger brother, but at the same time, expected Giovanni to follow the same rules he had to. Then, Dante was clearly stuck between a rock and a hard place when it came to the marriage. Happiness was hard to have when yours was constantly being scrutinized and someone else’s joy only highlighted what people assumed was your lack of it.

“Please don’t feel like I’m telling you any of this as an excuse for how I treated you or the things that I said. It’s in no way a reprieve for that. I was an asshole.”

“You were,” Kim said simply. 

“It was inexcusable. And I’m sorry.”

Kim forced back the emotions lodged in her throat. “Thank you.”

Dante offered Kim a hesitant smile. “I promise I’m not so bad of a guy on a regular day. Plus, I’ve been told I can be intimidating without meaning to be. You kind of earned my respect when you had the guts to snap at me for acting like a tool, so there’s that. Lucian married the non-Italian with his middle finger up. Gio married the ball breaker and couldn’t be bothered to tell anyone until she shows up on our doorstep. That’s very … like my brothers, to say the least.”

“That just leaves you.”

“I guess it does,” Dante said indifferently. Then, he lifted his hand holding the gift bag. “I have something for you. Call it a belated wedding gift.”

Kim’s brow raised. “You bought us a gift?”

“No, just you. Gio hates it when anyone spends money on him. He’s too independent for that nonsense. He really only accepts gifts on holidays because he doesn’t have a choice. Or rather, Mom doesn’t give him one.”

“Oh. You didn’t have to get me anything.”

“I did, actually. I imagine Lucian will have something for you as well. Cecelia and Antony were already talking about how they were going to introduce you as a part of the family to the public, so you can bet something will be coming before that from them as well.”

“I don’t understand,” Kim said, confused again.

“Gio explained some stuff about Nunz that I wasn’t aware of. Like the fact that he never really had much interest in you. That’s not the way it’s supposed to work, Kim. You should have been respected and adored. A proper
principessa
. I don’t know if the word means much to you but to us, it’s held in esteem. We’re big on tradition and while Gio might not think his marriage is as huge of a deal as Lucian or I getting married, it still is for us as a family.”

Kim still didn’t understand what that had anything to do with people giving her things. “I don’t need to be given stuff to be welcomed, Dante.”

“Not really the point and you don’t get much of a say,” he replied, chuckling. “But, I was also warned by my brother that you might be a lot more like him than any of us knows. With that being said, if I were to get you something, it should be of use to you. Preferably not wearable or sparkly, because you can pick that shit out just fine for yourself.”

“Gio’s words?” Kim asked.

“Yeah. Also, I think he gets really pissed off at the thought of someone who isn’t him giving you jewelry. I thought that was funny. He didn’t.”

Maybe Giovanni did know her a hell of a lot better than Kim thought. She wouldn’t underestimate her husband again. “So what did you get me, then?”

“Something of use.” Dante smirked, but it faded just a little. “Actually, when we were talking about your father and whatnot, Gio mentioned Franco destroyed your laptop during an argument about continuing your education.”

Kim felt a heat rush to her cheeks. “I wish he hadn’t said anything about that at all.”

She didn’t want everyone knowing how awful it had been to be under Franco’s thumb. It was bad enough she let it go on like she did and that she had marks to show for it.

“Franco’s an idiot. Or
was
,” Dante corrected, giving her a sympathetic look. “That’s too nice, really. Either way, I know what was on your laptop can’t be replaced, but the computer itself could be.”

Dante rested the large gift bag to the floor before pulling out a thin, long white box with the Apple logo on the top.

“Beyond this,” he added, tipping the box in Kim’s direction, “… I wanted to ask you if you were serious about continuing college. Gio surely doesn’t care. If anything, he wants you to do what makes you happy. And from what he says, you’re pretty damned intelligent.”

“I’m not stupid, if that’s what you’re asking. Yeah, I’d like to figure out a transfer or something so I can finish my degrees. Why?”

“Our family is well connected to Columbia University in Manhattan. I’m sure you know it.”

Kim’s jaw dropped. Who didn’t know it? “What does well connected mean?”

Dante shrugged. “All three of us attended, but it wasn’t for Gio, so only Lucian and I graduated. Antony donates quite a bit of money to the college and so do I. It helps to keep our name in good standing at the places that matter to us and it’s a great school.”

“That’s a private Ivy League college.”

“So you’d be interested, then?” Dante asked, grinning. “I mean, your transcripts will have to be top-notch if you want to be in certain programs, but I don’t doubt you’ve got the scores. If you want to continue with what you’re studying, they have a few different branches or you could look into changing your focus to something else if you want. Other than that, getting you the transfer is just a phone call away. It’d be one less thing for you to worry about right now while you’re still settling in with Gio.”

Kim rested back into her chair, entirely unsure of what to say. “Seriously?”

“Absolutely. You’re only twenty-one-years-old. No one is trying to make you forget about what you wanted before my brother came along. We’re just going to make you more comfortable while you keep moving forward with him.”

“I can’t afford—”

“I can assure you that you can. It’s not my business to give actual figures, but you should have a chat with Gio about his financial standing. It’s not just his anymore, Kim. He already knows this, too.”

“Thank you.”

“No problem,” Dante replied easily. “And I truly am sorry.”

Kim shook her head, still reeling. “Best apology ever.”

Dante laughed. “I try.”

Chapter Twenty-Three

Gio twisted in his bed, stretching and feeling his spine crack in three spots. Fuck that felt damn good. It’d been a rough couple of weeks since he returned from Vegas. Gio left a lot of work behind and was making up for it in the tenfold now.

Sure, his managers ran his three clubs just fine, but that didn’t mean Gio simply trusted those fools. Because he didn’t. That was a week worth of work alone making sure everything was on the up and up and nothing had fallen to pieces too terribly in his absence.

Then, there were his streets. His other job. Being a capo. Running a group of men from states away was practically fucking impossible. Lucian had picked up some of the slack, making sure the cash flowed like it was supposed to and came in on time. Still, that left a lot of leg room for Gio’s associates to run wild when the Skip wasn’t around keeping his eye on them.

Bunch of fucking
cafones
. All of them.

Being back out doing what he loved reminded Gio of how much he missed doing just that while in Vegas. Sure, he’d complain up and down about how much work he had to do in order to get everything back to smooth sailing, but this was exactly what Gio did best, after all. There was nothing he enjoyed more.

Well … until now.

He really enjoyed Kim.

“I think you were in desperate need of that nap.”

Gio smiled at his wife’s voice. He wasn’t even going to come back to the condo earlier, just skip over to the club like he needed to. It hadn’t worked out that way when Gio realized he was driving towards home and not the club. Hell, his heart always had spoken louder than his mind did.

Once he got home, food and a hot shower came first. Kim wasn’t there, so Gio fell asleep on the bed after setting his alarm for later in the evening. He didn’t need the alarm. Kim woke him up not long after she returned to the condo. A silken mouth and wet heat encompassed his cock, making him feel burned and alive all at once. That was all he remembered feeling until he blew his load.

Kim had kissed up the railroad path of his abdomen, whispering, “Sleep, Giovanni. I’ll wake you up again.”

Best wakeup call he had in a long fucking time. Gio wasn’t ready to wake up again now, so he was just going to stay there with his eyes closed until he really did have to move. Being a responsible adult sucked sometimes.

“It’s almost nine-thirty.”

Gio groaned, refusing to open his eyes. “I don’t want to go to the club tonight. I’m liable to cut that fucker’s tongue out of he tells me one more time how he handled the place just fine while I was gone. If he handled it, my liquor orders wouldn’t be screwed up as badly as they are. He forgets I pay him, not the other way around. Someone’s about to be out a job
and
a tongue.”

“Want me to come?” Kim asked. “Keep your mind on me and less cutting, anyway.”

God, he loved this woman. She still made him high just by breathing.

“You’re sure you want to? Church is going to be hell after four hours of sleep,
Tesoro
.”

“Church is always hell.”

“True,” Gio conceded.

It was slightly better with her at his side, though.

“Come on, get up. We can grab some food on the way.”

Gio still didn’t move. The bed was far too comfortable.

“Gio …”

“
Hmm
?”

“You’re going to be late.”

“Giving no fucks at the moment,” Gio responded.

Kim sighed. “Cain needs to be walked.”

Finally, Gio cracked his eyes open, giving Kim a look from the side. “It’s kind of sickening how you’ve already figured out the only things that will get me to move. I feel like I’m being slowly trained. In a good way, of course.”

“
Mmhmm
. Of course. Walk your dog, Gio.”

Chuckling, Gio forced himself out of the bed and stumbled towards his walk-in closet.

“Also,” Kim added as Gio pulled dark wash jeans from a dresser, “… when I got out of the shower this morning after you were gone, he was rolling his furry ass all over my side of the bed again. That’s the fifth time this week. I’m getting tired of washing and changing sheets every day. Fix that, or I’m buying a kennel.”

Gio cursed under his breath. Fucking Cain. Really, it was just the pup’s way of showing his acceptance of her by wanting to put his scent on Kim’s stuff, but she wasn’t having it. Cain would stop.

Eventually
.

“It means he likes you!”

“Don’t care,” Kim said. “I like him, but you don’t see me sitting in his food and water bowls.”

“That’s not the same,” Gio replied under his breath, knowing she couldn’t hear. He pulled on his jeans quickly. “You’d just get your pretty ass wet.”

“Pretty ass, huh?”

Shit.

Gio was not used to living with a female, never mind one who seemed to hear every little thing he might not want her to. It was just one of the few adjustments he found he needed to make in his life since Kim’s arrival. Having her actually live with him while he acted as a husband, added on a whole other set of things he never had to deal with before, either.

Really, it wasn’t that bad. He and Kim got along great usually. They didn’t fight about trivial shit. Gio sometimes had late days, but so long as he made an effort to call or text to let her know he wouldn’t be home, she didn’t seem to worry or question him. Kim left his business alone, for the most part. It was obvious there were times she wanted to know where he’d been or why he kept guns stashed all through the condo, but she didn’t ask unless he offered to tell first.

There was also the domestic nonsense. The kinds of things living with someone—anyone—that he had to get used to. That was probably the easiest of all. He and Kim flowed together seamlessly in those aspects. There was no squabbling over who cooked or who cleaned, or the kinds of music each liked. He didn’t care about the rows of shoes and clothes now taking up most of the residence in his walk-in closet because he was just happy she let him buy her anything at all given how stubborn she could be.

Gio offered an apologetic grin over his shoulder, seeing Kim standing cross-armed in the doorway to the closet. “Sorry?”

“I’m serious about getting him to stay off the bed, Gio.”

“I know,
Tesoro
. I’m working on it.”

Or
, Gio thought,
it’s been two weeks and he’ll get tired of it soon.

“By the way, the only reason I’m not pissed off at you right now is because you called my ass pretty.”

Gio smirked as he pulled a silk dress shirt off a hanger. “Well, it is. Sexy as hell.”

Kim came to stand behind him, her hands skimming up from the base of his spine to his shoulders. Gently, her nails scraped along his shoulder blades, making Gio shiver. A hot mouth pressed to his
Mea Culpa
tattoo below his ear.

He was going to be a hell of a lot later getting to the club if she kept that up.

“Jesus Christ.”

Kim laughed a throaty sound before nipping his neck with her teeth. “Keep your dog off the bed or you won’t be seeing or touching my ass again for a while.”

Dammit.

Kim owned him. And she knew it.

• • •

Someone was going to fucking die tonight. Gio was sure of it. If it wasn’t his club manager being an asshole, it would be the next man who got a little too close to Gio’s wife for no reason.

“I’m really busy right now,” Gio snapped into the phone as he answered a call.

“You sound like you’re having a blast, little brother.”

Gio rolled his eyes at Lucian’s voice. “I’m
busy
. What do you want?”

“Kim’s at the club again, isn’t she?”

Why was he so goddamn obvious? Gio never thought he would be the jealous type, but he really, really was. It was kind of terrible, actually. He had faith in Kim. It was every other stupid male in the room that he didn’t trust as far as he could throw.

Hey, throwing … that wasn’t such a bad idea.
Fuck
. She was too beautiful for her own good. Her personality caught people’s interest without her even trying. Kim just attracted attention.

It didn’t help that two weeks into their marriage and people still had a hard time believing Gio when he introduced her as his wife. Some of his guys literally thought it was a joke. They learned fast it wasn’t when one or two attempted to get closer than necessary to what wasn’t theirs.

“Maybe she is,” Gio muttered, glaring through the crowd of moving bodies. “Maybe she isn’t.”

Where had she gone to?

“Gio, I know it’s still new and all, but you’ve got to get over the possessive shit,” Lucian said. “You know she’s going home with you.”

“How long have you been married?” Gio didn’t give Lucian a chance to respond before saying, “Not long enough. And Jordyn still can’t go to a club without you. Climb down off your high horse. It might be a pretty view, but you’ll break your neck all the same when someone kicks you the fuck off. And I can kick pretty goddamn high, asshole.”

“That has nothing to do with jealousy.”

“Sure it doesn’t.”

“It’s not. I don’t want people running their mouths and spreading nonsense. If we’re together, nobody can say a damn thing.”

“Same fucking difference,” Gio replied. “For the record, that’s close to the same reason I like having Kim with me.”

“We both know you’re not worried about what people would say to you.”

Nope, Gio was not. He would cut a fucker for even thinking badly about his wife.

“Kim’s probably not concerned about your reputation,” Lucian added quieter.

“Yeah, well … I don’t want it to become a worry at all.”

“I get it.”

“Good. Leave it alone, Lucian.”

Finally, Gio spotted Kim at the bar waving at the bartender. Annoyance crept through his veins when a man slipped in beside her. Gio might have let that go, except when Kim moved slightly away from the guy, he moved closer again.

Really? Someone
was
going to fucking die.

“Gotta go.”

“What, why?” Lucian asked.

Gio hung up the call without another word and tossed the phone in his pocket. Crossing the club floor in record time, he tried not to let his anger bubble up. It was pointless. Green fucking monster. The damn thing was crawling up his back. Gio couldn’t help it.

“Come on, baby. One shot, that’s all. Salt, drink, lick, and lime. It’s easy.”

Kim cocked a brow at her unwanted companion just as Gio stepped in behind the guy. “My name is not baby and the answer is still no.”

“And why the hell not?”

Gio smirked when Kim’s stare settled on him. Getting up close enough so only the dickhead would hear, Gio said, “Because if you put your mouth anywhere near her skin, I promise you will learn what your insides look like when they’re on the outside. Do you know how long a person can survive after being gutted? I sure as fuck do. Get away from my wife before you learn, too.”

The idiot practically fell off the bar stool backward. Gio managed to move out of the way in time, smiling as condescendingly as he could all the while. There was nothing he found more amusing than teaching someone a lesson without even lifting a finger.

“Hey, what the fuck?”

“Go on,” Gio urged when the man stood up straight to face him. “Please make my night and hit me. It won’t be the first time I’ve broken all my knuckles smashing in someone’s head, and I doubt it’ll be the last.”

“Nah, man,” the guy said, hands raised high. “I get it. She’s yours. My apologies.”

“Get gone. Quickly.”

“God, you’re so ridiculous, Gio,” Kim said, laughing as the guy disappeared back into the crowd. “At least you make it fun to watch, though.”

“I know. I’m fucking awful.”

Kim leveled him with a stare as two shots of tequila were pushed over the bar for her. “You can’t go threatening every man that comes within a five foot radius of me. You’ll drive yourself insane.”

Gio already was insane so that was a moot point. Kim made him this way and it was only liable to get worse. It was her fault and now she had to deal with it. “Yes, I can. It’s my club,
Tesoro
.”

“Shot?” she asked, handing a tiny glass over. 

Gio tossed her a wink before tipping back the shot of tequila and downing it in one go. He barely registered the burn of the potent liquor as he watched Kim throw back hers, keeping her eyes on only him. Like him, the harshness of the drink didn’t seem to bother her a bit. Tipping the glass downwards to show she’d swallowed it all, Kim’s tongue peeked out to lick along her bottom lip.

All control Gio had left snapped at the one action. He’d been good all night, for the most part. Beyond chasing off the men following her around, he managed to not pin her down in front of everyone in the club and mark his territory however he felt appropriate.