The Roman's Woman (A Singular Obsession Book 4) (23 page)

Raising his leg, he kicked the end of the mattress repeatedly.

“Wake up, assholes,” he said in Italian, his jaw tight.

Vincenzo woke up first. Rolling over, he stared, wide-eyed into Gio’s wrath-filled face. Without taking his eyes off Gio, he reached over and shook Maria Gianna awake.

“What is it?” she mumbled, annoyed, her voice thick with sleep.

Following Vincenzo’s eyes, she looked to the foot of the bed and saw him standing there like an avenging angel.

She flinched. “What are you doing here, Giancarlo?” she asked, making an effort to mask her surprise.

“What the hell do you think I’m doing here, you
bitch
?”

“Gio!” she exclaimed, genuinely astonished at the heated response.

He didn’t blame her for being surprised. In all the years they’d known each other, he’d never raised his voice in her presence. He’d never gotten mad about anything. Not even finding her in bed with the idiot next to her.

“Listen to me carefully,
puttana
, because I’m only going to say this once. If you ever come near my Sophia again, I will
destroy you.
”

“But we didn’t do anything—” Vincenzo started.

Gio cut him off with an abrupt gesture of his hand. “Don’t even start. I know what you did that night, getting Lucca loaded and sending him to rape my fiancée. The only reason you’re not sitting in a jail cell right now is because I can’t prove it.”

The flicker of emotion that crossed Maria Gianna’s face gave her away—not that he needed confirmation of her involvement. But Vincenzo looked confused.

“Don’t look so fucking relieved, you bitch. I don’t need proof to ruin your life.”

“I haven’t done anything wrong,” she said, her mouth twisted in a petulant frown.

“Save it. I know you did it, and it was the last straw. You can smear me all you want but the second you went after Sophia, I was done. You’ve had all the chances you’re going to get with me,” he hissed, his blood pumping hot through his veins.

“I don’t want another chance with you,” she said smugly. “You’re far too dull for me. Vinny is so much more exciting.”

Gio’s eyes narrowed on her thin sallow face. What had he ever seen in her?

“You misunderstand me. I wouldn’t touch you with a ten-foot pole. What I mean is that I’ll ruin whatever is left of your reputation—the way you tried to ruin mine. Don’t forget the Morgese bank has ties to every major industry in Italy and most of Europe. One word from me and all those silly endorsements you receive from fashion designers and clubs will disappear. And forget about any future movie roles. No one will touch you if
I
say they shouldn’t.”

He drew himself up, looking down on them with the distaste he felt all over his face. “You’d still be able to live like a parasite off your father, of course, but make no mistake. I have men watching you now. They will continue to watch you wherever you go—whatever you do. Anything illegal and I turn their surveillance over to the authorities.”

Her face was ashen pale. “You wouldn’t do that.”

“
Try me
.”

She stood up then while Vincenzo watched, his head swinging back and forth between them like a spectator at a tennis game.

Maria Gianna’s face twisted. “All this for
her
, that fat slut! You’re willing to make my life a living hell, but you wouldn’t lift a finger to fight for me.”

“Why the hell would I fight to keep a faithless
whore
?”

The venom in his voice hit her like a physical slap. She shrank away from him, backing away until her legs hit the edge of the bed.

“And don’t call Sophia names unless you want the shitstorm to start now. Sophia’s ten times the woman you are.”

Maria Giana turned away with a smirk. “Literally,” she muttered.

Gio took another step closer, then another, until she had to sit to avoid bumping into him. He stared her down with a glare hot enough to burn.

“Don’t test me. I’m done looking the other way to protect your father.” He turned his black expression to Vincenzo. “And don’t think you’re getting off the hook. As of Friday, you no longer have a platform to print your filth.”

“What does that mean?” Vincenzo asked, sweat beading on his forehead.

“It means I bought the
Gavazzi
newspapers.”

Maria Gianna stood back up, her face flushed red now. “You can’t do that!”

“It’s already done.”

“Even you don’t have that kind of money,” she sneered. “The Gavazzi group is a media empire.”

“You’re kidding,” he scoffed. “Old media is dead. Newspapers and magazines are closing all over the world. I bought the lot for a song.”

“Papa sold you everything?” Vincenzo looked like he was going to be sick..

Gio didn’t bother to answer. He turned away and headed for the door.

“Giancarlo, wait!” Vincenzo caught up with him at the door, hastily wrapping a sheet around himself. “I didn’t know about the girl. I saw Maria Gianna talking with Lucca that night and buying him drinks, but I didn’t hear her say anything to him about your new woman. I had to fly out to New York the next day for a meeting the next day so I took off early. “

He stopped and looked back at Maria Gianna sitting on the bed. “You don’t think she would actually do something like that, do you?” he asked in a low voice.

Pausing, Gio took a good hard look at his former friend. There were new lines on his face that hadn’t been there only two years before. His skin was ruddier and the whites of his eyes had yellowed. Being Maria Gianna’s yes-man had taken its toll.

“Do yourself a favor and get away from her now, before there’s nothing of the old Vinny left,” he said, his heart heavy with old memories. They had been good friends once.

Vincenzo looked down, unable to meet his eyes. Gio opened the door. Enzo was waiting outside.

“Let’s go home,” Gio said, the rush of adrenaline from the confrontation wearing away.

Sophia was waiting for him.

I’m going to kill him, Sophia thought as she paced across the penthouse living room. Gio had been gone all night and he hadn’t called or responded to any of her texts.

She had hurried home from the lab, eager to spend another night in with her man. Instead, she’d found an empty apartment and that damn little note.

What the hell had he been thinking? Didn’t he know leaving like that was going to drive her crazy? Especially after that little bombshell message. So he was “going after” his ex-wife, was he? Well, what exactly was he planning on doing once he found her?

It’s not to get back together, so stop picturing him naked with the Italian stick insect.

Sophia knew better than that. After everything Elynn and Alex had told her, she didn’t believe that Gio was after some sort of reconciliation with Maria Gianna. But there was still that tiny insecure part of her that was comparing herself with the glamorous and svelte, evil ho-bag.

No, what Gio was after was some sort of revenge. What he had planned was a mystery. He was too much of a sweetheart to do anything violent, even if his note did make him some like the lead in a bad gangster movie.

Knowing him, Gio was going to hit them where it hurt—their wallets. It was what he’d done with Lucca, and if the updates from Salvatore were to be believed, the little shit was remorseful and reformed.

What Gio’s exact plans were for his dreadful wife and her co-conspirator didn’t matter. As hateful and wretched as those asshats were, what actually bothered her about his little disappearing act was something else.

And he gets to hear all about it right now, she decided, when the penthouse door opened to reveal her aggravating Italian in one of his trademark charcoal suits.

The smile he gave her in greeting threatened to take the wind out of her sails, but she was determined not to get sidetracked by his looks and charm. Crossing her arms and tapping her foot, she waited while he crossed the suddenly endless expanse of the foyer.

“I missed you,
cara
,” he said, his steps slowing as he reached her.

He bent his head to give her a kiss, but she was having none of it. Reaching up, she grabbed his puckered lips.

“Don’t even think about it.”

“What’s wrong,
cara
?” he asked.

At least that’s what she thought he said—she hadn’t let go of his lips so it came out somewhat garbled.

“Are you serious? You take off to go see your ex-wife and don’t pick up your phone the whole night?”

He squinted and gently pried her fingers off his lips.

“
Cara
, I’m sorry if you were worried, but I couldn’t talk to you. I needed to stay mad.”

“
What
?”

His shoulders went up to his ears and stayed there. “I had to confront my ex-wife about her involvement in your attack. She egged Lucca on, got him drunk and put the idea of coming after you in his head. She even drove him to my place.”

Sophia closed her eyes. “Yes, Elynn told me all that. And might I add that sucks! You should have been the one to tell me. I had a right to know what kind of psycho you married.”

He held up his index finger. “And divorced. I may have married her, for the wrong reasons, might I add, but I got out when I saw what she really was.”

Throwing up her hands, she bowed sarcastically. “If it’s credit you want, fine, you've got it. But as long as we’re keeping score, can I point out that my ex has never sent anyone to attack you!”

Gio’s face darkened. “So this is about Richard?” he asked incredulously.

“No!” Sophia yelled, before changing her mind. “Yes, all right! It is. You go on and on about Richard, like he’s some kind of thug when your ex-wife is this unbelievable bitch who is
actually
dangerous. And I’m supposed to sit here and do nothing while you go and confront her!”

He stared at her for a moment, his mouth open. “Only because it’s my fault she even knows about you. The only reason she tried to hurt you is to strike out at me. So I went and made sure it would never happen again. It’s my job to protect you.”

“I don’t need protecting. I can take care of myself. If I were in the same town with your ex, I would have dealt with her myself.”

“You don’t have to do that. She’s my ex—my problem to deal with.”

She put her hand on her hips. “You mean like Richard is
my
problem, not yours.”

His head drew back. “That’s not the same thing at all.”

“And how is it different?”

He put his hands out in a supplicating gesture, but they were tensed so hard she could see the veins in them. “I have a bad feeling about him. I think he’s obsessed with you. He’s still trying to win you back. Or am I wrong? Tell me he hasn’t called or texted you more than once since I’ve been gone.”

She pressed her lips together and didn’t answer.

“
See
, he still isn’t willing to let go. Considering how long you’ve been broken up, not to mention the fact that you’re with me now, it’s unhealthy that he hasn’t given up yet.”

“He’s buying my father’s stuff—crap he’s welcome to. After that, I won’t hear from him.”

Gio laughed humorlessly, making her boiling mad.

“
Hey
,” she snapped, “where do you get off telling me what to do with my ex, when you won’t give me the same right with yours? If I have to get constantly lectured about Richard, I should have the same right to tell you what to do with Maria Gianna. It’s only fair.”

“But that's not the same thing. I don’t speak to my ex.”

She threw up her hands. “Except you just left town to go and see her!”

“Only to make sure she never came after you again!”

“Then you should have taken me with you. I would have had a hell of a time convincing her that would be a fucking stupid idea!”

Gio stared at her like she was some species he’d never seen before. A little piece of her knew she was being irrational. She certainly wasn’t explaining herself well. The subject of douchebag Richard wasn’t where she wanted to take a stand in their relationship. But she couldn’t let Gio decide how she should deal with her ex while he went off and did the exact opposite. He had to learn to trust her judgment and accept that they should both be held to the same standards.

Inhaling deeply, she went for her coat. “I’m going to go home and sleep there tonight.”

Gio’s face fell. “Sophia, don’t leave.”

She paused at the door. “Look, I know I don’t get to tell you how to deal with the people in your life. But you don’t get to dictate those things to me, either.”

He followed her to the door. “I’m just concerned because I love you!”

“Yeah, well, I love you, too!” she yelled back before slamming the door in his face.