Chapter-30 Mine

Nico

I barely spoke throughout the dinner in an attempt to control my rage that threatened to slip at any moment now. Gianna barely even bothered to make conversation with me, and that was just making me even angrier. I was wanting to get her alone all through the night, but either she was chatting away with her brother and sister-in-law or playing with Ares and Lucio.

“Are you alright?” I turned around, and Amara padded over the grass to where I stood by the gazebo, drinking my wine.

“Fine,” I said, taking another long sip. I refused to look at her, especially as the soft breeze blew through her dark hair. She was the same Amara, but different. I didn’t quite recognize this one.

“You seemed really worked up all through the evening,” Amara muttered. “Are you worried about what’s going on with business? Leo told me there are still no leads.”

“Yeah, it’s fucked up,” I grunted.

“Everything will be fine,” she said softly. “You will figure it out. You always do, Nico.” I turned to face her and she gave me a smile in response. Yeah…she no longer looked like my Amara.

“You have got a beautiful home here,” I said.

“Which you barely ever visit,” she said.

“I don’t…I don’t feel like I belong here,” I muttered.

“You know you can have it all too, don’t you?” Amara said.

“No, I don’t. You made sure of that,” I really didn’t want to say that but couldn’t stop myself either. Yeah fuck it but I was still bitter at her for choosing Leonardo. It feels like a betrayal to me even if it wasn’t. Amara never loved me to begin with. I heard her sigh but chose to refuse as I finished my drink.

“Nico you and I…we could have never worked,”

“Yeah? And how do you know that? You didn’t even bother to give us a chance,” I hissed. “Amara…we were a team. We fought together, we bled together, we strengthened father’s army together…we were perfect.”

“For fighting,” she whispered. “Not for love. Nico, we were two broken people connected by our brokenness. And two broken people can’t ever build something beautiful. You were and always will be a dear friend who stood by me when no one was there. But that doesn’t mean that…that it had to be more.”

“Yeah, I figured that when you chose Leo,” I said. “And I am happy for you.” Giving her a look, I stalked back inside and thankfully, I finally found Gianna alone in the kitchen.

Wrong timing.

“So, that was quite an announcement you made,” I hissed. She almost jumped before turning around to face me, her eyes wide. I noticed she wore a dress that sufficiently covered the bruises and hickeys.

“Nico…” Gianna began but I placed my finger on her lips, caging her against the counter and glaring back into her dark eyes.

“I am really very, very mad, Gianna,” I said. “And you better have a fucking good reason for this little game you have been playing.”

“I don’t want to do this here,” she grimaced. “This is not the place.”

“Good. Then we are going home right now,” I nodded. “Get your stuff.”

“Nico!”Gianna exclaimed, looking pissed. I couldn’t care any less.

“Now…or I will be more than happy to do this here. I will be waiting outside,” I gave her a look before stalking out knowing too well she was glaring at my back.

Gianna was silently sulking as we drove back home. She didn’t utter a word and I was waiting until we reached home. I didn’t want to lose my temper on the road and startle the driver.

“Puoi andartene,” I said to my driver as he pulled into the driveway. He obediently nodded and then climbed out, leaving Gianna and me alone. Gianna tried to get out too but the doors were locked and they weren’t opening until I wanted.

“Seriously?” Gianna grimaced, turning to me.

“Don’t you dare use that tone on me,” I growled. “Not after tonight.”

“And why are you so bothered?” she demanded.

“Why am I bothered?” I snapped. “Are you kidding me? You go about doing all this stuff and you don’t feel like I should know…collaborating with Maximus Vanucci of all the people of this goddamn planet. And you probably would have never told me had Leo accidentally not called me and let it slip about dinner. I mean what the fuck? I am your fucking husband, if you remember, Gianna.”

“So now you’re my husband,” she said sarcastically.

“Don’t try and change this into something else…” I warned her.

“Are you bothered that I didn’t tell you or are you bothered that I am collaborating with Maximus whom you have taken the pledge to hate for no reason,” Gianna scowled.

“And now you’re defending him,” I hissed, running my fingers through my hair. “Why him? Why does it have to be him?”

“Because he gave me the opportunity!” Gianna wailed. “What the fuck is your problem with Maximus?”

“Because he is not the right guy and you need to stay away from him, do you understand?”

“Right. And how do you know he isn’t the right guy?”

“I ran a background check on him,” I said flatly. Gianna blinked at me, her eyes widening in surprise before narrowing into slits.

“Why?” she said, barely holding her calm.

“You think I won’t investigate the man my wife is so involved with these days,” I said with a grimace. “Especially with all that’s going on.”

“Okay and what shady information did you find about him that makes you so apprehensive of him? A man you haven’t even met yet.” I pursed my lips at that because frankly I had…nothing. The guy was all clean. Not even a bloody parking ticket.

“What is it, Nico?” Gianna pressed. “What did you find out?”

“Nothing,” I snapped. “I found nothing…” She raised her brows and the expression in her eyes made me feel like an utter fool. Maybe I was.

“You don’t want me to work with him because you found nothing on him? Is that what you’re saying?”

“Nobody can be that clean,” I grumbled. “There is something wrong with him. The bastard doesn’t even have a parking ticket in his name. His record is too clean and that’s fucking questionable…”

“Maybe he’s too clean,” Gianna said. “He is a businessman, not a mafia boss…there’s a difference.”

“Are you mocking me?” I said, my voice cold enough to make her move back into her seat a bit.

“I am just saying…you aren’t making any sense. Having a squeaky clean record isn’t a good enough reason for me to let go of this amazing opportunity.”

“Why does it have to be him?” I demanded, running my fingers through my hair. “Why can’t you just do it on your own? If it’s about money…you have more than enough money in your name on our joint account Gianna…go just do whatever the hell you want to do with it.”

“And why are you so bothered if it’s him?” Gianna shot back. “Are you worried I will cheat on you? Be assured, I won’t. That’s not me. And you don’t even care about this marriage or me that much to be so bothered in the first place, Nico. Are you scared I might end up in a scandal and tarnish your reputation or something? Or…” I grabbed her face and slammed my mouth onto hers.

Hard. Rough. No warning.

She had said enough.

My other hand found her waist, pulling her onto my lap so her thighs straddled mine, dress riding up.

She gasped against my lips, caught off guard, but I didn’t give her time to react. I grabbed the back of her neck and pulled her in deeper, my other hand gripping her waist, forcing her down onto me. The car suddenly felt too damn small, our bodies crammed into the leather and shadows.

“Nico—stop—what are you doing?” Gianna tried to protest but I wasn’t having it. She pushed me to the edge of my patience and control tonight.

I didn’t stop. I kissed her harder, angrier, dragging her hips flush against mine so she could feel exactly how not unaffected I was. My fingers dug into her skin. My mouth moved against hers like I needed to hurt her. I didn’t understand. I didn’t care.

“You don’t get to say that shit to me,” I growled into her mouth.

She tried to turn her face away. I grabbed her jaw, forcing her to look at me. Her chest rose and fell fast, her lips swollen, eyes wide and furious.

“This isn’t how you win arguments,” Gianna spat.

“I’m not trying to win,” I said, tightening my grip on her, gazing into her damn soul. “I’m trying to shut you the fuck up.”

And I kissed her again. Rough. Deep. Claiming every inch of her mouth until she stopped resisting.

Her hands were still curled against my chest, but she wasn’t pushing anymore. Not really. Her body betrayed her first—her hips rolled forward, slow and unsure, her breath catching when she felt how hard I was beneath her. Her fingers fisted my shirt. Her mouth parted. She let me in.

That was it.

The second she gave in, I lost it.

I shifted under her, the leather groaning beneath us as I pressed her harder against me. I tilted her head the way I wanted, took her mouth like it was mine—because it was. Every sound she made, every soft gasp that slipped out of her, I swallowed it whole.

I didn’t care that we were in the backseat. I didn’t care that we were fighting. I didn’t care that she was the one woman I wasn’t supposed to want.

I kissed her like I owned her. Because I did.

She was mine.