He smiled, the wrinkles in his face deepening. “Good to see you, Cassio. Take a seat.”
I sank down in the armchair beside his and shook my head when he offered me a cigar. I’d never liked the taste very much. “What is it you wanted to discuss?”
“How are things back home with Giulia?”
I gave him an exasperated look. “Is that what this meeting is about? Marriage counseling?”
Father leaned forward, putting his cigar down in the tray. “Our men admire you. They fear you too. Some might even hate you. If your second marriage ends as unfortunately as your first, then hate and fear might become too dominant.”
I pushed out of the chair, but Father put a wrinkled hand on my arm. “Stay. I’m an old man. I’m allowed to tell my son the truth.”
“It’s the truth as you see it, Father.”
He waited.
Sighing, I sank back down and leaned back. “Things are as well as they can be, considering Giulia’s age and the situation as a whole. Nothing about this is ideal. I’m trying to exercise damage control.”
“Damage control,” Father scoffed. “Marriage is a matter of emotion. If you expect the worst, the worst is what you’ll get.”
“If you expect the worst, you’re prepared for the worst. I won’t be caught off-guard ever again.”
“Maybe you should give Giulia the benefit of the doubt. She’s a lovely girl. She’s nothing like Gaia.”
“I don’t know what kind of woman Giulia is.”
“And whose fault is that?” Father inquired.
I shook my head. “Does this conversation serve another purpose than to criticize the way I handle my marriage?”
“I’m worried about you, Cassio,” Father said quietly, his eyes filled with sorrow. “You are everything I wanted in a son. You are strong, you are just, you never shy away from the hard decisions. I never doubted your ability to rule Philadelphia.”
“But now you do?”
Father’s shoulders sagged. Even though his parlor was pale, he reached for the cigar again. “A temple needs more than one pillar to stand. There’s more to life than work.”
I stared off into the flames of the fireplace. “Work is the only constant in my life right now.” It was a confession I regretted the moment I said it.
Father leaned forward and patted my leg. “Then change it.”
I glanced at my watch. “I need to go now. I’m meeting Christian to discuss his findings about that new chapter of the Tartarus MC. They’re popping up like weeds.”
I stood and this time, Father didn’t try to stop me.
Mother followed me to the door, trying to convince me to stay for lunch, but I wasn’t in the mood for their meddling anymore. I kissed her cheek then hurried to my car.
Christian and I met in a small Italian place that served the best risotto in town. Christian already sat in our usual booth when I walked in. I gave him a curt nod when I slid into the seat across from him. “Any news on the chapter?”
Christian didn’t say anything for a while. “How’s Giulia?” I didn’t like the undercurrent of warning in his voice one bit.
“She’s well. She’s my wife now, Christian. She isn’t your concern. She’s mine.”
“I can accept that as long as you promise that she won’t end up like Gaia.”
I jerked up and bent over the table, grasping him by the throat and shoving him back against the bench. His face turned red, but he held my gaze. “Careful, Christian. In this city, my word is law. The protection of your father, and even that is limited, ends at the borders of Baltimore.”
“I don’t need my father’s protection or I wouldn’t be here, working under you,” he pressed out. “Giulia is my little sister. I’m going to try to protect her as well as I can.”
I tightened my fingers on his throat. “Giulia is safe with me. She doesn’t need your protection.” I released him and sat back, pushing my tie back under my vest and smoothing my jacket.
Christian massaged his throat. “No wonder that Luca likes you so much. You and him have very similar tics.”
“The bikers are planning something. Look what they did in New Jersey and New York. We’ll have to keep an eye on them.”
“I’m doing that. It’s not easy to establish contacts.”
We talked only about business after that, even if it was clear that Christian wasn’t happy about it. Too many people were trying to meddle in my marriage, and I didn’t appreciate it in the slightest.
It was almost midnight when I unlocked the front door and entered the entrance hall. Light from the living room caught my attention. Elia wouldn’t be waiting in there. The guards had their own small house on the premises where they could spend the night.
Something darted toward me. It took me a moment to understand that it was the dog. She yapped, and I braced myself to grab her again before she destroyed another pair of my pants.
“No, Loulou. Come here!” Giulia ordered. She appeared in the doorway to the living room, only dressed in a silken nightgown. She was barefoot and her hair was tousled as if she’d fallen asleep on the sofa.
To my surprise, the dog stopped its attack and trotted over to my young wife. She bent down and patted it. That was when I realized that most of its fur was gone.
“You took it to a hairdresser?”
Giulia laughed, her eyes sparkling with mirth as she straightened. “No, I don’t know any dog stylists. I cut her fur. She had too many knots. I couldn’t brush it out.”
I nodded, not really interested in the dog. If it wasn’t for Daniele, I’d have given it away a long time ago. Every time I looked at the thing, images popped up in my head that I didn’t need to remember. Giulia leaned against the doorframe, looking lovely.
The dog sat obediently beside her leg, regarding me as if I were an intruder in my own home. I looked around for the reason why she was awake. “What are you doing up?”
Giulia frowned. “I was waiting for you to come home.”
I shrugged off my coat and hung it up before I turned back to her. “Did something happen?”
Giulia shook her head and came toward me. I peered down. Barefoot and in her flimsy nightclothes, the contrast between us became even more apparent.
She put a hand against my chest and shivered. “God, it’s freezing outside.” Goose bumps pimpled her pale skin, and my eyes followed them to the opening of her robe and the dip of her nightgown.
“It’s winter.” It was an absolutely superfluous thing to say, but it was late and Giulia’s closeness fogged up my brain. “Answer my question, did something happen?”
She smiled uncertainly. “Nothing happened, Cassio. But I want to be there when you return from work. Isn’t that how it’s supposed to be?”
I stared. Since I’d moved out from my parents’ home, nobody waited up for me, and if Gaia ever had, then only to be the harbinger of bad news. “You don’t need to feel obligated to wait for me. I work long hours.”
I pressed my palm to her lower back and nudged her toward the staircase. “Let’s get you to bed.”
“I’m not a child, Cassio.”
The dog followed us as Giulia stepped onto the stairs. I barred its way. “Why isn’t it locked in its room? It isn’t allowed upstairs.”
“It won’t stay in that room anymore.”
My eyebrows rose. Giulia stood on the first step so she was almost eye level with me. “I didn’t realize I made that decision.”
“You didn’t, but I did.”
I grabbed her hip. “I’m the master of the house.” God, that sweet strawberry scent was driving me insane.
“Do you expect me to ask you for permission for every little thing? I can handle Loulou, so let me handle her.”
“It won’t go upstairs,” I said firmly.
She nodded and gave the dog an order. To my surprise, Loulou trotted back into the living room. “She’s got her basket in there. It’s supposed to be her safe haven.”
Shaking my head, I walked up the stairs. I was too exhausted for this nonsense. Giulia followed quietly, but I could practically feel her need to talk. We stepped into the bedroom and I closed the door. “How did things go with my children?”
“Good. I went shopping with them. We’re getting to know each other. I’m trying to become their friend—”
“They don’t need a friend. They need a mother figure. They need guidance and someone who leads the way.”
“If that was all they needed, you wouldn’t need me since you are so good at leading,” she said.
I paused at her insolence. Most people showed me respect without me having to do anything, but Giulia kept defying me in the most infuriating way possible. “I’m taking a shower. Go to bed and try to sleep.” I didn’t wait for her response and disappeared into the bathroom. I took my time getting ready for bed, hoping Giulia would be asleep by then. She wanted to get to know me. I wasn’t sure if I wanted her to.
When I emerged, Giulia stood in front of the window. I stifled a sigh. “Why aren’t you in bed?”
She let out a small, disbelieving laugh. “Because I think we need to talk. We are married.”