Felix nodded beside him. “All non-family employees are dismissed.”
Even if they weren’t Bratva or related, everyone knew Felix was in charge. They all filtered out until only six of us remained, with a guard I didn’t know as well, Smirnov, going to see them out. He was even bigger than Maksim or Gregor, and had been sent to replace Igor. Which was probably why I’d never tried to get to know him.
Ivanna and Igor hadn’t messaged me, and my one attempt to tell her I was angry she had misled me was bounced back as undeliverable. They were completely out of my life, and it was probably for the best. Felix snapped his fingers to grab my attention, and I focused back on them.
“I’ve been lenient with questions, but you need to tell us if Greco hurt you,” Felix insisted. “Our doctor cleared you, but perhaps mentally?”
George had hurt me, but I liked what he’d done. Felix and Maksim might understand, since I’d walked in on them sorting canes and whips and other BDSM things the week before, but I wasn’t ready to talk about what went down. Maybe not ever. And he hurt my feelings. But I shouldn’t have developed feelings in the first place.
“He hurt me,” I started, putting everyone in the room on edge. I rushed to clarify, “But I des–”
“Hey Kot,” Smirnov interrupted me with a deep Russian voice, reentering the room from the front entrance hall. “I have someone to talk to you.”
Giorgio Greco stepped out of the shadows behind him, and everyone stood up. He was looking as fierce and impeccable in his suit as when I’d met him, and my heart ached when he looked past me to Felix. Why were they all glaring and pointing their guns at him? Oh fuck, I’d just said he hurt me.
“Greco, what are you doing here?” Felix asked in English, hostility dripping from his voice. “We have no business. Unless you’re here to apologize?”
George scrunched his brow and finally glanced my way. “Apologize?”
Did he wonder if I’d told them everything? Or if I’d exaggerated and put him in danger? Neither were true. I hadn’t told them anything, especially not about my newfound sexuality.Please don’t out me.
“Vasily was just about to tell us how you really hurt him,” Stefan gritted out in his deep accent. He didn’t lower his gun when he continued, “How about you tell us so he doesn’t have to?”
George licked his lips and fixed his stare on me. I don’t know what he found there, but he shook his head. “I did hurt him; physically and with my words. And I must have hurt him worse than I planned to. For that, I am sorry.”
“Is that all you’re sorry for?” Gregor asked, stepping forward so he was a little between George and I. “I think you fucked him up more than all that. You don’t even feel bad about what you did?”
“No, it wasn’t his fault,” I tried to interject, but I could tell George wanted to say more. I shut my mouth and let him speak.
“I don’t regret taking Basil home, or any of our time together.”
George was firm in his response, not breaking eye contact with me. My whole body heated and a rushing sound filled my ears. What was he saying? He didn’t want me, which he made very obvious the day I’d left when he unlocked my chastity and let me leave so easily. I hadn’t been able to come since.
“What do you regret?” I asked, the croak in my voice giving away how close I was to breaking down.
A ghost of his smirk appeared on George’s face, and I didn’t know if what came next would break my heart or make it whole again. He stepped toward me and everyone refocused their guns on him. George ignored the threat, his eyes on me. I swallowed and nodded, letting him know I really wanted to know.
“I shouldn’t have let you go,mio ragazzo.”
Everything stopped as I took in his words.Mio ragazzo.My little boy, he’d said it meant. Not just any boy for a few days of fun, buthis. And he didn't want me to leave when I’d called my family.
“But that morning,” I started, forgetting everyone else in the room, “you told me to stay hidden and quiet?”
“That morning?” George blinked and rubbed at his bearded jaw. It looked like he hadn’t shaved in a few weeks. Possibly since I left. Had my leaving been as hard on him as it was on me?
Choking back a sob for him not even remembering, I admitted, “I was just getting out before being hidden away hurt too much.”
“Oh, no,mio ragazzo,” George stepped towards me again, reaching for my hand. Stefan moved to stop him, with Maksim flanking me from behind.
“Stop calling him that, whatever it means,” Gregor muttered.
“It’s fine, you guys,” I waved them off, and they lowered their weapons to point at the floor. “It’s not an insult. Can we have a minute?”
They grumbled and gave warnings in English to George and words of promise in Russian to me, but went to sit at the table. They could probably still hear every word we said, but it gave us some semblance of privacy.
We were only a couple feet apart, and I ached to touch him. I needed to hear if he had a valid reason for what happened. Turning back to George, I nodded for him to go on.
“That morning,” he started again, “I was about to wake you up for pancakes and coffee when Santo told me my children were there.”
