“He did what he thought was best.” Even after our explosive meeting, I found myself defending Luc.
“For who?” Gabe asked. “You? Look at where that got you. Your Dad is dead and you’re pregnant by a man who doesn’t want to know.” I reeled at how brazenly he mentioned Dad. I thought back to the first time I had met Gabe and how I couldn’t figure out whether he was trying to stir trouble or not when he told me to stand up to Xavier. It felt as if I was back there again, not sure what he was after and uncertain of his intentions. “My proposition is this, Mia.” He reached out and tucked a loose strand of hair behind my ear. “I’ll look after you, I’ll even look after your child, and all you have to do is agree to marry me.”
The sound of glass shattering surrounded us as it slipped from my grasp. “Shit! Sorry! Sorry!” I started to bend to pick up the pieces until Gabe caught my upper arm in his grasp and kept me upright.
“Leave it.” He didn’t seem concerned about the mess or the fact his shoes were completely soaked. “Did you hear me?”
“I’m sorry,” I spluttered, stepping away from him, out of his hold. “Marry you?” I had heard him perfectly fine. “Why would I do that? I don’t love you. You don’t love me.”
Gabe shrugged his shoulders, nonchalantly. “I’m not interested in love. I’m interested in business. Although, I am fond of you,bella, so perhaps love would grow.” That was a five-star review as far as Gabe was concerned. There were couples littered throughout the family that were husband and wife on paper, but that was as far as it went. The touches lacked warmth and smiles never quite reached the eyes. Marriage was a statement, an alliance, so fondness was considered a win and love a dream.
“People are growing restless, Mia. They aren’t happy with the way Dad runs the business. Too much young blood looking for change. When the time comes, the family will look for someone to take his place. I’m not in the most favorable position yet. He didn’t want me to get any grand ideas, so he’s been careful what to trust me with.” Whether Xavier wanted him to have those ideas or not, it seemed like they had rooted and flourished in Gabe’s mind.
“Should you be telling me all this?”
“We’re both after the same thing, Mia. Acceptance. Plus, who would you tell? Who would believe you?” Gabe was safe in his confession. I was untrusted and he was a Moretti. Even if someone decided to listen to me, they’d take his word over my own.
“How would marrying me help you with any of that?”
“Some traditions don’t die off. A wife and a family would definitely help my cause.” He spoke as if he were reciting items for grocery shopping and not lifelong commitment. “It would be mutually beneficial, of course.”
“How do you reckon?”
“Don’t you see it?” he asked, amused. “You tie yourself to me and you’ll stop being a social pariah here. You won’t need to worry about anything,bella. You’ll be taken care of for the rest of your life in an enviable position. No one would dream of trying to take out the woman who is on the highest rung of the pecking order. All you have to do is help us get there.”
A small part of me could see the appeal in the offer Gabe had placed on the table. If Gabe took over after Xavier was gone, which seemed the most likely exchange of power, then everyone would answer to him. All of the fear that plagued every waking moment would be dimmed by the fact that people would be forced to respect me for who I was, but I didn’t want that. As powerless as I felt, I couldn’t imagine being trapped in a loveless marriage just so that I could buy some respect back into my life.
“I don’t think that’s a good idea, Gabriel,” I told him, worried about the consequences of declining his offer. Everything had a price. I’d been foolish to believe that Gabe had agreed to me being here purely out of friendship. He’d had his own agenda and he’d just shown me his cards, but I had no interest in this game. “I’m sure you’ll find another way to secure your position.”
“Just think about it. Don’t make any hasty decisions,” he responded. “Oh, and while you’re here you’ll be assigned your own security, for your own safety as well as making sure you don’t pull anymore disappearing acts. After all, you’ve proven you’re a flight risk.” He turned on his heel and went to leave the room.
After a moment of processing what he said, I followed behind. “I thought you’d be around.”
“Unfortunately, I have other business that I’ll need to attend to, but Franco will be by your side 24/7. He’s been with the family for as long as I can remember. You’ll be safe with him.”
I didn’t bother to tell him that I doubted I would feel safe with anyone. Luc had been trying to introduce me gently, but this pace made me feel as if I was drowning. This entire world was a minefield, and after my impulsive decision I was starting from scratch in learning who I could trust and who would give me theirs in return.
“Franco!” A man, older than Gabe and dressed head to toe in black, strode down the hallway toward us. His dark hair was buzzed short and his eyes were empty as he stopped in front of us.
“Mia, this is Franco. Franco, this is Mia Griffin.” Gabe introduced us to one another. It was hard to miss the way Franco tensed on hearing my name. His eyes moved to my face, flicking down to my bump and back up again. Instinctively, I wrapped my arms around my middle. It seemed my reputation preceded me these days. “You’ll be in charge of Mia’s security from here on out.” It wasn’t a request but an order. Franco opened his mouth in what I assumed was a bid to argue. “Any other assignment ceases effective immediately. This is your only job from now on,” Gabe told him, coldly. “I trust that you’ll carry it out just as meticulously as the rest.”
“Of course,” Franco replied, although he didn’t seem thrilled about landing the babysitting job. At least that made the two of us.
Chapter Fourteen
Mia
Living with Gabe was strange and unsettling, especially after his proposition. There were times when it was just the two of us, three if you included my unwilling shadow Franco, and I would catch his stare. He was waiting for an answer and although Gabe had said “no rush,” I felt there might have been a time limit surrounding his offer. His supposed good nature would run thin eventually.
Spending time alone with Gabe, without the buffer of his sister or Luc and Dante, brought to light some qualities that I’d missed. Every laugh lacked depth, every word hid meaning, and he never truly seemed at ease, unlike Tori. Yet, I was hesitant to decline his offer again because he was my lifeline for the moment. I had no intention of accepting it, but until we decided what to do next, I would keep all options on the table for as long as possible. Two days in and he hadn’t brought it up, but I could sense the imaginary timer ticking.
“Are you sure you don’t want anything?” I asked over my shoulder as I dried the dish. Franco hadn’t touched a thing for breakfast. I originally thought it might be because of Gabe, but this morning he had left for work before I’d woken up and Franco still refused food.
“No.” One word answers were the norm for Franco. I never got much more than that out of him, but then again, I hadn’t really tried. Gio’d had a trace of warmth in him, most likely a side effect of being tied to Carmen, but Franco left a chill in my bones. He was there, quite literally, from the moment I woke until the moment I went to bed, watching my every move with a simmering anger that said this job was beneath him.
“Okay,” I said, putting the dish away. “I’m going to go read in the living room.” His face remained impassive and I heaved a sigh before walking out of the room. Almost instantly, I heard his footsteps behind me like a sinister, unwanted shadow that I couldn’t get rid of.
As I settled into the chair, adjusting my sweatshirt that had started to rise over my bump, Franco took his usual post by the large window overlooking the drive. As I picked up the book, I’d started last night, Franco let out a quiet laugh. “This will be interesting,” he muttered more to himself than to me.
