“I don’t understand you.” She huffed and moved away from me, putting distance between us.
“Gia, it’s not a serious injury. We’ll go home. My dottore will come and stitch me up.” I patted her leg. “I’m really okay.”
“Whatever.” She rolled her eyes. “Order your food… To go.”
7
Giovanna
I was so angry, I could spit nails. This stubborn donkey needed stitches. His bodyguard was bleeding, too, on the back of his head. But no, Alessio needed his food more than tending to their injuries. I could kill him for his lackadaisical attitude.
By the time he received his order and we left, it had been half an hour. People watched us and whispered among themselves. Surely, they were talking about us. I was so humiliated.
The staff had been in a frenzy cleaning up Cara’s mess. Cara, the blonde bimbo who yelled disgusting things about Alessio’s and their sex life. Things I wished I never heard because the images in my mind made me want to throw up.
But I shouldn’t be surprised by anything. And I blamed Alessio. One look at Cara’s breasts falling out of her too-short dress and her red spiky heels, told me all I needed to know about my husband, and I wasn’t impressed.
The manager apologized to us multiple times. He had looked terrified, that kind of terror I’d seen before in people in my father’s area. Everybody recognized a mob boss. If something went wrong, like tonight, they feared for their lives.
“Will you talk to me,” Alessio said with a full mouth. “At least have some bread.” He dangled a breadstick in front of me.
His eyebrow wouldn’t stop bleeding, so he held the cloth napkin on it and ate bread with his other hand. He was so ridiculous, I couldn’t even look at him, sitting next to him in the back seat.
“I’m not hungry.” I turned toward the window. There wasn’t much to see at almost ten o’clock at night. The countryside didn’t have many lights like on the coast of Naples, only little spots of illumination from homes. The darkness was perfect for stargazing.
“Gia, I’m sorry your evening was ruined. Can we just move past this incident?”
“Yes, Alessio.” I sighed, staring at the stars, but I could also see his reflection in my window. He was watching me and eating. “We will move past it but you need to give me time.”
“How much time? How long will you be angry with me?”
“Do you hear yourself? Stop sounding like a child,” I snapped at him from over my shoulder. “I don’t know how you can be so nonchalant about any of this. The woman you love lost her mind in front of dozens of people. You should be worried about the news spreading and your enemies hearing about it.” Why wasn’t he thinking about the possible fallout?
“She was brokenhearted.” He smiled a little like he wasoh so proudthat she was devastated after losing him. Well, she can have him.
“That’s great. Make excuses for your lover.” I turned back to face the window again. “You two belong together. A perfect pair with zero class.”
“Do not talk to me that way.” He growled and threw his breadstick on the floor, and it hit my foot. “You don’t get to disrespect me. I’m your husband. Show me the proper respect I deserve.”
“Respect must be earned,” I said in a stern voice. “Or would you like me to fake it? I can certainly do that if your ego is too fragile to handle the truth.”
“Cazzo! Just be silent. I’m done trying to talk to you.”
“Good. Because I’m done too.” If he thought I wouldn’t speak my mind or correct him, he was sorely wrong. I wanted to be more than his wife. We could be a force if we worked together as a team. But tonight, he disappointed me.
His lover was heartbroken. That performance was insanity. If she was his type and who he wanted to be with, I wish them well.
In my family, we were taught to control ourselves because we were constantly being watched in our area. My parents repeated to me and my siblings dozens of times tocarry yourself with dignity and respect. Apparently, Alessio hadn’t received the same teachings.
“We’re being followed,” Dino said from the driver’s seat.
I twisted around to look out the back window and saw the headlights. “I’m not surprised.”
Alessio glared at me. “It could be nothing.”
“Really? You’re not this inept, are you?” I shook my head and mutteredtsk, tsk. “Your lover made a fool of you. Of us. All of Naples heard her. Now I’m going to die.”
“Jesus, Gia Don’t joke about such things.” Something in his face changed. Like a switch had flipped and a different side of him, the one I’d spent most of the day with had returned. “Dino, take an alternate route. If they follow us, Gia and I will have to run for it.”
