I nod. “Oh, and I don’t ever want to see you around again, or I will follow through with my threat. Now, leave before I changemy mind,” I say through gritted teeth before I push her out of the lounge.
She stumbles, and her blonde friend runs to her aid. I turn my attention to Gabriel, who is leaning in his seat, his arms spread on both sides of the backrest, a smirk on his face.
I pull my lips into a wide smile. “Hello, husband.”
fifteen
Gabriel
I lean in and tilt my head to the side as I watch my wife going feral as she marks her wifely territory. Something in my chest thunders. The blood under my skin ignites; a feeling I’ve never felt before.
She looks bold tonight; my eyes land on the black heels she’s wearing. The heels mold perfectly to her feet. My gaze follows the length of her toned legs covered with fishnets up to the edge of the short black leather skirt that end just a few inches from her ass. I continue my exploration of her body with my eyes, but that comes to a stop when I catch the red spilling from the cut on the redhead’s neck.
I spot a look from Salvatore across from me, his eyebrows hitched high. His look says, ‘What are you going to do about this?’The girl sitting next to him, for the tenth time this evening, tries to put her hand on him, and once again, he pushes her away. Dante looks annoyed, knowing he will have to clean up this mess. The only one more amused than I am is Marco, who is enjoying the attention of the two girls beside him.
It’s not like I would cheat on Valentina. The girls are like hyenas. They don’t understand the word no. Those girls weren’t supposed to be here in the first place; it was supposed to be just a meeting. These groupies are just looking for someone to pay for their drinks and fun for one night, but Marco always insists on company and loves that kind of attention. That’s the only reason we let this slide.
Valentina pushes the redhead, then stands in front of me with a wide smile on her face.
“Hello, husband!”
I smirk. “Hello, wife!”
“That was hot!” Marco exclaims, and she turns toward the crew.
“Sorry I interrupted your night,” she says in a mocking voice.
“No, you aren’t,” Salvatore scoffs.
“Don, nice to see you again. How is your lovely wife? Is she here? I would love some girl company.”
His jaw ticks. “No, she isn’t.” My gaze catches Salvatore’s as it darkens at the mention of his wife. Ever since our wedding, they’ve been going through a rough patch. I just hope they can get through it and spare us all Salvatore’s bad mood.
Valentina shrugs. She slides into the seat beside me, not leaving any space. Her thigh touches mine, and I can feel the heat of her body. She leans forward on the table. “What are we drinking?” She grabs a shot from the table and drinks it.
“What are you doing, Valentina?” Salvatore narrows his eyes at her. “Why did you come here tonight?”
She smiles. “I’m not doing anything. And I came here because my husband is here.”
“Yet he was here with some other women by his side.” I sit straight. “Did you think he would be loyal to you? That he would fall in love, and then what? You could manipulate him? You see, I had a talk with your brother before marriage was evenmentioned. He said you’re the brains helping him. So, I have to ask myself whether there is an ulterior motive for marrying Gabriel.”
I shake my head, not sure what’s going on with him. This is the first time he’s ever mentioned this. “Salvatore.”
She doesn’t even flinch at his accusations. “Sounds like you have a lot to get off your chest, but I can assure you that what you’re saying isn’t true.”
“How can I be sure?”
She laughs. “My only motive is to have fun with my husband tonight. You should try it.”
I grab her upper arm and pull her back into the seat. “That’s enough.” I narrow my eyes at her. “Zip it.” I turn to Salvatore, jaw tight, and give a slow shake of my head. “She shouldn’t have disrespected you, but you started it.”
“I should punish her, but I’ll leave that to you. I’ve had enough of disobedient women.” He stands, and I watch my friend leave.
His words were calculated, hitting me like knives. He isn’t thinking straight. His marriage to Isabella is hanging by a thread. That’s why I ignore him and turn my attention back to my wife. Her eyes are filled with questions.
“What does he mean by punishing me and disobedient women?”
I give her a small, deliberate smirk. “You should be a lot more worried about the consequences of your actions.”
