I look up at him. “No,” I answer honestly. “You lied to me.”
His thumb traces the edge of the mark Sabrina’s hand left, his jaw tightening almost imperceptibly. “About what?” he asks as he guides me toward the car. His body stays between me and the direction Sabrina and Maxwell went, shielding me like he expects trouble until we’re safely inside.
“You told me you didn’t want the bakery,” I seethe. “And now you’re buying half. I don’t want to be in business with you. I don’t want you to own half of Mom’s anything.”
“I don’t,” he says.
And… that’s all he says on that subject.
Chapter 21
Raffaele
Susan has outdone herself tonight with a meal that should make Alina moan with pleasure, but all I can focus on is the fact that she’sstillnot wearing her new clothes.
Instead of covering her body, they hang untouched in the guestroom, and my patience with her is wearing dangerously thin.
Every time I think we’re moving forward, that she’s accepting the situation she chose, she proves me fucking wrong.
Reaching for the wine, I take a large swig.
I intended to confront her about it immediately after leaving the lawyer’s office. But just as we walked back into my mansion, I got a call from a furious Remus.
Apparently, the product shipment from Mikhail wasn’t picked up at the dock. He waited only a couple of hours, and then the Russian had it rerouted in the name of safety protocol.
Fuck’s sake.
When I left Alina, I said I’d be back for dinner. That was two days ago, and I only just came home an hour ago. I didn’t even sleep here, which she took to mean she could go back to the guest room.
Normally, a situation like the one with Mikhail would only take a couple of hours to set right. But this time, it took a lot longer to smooth out than I thought it would.
People like him who are not only proud but also wealthy and powerful, are the hardest to entice to do something they don’t want to do. When he turned down my first three offers to rectify our fuck-up, I had to ask for time.
Time to research the man and find something only I could get him.
In the end, it took more than I liked, but not more than what was reasonable. Not when it’s about carrying on a good business relationship. Since I’m usually the one dealing with the Russian, Remus gave me complete carte blanche to handle the situation.
After promising Mikhail two favors from Matteo—one of which included getting one of their assassins out of federal prison on a misdemeanor, the other open-ended—the man was intrigued. When I tagged on that I’d forgive the debt his brother owed, Mikhail finally agreed to re-route to Mexico where Ian and Colin met him for the pickup.
That wasn’t enough for Mikhail. Upon seeing my men, he demanded I come in person, which I then did.
Fucking nightmare.
I swear, my fucking cousin better have an excuse that doesn’t involve getting his dick wet. Ever since meeting Raven, that seems to be the one he uses ninety percent of the time. He’salways been unpredictable, a loose cannon. But not sloppy like now.
“Is… umm… is everything okay?”
Alina’s soft voice penetrates my angry thoughts, and I’m immediately transported back to the present with the rich aroma of garlic and herbs filling the dining room.
I clear my throat. “It’s fine.” I don’t bother softening my tone.
It’s not fucking fine. I’m running on fumes and no more than a few hours of sleep. I know my headspace isn’t the best for dealing with her tonight. But I also know that won’t stop me.
She shoots me a nervous glance, and I know we both feel the palpable tension. It’s practically a living thing stretching across the polished wood surface separating me from her.
“O-okay,” she stammers.
I watch her take small, careful bites, her gaze fixed on her plate as if the roasted chicken holds the secrets of the universe.
