Page 70 of The Strength Of A Woman

There’s an ounce of amusement in my words, but it’s carefully concealed in my stern, cold voice.

“What makes you believe she is unsafe?” Giorgio asks, his voice as dry as a husk.

“What made you believe she was safe?” I retort with a smile. “Maybe she was before we arrived. Before Maclean became available to her. Before Julian York showed up. Do you want me to continue?”

They both look at me in silence.

“I pulled her away from Maclean a couple of nights ago, and then I learned Everett York’s son likes to tease her. And not in the most innocent way as you two might conceive.”

A window slams in the house, and something tells me someone is about to pack their bags and leave…in a hurry.

Giorgio flicks his eyes to the house and signals to one of his men who stands near the entrance.

“Bring Julian to me.”

I speak to him.

“If you want to run what I just said by him, I highly advise against it. And if you want to punish him, don’t make a spectacle out of it for the sake of impressing me. Had you wanted him dead or gone, you would’ve taken care of it way back when his father died. Julian knows a thing or two about Leilani’s life in this house. There’s a reason you kept him around. You wanted his silence. You got it. That didn’t stop him from having the same type of predatory attitude toward her. He is just one man in a long line of men who did bad stuff to her. I know about the man who had repeatedly asked her to take showers for him so he could indulge himself. So, do me a favor and fix your problems when I’m not here.”

The blood drains from their faces. They look like two dead bodies having a chat on a nice, bright morning.

The man returns with Julian, who protests loudly, and Giorgio signals to him to take Everett’s son back into the house.

“What do you want, Callum?” Giorgio asks, no trace of pretending in his voice.

Finally, we are where we were supposed to be.

Giorgio has never convinced me that he wanted the best for me. Over and over again, he has proven to me that he has had a hidden agenda.

And I waited and waited.

Now the waiting part is over.

“I want out. But first, I’ll negotiate Leilani’s leaving. She’ll stay with me until I walk her down the aisle and hand her to herhusband. By doing that, I’m making things easy for you. You’ve got nothing to lose, only to gain.”

“What’sreallyin it for you?”

I flash a smile.

“I just said it. My freedom.”

“You want to use her for that?” he drops with mockery in his voice and festering hatred in his eyes.

“It’s probably some of the nicest things someone has done for her,” I shoot back, and his barely there smile falls from his lips like a bird from the sky.

“Let’s not fool ourselves,” I go on, leaning back in my seat, relaxed. “There’s a reason Varela’s name has been a secret all this time. This isn’t only about marrying her to him and forging an alliance that would clearly bring more money and influence to you than I did. Varela and I can’t be in the same family. There’s no room for both of us, and I have no intention of being subservient to him. So, whatever your plans are for making this work for both of us, you need to drop them. This is how things will unfold from here on out. I’ll ensure Leilani’s protection, since you’ve failed to do that. I’llalso keep my mouth shut, so her new husband has no idea that someone in her family had used her as a sex toy. She gets married. I get out. The rest of you can have your happily-ever-after. I don’t care what you do, as long as you stay away from me.”

A few moments pass before Giorgio speaks again, his food now cold.

“What’s the alternative?” he asks, which I find amusing.

“Hmm…” A smile blooms on my lips. “What makes you think there is one? But just so I can humor you, I’ll give you one.”

My grin vanishes.

“You’ll never see Leilani again. Varela will become your worst enemy, and I’ll be a close second. I’ll protect my territoryfiercely, and you won’t be able to use it as you do now. How does that sound?”

A noise comes from Sylvia’s chair as she scrapes it back against the concrete.