Page 97 of Humility

“I….”

“Don’t bother. At this point, I don’t even want to know. Do you think I can handle myself now?”

“I think you can more than handle yourself, that was fucking incredible.” He smirked and reached for me, but I stepped away. I was still seething but purposely kept my face neutral.

“If we’re going to be married, never mistake me for arm candy or a bored housewife to be seen and not heard. Or you will see how much of a tiger I can really be.” It was hard to shock Angelo, but the raised eyebrow mixed with the dark desire in his eyes was close enough.

“I’ll be ready to go in half an hour.” I stepped away, then stopped and looked back at him. “Oh, and Angelo, please make sure anyone else you’ve paid with sexual favors never touches you again.” I gave him the full weight of my glare. “Or I’ll order Dario to shoot your cock off. Do you really want to test where his loyalties lie?” I looked at Dario, who was smirking before giving Angelo one last disgusted look.

I swayed away from him and grabbed my clothes from a stunned Enzo. “Pick your jaws up off the floor, boys. Today is going to be a good day.”

Giving them all a disapproving glare, I marched up the stairs.

“Damn, that was the hottest fucking thing I’ve ever seen,” Enzo said as I got to the landing.

I smiled because I was done with people, especially men, underestimating me. My politeness and kindness in the face of great challenge and stress had been mistaken for weakness. The girls I grew up with made sure to let me know I didn’t fit in, while the boys bullied or dismissed me.

I’d grown up thinking something was wrong with me, but that was far from the truth. My parents had instilled a different kind of strength, one where I could rule with an iron fist but a heart full of compassion.

Even Angelo had underestimated me, but I wouldn’t allow that to happen again. I would never be second to anything or anyone. Being kind and having manners didn’t make me meek, and I would prove it, starting today.

Chapter Forty-Four

ANGELO

“And this is where the magic happens,” I said as I held out my hand for Jasmine to step out of the SUV. It had been so long since I had black vehicles with guards following me around that it seemed strange to see Kenji’s men parked around us.

My eyes scanned the neighboring buildings for any sign of danger. Jasmine slipped out of the vehicle, holding my hand, looking like the princess she was born to be. Strong and powerful, but with a grace that captivated everyone who looked her way. She said she didn’t want to be treated like arm candy, and although I wouldn’t have dared even before she threatened to remove my cock, I couldn’t help but want to show her off to the world. I felt as tall as the largest building in the world with her by my side.

“We’re not the largest yet, but I’m working on doubling the size. That is what the dinner meeting tonight is about. My real estate projects are at a standstill until I can make enough to build what I want.”

“Is that why you were arguing with the investment place,” Jasmine asked, and I nodded.

I had ways to get the money, but they would involve selling off items that at one time I thought about, but couldn’t. There was no way I could look her in the eyes and sell off the things I’d stolen from her father. Even I had limits to being an asshole.

Dario and Enzo stayed close as we walked through the front doors. The entrance was rustic but charming.

“When I bought this building, it was falling apart, but I’ve completely renovated it and turned it into what you see now.”

Jasmine smiled. “It’s stunning, Angelo. I love the inspiration you’ve added from back home while keeping some of the local heritage,” she said, nodding toward the wall with images of the area and buildings from over the last hundred years.

The office staff was lined up outside their doors, waiting to greet us like they were viewing a parade.

“We don’t need to stop,” I whispered, annoyed that they were all standing around rather than working.

“Nonsense, that is not how you treat people,” she said, glaring at me before holding out her hand to the first employee.

Jasmine took the time to meet every single person, and they gushed over her as she asked their name and thanked them for their work. It didn’t matter that she had no idea what they did. What mattered was that she made them feel special. Every moment I spent with her, I learned something new about her or myself. With one simple action, she schooled me in something that I’d been too blind in my ambition to see. I needed people as much as I needed space and equipment, and these people loved her. I could see it in their eyes as they spoke.

We pushed through the doors to where the whiskey was made. Every time I came in here and looked around at the tall metal vats, pride filled my chest.

“Mr. Esposito, it’s so good to see you again,” Tuck, my manager, said as he hurried over, smoothing back the little bit of hair he still had on his head. He zealously shook my hand with both of his while his round face glowed a bright shade of red. No matter how hard he tried, he could never find a suit to wear that the buttons weren’t popping at the seams and ready to shoot across the room.

“Good afternoon, Tuck. This is my fiancé, Jasmine. Jasmine, this is Tuck, my head production manager and the best mixologist you will ever meet. We all call him Friar Tuck.”

“Friar Tuck? As in…” Jasmine stopped herself from asking the question, her cheeks pinking as she looked up at me. I knew she was worried she was about to insult Tuck, but she had nothing to worry about.

Tuck laughed, and the jovial sound bounced off the metal. “Yes, ma’am, the one and only. I take pride in my nickname and my job. I love working for Mr. Esposito and love sampling the product even more.”