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“Yes. The debt’s settled.”
“Is it now? How?”
“That’s none of your business,” I say, not ready to admit that Tasha got into some serious trouble, then ended up saving my life.
“I can tell you what my business is.” Stephano steps up to me, his face inches from mine. We’re both tall men and see eye to eye. “I’ve been working on this fucking auction for your sake for the past two months. I have nine VIP clients here who jetted in for this little one’s sweet ass. Now unless you fucked her, and messed with the merch, for which I will fucking kill you, brother, I won’t let you fuck with my reputation.”
The silence that follows his tirade makes me only more conscious of my pulse beating in my temple, but I stare back, not giving him an inch.
“Oh my God,” Gigi whispers, her gaze jumping between me and Stephano, then back at Tasha, who hasn’t said a thing. “Is it true? You-you—oh God—you… you?—”
“Thank fuck something has put you at a loss for words,” Stephano bites back at Gigi’s stuttered shock. He has his hand on my chest, fisting my shirt. “Did you fuck the merch?”
I want to strangle him, but Stephano has every right to be irate, so I calmly dislodge him, forcing myself to keep cool and in control of the situation. “The merch is untouched.”
“I’ll verify.” Stephano pumps his fist in my steel grip.
“Fuck you. Take my word for it. You touch her, you die.” As the words spill from my mouth, I realize they are no idle threat. I don’t know when it happened, or how, but this woman has gotten under my skin.
“Matteo checked this morning.” Tasha’s voice is soft but sure, and unexpectedly calm. “In any case, your brother is a man of principle. He would never?—”
“Oh my God! You’re auctioning off your virginity! Is this for real? Are they forcing you? Is it your own choice?” Gigi is back in full force as she jumps up to stand between Tasha and us men, clearly the biggest threat in the room. Her fucking mouth that’s on a run is more dangerous than anything here.
But she knew. Tasha knew what I was doing this morning when she asked me to get her off and I used the opportunity to confirm what she already told me, as if I didn’t trust her. I know it’s all a bunch of bullshit and even that doctor’s letter confirming her virginity is phony as fuck, but Tasha’s reaction to my touch this morning told me everything I wanted to know. No one touched her while she was under Randazzo’s roof. Sorry, kitten, I wanted to make sure nobody hurt you. I’ve been battling my decision for days now, this thing between her and me… I can’t. I can’t let another man touch her, never mind have her.
“Good,” Stephano says as he rips free of my grip. “The Don will be watching on the livestream I’ve set up.”
Fuck. I have no illusions about how this works, or how far the Don will go to get what he wants. If he could watch the night she shares with the winning bidder, he’d go that far to make sure it’s done properly. Sick fucker.
“Don’t do this,” Gigi begs, her voice urgent, but Tasha slips her hand from her grip and stands.
She pulls off Mom’s rings from her finger and holds them out to me. “I’ve been promised a virgin auction,” Tasha says as she meets my gaze, her voice steady and sure. “I want my virgin auction.”
“What?” She’s been trying to run away from me from the start, to escape this very thing, and now she’s asking for it? “Kitten?—”
“No, Matteo, I have a right to clear my father’s debt. If this is the only way to do it, I’ll go through with it.”
“Please—” Gigi reaches out for her but Tasha steps up to Stephano.
“I’m ready to go if you are,” Tasha says softly, demure. Virginal.
“Tasha,” I say, refusing to let her do this. “You don’t know what you’re getting into.” Stephano has his hand on her lower back, and I want to implode. “Brother, if you know what’s good?—”
“Nobody is going to kill anybody here,” Tasha cuts in. “Understand?” She glares at me, finally using my own go-to on me. “You’re lucky enough to still have a brother, to have each other, so stop making dumb threats.”
Stephano blinks at me, then at Tasha, and I blink back. She doesn’t know Il Consiglio is the reason she no longer has a brother, but with those words she’s just leveled us to the ground. Never will I be worthy of this woman.
“What the lady wants, the lady gets,” Stephano says. “Stop fucking around, Matteo. The clock is ticking, and she needs to get ready. If you’re so eager to have her, you can place a fucking bid like the rest of them.”
“I’ll never degrade her by bidding on her,” I hiss. How can there even be a price on someone like her?
“God, you’re a bunch of creeps! She isn’t property!” Gigi yells now, pulling at Tasha’s arm.
“Can you all stop talking as if I’m not in the room?” Tasha shrugs Gigi off. “It’s okay. Stephano will take care of me.”
My brother will take care of her? My blood boils. I see fifty shades of red. But I don’t do anything as I watch them walk off because I will commit murder.
Gigi attempts to follow but Stephano growls between his teeth, “You. Sit. Stay.”
