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"How is your father, Candy? Sorry, Candice, is he still sneaking those pills to my mamma? I wonder how my father-in-law would feel about his brigadier trying to sabotage his alliance with the Italians. Guess when you didn't grab Damian like you both wanted, so he could be the top dog, you thought you'd try through my mamma—the wrong choice, darling. My mother may have a few screws loose lately, but her heart still belongs to my father."
No fucking way! My jaw hangs loose. How the fuck did Sofia know this and we didn't? What the actual fuck?
Candice lets out a scream and goes for Sofia. I go to grab her before she can hurt my wife, but Sofia snaps her right hand up, breaking Candice's nose, then dropkicks her to the floor and kicks her hard in the stomach.
Shit!
My semi has turned rock solid now while Alexandr just stands there in shock as Sofia kneels down and gets in Candice's face. She grabs Candice’s teary and bloody face hard, making Candice cry out more.
"That was for trying to break up my parents' marriage, trying to take over our famiglia, for drugging my father so he didn't know he saw his niece naked, and for destroying my marriage, bitch. Come near me or my family again and I will kill you. Ask my husband; I've become quite the pro at handling a gun."
She lets go of Candice’s face and punches it again, knocking her out. Sofia stands up, looking me in the eye, and says, "Next time you cheat, I won't run, I'll do worse to you than I just did to her, got it?"
Fuck, I'm so hard it hurts.
I smirk and walk over to her. I don't give a fuck if she smacks me for this, I need a taste. I grab the back of her neck, pulling her toward me, and kiss her hard. She gasps, and I take advantage and shove my tongue in her mouth, kissing her deeply. She kisses me back until she realizes she is pissed at me and pushes me away, glaring. I smirk deeper, knowing she's turned on. Her breathing has gotten quicker, her chest is rising faster, and her nipples are hard. Some things are still easy to read.
I lean in and kiss her forehead, then grab the water from Candice's desk before I pour it over her head. She jerks awake, gasps, and looks up at me like I'm her savior.
I bend down and state, "You're fired, get your shit and get out. I'll be sending the footage to my father later." She pales and starts to cry, but when I look at Alexandr, he nods and gets his phone out, calling one of our men to take her to the basement, as well as calling our father to get his brigadier in the same basement. Fucking traitors. We head to my office, where Stefano waits by the door, looking shocked and extremely pale, having heard everything Sofia said. I look him in the eye and nod so he understands they're both going to the basement, and we can go down there later. He bounces back, acknowledging it, and we head into my office and sit, except for Sofia, who is standing near the wall, arms crossed against her chest. I heave a sigh.
Alexandr returns a few minutes later. “All sorted," he states, eyes full of fury at what was said.
I turn to my wife and ask, "How did you know that?"
She shrugs, then states, "After what you all did, I needed collateral, so I went and got all the footage from the businesses and the home estates as well as the Hamptons house, which I was happy to see was clean. If it wasn't, I would have skinned you alive for ruining that house." My brother and her father laugh at that, while I glare at them. I don't think they understand that she fucking means it. When I look back at Sofia, I see she's smirking at me, and I glare at her, too, causing her to chuckle. I have to try and keep my face from breaking into a smile at her laughter.
She looks at her father. "What is it that you wanted to see me about, Father?"
twenty seven
Sofia
The men all flinch. My father has always been “padre” or “daddy,” but I can't use endearments with him right now—he sold me.
My father looks at me with pained eyes and says, "I know you're upset. I know because I deserve it all, but you're still my daughter, and I still love you something fierce."
My anger takes hold.
"You love me? Really? You love me so much, you left me with a mother who was jealous and bitter, getting drunk because you couldn't keep it in your pants." I shout the last bit, causing all the men in the room to look at me with shock. I've never spoken to him this way before, but I continue. I'm already fired up because of that slut out in the hallway.
"Her guard dog nearly raped me several times and succeeded with sexual assault, all because my father, who supposedly loved me, refused to come home and deal with his issues and his marriage." Damian walks toward me and tries to butt in, but I'm not done. "I got slapped across the face because you couldn't hide your fucking condoms in a better place when I was only sixteen. Because of you and your manwhore ways, she put me on a salad diet for years just so my husband wouldn't fucking cheat—a lot of good that fucking did though, hey." Alexandr looks away in shame because he’d known what Damian was doing. At the same time, my father and Damian hang their heads in shame. However, I continue, "And let's not forget the elephant in the room, 'Father,' you fucking sold me like cattle for an alliance, and got Damian to make me fall in love with him! I thought it was all real! I thought he was my best friend! I thought he fucking loved me, but it was all a fucking lie because of your greed! My daughter has had to spend the first two years of her life without her family because of you." It is true. Even with Damian cheating, I would have stayed, but I just wasn't willing to allow my daughter to be sold like I’d been.
"Moya lyubov, it may have started out that way, but the moment you called me out for being in a bad mood, and then dragged me for cookies, I was yours. I was bound to you like you were bound to me; I just didn't want to believe it. I wanted to rebel. I didn't want to be a don or a Pahkan. I was supposed to be second in command and live my life how I wanted, and on top of that, I was stuck with this bratty little princess." He smirks at that, causing me to scowl at him, and he smiles wider.
"She didn't care. I was pissed, but she still became my best friend. And I fought it. Fuck, did I fight my feelings for you! Even two days before our wedding, I was determined to fight them. I knew they were there, but I didn't want our parents to be right about how madly and deeply I'd fall in love with you. If I wasn't with you, I worried continuously. The worry would piss me off, so I'd contact a woman for a booty call. Was it right? No. Did you deserve that? Fuck no, and I regret it every fucking day, and I will until the day I die. I honestly thought, like a fucking dickhead, that once the wedding was over, we could start fresh. Like, I never strayed from you. I thought you'd never find out, but that if you did, you'd forgive me. But then you did find out, but you didn't forgive me; you ran, you left me, and you took a part both of us with you. You did it to save that precious life we created out of love, because that's what it was. Love. You took her to ensure she didn’t share your fate. I was initially mad; I'd missed two years of her life."
Tears fall fast from my eyes, and Damian walks over to me, placing his hands on my face, his thumbs trying to wipe away the tears. Looking deep into my eyes, he continues, "But then I felt pride! So, fucking proud because you put her before everyone and anyone. You continued school, got your degree, all while working your ass off, and you were an amazing mother to our daughter, even teaching her about her Russian and Italian heritage.
I know I hurt you, and I know our families hurt you, but we all hurt, too. We're ashamed, but know this: I will never regret agreeing to the arrangement because I wouldn't have had you as my best friend or the love of my life, which would have been a travesty. Do you hear me? I love you, all our parents love you, even your mother, who had a horrible way of showing it. Sergi loves you."
He gets cut off by Alexandr who adds, "I love you, too,” causing me to giggle.
Damian shakes his head but continues, "The idiot loves you. I know you coming home is just a way for you to see if you can trust us, but you have to know I'm going to do everything in my power to ensure I don't lose you or our daughter. Without you two, I can't breathe." He lays his forehead against mine, then whispers, "I am bound to you for eternity, forever, and always."
A sob breaks free as he kisses my forehead, then releases me, letting my father walk over to me and grab me in a hug. I tense at first, but as my father starts apologizing over and over, I relax and sob uncontrollably, not only because of how much hurt I've been but also because of how much I have missed my family.
He cups my face. "I know you are mad at her; you have every right to be. Heck, I'm struggling to agree with counseling after hearing what she put you through, especially knowing it was my fault for not communicating properly with your mother. But maybe in a week or so, you could sit down and talk with your mother. She loves you, she's just been on a downward spiral because of my blindness."
