Unraveled (Guzzi Duet Book 1)(36)

“I don’t give a shit about harmony, I want compliant men.”

“I don’t think I can help you with that,” Gian said honestly. “They have their own mind. The fact you believe they’ll follow along with me, simply because I am me, speaks to your naivety, Edmond. And considering someone recently tried to blow me up—I haven’t put you out of the running for that one quite yet—you can’t expect me to jump at the chance to help you, now.”

“Well, that’s too bad, isn’t it?”

The car began to slow, and then pulled off the road altogether. It was only then that Gian realized where they were, and he barely contained his surprise at the apartment building staring back at him.

Cara’s apartment building.

“Consider this your final warning, Gian,” Edmond said. “Get in line, and help the rest of the men follow along, or I will remove you altogether. It might cause me a bit of trouble after I remove you, a few years’ worth of feuding or nonsense, but those dissenters too will learn to shut up, fall in line, or dig their own grave.”

Edmond smiled. “I don’t mind doing it like that, though I would rather do it the easier way and make it quick. And then, you also get to live and keep your place. It’s very simple.”

Gian didn’t care.

He was still staring at Cara’s apartment building.

Why would the boss bring him here?

What point was there to be made with this?

“Do we understand one another, Gian?” Edmond asked.

Gian forced his features to remain cool and calm. “I certainly hear you.”

“Consider my words, but I won’t give you much time.” Edmond waved at the building. “I hear you’ve been spending a lot of time with a young woman who lives here, so I figured this would be a good place to end our little chat. Have a good day, Gian.”

“She’s not even home.”

It was mid-week.

Cara was at school.

Edmond shrugged. “Walk back, I suppose. The fresh air will do you good, and the time alone will allow you to think. You need both, clearly.”

Nathan leaned over, opened the door, and jerked the gun from Gian to the outside.

Fucking great.





Gian waited patiently as the town car’s back door was opened by the driver, and Cara was helped from the vehicle. His grin grew at the sight of her wild, red curls and the annoyed expression she sported. His gaze traveled down the maroon dress she wore beneath her opened trench coat; a tight number that stopped a few inches above her knees, made her legs look fucking fantastic, not to mention the heels.

God, the heels.

Gian loved heels.

Cara’s stare landed on him, and she shook her head. “Do you often send cars to pick people up without any warning and with no indication of what they are going to be doing?”

“Chris told you to wear something nice, didn’t he?”

“You’re missing the point and the question.”

“You would be surprised at how many people I call on to do whatever fits my fancy.” Gian winked. “But not women, if that’s what you meant.”

Her iciness bled away a little. “I’ll have to take your word for it.”

“A man is only as good as his word.”

Cara surveyed the restaurant behind him. “Dinner?”

“You’re simplifying it, Tesoro. It’s a date. You and I, having a date.”

“Why?”

Because he thought she might like it.

Because he didn’t want to only fuck Cara.

He wanted to know her, too. He wanted to do normal things with her, like taking her to dinner, listening to her talk, and whatever else she wanted to do. He knew very well this woman was worth far more than how well she could take his cock, and he needed her to know it, too.

Gian stepped up to Cara, close enough that he could smell the hauntingly-sweet perfume lingering on her skin. Only a few inches shorter than him, she stared up at him, waiting for what he would do next.

A simple, quick kiss was all he offered before he straightened again with a smile. But it wasn’t so quick that he didn’t feel the gentle grin of hers form against his kiss before he had pulled away.

“Because it’s been a week since I last saw you, and it didn’t end well,” Gian settled on saying.

Cara looked away. “Well—”

“And you haven’t contacted me, either, so don’t try to say it’s fine. I don’t fall for that bullshit.”

“I wasn’t going to.”

Gian was pleased about that. “Dinner, then?”

“I thought it was a date?”

“Dinner is one part of the date, Cara.”

Her painted-red lips curved at the edges. “All right, then. Most men actually think to ask for a date, though.”

“Seems when I ask for things, we end up in a bed, and we don’t do much else.” Gian chuckled at the sight of Cara’s cheeks turning pink at his words. “Not that I mind, but change is always good, too. I tried a different approach this time, let’s see how it works out for us.”

“Let’s be honest here, probably still in a bed.”

“At least we’ll do something first.”

Cara nodded. “Good enough.”