Page 64 of His Vicious Vow
“It’s okay. Please don’t fight with your sister. I’m sorry.” Carina is hesitant.
“Bianca, you have five minutes.” I hit the timer on my watch.
She doesn’t say a word, just grabs her purse and phone and walks out.
Carina is twisting her hands tightly together tears in her beautiful emerald eyes. “You didn’t have to do that.”
“I did. I apologize for Bianca. She will only be allowed into our home once she’s apologized and you are okay with it.” All I want to do is hold her close, to tell her everything would work out but I don’t dare. I promised her I wouldn’t touch her until she asked me to. I lie as I tell her I’m going to get dressed and work in my office downstairs.
Wiping her tears she nods before going into her room and closing the door.
Before I give into the aching need I do exactly as I said. But I don’t go down to work in my office. I go down to the front desk and ask for an empty room. My front desk gives me a suite a few floors down from the penthouse.
Despite drinking half a bottle of Macallan I ordered and being exhausted I don’t sleep for hours and when I do it’s restless filled with dreams of my wife. A wife who won’t let me touch her.
* * *
Sandro
“What do you mean you knew?” It’s going to suck finding a replacement for Natasha.
“I didn’t find out until your wedding day. Hardly the time for me to tell you. I was going to tell you when you got home yesterday but you looked like you were about to drop. I would have told you. Even though Carina asked me not to.”
I shake my head. “Fuck. I don’t get Carina. She’s…I want to say regressed but this wasn’t how she was. I thought therapy was supposed to help her. She hasn’t had a panic attack—that I know of. But in every other way I would say she’s depressed. I can’t think of any other explanation.”
Natasha sinks down into the chair in front of my desk. “I kind of was thinking that too. From the way you talked about her to now isn’t the same person. You know, therapy only helps as much as the person lets it. Maybe she needs a prescription. If it were me the prescription I would write is one fluffy kitty cat who purrs when you pet her and drives you crazy at three o’clock in the morning. Hester pulled me out of my depression. If I didn’t have her to get out of bed for I wouldn’t have.”
“She’s allergic to cats.” I consider her suggestion. It’s actually a good one. “I’m worried about allergies to dogs too. Aren’t there hypoallergenic dogs, like a poodle or something like that? Bianca mentioned it when she wanted a dog when she was younger.”
“Hypoallergenic isn’t really a word people should be using about any animal. But there are definitely dogs that affect people’s allergies less. My mom had the sweetest Bichon Frise, then a maltipoo for her allergies.” Natasha sighs. “Those dogs were the best, the only dogs I’ve ever liked and the main reason was because of how cute and cuddly they are. A word of warning, they’re very needy breeds. Sometimes it’s a good thing, sometimes it can be hard for them to spend even an hour or two alone.”
Since Carina didn’t leave the penthouse often it isn’t an issue. “Wasn’t there a maltipoo left here at the hotel? The lady said she didn’t want her back, right? I remember Luca being pissed anyone could do that to a dog. Where is it?”
“Oh yeah, that was messed up. The poor dog left in the room because she was sick. Nevermind it was the asshole owner’s fault for letting them get into some chocolate. Let me call the vet’s office and see if they still have it. The vet said they have a lot of dogs left by their owners. Luca was so outraged he sent them ten grand to help out on expenses for the practice when the bill for the dog was only a few hundred dollars.”
I watch Natasha go into business mode as the person on the other line picks up. It’s clear they still have the dog. I motion for her to go get it. She nods and lets them know she’s on her way. “Get a bow or something for the dog. And clear my afternoon.”
She gives me a salute. “Yes, sir. I’m so glad you’re becoming a real boy after all.”
“Get out of here, smartass.”
It’s only when she’s gone I’m reminded I forgot to tell her to find Bianca somewhere else to live. We own several condos and a dozen homes. Several of them are used for our men and to stash things that we couldn’t in the hotels with the gaming board issues.
A part of me wants to let Bianca handle it herself. The more I thought of the awful shit she said to Carina, it hit me—Bianca lied about Lauren saying shit about her weight. Lauren told the truth. Except ending things with Lauren made things easier with Carina…so I won’t hold it against her the way I am for treating Carina the way she did.
I call Gaetano. It’s a few rings before he answers. “Hey, how are you holding up with Bianca?”
“It’s fine. She was mouthy last night. She’s good now.”
I’m wondering how he managed it so quickly. “I’ll have Natasha figure out what properties we have she can stay at. With how picky Bianca can be it might be another day or two. Thanks for putting up with her.”
“No problem if she doesn’t find anything. Like I said I’m not here much. Still figuring out that damn software program half the day.”
My phone beeps from a call, it’s the mayor. “I gotta go. Mayor is on the other line. I’ll talk to you later.”
* * *
Carina