Page 75 of She Belongs to Me

I hadn’t moved, doing my best not to react as he handed my receptionist a card with his phone number. Which I knew she’d promptly toss into the trash. That pissed me off. No one came into my world and dared put their hands on my employees.

Gio had been allowed to get away with minor infractions for years, mostly because I’d spent such little time with him and up until now, the clients had been decent.

Although I was beginning to wonder.

Luca eyed me carefully, lifting his eyebrows. He could tell I was fuming.

Both men loathed the prick, and had told me more than once they’d enjoy dragging Gio into a dark alley. Perhaps I should let them.

Instead, I was angry enough that we’d start the meeting with my exercise in restraint, although not completely. More importantly, it was time to teach the pipsqueak a lesson. Maybe that would soothe my rage.

I lifted my hand from the table, overextending my fingers. Luca tried to keep from whistling but failed. He was shocked I’d drifted straight into instant violence.

But honestly, a little pain could mean decent gain.

“Come in, Gio. I’m glad you could make it.”

Enzo closed the door after him, which wasn’t unusual.

“I’m grateful you called. I was getting worried,” Gio said as he tugged on the lapels of his jacket. He truly believed he was something special as a man. “The clients I mentioned the other night are antsy.”

I was certain they were.

So was the asshole he was working for.

“Nonsense,” I told him. “I simply need to think about how to handle a business opportunity. Prudence is often necessary or I might walk into a situation that could be deemed… difficult.” I allowed Gio a full twenty seconds to see if he could read between the lines.

He wasn’t that bright.

I eyed Enzo who immediately wrapped his massive forearm around Gio’s neck, jerking him as tall as was possible without being lifted off his feet.

He was already floundering, confused as to why I’d attack him.

I continued to remain in my seat, elbows on the table and my fingers steepled. I even had a smile on my face.

Luca took his arm, immediately placing a hold on the man’s wrist.

“What… What are you doing?” Gio was horrified. Enzo was using restraint, the guest able to talk. He usually enjoyed crushing a man’s windpipe to the point of suffocation before letting go.

“What am I doing? I’m providing a reminder of two important things.”

Now Enzo squeezed to make a point. “One is that you aren’t welcome at my home. Ever. I didn’t convey that message well enough the other night and for that, I apologize.”

Luca was good at pressure points, a method of close combat weaponry that he’d taught me over the years. Today, I didn’t want to become overexerted. I had plans with Alexandra, not that she was aware of what they were. However, I wasn’t going to allow anything to interfere with spending time with her.

When my second in command added the first level of pressure, Gio instantly cried out. It was funny what pressing against a certain nerve could do. Not damage at this level, but the kind of pain to make a man sweat.

His face was already turning red and soon, sweat would develop. “A stronger point is that I’m a consummate businessman who doesn’t like changes made at the last minute. Especially for a contract that was on the table for almost two months. What you did was disrespectful and unacceptable. I have new terms. If you don’t like them, I already have other clients lined up in the United States in several cities. Dozens of them. If I go with them, I’ll take a lion’s share. They are eager to do business with my corporation and I will make more money since the middleman will be cut out. And I don’t like cutting out the middleman.”

I did enjoy dropping clues that would get back to Mattia. And hell, maybe Adonis.

Luca added another pressure point, taking the pain threshold up to level two. Gio was sweating, finding it difficult not to tear up. The insinuations were still easily reflected in his eyes. I’d put the fear of God into the man.

“Now, the agony you’re experiencing is not harmful at this point, merely painful. However, Luca is very experienced in this particular martial art. You don’t want him to head to level five. I do hope you can understand that.”

He nodded as if that was going to matter to me in the least.

“Excellent. Nod again if you accept the fact the terms are being changed.”