“She’s here. I have her. I mean, I’m with her. We’re having dinner right now.”
There’s a pause. “You’re having fucking dinner. I can hear the goddamn ocean in the background. So what? You turn this into a romantic getaway? That’s my fucking daughter you’re with. You touch her, I will cut your balls off. Believe it.”
And I guess that answers my question about how Don G feels about me dating his princess.
I’m so fucked.
I resist the urge to clear my throat again. “She doesn’t want to come home.” It’s a lame excuse—I don’t know why I even try it.
“I don’t give a shit if she wants to come home or not. She’s had her fun. Now it’s time to get her ass back to Chicago. I’m not having my daughter playing Girls Gone Wild down there after the world of trouble she just caused me.”
“Of course not. I know. I was just giving her a couple of days to get used to the idea.”
“Tell her her mother’s going nuts, she’s so worried about her. Tell her her grandmother’s sick. And you tell her I told Nico Tacone to shut off her spending cash. She has no choice—she’s coming home.”
“I told her there’d be no retribution when she gets there.” I’m not about to bring my girl back if Don G’s going to punish her.
“Yeah, right,” he grumbles. “No retribution. When did I ever come down on that girl? I never did.” He’s just complaining now—there’s no ire in it. And I believe him. From what I saw, Jenna was always treated like a mafia princess, except for the marriage contract.
“I’ll get her home. By the end of the week—I promise.”
“No. Stop fucking around out there. I want her home by tomorrow, end of discussion. Capiche?”
My jaw’s so tight I think it will break. “Capisco,” I mutter.
Jenna
When Alex gets back my stomach twists up in a knot. I can tell by the look on his face everything’s changed. There’s a deadness behind his eyes, resolution in the set of his jaw.
So I was right. Whatever game Alex was playing with me, it’s over now. He’s doing a job for my father, and it just got called in.
“Let me guess,” I say when he sits down, to let him off the hook. “That was my father and he wants me home on the next plane.”
Alex purses his lips. “Pretty much, yeah.”
“And if I refuse?”
The dead eyes meet mine. A shiver runs down my spine. Who knows the things Alex has done for my father? What crimes or violence he’s committed that take the life right out of his soul? He shoves a hand through his dark hair.
“He also forbade me touching you.”
I feel like someone slapped me. The contract with Tacone may be off, but my dad still thinks he can control my love life. And of course Alex isn’t going to fight him. He can’t. In fact, Alex could be in real trouble. That thought pulls me out of my own selfish snit. “Right. Yeah. I won’t say anything.”
“Jenna, I have to bring you back. It’s my j—”
Oh, fuck this. I stand up and toss my napkin on the table. “I know—it’s your job. My dad is boss, so whatever he says goes. I guess I thought—” I stop, pressing my lips together to keep them from trembling.
Alex throws American cash on the table and stands up, too. “Thought what, baby?”
I shake my head. “Nope. Not your baby. Never mind. I was wrong.” I leave, even though I know without a shadow of a doubt he’ll be right behind me.
“Wrong about what, Jenna?” If I didn’t know better, I’d swear I hear panic in Alex’s voice as he follows me out.
I ignore him, walking swiftly up the beach. This is the last time I’ll feel the squish of sand beneath my feet. Tomorrow Alex will drag me back to the Windy City. No more morning walks, no more carefree days.
I don’t entertain the idea of running away—not even for a minute. Alex isn’t going to let me out of his sight. And even if I did manage to get away, he’d find me. I’m not stupid. I know the only reason my dad didn’t send him sooner was because it suited him and business to have me gone for a while.
I shouldn’t be pissed at Alex. I knew going into this he was doing a job. I knew he’s a player. And yet I still let myself get lulled into imagining we were starting a relationship. We were building something special, something unique.
“Jenna.” He grips my elbow and whirls me around.
When I shake his hand off my arm with anger, he releases it so fast you’d think I burned him. He holds his palms out. “Jenna, I’m sorry. Tell me what’s going on in your head. You’re mad because I didn’t listen? Because you have plans and you shared them with me and I’m still bringing you back?”