Envy by Eve Marian

10

Giancarlo

Vito tapped his foot next to me. The sound drove me nuts. Slamming my hands down on my desk, I turned to him. “Can you fucking stop that?”

His brow creased. “Stop what?”

“That incessant tapping.”

“Sorry,” he muttered and walked toward the window that looked down at the club below.

It was only five o’clock, so the staff was just getting ready for the night.

“I don’t understand why you believed them. Nicky is the rat, I know it.” He pivoted on his heel to face me, but I remained focused on my laptop.

“I didn’t say I believed them, only that I wouldn’t do anything about it right now. Patience is everything, Vito. And all truth comes to light.”

“You’re a lot more forgiving than I thought.” He sulked, but his words were a punch to the gut.

“Don’t mistake my patience for kindness, Vito. I don’t blindly make decisions. I have my eye on Nicky, but I’m not ready to take a kid out on suspicion alone. You don’t get a reputation for being a boss by making rash decisions. So let me take care of the rat while you look into the restaurant I told you about. Have you called the manager yet?”

“Yes. I offered him triple what the place is worth, just like you said. He’s going to sell.”

I looked up from reading the financial statement Pete had sent me. “That’s the best news I’ve heard all day. Why didn’t you start with that instead of the fucking tapping?”

He smiled but I wasn’t kidding. Vito needed to focus on his tasks instead of telling me what to do. It was starting to piss me off.

Vito’s phone pinged. “Speaking of the rat, Nicky just texted us. He’s outside.”

He was ten minutes early, but I was glad to see him taking his role seriously.

When Natacha told me he spent the night with her, the thought made me want to punch something. I’d never forbidden my staff from dating, but the thought of the pretty brunette with my driver bothered me. He knew what hid beneath those buttoned-up shirts she wore. But it was still a mystery to me.

She was off-limits—my employee—and nothing like the type of girl I usually slept with. She was the type that wanted romance, a relationship, and to meet the parents. There couldn’t be anything further from my life than that.

So, why did I give a shit that my driver was fucking my cook? It reeked of jealousy, but that was ridiculous. We weren’t even in a relationship. Why would I be jealous? Was I that much of an ass that I couldn’t stand another man being with a woman I found attractive?

Yeah.

But it was probably more than that. She was funny and straightforward. I liked that. But I had no right to be angry. And that just pissed me off more.

“All right. I’m ready,” I said, slamming down my laptop. “Let’s go meet this asshole.”

“You mean Nicky?”

“No. Sienna’s boyfriend, Luca. He’s coming over for dinner.”

*

As soon as I stepped through the door, the smell of pizza reached my nose. My mouth watered and my stomach growled, improving my mood slightly.

“That smells delicious,” Vito said, closing the door behind us.

I grinned. “You sound surprised.”

“Well, Natacha has improved from the first night. I just can’t believe how much.”

Yeah, me neither. I wondered if Nonna was helping her.

“Are you planning to stay for dinner, Vito?” I passed my jacket to my doorman, Dominic, who hung it for me.

“Definitely. I was looking forward to watching you drill Luca, but now I’m thinking I’ll get a good meal out of it, too.”

“I won’t drill him.” I lied. “I just want to know how the fuck a cabinet punched my sister in the face.”

“Damn, maybe I should leave. This could get ugly.”

“No stay. I may need someone to hold me back.”

Vito snickered, but I didn’t laugh. “You’re not kidding, are you?” he asked.

“Not even close.”

The sound of my sister’s laugh drew me toward the kitchen. She sat at the island, wiping her cheek while Natacha sliced some parmesan cheese.

“I can’t believe you kicked him in the balls,” Sienna said, her laughter brightening my mood.

“Why not?” Natacha looked up at her, a cocky grin playing on her face. “He put his hands where they didn’t belong. So, I made sure he’d do better next time.”

Sienna laughed. “Oh, I’m sure he’ll never forget that lesson.”

Natacha stopped chopping and chuckled along with my sister. “That’s exactly my point. He’ll never try it again.”

I cleared my throat and Sienna turned around. Natacha looked up momentarily, then placed the Parmigiano Reggiano on a wooden board.

“Gianni,” Sienna shrieked and ran up to me. I held her while keeping an eye on Natacha. She didn’t look our way.

“Where’s Luca?” I asked.

“He’s on his way. He had to work late.”

“Well, so did I, but I left early to be on time.”

Strike one.

“Don’t start, Gianni!”

Her face dropped and I hated to be the reason for it. I sighed. “I’ll try. I promise that I will try.”

I kissed the top of her head and felt Natacha’s gaze on us.

Quickly, before I could make eye contact, she resumed her chopping. A crease formed between her eyebrows and, for reasons I couldn’t understand, I wanted to run my thumb across it and smooth it out.

Instead, my fingers snatched a piece of cheese and popped it into my mouth.

The doorbell rang, and Sienna jumped out of her seat. “That must be Luca.” Her face became rigid and she made a move toward the front door, but I stopped her.

“Dominic will get the door. There’s no need to rush.”

She patted down her black pants. “Oh, I’m not rushing. I just want to be there when he comes in. I want him to see a friendly face. I do the same for you.”

Frowning at the urgency in her voice, I wondered if that was true. She was always happy to see me and would run into my arms. I guess she would do the same for her boyfriend. Maybe I was being bullish. Perhaps, her bruise had been an accident.

I would give the guy the benefit of the doubt. Might as well start on the right foot. I had promised Sienna that I would. And I always kept my word.

I followed Sienna out of the kitchen and watched her run up to some guy in a thin black jacket, jeans, and a black beanie. He reminded me of some musician, but I couldn’t think of the name.

I waited patiently as he kissed my sister, sticking his tongue down her throat and grabbing her ass.

I inhaled deeply and ran a hand through my hair. Closing my eyes, I counted to three.

“Giancarlo, this is Luca, my boyfriend.” Waving between us, she continued. “Luca, this is my brother, Giancarlo.” She smiled and that eased the tension in my shoulders better than any calming breath.

Walking toward them, I stuck out my hand. “Thank you for coming. I’ve been looking forward to meeting you.”

The guy tilted his head and pursed his lips. “I was surprised when Sienna told me. I didn’t realize we were at the point of meeting the family. But hey, I’m cool with it.”

My eye twitched.

“I see. What point would you say you’re at then?”

Shrugging his shoulders, he grabbed my sister’s waist. “We’re just having fun, you know.”

Strike two.

This guy was either an idiot or a loser for saying something like that to his girlfriend’s brother. Either way, he wasn’t good enough for my sister. But he’d barely made it past the front door, and I promised myself I wouldn’t kick him out, at least until the first course.

“Come in. What can I get you?” I walked over to my bar, fully stocked with premium liquor, including some of the finest aged whiskeys.

“Do you have a beer?”

I refrained from rolling my eyes. I hated beer. “Sure.”

“I’ll get it,” said Vito. He must have noticed my face, because his grin spread from ear to ear.

I poured myself two fingers of one of my best whiskeys and sat down in front of Luca and Sienna. “So, what do you do, Luca?”

“I’m in a band.”

“You don’t say.” I sipped my drink. “Do you have a manager?”

“Not yet, but we’re playing Walker bar tonight. It’s going to be lit.”

“Do you play guitar?”

“No, drums.”

Mmm. I should have known. “Walker, did you say? That’s not really in the best neighborhood. How much are they paying you?”

“Giancarlo!” Sienna admonished. “It’s not about the money. It’s about the exposure.”

“Walker bar is filled with truckers and hookers. There aren’t any music execs there.”

Luca’s eyes narrowed, and his goofy grin disappeared. The skin at the back of my neck prickled, sensing his anger.

But instead of arguing back, he looked behind me. From the corner of my eye, I spotted Natacha beside me. She set down a charcuterie board. She wore her buttoned-up shirt again today, but this time instead of black slacks, she paired it with a pencil skirt. Perhaps she was trying to dress up for the dinner party.

The skirt framed her hips and ass, distracting me momentarily. Unfortunately, when I looked back up, I realized so was Luca.

I cleared my throat.

He leaned toward me. “Who’s that?” nodding once at Natacha.

Was this idiot showing interest in another woman in front of his girlfriend and asking her brother about her?!

Unbelievable.

Natacha had gone to the bar and brought back a pitcher of water and three glasses. As she poured the first one and set it in front of Sienna, the idiot asked, raising both eyebrows, “Have you tapped that yet?”

My head exploded and I clenched the pillow beside me to stop myself from wringing his neck. I was just about to make him apologize to Natacha when Luca screamed.

“I’m so sorry,” Natacha said, having poured water on his lap. Her face was serene. She didn’t look sorry at all. She was too calm for someone who hadn’t done that on purpose.

Her response soothed my anger and momentarily saved Luca’s life.

Sienna grabbed a napkin and patted the loser’s pants. “Stop,” he shouted, and Sienna flinched. “You’re fucking making it worse.”

I felt Natacha’s eyes on me, but I didn’t look up. My focus was entirely on the interaction in front of me.

Sienna’s voice trembled. “I—I’m sorry. There’s a hair dryer upstairs. Let me help you.” She stood from the couch, her hand reaching for Luca’s. He slapped it away.

This time, Natacha flinched.

That’s it. Strike three to the hundredth degree. He’s done.

I stood and pointed to the door, which Dominic had promptly opened.

“Get the fuck out of my house.”

Sienna whipped her head around, her eyes pleading with me. But there was nothing she could say or do that would change my mind.

“And if you ever come near my sister again, I will slit your throat. Do you understand?”

“What?” The idiot looked genuinely confused. As though he didn’t know what he’d done wrong. He pointed at Natacha. “She was the one that ruined my pants and you’re kicking me out? What the hell, man?”

I stepped closer, standing toe to toe with him. “This isn’t about the pants, asshole. I know you hit my sister and I won’t let you anywhere near her again.”

He opened his mouth to argue, then turned an accusatory glare at Sienna.

“Don’t look at her. She didn’t tell me. She made up some stupid excuse for you. But from what I’ve seen in the past ten minutes, I know it was you.” I crossed my arms over my chest and lowered my voice. “So, I’m only going to tell you one more time. Get out of my house and never contact my sister again.”

Sputtering some nonsense, Luca grabbed his jacket and stomped toward the door. “This is fucked up, man. I didn’t do anything.”

Standing in front of the door, he stopped and glared at my sister. Lowering his chin, he asked, “Are you coming?”

My chest tightened. I wasn’t sure what I’d do if she followed him. I didn’t want to physically stop her, but there was no way I was letting her leave with that asshole.

Sienna stepped forward, but then Natacha put her hand on my sister’s shoulder. Not necessarily pulling her back, but as an act of comfort. Sienna inhaled sharply and placed her hand on top of Natacha’s.

She shook her head.

“Well, fuck you, too.” He grabbed his jacket, which Dominic held out for him, and left.

After watching his retreat, my gaze landed on Natacha’s and Sienna’s hands intertwined. Dropping her head, Sienna sniffled.

In two strides, I reached for her and pulled her into my arms, rubbing her back as the sobs racked her body.

Natacha’s eyes caught mine before she quickly turned away. Her gaze hardened as she stared at the door until she exhaled sharply, turned on her heel, and walked back to the kitchen.

“Can I stay here tonight?” Sienna asked.

I pressed her head to my chest. “Of course. Your room is always ready whenever you need it.”

She sniffled again. “Thanks, Gianni.”

I watched her climb up the stairs, slowly and sluggishly, as though she carried the weight of the world on her shoulders. I wanted to take the burden off of her and tell her she’d done the right thing by not following him. But I didn’t have the words to comfort her. I never did.

“I’m headed out,” Vito said.

I’d forgotten about him.

“You did good.” He slapped me on the shoulder as he headed toward the front door.

I nodded and walked back to the kitchen to check up on Natacha.

She was cutting a pizza. I’d also forgotten about dinner. “Are you hungry?” I asked.

“Not really.” She pulled out a container and put the pizza inside. “How about you? I can plate a couple of slices for you.”

“Maybe later.” I sat on a stool next to the island and stared at her. She’d pulled her long brown hair into a ponytail and I noticed a beauty mark just underneath her left earlobe.

“What?” she asked, leaning back.

I shook my head. “Nothing.”

She cleared her throat. “Look, I’m sorry about the water thing, but—”

I held up my hand. “Don’t apologize. I should thank you. It brought out his true colors quickly, and we didn’t have to sit through a painful dinner.”

“I guess. I feel bad for Sienna, though. It’s hard to admit the man you’re in love with is a jerk. Somehow, you blame yourself.”

I hadn’t thought of that. “You don’t think that’s what she’s doing?”

She shrugged. “I know I’ve done it with bad boyfriends in the past.”

Imagining Sienna in pain was one thing, but having her blame herself was another. I couldn’t take it. “What can I do for her?”

She closed the container and placed it in the fridge. “There’s nothing you can do. She just needs time to process everything. And time to heal.”

I thought about what I did when I wanted to forget. I disliked the idea of sending up a bottle of whiskey to my sister’s room.

Perhaps she needed a distraction? Something to do instead of sitting in her room. “Do you think a trip would help?”

Natacha laughed and the sound warmed my cold chest. That dimple I’d noticed before was more pronounced when she laughed.

“Yeah, sure. Who wouldn’t want to get away for a few days?”

Perfect. This was what I needed. I couldn’t sit idly by and watch her cry over some asshole. Plus, it would take her away from this damn turf war for a bit.

“Where’s the best place to go?”

“I’m not sure. Depends on what she likes.”

“She likes to shop.”

Wiping down the counter, Natacha blew out a breath. “Well, she can go to New York for some shopping and a show. It’s not too far of a drive.”

“I have a small plane.”

She raised her eyebrows at this. For some reason, I wanted to explain. “It’s not just mine. It’s shared by a few of us in… in the family.”

I had a few people I needed to meet with in New York this weekend. It would justify the plane trip and give my sister a break. “Great. I’ll go tell Sienna. You should go pack a bag. We’ll leave first thing in the morning.”

She stopped wiping and stared at me. “Wait. What?” Shaking her head, she placed both hands on the counter. “You want me to go with her? But I’m the cook. I need to stay here.” She chewed the inside of her cheek, and I wondered why she was hesitant to take a trip to the city. Most women would jump at the opportunity. But I was discovering Natacha Benett wasn’t like most women.

“My sister likes you. And I’ve seen you handle yourself with stupid men. You’re perfect.” She blinked at that. “Besides, if I’m going to be away, I won’t need a cook. So, I’m asking you to come to New York with me.”

Those weren’t the words I’d thought in my head, but when they came out of my mouth, I liked the sound of them.

Natacha, however, frowned. She seemed reluctant to leave. “Do you have someone at home? Is that why you don’t want to go?”

She sighed. “No. That’s not it. I… well, I just had other plans for this weekend. But, I do want to help Sienna, so I’ll come.”

I exhaled and tapped the countertop once with my palm. “Then it’s settled. I’ll go tell Sienna.”

Before I left the kitchen, my body urged me to stop and check on Natacha. She stared at the countertop, her fingers curled around the edge. Her eyes were far away, looking deep in thought. I wondered if something was keeping her here.

Or someone.

Did she have a boyfriend and didn’t want to tell me?

Please don’t let it be Nicky.

When I stepped inside my bedroom, I opened my tracking app. I found Natacha’s phone on my Wi-Fi network and added it to my app. Now I could track her in New York City, as well as Sienna. In a big city like New York, it wouldn’t be too cautious to keep an eye on them. To keep them safe. It had nothing to do with the adrenaline pounding in my veins right now.