Envy by Eve Marian

12

Giancarlo

Long, manicured nails pressed sharply into my biceps, and the smell of cigarettes and whiskey hung heavily in the car.

The blonde woman turned her eyes up at me and licked her lips. My mind recognized the move, but my body didn’t react like it usually did even though she was pretty enough.

When the car stopped in front of the hotel, I climbed out first, then helped Mandy.

Or was it Candy?

As we walked through the glass front doors, my eyes shot toward the restaurant. I didn’t recognize anyone at first, but then a laugh caught my attention. I turned toward the sound and spotted her.

She was with another man. He was tall, probably as tall as me. He wore a light gray suit jacket and when he raised his arm to sip his drink; the light reflected off his watch.

I searched the table for my sister, but she wasn’t around.

Pulling out my phone, I texted her: Hey, is everything all right?

The blonde tugged on my arm. “What are you waiting for?” she asked. “Let’s go upstairs.”

I ignored her, waiting for Sienna’s reply. It came shortly afterward.

Sienna: Everything’s fine. Why?

Me: Natacha is still downstairs, but you’re not. Where are you?

Sienna: I came back to the room. Needed to be alone for a bit. Should I come back down? Does Natacha look upset?

I glanced back at the table. Natacha was smiling at something the preppy boy said. She rested her chin on her hand and watched him closely as he spoke, hanging off of every word he said.

Me: No. She’s fine. She’s with some guy.

Sienna: Really? That’s great!

Sure, yeah, great.

Me: Goodnight, Sienna. I’ll see you in the morning.

Sienna: Night

I stuff my phone in my pocket and looked up again.

My gaze locked with hers, and her eyes widened. She straightened in her chair and with her right hand pushed her long hair behind her ear. I stepped toward her, but a hand on my lower back stopped me.

The blonde purred into my neck, “Why are we waiting here? Let’s go.” Her hand snaked down and grabbed my ass.

Natacha flinched at the same time as I did. Then she turned to the pretty boy next to her and spoke softly, judging by the way he had to lean closer.

The guy nodded and immediately raised his arm, signaling their server. He pinched his fingers together and mimicked the motion of writing a check. Did people actually do that? Apparently, this douche did.

The woman next to me was all out of patience. Grabbing my hand, she pulled me toward the elevators. I followed slowly. A rock fell to the pit of my stomach and all I wanted was to follow Natacha and frat-boy to see where they went.

The nagging feeling in my stomach was only natural. I was responsible for her this weekend. Should anything happen to her, it would be my fault.

After pressing the elevator button, I turned to look over my shoulder. The man caressed Natacha’s hand and whispered something in her ear. The tender moment inexplicably bothered me, and I had to turn away.

“Let’s go,” I said when the elevator doors opened.

The woman smiled and placed her hand over my chest, smoothing the linen across my nipple. Her movements were intentional and she was very good at what she did. Yet, the motion did nothing to soothe my annoyance. It only inflamed me further.

There was no one else inside the elevator at this hour, so when the doors closed, the woman slammed her body up against mine. Kissing my neck, she lowered her hand over my stomach.

I closed my eyes and my mind immediately drew a picture of a long-haired brunette, with pouty lips that I’d never kissed, but I could still conjure every line of her soft mouth.

When a hand moved over my dick, my mind recalled a small dimple next to her mouth and I twitched in response.

The elevator doors opened and the woman pulled me with her.

We walked toward my room door, and she stuck her tongue in my ear when I leaned down to grab the key from my wallet.

Cold air whooshed and I slammed a hand over my ear to wipe it.

It might as well have been a bucket of cold water over my head. I straightened and stared at the woman.

Her body was tempting enough, but it wasn’t what I wanted.

“Listen, darling,” I began. “This won’t work. I have an early day tomorrow and I’m going to get some sleep.”

She fisted both hands on her hips. “What?”

“I’ll make it up to you.” I pulled five hundred from my wallet. “Take this. Set yourself up with a room tonight or take it and enjoy yourself someplace else.”

She stared at the cash. “I’m not a hooker, you know. I sleep with who I want to sleep with.”

“I’m not saying you are. This is just an apology for the trouble.”

She crumbled the bills and shoved them in her pocket. “Your loss,” she said and walked away.

I felt like a loser standing there. But ironically, my dick got harder the further away she went as my mind returned to a pair of light brown eyes. I nearly took the elevator down to her room to check in on her.

Instead, I walked into mine and took a long, cold, unsatisfying shower.

The next morning, I woke up with a stiff neck and dick. I blamed both on Natacha.

Stepping off the elevator shortly after nine, I spotted them all waiting for me. I was late for the first time since I could remember.

“I guess blondes don’t have more fun,” Vito snickered and I nearly knocked the smile off his face.

Only Natacha’s miserable frown kept me from making a scene.

“Are you all right?” I asked her.

“Yeah, fine. Let’s get this over with.”

Did she mean the flight or the conversation with me? It felt personal, for some reason.

She walked on ahead toward the waiting black sedan that would take us to the airport.

She hardly said a word during the entire ride to the airport. Fortunately, Sienna and Vito were chatting, so Natacha and I could stew in our seats.

At first, I thought she was angry with me. Perhaps it bothered her to see me with someone else the same way it’d bothered me. The thought lifted my spirits, but when the car pulled up in front of the plane, her face turned pale and I remembered her fear.

She wasn’t angry. She was scared. And I felt like the biggest narcissistic ass for thinking of myself.

She walked out of the car and slowly climbed the staircase leading inside the plane.

I moved around Vito to sit next to her, but she took the seat next to my sister instead.

Her eyes seemed strange. Almost sleepy. Perhaps she didn’t get much rest last night. The thought unsettled me.

My sister held her hand and my fist tightened on the armrest next to me.

Inching closer to her, Natacha rested her head on my sister’s shoulder and closed her eyes.

I watched her as the pilot maneuvered the plane onto the runway and then sped up for take-off.

She kept her eyes closed the entire time. At one point, she squeezed them tightly, but it was only for a moment.

By the time the plane soared into the air, Natacha was fast asleep.

“What’s wrong with her?” I asked my sister, concerned that she was not herself.

“I gave her something to take the edge off. She should sleep the whole way through.”

Her eyes fluttered and I wondered if she was dreaming. Did she think of her pretty boy, or did her mind wander to darker thoughts?

I knew I shouldn’t be thinking this, but I couldn’t get her out of my head. Not last night and not now, with those pouty lips parting in front of me.

She wore jeans and a red sweater, one with a college insignia on it. It made her look younger, less like the buttoned-up cook in my kitchen.

Despite the warmth, my body was tense. Angry almost. She had been only inches from kissing me, then slept with another man. How was she able to get over it so quickly, yet my obsession with her only intensified?

I would ask her as soon as I could get her alone.

*

Vito and Sienna returned to the house with us, despite the scowl on my face. Nonna was at the door when we arrived, holding a platter of sandwiches.

She put the platter down on the coffee table. “Welcome back!”

She hugged Sienna first, then made her rounds, even embracing Natacha. When did they get close? Natacha had only been working here a few days, barely a week.

“Giancarlo, how are you feeling?” She patted my side and although it stung a bit, I ignored it.

“I’m fine, Nonna. You shouldn’t have gone to any trouble.”

“It was no trouble,” she said, but I wasn’t looking at Nonna. My eyes were on Natacha, who went straight to the kitchen.

I followed her.

“Hey,” I said while she washed her hands. “I think we need—”

Vito walked in behind me. “You got to try one of these sand—”

“Not now, Vito!” I shouted, annoyed that I hadn’t had a moment to speak to Natacha alone. I’d expected everyone to go their respective ways.

She looked up from filling a pot with water. Her eyes met Vito’s behind me. I didn’t turn around. I could tell from the rise of her eyebrows that they were both surprised by my outburst.

Damn, a man could only take so much interference in his own home.

Then Nonna walked into the kitchen. “Gigi,” she said.

At my wit’s end, I steeled my voice. “I need everyone to leave. Right now.”

Vito raised his hands in defense, as though he were walking away from a rabid animal. Nonna, however, sneered and stuck her finger at me. “Don’t you dare speak to me like that or I will take that wooden spoon and smack you over the head with it. Do you hear me?”

I closed my eyes and released my frustration through my nostrils. “I just need a few minutes to speak to Natacha. Alone.”

“Fine. I’m leaving. I can see I’m no longer wanted here.”

Oh, for fuck’s sake.

I turned to Natacha and pointed a finger at her. “Don’t go anywhere. I’ll be right back.”

She tilted her head. “I don’t plan on making a run for the border yet.”

Her tone was flat, so I wasn’t sure if she was angry or not. I looked over my shoulder as I left the kitchen to make sure. Still no reaction or even a smile on her face.

Nonna didn’t have one either as I followed her to her room. “Nonna, wait.”

“No, no. I don’t have to be told when I’m no longer wanted.”

“You know that’s not it. I love having you here. I’ve spent an entire weekend with Vito and Sienna, and I needed some time alone. You were just at the wrong place at the wrong time.”

“Well, Vito can take me back home. I think my work here is done.”

“You don’t have to leave, Nonna.”

I felt bad she was leaving like this, but I was sort of happy to have the place back to myself again. “But if you insist on leaving, then I’ll drive you home myself.”

“Don’t bother. Vito is taking me. Just deal with what you need to deal with, Gigi. I can see something is eating you up inside.”

My grandmother had always been the only person who could read me. I never appreciated it more than now. “Thank you,” I said, and she nodded once.

My phone rang. It was a call I’d been expecting. I groaned. “I’ve got to take this call. Ring me when you get home.”

She waved me out and I left her packing her things.

I walked across the foyer to my office, passing Pete’s empty desk. It was Sunday evening, so I had this section of the house all to myself and I swiped right on my phone to answer the call.

“This is Giancarlo. Is everything set?”

“It is. We installed the cameras just this morning. We’ll be ready should anything happen.”

“Good. I’ll be there tomorrow night to make sure they’re working. There can be no screw-ups.”

“Got it.”

I ended the call and dropped my head in my hands. Running my fingers through my hair, I reached into my jacket for a cigarette, but the pocket was empty.

Fuck.

I hope I’m wrong about this.

I prayed my suspicions were completely off the rails and that the rat wasn’t the man I suspected.

I needed proof. Because if it was him, there would be no coming back from this.

I’d have no choice but to get rid of him.

Permanently.