When Enzo texted that she needed to use the restroom, I already knew she would try to run again, but to be this bold and end up at another place that my family owned was quite funny to me. Her heart seemed to drop with fear etched through her eyes, and I felt a moment of guilt at what I would do as punishment. Then I thought of what she put my men through, running around the city to find her.
“Take her to the car,” I told Enzo.
“Wait! Savio, you can’t do this,” she pleaded and tried to fight out of Enzo’s arms. I grabbed her arm and pushed her against the wall. Her eyes ballooned wide in shock.
“Shut the fuck up. You lost the right to plead your case.”
“No! If I’m going to die, then I won’t make it easy for you.”
“Bitch!” She kicked me in the balls, and I almost released my hold when I bent down in pain.
“I’m calling the police on everyone in here,” McKayla shouted.
“Take her to the car now!” I demanded.
“Get your hands off me!” McKayla spat. My guards grabbed her around the arms and legs as she squirmed in their hold and carried her to the car.
I finally stood with a hard glare and slowly walked out of the bar behind them. They put her inside the limo, and I got in next to her when she leapt across the seat and tried to scratch my eyes out.
“Sit the fuck back.”
“Call me a bitch again and see what happens.” She slapped me across the face.
“You think that little slap is going to stop me from killing your parents.”
“Don’t you dare threaten me.”
I sighed in regret for getting this far in a situation with this woman. I had enough problems with Viviana calling my office when I was in a meeting and wanting to meet up. Then my father was still adamant about McKayla coming over to finish the book, on top of Maurizio causing problems.
“Enzo, take us to the Calabresi home.”
Enzo pulled out in traffic, and we both stayed quiet as the limo headed to the freeway. I pulled out my phone to make a call.
“Yeah.” I heard Sante’s voice.
“How is she?”
“Driving me crazy,” Sante replied.
I chuckled and felt the same way.
“Put her on the phone for a second.” I turned the speaker on and held it out.
“Hello,” Rena said.
“Rena! Are you okay?” McKayla questioned.
“McKayla! Yeah, I’m fine. Are you okay?” Rena asked.
We both made eye contact, and she tried to reach for the phone. I yanked it back.
“Speaker only.”
“I’m okay, Rena. Have you been at work?”
“No, Sante refuses to let me go to work,” Rena replied.
“Because you tried to kill me!” Sante shouted.
“It was an accident!” Rena screamed back.
“Sante! What happened?” I took the phone off speaker.
I heard rustling in the back, and Sante got back on the phone.
“She’s crazy, and I’m ready to put a bullet in her head.”
“You’re good, right?”
“Yeah,” Sante muttered.
“Enzo’s taking us to our parents’ house. She tried to run again.”
“Can we end this now?” Sante asked.
“Not yet.”
“You like her, don’t you?”
“This isn’t high school, asshole.” Deep down, this woman was testing me at every turn, and her challenging me was aggravating and sexy at the same time. eI’d been with women for one thing only, and that was sex. Somehow, she’d made me want to be around her more and more with no thought of wanting sex from her.
He chuckled on the other line, and I hung up on him.
“Savio.”
I put my phone in my pocket and looked up at her.
“I understand I made a mistake when I stumbled on the Nevio situation.”
“Stumbled on.”
“If you’re going to kill me, can I at least have one last request?”
“No.”
“Why not?”
“Did you not have my men running down the street in broad daylight?”
She licked her lips and blew out a breath.
“What do I have to do to get you to trust me?”
Thinking over her statement, I had a nagging feeling this could be the best decision I ever made or the worst, but it would solve all my problems.
“Marry me.”
She burst into laughter.
“Really, what can I do?”
“Marry me.”
She stopped laughing and stared at me.
“You’re serious.” I nodded. “I can’t marry you.”
“Not for love. I need to cut a problem before it starts and solve your problem.”
“What’s my problem?”
“Your family and friends not dying.”
“Savio, there’s no way I can marry someone like you.”
“Someone rich.”
“I don’t care about money.”
“What do you care about?”
“I mean, you’re a mob boss, and I’m a journalist. Our lives are totally different.”
“Again, this isn’t about love. We both need to solve a problem.”
The car finally arrived at the gate, and Enzo pulled in the round next to Renato’s car.
“Can I think about it? I mean, your girlfriend might not agree to this.”
“Let me make the decision for us both. We’re getting married.” The car stopped, and I pushed the door open and stepped out, as she screamed at my back.
“Savio!”
I jogged up the stairs as the door opened with Renato holding a plate of food in his hands. I pushed him aside.
“Are you listening to me?” McKayla asked, as she ran up the stairs and followed me.
“Glad I made it on time for the show,” Renato said.
“Where’s Father?” I slid my hands in my trench coat.
“In the kitchen with Mom.”
I still felt a little sore from her kicking me, so I slowed my steps.
“Renato,” McKayla called his name.
“Miss Santon,” Renato answered.
“Can you please talk to your brother and just tell him to kill me?” she blurted out, and he choked on his food. I grasped her wrist and pulled her in the kitchen with me.
“Savio, my baby’s here, and he has a guest.” Mom cheerfully came around the island and held her hands out for a hug. She stepped back and smiled at McKayla and me.
“Hello, I’m Savio’s mother Adelina.”
McKayla pinched my wrist and jerked her hand away.
“I’m McKayla, it’s nice to finally meet you,” McKayla said.
“My husband is very smitten with you, McKayla,” Mom teased and wrapped her arm around my dad.
“McKayla, I hear my son has been keeping you busy,” Dad said.
She bit her bottom lip.
“Mr. Calabresi,” McKayla muttered.
“Are you staying for dinner?” Mom asked.
“No.”
“Yes.” We both answered at the same time. They looked at us both as Renato walked in the kitchen.
“Is everything okay, McKayla? My son can be a bit overbearing at times,” Mom said.
“Mom.”
She chastised me in Italian.
“He’s making me marry him!” McKayla blurted out, and she gasped.
“Savio, what is she talking about?”
“I need to talk with Father for a minute.”
“You can talk to us both,” she replied.
“This is about Viviana, isn’t it?” Mom questioned.
“Who’s Viviana?” McKayla asked.
“Me.” Viviana walked in the room wearing the shortest dress that showed off the cleavage she knew would taunt me and cause an argument.
The person I was trying to avoid all day and the past week made herself known, and I was trying to get McKayla on my side before Viviana tried anything to sabotage things.